《The Genius Female Forensic Pathologist, The Psychological Anatomist》 Chapter 1 Meow, meow~As dawn broke, the sky gradually turned a pearly white, and the piercing sound of a cat''s cry echoed intermittently from next door. At first listen, it almost sounded like a baby wailing at the top of its lungs. Meow, meow~ The sound grew increasingly shrill and miserable. Was it that annoying pregnant woman next door torturing a cat? But she didn''t even own a cat! Mu Mian got up and walked to the neighboring apartment. Just as she was about to knock, she noticed the door was ajar. "Ms. Li, please stop making noise, and kindly keep your cat quiet too!" There was no response, only the cat''s continued cries, mixed with the faint sound of sharp claws scratching against something. In the silent early morning, it felt somewhat spine-chilling. A familiar scent wafted faintly through the air. The metallic smell of fresh blood. "Is anyone there?" The voice echoed in the hallway. In the dim light filtering through the cream-colored lace curtains, she could see the pregnant woman lying on the wooden floor. The floor had already been stained a dark red with blood. Her expression was contorted, her body twisted in an unnatural position. Her mouth was tightly sealed with black duct tape, and her hands were bound behind her back with rope. Meow, meow~ The pitiful cat''s cries were coming from inside her round, slightly quivering belly. Her stomach bulged and pulsed, the centipede-like wound stitches on it trembling as something inside struggled to break free. Woo~ Woo~ The wail of police sirens shattered the early morning tranquility of Ziweili Residential Area. Ziweili was a middle-class neighborhood in the old town of Jiangzhou City. While property prices were quite high, the infrastructure was outdated. Some buildings didn''t even have elevators installed, let alone security cameras. The complex was arranged with four units per building, two households per unit. The crime scene was in Room 541, Unit 3, Building 8. The closed layout of the complex meant there were no onlookers gathered at the crime scene. It was eerily quiet. Several police officers pushed open the door. The first thing they saw was the woman lying in a pool of blood. Her face was contorted, her bloodshot eyes bulging, as if she had endured immense suffering before death. The woman''s top was pulled up, revealing her cut-open belly. Her internal organs were fully exposed, as if savaged by a ferocious beast. The everted flesh was covered in scratch marks. Next to the corpse lay a toolbox containing a full set of dissection instruments. The scissors and scalpel were stained with blood. The furniture and items in the room were neatly arranged, with no signs of a struggle. On the fabric sofa curled a small figure. Her entire body was scrunched up into a ball. She wore bloodstained plastic gloves on her hands and a white fluffy pajama with SpongeBob SquarePants prints, spattered with blood stains. In her arms, she cradled a blood-covered kitten. On her feet were disposable shoe covers. Meow~ Hearing the noise, the little cat with a notched ear struggled slightly and let out a cry. "Didn''t the caller say there was only one victim?" Zhang approached the sofa, about to check the "body" when suddenly, he found himself staring into a pair of jet-black eyes. Zhang stumbled back several steps in fright. "Ah, it''s come back to life!" The other officers rolled their eyes at him. "Zhang Xiaoqiang, what are you yelling about? Can''t you see that''s a living person?" Zhang watched in disbelief as the "corpse" sat up. Her movements were slow, pausing after each action as if she needed to gather strength for the next. Zhang asked confusedly, "Who are you?" She glanced at them briefly before quickly averting her gaze, looking down at the cat in her arms. "Hello, I''m the one who called the police. My name is Mu Mian." All the officers present stared at Mu Mian in surprise. She looked like a high school student, with shoulder-length short hair and a small stature. Her skin was deathly pale, and her expression was blank. The blood-stained white pajamas made her look like a killer from a horror movie, and a mentally unstable one at that. "Miss Mu, you''re incredibly brave to sleep at a crime scene!" Zhang was utterly baffled. "What if the killer had come back? It''s too dangerous." Though she looked more like the killer herself. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian didn''t respond to him. She kept her head down and continued her statement mechanically: "This morning at 4:21 AM, I was awakened by the sound of my neighbor''s cat. At 4:35 AM, I came over to knock on my neighbor''s door¡ªthe victim''s door. The door wasn''t closed, so I glanced inside and found my neighbor lying on the floor..." Her voice sounded like it was generated by AI, flat and emotionless. Zhang couldn''t help whispering to Wang, who was crouched on the ground collecting footprints: "Wang, do you think she''s lying? Advisor Lin said that when witnesses or suspects recall case details, they usually follow emotional cues and start with the most important parts. But she''s narrating in chronological order, and with such precise times. It''s very likely she prepared this in advance." Wang nodded in agreement and whispered back, "I think her mental state is off too. Look, she can''t even make eye contact with us. She must be feeling guilty. We should take her back to the station and let Captain Fang''s team question her." Mu Mian seemed not to hear their whispered conversation and continued her mechanical narration of the events: "I heard the cat''s cries coming from her stomach. At that time, the corpse still had some warmth¡ªabout 34.5¡ãC. Within 10 hours after death, the body temperature drops by 1¡ãC per hour. Although it''s early spring, we''re having a cold snap, and there''s no air conditioning in the room. So we need to use winter data, with a coefficient of about 0.7. Roughly estimated, her time of death should be between 3:30 and 4:00 AM..." Zhang pointed at the victim''s stomach, his mouth agape. "Wait, what did you say? Where did you say the cat''s cries were coming from?" Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines as they looked at the victim''s mutilated abdomen, all thinking of something terrifying. "At 4:37 AM, I dialed the emergency number. At 4:39 AM, I put on gloves and used scissors to cut open the stitches on the victim''s stomach, rescuing this poor little kitten. I recorded the entire process on video. I tried my best to protect the crime scene. If you need it, I can send you the video." Finally finished, Mu Mian let out a sigh of relief. These people were so rude, constantly interrupting her. Fortunately, she had strong resistance to interference and was able to describe the course of events fluently and clearly. Meow~ The dirty little cat meowed loudly, as if agreeing with her words. Zhang repeated incredulously, "You''re saying the killer stuffed a cat into the victim''s stomach?" "Could it be that the killer, not satisfied with just murdering the victim, stuffed a cat inside to further desecrate the corpse?" Amidst their shock, those present began to discuss the killer''s motive. "It wasn''t to desecrate the corpse," Mu Mian corrected, looking at the victim. "She was still alive at that time." "Still alive?" "She''s right." Old Qin, the forensic expert, had already conducted a preliminary examination of the victim''s body. He explained, "The victim was about 8 months pregnant. The killer removed the fetus along with the placenta from the victim''s womb, then stuffed a live animal into her uterus before stitching up her belly." Old Qin glanced at Mu Mian and the kitten in her arms, then used tweezers to extract a cat hair from the victim''s abdominal cavity. "It must have been a cat. Look, most of the wounds on the inner abdomen show vital reaction, which proves the victim endured immense torture while still alive." Mu Mian glanced at Old Qin, then quickly averted her gaze, muttering softly, "The cause of death was hypovolemic shock." "That''s correct." Old Qin suddenly felt that this Mu Mian looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before. Zhang exclaimed, "My God, how cruel can the killer be?" Mu Mian agreed, "Yes. But his killing method is very creative." Creative... Zhang felt a chill run down his spine. How deranged must the killer be to stuff a live cat into a pregnant woman''s belly? Zhang turned to Mu Mian and asked puzzledly, "What about the victim''s baby? When you cut open the victim''s stomach, didn''t you see the baby inside?" "The killer took it away," Mu Mian said, her eyelids drooping as she struggled against sleep. "Maybe they ate it, kept it as a souvenir, or threw it away. You should ask the killer about that." "How perverted!" "I''ve told you all the information I know," Mu Mian placed the cat in Zhang''s arms. "I need to go to work now. It''s my first day on the job, and I can''t be late." Zhang''s expression was somewhat troubled. "But you can''t leave now. You need to come back to the police station with us to give a statement." "Is it to the City Police Bureau?" she asked. "Yes." Mu Mian thought for a moment, then conceded, "Alright." Zhang had expected to have to "pressure" her a bit to get her to cooperate properly. He didn''t anticipate she would be so agreeable. "It''s on my way anyway," Mu Mian flashed him a stiff smile, her tone carrying a hint of excitement. Zhang shuddered. This girl looked quite cute, but when she smiled, why was it so eerie? Her smile was rigid, resembling the forced grin of a puppet doll from a horror movie. Moreover, why did she seem so happy about going to the police station? Chapter 2 The police conducted a thorough search of Room 541. This apartment was likely the scene of the first crime.There were no signs of forced entry on the door lock, and no suspicious traces were found inside. Only the victim''s fingerprints were discovered in the apartment. The deceased was Li Yan, 28 years old, unmarried, without a steady job, living alone, and 8 months pregnant. Squeak~ A very soft sound of the door opening came from behind, and Mu Mian, who was sprawled on the table, immediately opened her eyes. She wasn''t sure how long she had been in this quiet interrogation room, but fortunately, she had managed to get a rare good sleep. She decided to renovate her bedroom, modeling it after this interrogation room. Maybe then she could sleep this soundly every night. The door was pushed open, and two people walked in. The first person Mu Mian saw was the talkative young police officer from this morning. Behind him was a tall man wearing a black leather jacket, with sharp features and a fierce expression. Mu Mian had seen his photo before; he was Fang Rui, the leader of the Special Crime Unit. Her eyes lit up slightly. This man had an excellent physique, with well-proportioned muscle lines, originally very suitable to be a human specimen. Mu Mian stared at him intently, her burning gaze like a sharp scalpel. In her mind, she had already begun to dissect him, separating all the organs and muscles from his body¡ªit would make a perfect skeleton. Mu Mian liked bones. She had already collected many beautiful bones, but this was the first time she had seen such a perfect human skeleton. What a pity, she thought, that this was a living person, and he would probably live for a very long time. Zhang noticed that Mu Mian''s previous dejection had disappeared and was a bit surprised. Why had Mu Mian''s empty eyes suddenly become so bright and focused? Zhang glanced at Fang Rui again, wondering if it was their boss''s good looks that had captivated her. Ignoring Mu Mian''s intense gaze, Fang Rui pulled out a chair and sat opposite her, forcing Mu Mian to meet his eyes. Although she had practiced for many years, Mu Mian still found it difficult to maintain eye contact with others. "Hello." Mu Mian forced herself to look into his eyes, thinking this would make her expression appear more sincere. "May I ask if you''d be willing to donate your body to me after you die? I would take very good care of it..." The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Fang Rui''s expression showed a hint of bewilderment, but he quickly adjusted back to his cold, expressionless mode. If it weren''t for the fact that this was an interrogation room and Zhang was sitting beside him, he would have very much liked to pick Mu Mian up and throw her out. She looked so small, he could lift her with one hand. "Miss Mu, please understand that this is an interrogation room. Be serious!" Zhang tapped the table, quickly interrupting Mu Mian''s words, afraid she might say something even stranger. Zhang cautiously glanced at Fang Rui, who remained composed. As expected of their boss, having seen many things, his emotions were quite stable. There were quite a few girls who pursued Fang Rui, and many who desired his body, but this was the first time Zhang had seen someone coveting his corpse. Mu Mian corrected Zhang, "I was asking very seriously." "..." "Then I''ll answer you very seriously," Fang Rui refused, "I currently have no plans to donate my body." "Alright." Mu Mian slowly shifted her gaze, landing on Zhang. Zhang immediately glared at her fiercely, about to prevent Mu Mian from setting her sights on his body, when he heard Mu Mian say softly, "Weren''t you going to take notes?" So... had he been overthinking? "Your name?" Zhang opened his notebook. "Mu Mian." "Age?" "I''ll be 25 in 106 days." "No need to be so specific. How was your relationship with the deceased?" "Not good." Zhang''s pen paused slightly, "Can you elaborate on that?" "I don''t understand her interpersonal relationships," Mu Mian thought for a moment, then frankly said, "Her relationships seemed very complicated, beyond my comprehension." Zhang''s eyes lit up: "For example?" "She wasn''t married, but she was pregnant. Her boyfriend was someone else''s husband. Her child might not be her boyfriend''s..." Zhang was speechless. All these relationships could be summed up as "the deceased was having an affair." How was that complicated? Zhang continued asking, "Did you see anyone enter your neighbor''s house last night, or hear any unusual sounds from next door?" "Not before I fell asleep." S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian lowered her head and stared at the table surface. This table had seen some years; its surface was peeling in places, looking pitted and uneven. She felt inexplicably irritated. She emphasized, "I went to sleep at ten. I''m used to going to bed early." "What about after you fell asleep?" Fang Rui suddenly interjected into their conversation. Mu Mian looked up at him for a moment, then quickly averted her gaze, shrinking her head into her scarf like a quail. Silence, a long silence. Fang Rui asked, "Is this question difficult to answer?" His tone was calm, not at all aggressive. Mu Mian''s lips moved, and with an expression of "trying hard to conceal something, but not succeeding very well," she explained slowly: "It''s very difficult for people to notice outside sounds after they fall asleep. That''s common sense." "Just now you were sleeping deeply, but our soft door opening still woke you up. This proves that you''re very sensitive to sound. You dislike noise, don''t you?" When she heard the word "noise," Mu Mian unconsciously nodded in agreement with his words. She really did hate noise. "The soundproofing in your apartment complex isn''t very good. Many residents reported hearing noises from the deceased''s apartment last night." Fang Rui''s fingers lightly tapped the table, as if tapping on Mu Mian''s psychological defenses. "So why didn''t you, as the deceased''s neighbor who is sensitive to sound, hear those noises last night?" The soundproofing in that apartment complex was very poor. Even if the killer had been as quiet as possible while dissecting the victim in the room, it would have been impossible not to hear any sound at all. Zhang and his team had interviewed the residents above and below the deceased''s apartment. They all mentioned that around 2 AM last night, they had heard the sound of objects being dragged across the floor from Room 541. But because the deceased often made noise in the middle of the night and had a bad temper, they didn''t go to complain. Yet Mu Mian said she hadn''t heard any sounds last night. It was obvious that Mu Mian might be lying. "Miss Mu, what were you doing last night? Is there something you''re uncomfortable talking about?" Mu Mian''s fingers traced the scratches on the table surface. She wanted to hide the scratches, but doing so only made them more apparent. Just when Fang Rui thought Mu Mian wasn''t going to speak, she suddenly looked at him and said, "I''m not the killer." "I believe you." Mu Mian smiled at him, "Thank you for your trust." Zhang looked at their conversation in confusion, wondering if he had missed something. Why did he suddenly not understand what was going on? "But how can you prove you''re not the killer?" Mu Mian quickly wiped the smile off her face. She didn''t intend to speak anymore. She could prove it, but doing so would reveal her secret. So she decided to remain silent. At this moment, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The person knocking was Officer Chen, who was in charge of personnel. She looked at Zhang, "Captain Fang, sorry to interrupt you." "Sister Chen, what''s the matter?" "The chief held a welcome party for the new colleague who joined today. The new forensic pathologist, Dr. Mu, said she was trapped here and asked me to rescue her. I don''t quite understand what she meant; I think she might be lost. So I wanted to ask if you''ve seen her come by?" "We don''t have any Dr. Mu here." "Strange, she said she was right here and asked me to come find her around 9 o''clock." Fang Rui pointed at Mu Mian, who was sitting obediently across from them: "I think she''s the Dr. Mu you''re looking for." Zhang stared at Mu Mian with wide eyes, "You''re actually a forensic pathologist?" Wouldn''t that make her professionally qualified to kill someone? "I," Mu Mian raised her hand high, "I''m here." Officer Chen frowned slightly. Didn''t the chief just say he had recruited a top talent? How come it''s a young girl? She couldn''t still be in college, could she? Fang Rui said, "Officer Chen, don''t new employees need to undergo a physical examination? Why don''t you take her for one first?" "Alright." Officer Chen agreed casually, then thought, didn''t she already have a physical before being hired? But this young girl did look a bit sickly, so it might be necessary to check her again. Fang Rui insisted, "Take her now, please." Officer Chen glanced at Mu Mian''s dazed state and said, "Alright then, the hospital is just next door anyway." Mu Mian''s smile stiffened. She looked at Fang Rui very seriously, then casually averted her gaze. After Mu Mian left, Zhang asked curiously, "Boss, why do you keep pressing that question? Maybe she was just really tired yesterday and slept deeply?" Zhang felt that this question wasn''t particularly helpful for solving the case. "I just want to confirm my suspicions," Fang Rui replied, his gaze fixed on Mu Mian''s retreating figure with an inscrutable expression. Zhang furrowed his brow. Their boss rarely focused so intently on anyone¡ªexcept for the most vicious criminals in prison. So¡ª "Boss, you''re not suspecting she has a split personality, are you?" Zhang had a sudden realization. He speculated, "Is it like this? After Mu Mian fell asleep yesterday, her other personality emerged and killed the victim. And her current personality has no memory of what happened last night. No wonder she''s so tired today. It''s probably because she was exhausted from killing someone last night. Plus, she''s a forensic expert, so she should be skilled at killing and dissecting." Zhang felt his deduction was brilliant, logically sound, and entirely plausible. He felt he hadn''t let down the police academy''s careful training. However, he saw Fang Rui looking at him with a puzzled expression. Zhang began to lose confidence. "Boss, did I say something wrong?" Fang Rui said, "Very imaginative." His tone shifted slightly, "Why don''t you quit and become a novelist?" Zhang: "..." That was certainly impossible. He had worked so hard to become a civil servant! Chapter 3 The Jiangzhou City Police Department had recruited many new talents this year through their talent introduction program. To show their importance to these new hires, the department specifically held a simple welcome party for them.Because most of the positions were for police technical roles with low physical requirements, this batch of new recruits was generally quite slim and weak-looking. Even so, Mu Mian stood out prominently among them. She was like a solitary island, having almost zero interaction with others. "Fang Rui, Consultant Lin, what do you think of this forensic expert Mu?" Chief Wang Yong and Fang Rui stood outside the hall, watching Mu Mian through the window. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Next to them stood a young man named Lin Sen, a criminal psychology expert. He frowned slightly as he observed Mu Mian. Mu Mian was staring blankly at a fake tree, completely out of place in the lively environment. "Chief, is she really a forensic expert?" Zhang, who was passing by with some documents, couldn''t help but chime in when he heard Wang Yong talking about Mu Mian. "I doubt she''s even graduated from university. Did she get in through the back door?" Wang Yong glanced at Zhang, who immediately shut up, but his eyes still sparkled with gossip. Fang Rui reprimanded him, "Go deliver your documents!" "These documents aren''t urgent," Zhang muttered under his breath. "Chief, is this forensic expert Mu really the talent you headhunted?" "Indeed she is. Several police departments were competing for her, but luckily I acted fast and got her first," Chief Wang boasted proudly, then handed Mu Mian''s file to Fang Rui. "Take a look at her resume. She''s a Ph.D., you know." In recent years, Jiangzhou City had experienced several serial killing cases. Wang Yong had established a Special Crime Unit specifically to investigate such cases. However, he was having trouble choosing the right members for the team. The older detectives, though experienced, were still using outdated methods to solve cases and often found themselves at a loss when faced with unusual cases. So he wanted to select some new blood to join this special unit. Mu Mian was one of the talents he had his eye on. Fang Rui casually flipped through Mu Mian''s resume: Mu Mian, 25 years old, graduated from S University with a major in Clinical Medicine, holding two Ph.D. degrees in Neuroscience and Pathology... Fang Rui''s gaze fell on the self-introduction page: "After dissecting my first corpse at the age of twelve (an adorable little squirrel flattened by a car wheel), I was determined to become a forensic expert. As of the day you received this resume (February 10th), I have dissected 103 human corpses: 58 Black, 35 White, 5 Asian. (Notice that 5 are missing? This proves you''ve read my resume carefully. I''ll tell you why they weren''t included once you hire me). This clearly shows how much I need this job to increase my understanding of the internal structure of my fellow countrymen''s bodies..." Fang Rui''s mouth twitched slightly. This self-introduction was indeed quite strange. But then again, Mu Mian was strange in every aspect. This resume suited her personality perfectly. Chief Wang said, "We''ve pretty much selected all the members for our Special Crime Unit, except for a forensic expert. Old Qin would have been the best choice, but unfortunately, he''s retiring next month. This Mu Mian is the one I''m most satisfied with among the new recruits." Fang Rui glanced at Mu Mian again. Her gaze had finally left that aesthetically unpleasing plastic tree, only to fixate on a pot of fake flowers. He really couldn''t understand what the Chief found satisfying about this young girl. She was like a little robot, and a malfunctioning one at that. Was it because of her impressive academic credentials? Fang Rui said with dissatisfaction, "Chief, I don''t accept her joining our Special Crime Unit!" "Why not?" "Because she''s got her eye on the boss''s..." Zhang was about to explain for Fang Rui but was silenced by his glare. "She doesn''t look like she''ll be easy to manage," Fang Rui rubbed his brow. "I can''t handle a team member like that." "But she looks quite obedient." "Looking obedient is useless. She''s not here to be looked at. Choose someone else!" Fang Rui insisted. "I don''t agree with her joining either," Lin Sen chimed in. "Why? Because she looks young and you think she''s incapable? Or are you discriminating against women?" Lin Sen explained, "She''s likely an autistic individual." Wang Yong frowned, "That''s impossible, right? Aren''t autistic people unable to take care of themselves? She looks quite..." Wang Yong didn''t finish his sentence. Just by observing Mu Mian a little more closely, one could notice that she seemed to never make eye contact with others. "She avoids eye contact, has difficulty communicating with others, and exhibits stereotypical behaviors," Lin Sen explained. "She might be a high-functioning autistic individual who has recovered well. But even so, she probably can''t work normally. So I don''t recommend hiring her." "Lin Sen, are you sure she''s autistic?" Fang Rui was a bit surprised. "I''ve never seen an autistic person who talks so much!" Lin Sen gave him a cold look. Wang Yong was also skeptical of Lin Sen''s judgment. "When we selected new recruits, we did an initial psychological screening... Look at page seven of the file, there are test results." Lin Sen turned to page seven, which contained a psychological test report: Subject: Mu Mian [Mental Health Dimension: Scale: SCL-90 Scores for each indicator (scores over 2 require attention): Somatization: 1.34; Obsessive-Compulsive: 1.82; Interpersonal Sensitivity: 1.41; Depression: 1.02; Anxiety: 1.29; Hostility: 1.54; Phobic Anxiety: 1.13; Paranoid Ideation: 1.01; Psychoticism: 1.21; Additional Items: 1.32. Mental State Evaluation: All indicators normal, no symptoms of depression or anxiety... High level of mental health.] [Personality Dimension: Scale: Big Five Personality Scores for each indicator: Openness: 48 (High); Conscientiousness: 45 (High); Extraversion: 43 (High); Agreeableness: 49 (High); Neuroticism: 19 (Low) Personality Evaluation: Extroverted, helpful, reliable, emotionally stable, skilled at independent thinking.] [Ability Dimension: Scale: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IQ Test Score: 186. Ability Evaluation: Intelligence at an exceptionally high level.] Lin Sen said, "According to this psychological test result, this forensic expert Mu is an extroverted, helpful, friendly genius. Do you think this describes her?" Wang Yong looked at Mu Mian and remained silent for a while. "I still believe we shouldn''t be prejudiced against autistic individuals. We should give her a chance to prove her abilities, shouldn''t we?" The welcome party lasted exactly 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 17 seconds. Mu Mian found it excruciating. She desperately wanted to rush to the autopsy room and continue dissecting her unfortunate neighbor. She had been too tired this morning and only got halfway through the autopsy before falling asleep from exhaustion. There was no dispute about the cause of death, but the method of death was so unique. So Mu Mian was eager to figure out how the killer had come up with such a creative method of murder. She even thought that if she were the killer, she could have done it more perfectly. She could have made the kitten stay quietly in the victim''s belly, then be "born" like a baby. Mu Mian vividly imagined the scene in her mind: Accompanied by a series of meows, an adorable kitten crawls out of a human woman''s body. "According to our department''s tradition, all new recruits need to complete a psychological test. Please follow me to the computer room to complete the test," Officer Chen''s voice interrupted Mu Mian''s fantasy. Mu Mian looked at her, momentarily stunned. Another psychological test? Mu Mian felt a bit irritated. She disliked psychological tests and despised those self-righteous psychological experts even more. Chapter 4 "This test will take about half an hour. Please patiently complete the questions on your computers," Officer Chen briefly introduced the content of the test before letting everyone begin.At first, there were standard self-assessment scale questions. Everyone clicked through them listlessly, selecting the "correct" answers that were obvious at a glance. Later, some images and meaningless words appeared. People started whispering to each other: "How is this different from previous psychological tests? What are these images and word groups testing us for?" "Do we just need to press the F and J keys? What happens if we press the wrong one? They won''t fire us right after we''ve just been hired, will they?" "This is a variation of the Implicit Association Test, used to assess our cognitive tendencies," Mu Mian kindly explained to those around her. "It''s based on a neural network model which assumes information is stored in a series of nodes connected by neural pathways organized hierarchically according to semantic relationships. Therefore, by measuring the distance between two concepts along these neural connections, we can measure the association between them..." The people sitting next to her gave her strange looks. Mu Mian stopped her explanation. The social guide said not to force knowledge onto others, even if they particularly lack "common sense." One of them asked, "What specific aspects does it test?" "Whether we have violent tendencies; if our worldview is positive or negative; sexual orientation... things like that. This psychological paradigm is used to test our subconscious cognitive tendencies, so it doesn''t let us easily perceive the purpose of the test." "So there''s no way to fake this kind of test?" Mu Mian paused for a moment, then said quietly, "The real indicator of the test is the difference in reaction times. An average person can''t perceive the purpose of the test and choose answers that don''t align with their cognition within a few seconds. It requires a very high level of brain processing power." "..." They couldn''t understand at all! As they progressed further into the test, everyone became more focused because they had no idea what these questions were testing. Mu Mian also became increasingly concentrated, but when she saw a series of questions about social norms, she couldn''t help but wonder: Was this psychological test specifically designed for her? But why would they need to test her? She had been acting perfectly normal! As soon as the test ended, Mu Mian''s results appeared on the psychological testing system''s backend. "Are her test results satisfactory?" Fang Rui looked at the mass of data, feeling a headache coming on. "Explain it to me in layman''s terms, no theory please." "The test subject is extroverted, has a positive outlook, dislikes violence, is kind and enthusiastic, emotionally stable, and has strong social skills," Lin Sen shrugged. "Pretty much the same as the previous test results." "Didn''t you say these test results couldn''t be faked?" Fang Rui couldn''t associate any of these descriptors with Mu Mian. In fact, Mu Mian seemed to be the complete opposite of what these words described. "I said it''s very difficult to fake, not impossible," Lin Sen said. "Clearly, this Dr. Mu is trying hard to conceal her psychological issues. And she''s quite successful at it¡ªif you don''t observe her in person, that is." Lin Sen paused, then continued, "I don''t object to her joining us." "You''ve changed your stance so quickly? Just because she passed your unreliable test?" Fang Rui was somewhat surprised. Lin Sen pointed to the IQ score section on the screen, "A genius like me needs a genius colleague to work with." "..." Fang Rui had to admit that Lin Sen had a talent for criminal psychology, which was why he could tolerate this egomaniac. But right now, he still very much wanted to throw Lin Sen out. After completing the psychological test, Mu Mian reported to the forensic department. By the time all the formalities were done, it was time to leave work. Two other new forensic doctors had joined along with Mu Mian, a man and a woman. The man was called Zhang Xiaolin, and the woman was Chen Xue. Chen Xue was outgoing, and since she had interned there for half a year, she got along well with everyone. After work, she enthusiastically invited everyone out for dinner. Mu Mian, uncomfortable with eating with large groups, declined Chen Xue''s invitation. Outside the City Police Bureau, Mu Mian stood by the roadside, using her phone to call a taxi. It was rush hour, and Mu Mian had particularly high standards for drivers, so she stood in the cold wind for over an hour but still couldn''t get a ride. When Zhang drove by, he saw Mu Mian huddled in her scarf, looking pitifully at the traffic. "Boss, since we''re heading to the crime scene anyway, should we give Dr. Mu a lift?" Zhang turned his head to look at Fang Rui in the back seat. "She seems lost." "Whatever." Zhang pulled up next to Mu Mian. "Dr. Mu, want a ride with us?" "No!" Mu Mian refused without hesitation. "Why not?" Zhang was puzzled. Was she refusing a free ride? Mu Mian glanced at his car¡ªa black, somewhat old and poorly maintained vehicle of an unknown brand with low safety ratings. She then eyed the tires¡ªseverely worn, and the bumper was dented. There was absolutely no safety guarantee in riding in such a car. But the social guide said not to directly point out others'' shortcomings, so she asked tactfully, "Have you passed your driving test?" "Of course I have. How could I drive without a license?" The hint failed. Mu Mian began to ponder how to more tactfully refuse his unreasonable offer to give her a ride. Zhang also caught on and turned to Fang Rui in the back seat, incredulous. "Boss, she... what does she mean? Is she questioning my driving skills?" Fang Rui got out of the car and walked to the driver''s side, telling Zhang to sit in the back. "I''ll drive." Seeing that Fang Rui was now driving, Mu Mian promptly got into the front passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. Zhang watched in disbelief as Mu Mian got in the car. This Dr. Mu was so hypocritical! His boss was the truly unsafe driver. The car''s sorry state was largely thanks to Fang Rui. However, he didn''t dare say it out loud and silently took the blame. It was now the evening rush hour, and the main roads were severely congested. Feeling bored, Zhang tried to make conversation. "Dr. Mu, what did you think of today''s psychological test? It was specially..." "Zhang, you talk too much," Fang Rui interrupted coldly. Zhang quickly made a zipping motion across his mouth. Mu Mian, however, felt her heart stop and her breath catch. She stared blankly at Fang Rui. Had her secret been discovered so quickly? Rumor had it that Fang Rui was a famous detective with keen observational skills. Had he seen through her disguise at a glance? This man not only had a perfect skeletal structure but also a brilliant mind¡ªsuch a brain would be worth studying as a specimen. At this thought, Mu Mian felt a bit dejected. How could she legally obtain his body? S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 5 Perhaps Mu Mian''s gaze was too intense, as Fang Rui turned his head to look at her. "This is a tradition in our City Police Bureau. All new employees have to take a psychological test. It''s not targeting anyone specifically.""May I ask if I passed your psychological test?" Mu Mian inquired. "What do you think?" Fang Rui countered. "I should have passed," Mu Mian replied confidently. She had read all the psychology books on her sister''s bookshelf by the time she was 12, and since then, she could pass any psychological test. "You''re quite confident," Fang Rui remarked. Although Mu Mian''s ability to read facial expressions was rather weak, she had a feeling that Fang Rui''s smile hinted that he already knew she was an autistic patient. Otherwise, there would have been no need to specifically have her take such a psychological test. Mu Mian quickly regained her composure. She took out a bank card she had prepared earlier from her pocket and handed it to Fang Rui. Fang Rui looked at her in surprise. Every action of this forensic pathologist Mu was unexpected. "This is all the money I have. It''s yours," she said. "Why are you giving this to me?" Fang Rui asked, puzzled. "You should know why," Mu Mian replied, mindful of Zhang''s presence in the car and not wanting to make her "bribery" attempt too obvious. Fang Rui frowned, his expression stiffening. "You''re not planning to buy my corpse with money, are you?" Fang Rui wanted to kick Mu Mian out of the car immediately, but considering she was an autistic patient, he could only suppress his anger. Mu Mian''s eyes widened, her tone somewhat excited, "Oh, so it''s possible to buy it with money?" S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. A moment later, she lowered her head dejectedly and said, "But I''m very poor now, I only have this much money." More than Fang Rui''s corpse, she now wanted to protect her secret¡ªshe didn''t want others to know she was an autistic patient because that would mean she''d be fired. She really needed this job right now. "Absolutely not!" Fang Rui snapped, "Don''t even think about it! From now on, you''re not allowed to mention the word ''corpse'' in front of me!" Fang Rui was a staunch materialist, but nobody would like the feeling of having someone covet their corpse while they were still alive. "Alright," Mu Mian conceded. Having been interrupted like this, she didn''t know how to steer the conversation back to asking Fang Rui to keep her secret. She''d have to find another opportunity to "bribe" him in private. After dropping Mu Mian off at home, Fang Rui and Zhang first questioned Old Chen, the security guard of the residential complex. Zhang handed Ms. Li''s photo to Old Chen. "Uncle, do you recognize this person?" "Of course," Old Chen glanced at the photo, "Isn''t this Ms. Li from Building 8, Unit 3? How could I not know her!" "Has she made any enemies recently?" "This Ms. Li is a notorious shrew in our complex! She has an extremely bad temper, and there are countless people who''ve had conflicts with her. Put it this way, delivery men would rather pay compensation or get fired than deliver packages or takeout to her home. Oh, and she''s also a mistress. Her boyfriend''s wife even posted notices at the entrance of our complex... Wait, the person you carried away this morning wasn''t her, was it?" Fang Rui interrupted him, "Don''t make baseless accusations." Old Chen suddenly seemed possessed by the spirit of a detective, excitedly saying, "Officer, you don''t need to investigate this case. The killer must be that young lady from Room 542, Unit 3, Building 8. Her name is Mu... Mu something." "Mu Mian," Zhang said with a start. "Why do you think she''s the killer?" "Everyone in the complex knows. This young lady isn''t right in the head." "Why do you say that?" "She moved in three months ago. She''s very strange. At first, she didn''t speak, but she smiled at everyone. However, her smile was extremely stiff, as if someone was forcing her to smile. We thought she was mute and tried to take care of her, but when it came to Ms. Li, she spoke more sharply than anyone else." Fang Rui seemed to understand what Mu Mian was doing. She was trying hard to disguise herself as a normal person, but this only made her appear stranger. Realizing this, Fang Rui felt guilty for arbitrarily refusing to let Mu Mian join the Special Crime Unit earlier. "Later, Old Liu from our property management went to fix the plumbing in her apartment and saw a wall full of bones hanging there, all sorts of shapes... She even threatened to turn Ms. Li into a specimen and hang her on her wall as a mural." Fang Rui was speechless. This indeed sounded like something Mu Mian would do, considering she asked him about donating his body the first time they met. His fleeting sense of guilt vanished instantly. Fang Rui then showed Old Chen the photo of the cat. "Uncle, do you recognize this cat?" "How could I possibly recognize it?" Old Chen glanced at it, immediately stating he hadn''t seen it before. But then he looked more closely, muttering, "This cat is so skinny, it must be a stray, right? There are plenty of stray cats around our complex, they all look the same. But this one is a bit too thin. In theory, we have several cat lovers in our complex who feed them cat food every day, it shouldn''t be this skinny!" Fang Rui immediately seized on the key point in his words: "Where do these stray cats mainly gather?" "In the small park next to our complex," Old Chen pointed to a nearby square. "There are quite a few stray cats and dogs lurking in the bushes over there. We can''t drive them away, and we can''t kill them, so we just let them stay there." "When do these cat lovers usually feed the cats?" "Generally early in the morning or at dusk, mainly because that''s when they have free time. You know what, the cat food those strays eat is even better than what some pets get. No wonder they refuse to leave." "Alright, if you remember any clues, please contact us immediately." "Ah, I remember now, this Ms. Li once beat a cat to death, it looked a bit like this one..." Zhang and Fang Rui exchanged a glance. This Ms. Li had a history of animal cruelty? Fang Rui and Zhang grabbed a quick bite for dinner and then went to investigate around the park. It was unseasonably cold for spring, and the park was nearly empty at night. They asked several people, but no one had seen this cat or encountered any of the people who feed the strays. They decided they would have to come back another day to continue their investigation. Chapter 6 Mu Mian and another girl, Chen Xue, were temporarily assigned as assistants to Forensic Doctor Qin to familiarize themselves with the work procedures.Chen Xue had a sweet appearance and was very enthusiastic. She had graduated from the local medical university and had interned at the City Police Bureau earlier in the year, so everyone in the forensics department knew her. All morning, she kept talking to Forensic Doctor Qin and even bought coffee for all her colleagues in the forensics department. Chen Xue was a very popular girl. Mu Mian felt somewhat irritated. According to social guidelines, Chen Xue''s behavior was normal and could help build relationships with other colleagues. However, Mu Mian couldn''t interact with others as enthusiastically as Chen Xue did. She could only offer a polite smile to everyone she encountered. However, the responses she received were strange looks. Mu Mian had seen too many such looks before. She could only conclude that it was some kind of social behavior signal from "normal humans" that she couldn''t understand yet. "Mian Mian, have you heard? One of us will be transferred to the Special Crime Unit," Chen Xue said. Mu Mian shook her head, "I haven''t heard. Is it important?" Mu Mian didn''t mind where she was assigned as long as she could keep her job. "Did you come here in Captain Fang''s car this morning?" Chen Xue pretended to be making casual conversation, but her expression was somewhat tense. "Did you know Captain Fang before? You two seemed quite familiar." "He gave me a ride since we were going the same way. I didn''t know him before, and we''re not very close," Mu Mian thought for a moment and added, "He doesn''t seem to like me. He''s never smiled at me." "I see..." Chen Xue breathed a sigh of relief and was about to continue probing when Forensic Doctor Qin interrupted their chat. "Little Mu, you were the one who reported the case in Ziweili, right? Come with me to the case analysis meeting later." Mu Mian happily replied, "Okay." "Forensic Doctor Qin, may I apply to come along too?" Chen Xue asked. "I''d like to learn as well." "Alright, Little Xue can come too." On the way to the conference room, Chen Xue continued chatting with Mu Mian: "Mian Mian, were you the one who reported that case about the pregnant woman being tortured with a cat? You were late for the welcome ceremony yesterday, was it because of the case?" "Yes, the deceased was my neighbor. I was the first to discover her body." "What a coincidence." Chen Xue looked at Mu Mian with a complex expression. Originally, Chen Xue''s position at the City Police Bureau was assured, but Mu Mian was a variable. Mu Mian''s resume was impressive. She had heard internal news that the City Police Bureau only needed one forensic doctor, and the other two would be sent to various local branches after training at the City Police Bureau. Mu Mian couldn''t quite read Chen Xue''s expression. It might have been sadness, or perhaps envy. Mu Mian could only comfort her: "Chen Xue, you don''t need to envy me for encountering such a special corpse. It''s all about luck, and I''ve always been particularly lucky in this aspect." Chen Xue: "..." What normal person would consider encountering such a horrifying corpse as lucky? She suddenly felt that staying might not be so difficult after all. This Mu Mian didn''t seem very smart. At the case analysis meeting. The spacious conference room was full of people. Mu Mian sat in the back row with Forensic Doctor Qin and Chen Xue. By this time, the meeting had already begun. On the electronic screen was a photo of the deceased in life - she had a sexy figure and long, wine-red curly hair. Next to it was her autopsy photo. The deceased was named Li Yan, twenty-eight years old, unmarried, and lived alone. This case was originally being investigated by the Special Crime Unit led by Fang Rui, but considering the severity of the case and the urgency to solve it, it was transferred to the more experienced Major Crime Unit, with Fang Rui''s team assisting in the investigation. The head of the Major Crime Unit was Chen Dongyang. He briefly introduced the case: "Li Yan, a local, 28 years old this year, freelancer, worked as a shopping guide in a mall half a year ago. She was unmarried but eight months pregnant. According to the investigation, the father of the child is her former colleague - Zhu Minghui, the manager of a luxury goods store. At the time of the incident, he was at a drinking party and has an alibi." Forensic Doctor Qin distributed the autopsy report to everyone and began to report the autopsy findings: "A small amount of anesthetic was detected in the deceased''s body; there were several bruises on her elbows and wrists, likely caused by intense struggle. Four cuts were made on the abdomen, two of which were very shallow, test cuts. The killer opened the deceased''s abdomen, cut open the uterus, and removed the entire placenta. Then he put a live kitten into the deceased''s uterus and sutured the belly." Forensic Doctor Qin pulled up an autopsy photo on the electronic screen: the deceased''s abdominal cavity was opened, and the internal organs were covered with claw marks. "The incisions on the deceased''s body are very uneven. Judging from the size of the incisions, the murder weapon was likely a Swiss Army knife. The wound sutures are crooked, and there are two test cuts, which indirectly proves that the killer might not be skilled in dissection and probably isn''t a medical professional. We also found some plastic film in the deceased''s abdominal cavity, on which we also detected traces of anesthetic." Forensic Doctor Qin said, "That''s all we found from the autopsy." Everyone took a deep breath. Someone speculated, "This killer must have really hated the victim. Could the killer be Zhu Minghui''s wife?" "We''ve already ruled out her suspicion. On the night of the incident, her son was hospitalized, and she stayed in the hospital all night. She had no time to commit the crime." Zhang couldn''t help but brainstorm, "Have you guys seen ''The Legend of Zhen Huan''? There''s a cat torture in it, right? They put people in a bag full of live cats and let them be clawed to death. Ah, could the killer have gotten inspiration from this TV series?" Li rolled his eyes at him, "You might as well say the inspiration came from the story of ''The Racoon for the Prince''." "Oh right, the killer took away the victim''s fetus. Could they really be reenacting ''The Racoon for the Prince''? But in the TV series, they switched babies to fight for the throne. What''s the killer''s purpose?" "An 8-month-old fetus, if delivered through surgery, could it survive? Could the killer''s purpose really be to switch the victim''s child?" Everyone was discussing animatedly, and the conference room suddenly became noisy. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The air was densely packed with different voices. Mu Mian felt irritated and wanted to cover her ears to block out their voices. But she was worried that others would notice her abnormality, so she could only lower her head and draw in her notebook, trying to shift her attention elsewhere. However, the noise became even more amplified. "The killer designed a surgery. He wanted the deceased to give birth to a cat," Mu Mian suddenly stood up and said with certainty, "A living cat." The previously noisy conference room instantly fell into dead silence. Chapter 7 After a moment of silence, everyone turned to look at Mu Mian.Feeling the weight of their gazes, Mu Mian''s scalp tingled. She wanted to flee from the room. Fang Rui came to her rescue: "Dr. Mu, why do you think that?" Fang Rui''s voice seemed to have a magical quality, making Mu Mian feel less agitated. "Theoretically, it''s possible," Mu Mian said, not directly answering his question. "If you create an artificial placenta, add enough oxygen, place an anesthetized cat inside, replace the deceased''s placenta with it, then inject the pregnant woman with sufficient oxytocin while maintaining the deceased''s strength, she could give birth to the cat." Mu Mian held up a drawing to cover her face. "Like this. In fact, this is what he attempted, but his design was too crude, and he failed. So he''s likely to try again until he succeeds." Mu Mian''s drawing was simple yet impactful¡ªit depicted a pregnant woman with her abdomen cut open, inside which lay a small cat wrapped in a spherical object. The image was both harmonious and eerie. Forensic Doctor Qin interrupted, "But the toxicology report didn''t find any traces of oxytocin in the deceased." "That''s why he failed!" The conference room fell into a brief silence. Mu Mian''s theory was too absurd, completely unfounded. How could there be a killer who wanted someone to give birth to a cat? It made no sense. Unless the killer was a psychopath! Everyone couldn''t help but look at Mu Mian, wondering if this was the killer''s idea or Mu Mian''s. "Captain Chen, Mu Mian is a suspect in this case. Why is she allowed to participate in our case analysis meeting?" one of the police officers suddenly said. "Many residents in the apartment complex reported that Mu Mian behaved strangely and had arguments with the deceased. She''s also a forensic expert skilled in dissection. She''s currently one of the suspects." Forensic Doctor Qin looked a bit displeased. "She''s the one who reported the case, and there''s no evidence proving she''s the killer." "But there''s no evidence proving her innocence either. According to procedure, she shouldn''t be involved in this case, right?" Fang Rui interrupted, "I can prove that Mu Mian is not the killer!" "Detective Fang, all the current evidence points to Mu Mian as the prime suspect. How can you prove she''s not the killer?" "This is Mu Mian''s blood test report," Fang Rui transferred a document to the conference room computer and opened it. "The sample was taken yesterday at 9:35 AM. The report shows a large amount of sleeping pill components in her blood." Zhang suddenly understood why Fang Rui had insisted on Mu Mian getting a medical examination yesterday. It was for this test. "And this proves she''s not the killer?" Fang Rui explained, "Based on the metabolism of the sleeping pills in her system, we can deduce that during the time of the murder, she was in a state of deep unconsciousness. She had no ability to commit the crime." "Ah, no wonder she looked so drowsy that day. The drug effects hadn''t worn off!" Zhang chimed in. "I can testify that when we arrived at the crime scene yesterday, she looked like she hadn''t fully woken up." Zhang felt that Mu Mian''s previous strange behavior now had a reasonable explanation: her stiff behavior and speech were due to autism; her overall lack of energy was because she had taken sleeping pills the night before. Zhang wondered, "Could the killer have drugged her? If so, the killer must know Mu Mian quite well." "No, this dosage far exceeds the normal amount. And she''s a forensic expert, she wouldn''t have failed to notice this condition," Forensic Doctor Qin frowned. "Little Mu, you''re so young, how could you..." For a normal person, this dosage would be close to lethal, yet Mu Mian was fine. It''s very likely that she had been taking this medication long-term and had developed a strong tolerance. Mu Mian lowered her head, staring at the wood grain on the table, completely zoned out, as if the topic they were discussing had nothing to do with her. The social guide said that when faced with questions you can''t answer, it''s appropriate to lie a little. But she hadn''t learned how to lie yet, so she could only remain silent. "You probably couldn''t sleep due to nervousness about your new job, so you took sleeping pills to help you sleep," Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian, helpfully explaining on her behalf. "It''s normal for people to experience this, isn''t it?" Mu Mian finally snapped back to reality. She looked at Fang Rui in surprise and nodded, "Yes. Most people feel nervous and have trouble sleeping when entering a new environment." The person who had questioned Mu Mian fell silent. Mu Mian''s suspicion was temporarily cleared. But because of his interruption, everyone chose to selectively ignore Mu Mian''s earlier speculation and returned to the motive of revenge killing. Captain Chen believed that the killer had used such a novel method to conceal their true motive for murder, thereby misleading the police investigation. So he summarized, "We''ll approach this from the following angles: First, investigate the deceased''s social relationships. Second, search the garbage bins near the apartment complex to find the infant''s body that the killer took away. Third, review all surveillance footage from the complex during the time of the incident to see if we can identify any suspicious individuals. Let''s implement these steps immediately." After the meeting ended, Mu Mian caught up with Fang Rui as he was about to leave. He was walking with Lin Sen, and the two seemed to be discussing something. Mu Mian remembered Chen Xue mentioning that this Lin Sen was a criminal psychology expert who could even read minds, and was extremely capable. Many of the cases Fang Rui had handled were solved with Lin Sen''s assistance. Mu Mian glanced at Lin Sen, using her eyes to hint that he should leave, but Lin Sen thought she was greeting him and obliviously stood there, even returning a smile. Mu Mian decided to be more direct: "Consultant Lin, can you read minds?" Hearing Mu Mian''s words, Lin Sen looked bewildered, "You... are you asking me?" Seeing that he still hadn''t left, Mu Mian was disappointed: "Well, you can''t." Otherwise, he should have been able to hear her thoughts and obediently walk away. Lin Sen''s mouth twitched. Although Mu Mian''s expression showed no malice, he still felt that she was blatantly mocking him. Who said that psychology experts must be able to read minds! However, Lin Sen could see that Mu Mian seemed to want to speak to Fang Rui alone, but having just been mocked by her, he stubbornly refused to leave. Seeing this, Mu Mian could only try to ignore his presence and said to Fang Rui, "Detective Fang, your evidence earlier doesn''t completely prove my innocence." Fang Rui responded with little interest, "It doesn''t matter, as long as they believe it." Mu Mian continued to explain, "You overlooked one factor: drug tolerance." "Even if I took a large amount of sleeping pills, I might still have been capable of action because I''ve developed a strong tolerance to that medication. If I really wanted to kill my annoying neighbor, I probably could have succeeded. But I wouldn''t choose this method. Because I lack imagination, I couldn''t come up with such a creative way of killing." S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui countered, "So what? Are you trying to prove to me that you lack imagination?" Mu Mian looked at him sincerely, "I just wanted to point out that your earlier reasoning has a significant flaw." "Are you the killer?" Fang Rui''s blood pressure shot up, as he struggled to resist the urge to pick Mu Mian up and throw her out. Why had he done all this if not to quickly clear her of suspicion? He had kindly helped her out of a difficult situation, and she had the audacity to criticize his reasoning for not being rigorous enough! Mu Mian shook her head, "Of course not!" "Then you should say thank you to me." "Alright. Thank you." After expressing her gratitude, Mu Mian looked hesitantly at Lin Sen again, and seeing that he still had no intention of leaving, she regretfully departed. "I didn''t expect you to have so much patience with this Dr. Mu," Lin Sen teased. "It seems you''re planning to have her join the Special Crime Unit." "We''ll see," Fang Rui changed the subject. "I think Mu Mian''s analysis makes some sense. Could the killer really have wanted the pregnant woman to give birth to a live cat? I previously investigated and found that the deceased had a history of cat abuse. She had killed a cat. Is the killer trying to make the deceased''s child pay for that cat''s life? If so, the killer might believe in the concept of karmic retribution." Lin Sen countered, "But his actions are also a form of cruelty to cats. If the killer''s intention was to punish those who abuse cats, why would he resort to such a cruel method towards cats himself?" Fang Rui pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Logically, this type of home invasion murder should be easy to solve. I never expected the killer to be so well-hidden." "I suspect we''re dealing with a serial killer," Lin Sen''s expression turned serious. "This type of criminal generally selects targets based on their own criminal fantasies, which introduces a certain element of randomness. That''s why it''s so difficult for us to catch them using conventional investigative methods." Lin Sen paused for a moment before continuing, "With only one victim so far, I can''t create a criminal profile yet." Chapter 8 Fang Rui and Zhang arrived at the edge of the square early in the morning.There were quite a few elderly people doing their morning exercises, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere. However, Fang Rui immediately spotted Mu Mian among the crowd. She was still wearing a thick scarf, her entire body huddled within it, staring blankly at the trees in the flower bed. Zhang followed Fang Rui''s gaze and also saw Mu Mian. "Dr. Mu, what are you doing standing here? Morning exercises?" Zhang was a bit surprised, as Mu Mian didn''t seem like someone who enjoyed physical activity. "I''m waiting for a car." "They don''t allow parking here. How could you possibly be waiting for a car here? You should be standing by the roadside to wait." Mu Mian glanced at Fang Rui, then averted her gaze. "I''ve found it now." Zhang felt puzzled, "Where''s the car? I don''t see any." "You can wait for us in the car," Fang Rui handed Mu Mian the keys, "Zhang and I still have a task to complete." Zhang suddenly understood. So Mu Mian wanted to hitch a ride with them. But how did she know they would be coming here this morning? No, wait, how did the boss know she was waiting for them? Zhang felt like he was being left out! Mu Mian didn''t take the keys. "I''ll go investigate with you. I''m very familiar with this area. When I first moved here, I would patrol the surroundings of the neighborhood every day. Although I''ve reduced it to once a week now, it shouldn''t affect anything." Zhang listened in astonishment. Was Mu Mian a former secret agent? Or had she offended someone? Why on earth would she need to patrol her living environment every day? Fang Rui had recently been studying up on autism, and he knew that many individuals with autism are very averse to unfamiliar environments. They need to familiarize themselves with their surroundings repeatedly to adapt. So he wasn''t surprised by Mu Mian''s behavior. "Do you know who might be knowledgeable about the stray cats around here?" "Her," Mu Mian pointed to a girl crouching at the edge of the lawn, "According to my statistics, she feeds the stray cats here most frequently." S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The girl was young, with sweet features, and several skinny kittens were clustered around her feet. "Hello, I''m Zhang Qiang from the City Police Bureau. We''d like your cooperation in our investigation," Zhang showed his badge. "Have you seen this cat before?" He showed the photo to the girl. The girl''s name was Bai Jing, a recent college graduate who worked as a social worker in the neighborhood. She first looked at Mu Mian with a slightly surprised expression, then took the photo. After examining it carefully for a moment, she said, "Yes, I know this cat. I used to feed it." Bai Jing pointed at the photo, "Look at its ear, there''s a small piece missing. I used to feed it sausages often. But I haven''t seen it much lately." "How long has it been since you last saw it?" "About four or five days." "Are there many people who feed cats around here?" "Quite a few. There''s a university town nearby, and many students come here to feed cats. Many people in our neighborhood occasionally feed them too." "Do you all know each other?" "Most of the regular cat feeders know each other. We have a group chat with many cat-loving friends like me." "Can you add us to this group?" "Sure." Bai Jing opened her phone and added Fang Rui and Zhang to the group. "This group is mainly for discussing cat care tips, nothing special." "Among the people who feed cats with you, has anyone been behaving unusually lately?" "I don''t think so. We only chat briefly when feeding cats, so we don''t really know each other that well. Oh, I just remembered, there''s someone in our neighborhood who comes to feed cats every morning, and he uses really expensive cat food. That''s why I remember him so clearly. I think his name is Zhu..." Bai Jing seemed to have trouble recalling, but she quickly called out to a passing delivery man, "Chen Hui, come here for a second." The delivery man named Chen Hui stopped his scooter. He was tall, slightly chubby, with fair skin, wearing a pair of stiff black-framed glasses, but had a smile on his face. "Bai Jing, what''s up?" "That guy who used to feed cats with us, the one who liked to feed imported cat food, what''s his name? The one surnamed Zhu, who always wore blue shirts?" "Zhu Yaming," Chen Hui immediately said the man''s name. Zhang quickly jotted down the name. Fang Rui then asked if they knew Li Yan. Upon hearing this name, both Bai Jing and Chen Hui showed expressions of disgust. Bai Jing angrily said, "She''s a crazy woman, always losing her mind and causing trouble for anyone she encounters!" She pointed to a nearby bush, "Right there, she almost kicked a stray cat to death, just because the cat rubbed against her. Such an evil woman, she''ll surely get her comeuppance." "What happened to the little cat?" "A kind person took it to the vet and got it treated, and then adopted it. Oh, I think that person was Zhu Yaming." Fang Rui asked, "Do many people know about this incident?" "Quite a few. It happened on a weekend, and many people saw her abusing the cat. Someone even uploaded a video of it online." "Alright, thank you for your cooperation." After finishing the questions, Fang Rui was about to leave when he noticed Mu Mian staring intently at the delivery man, Chen Hui. Chen Hui also felt Mu Mian''s gaze and scratched his head awkwardly, "Miss Mu, there''s still no international package from your sister today. If there is one, I''ll contact you immediately." Mu Mian''s expression became a bit dejected, "She used to send me the medical journal I needed on time. She wouldn''t forget." Zhang said, "Why don''t you give your sister a call and ask?" Mu Mian lowered her head and remained silent. Chen Hui helped explain, "Miss Mu had a falling out with her sister, so she refuses to contact her sister proactively." Fang Rui was a bit surprised; this delivery man named Chen Hui seemed to know quite a bit about Mu Mian. Once they got in the car, Fang Rui indulged in some rare gossip: "Are you close with that Chen Hui?" "Not really. He''s a good person because he was the first one to respond to my smile after I moved here." "Is he your friend?" "No, I don''t have friends," Mu Mian was still in low spirits, "I''m very troublesome, no one wants to be my friend." Her sister was her therapist, one of the few people who could accept her unconditionally, but now it seemed even her sister had abandoned her. Mu Mian felt a bit defeated and somewhat regretted arguing with her sister. Back at the bureau, Fang Rui immediately asked Zhang and his team to investigate Zhu Yaming. In less than half a day, Zhang had uncovered Zhu Yaming''s situation: "Boss, this Zhu Yaming works at a foreign trade company. His financial situation used to be quite good, but he lost a lot of money in the stock market in recent years. His wife divorced him, and he had to sell his house, so he had to move back in with his parents. He''s known to be petty, and his reputation in the neighborhood isn''t great, but he hasn''t done anything particularly bad or has any criminal record. His neighbors mentioned that he seems to have come into some money recently and has become quite lavish." Zhang paused, then continued, "Oh, and he''s also a pet blogger. He was the one who uploaded the video of Li Yan abusing the cat online, which made him briefly famous." "Let''s go talk to him," Fang Rui said. Fang Rui and Zhang arrived at Zhu Yaming''s home. When his parents saw the police at their door, they immediately became nervous. Zhu''s father asked in a low voice, "Officers, are you here because our Xiao Ming has done something illegal?" Zhang reassured them, "Uncle, Auntie, don''t be nervous. We''re just here to gather some information. Please just answer our questions truthfully." "I... we''ll certainly cooperate fully. Please, have a seat," Zhu''s father exchanged a glance with his wife, then said urgently, "You old woman, why aren''t you making tea? Quick, go to Yaming''s room and bring out that imported red tea he brought back to serve the officers." Zhang quickly waved his hand, "Uncle, there''s no need to be so formal. We don''t need tea. We just want to ask Zhu Yaming a few questions. At this time, he should be getting off work soon, right?" Zhu''s mother stood frozen, unsure whether to go or stay, looking extremely awkward. Seeing this, Zhu''s father started berating her, "You useless old woman, you can''t even make tea properly! You stay here and entertain the officers, I''ll go find the tea! Useless old thing!" With that, he strode into the room on the left. Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged glances, both noticing that the behavior of the elderly couple seemed rather peculiar. Fang Rui smiled and, pretending to make a casual joke, said, "I''ve only heard that foreign coffee tastes good. I wonder if foreign tea might also be better than what we have here?" The mother, who was arranging a fruit platter, suddenly changed her expression upon hearing this and dropped the plate she was holding onto the floor. Sensing that something was amiss, Fang Rui and Zhang immediately rushed into the room, only to find the father pouring water over a laptop. As a bottle of mineral water was emptied onto it, the laptop was effectively ruined. At that moment, the mother outside the room suddenly shouted, "Yaming, run! There are police in the house!" Fang Rui and Zhang immediately gave chase, quickly apprehending a middle-aged man at the stairwell. He was wearing a shirt and glasses, looking rather scholarly and refined. Chapter 9 "Let me go! I haven''t done anything wrong, why are you arresting me?" Zhu Yaming struggled, twisting his body."If you haven''t done anything wrong, why were you running? Come on, let''s have a chat back at the station," Fang Rui said as he handcuffed him. He noticed several scratch marks on the back of Zhu''s hands. Though they had scabbed over, they were clearly made by claws. Zhang followed Fang Rui''s gaze and also spotted the scratches. He exclaimed, "Boss, look! There are cat claw marks on his hands. He might be the culprit!" "Officer, that''s slander! These scars are from when my girlfriend scratched me during a fight, not from a cat," Zhu Yaming immediately retorted, but a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. Fang Rui, not interested in his excuses, patted Zhu''s shoulder. "No worries, I''ll have the forensic team examine it later to determine the true origin of these wounds." Zhu Yaming''s face instantly turned pale. In the interrogation room, Zhu Yaming hunched in his chair, his forehead beaded with sweat, though he struggled to maintain a composed expression. Fang Rui slid the test results across the table to him. "The forensic report is in. The expert says the scratches on your hands were indeed made by a cat, and they''re recent. Care to explain?" "Officer, I''m sorry. I lied. The scratches are from a cat. I was feeding some strays when one of them scratched me. You were so intimidating earlier, I thought I might be involved in some major case, so I panicked and lied." "Oh, so you lied because you were nervous? I wonder if your nervousness made you conceal anything else?" "No, I really haven''t done anything illegal." "Nothing illegal? Well, maybe you''ll start telling the truth once our Technical Department recovers the data from your computer hard drive." "I..." Fang Rui tapped the table, his tone growing impatient. "Forget it. I won''t waste time interrogating you. Once we''ve gathered all the evidence, you can explain yourself to the judge!" "I''ll talk. I''ll tell you everything. Animal cruelty isn''t illegal, right? It''s my own cat, my private property. I can treat it however I want, can''t I?" Fang Rui raised an eyebrow. "You''re just admitting to animal cruelty?" "I also recorded videos of it." Fang Rui''s gaze urged him to continue. "And I uploaded the videos to foreign websites. I made quite a bit of money from it." The Technical Department quickly recovered the data from Zhu Yaming''s computer. Fang Rui watched a short clip. In the video, a faceless man viciously stabbed a kitten''s head with a high heel''s stiletto. Within moments, the kitten was beaten to a bloody pulp. This wasn''t just animal cruelty; it was utterly depraved! Although they hadn''t caught the real killer, they had uncovered a sadistic animal abuser. Fang Rui felt it wasn''t a complete waste of effort. After working for over ten days straight, Mu Mian gradually adapted to her new job. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The investigation into the case had made no progress. The police hadn''t found the fetus taken by the killer, nor could they identify any suspects based on the available clues. The case had reached a deadlock. Mu Mian left her apartment complex as usual but noticed a large crowd gathered near the nearby square. "My God, that woman secretly gave birth to a cat in the bathroom! It was this big," someone said, gesturing with their hands. "It''s terrifying!" "Don''t be ridiculous. How could a person give birth to a cat? You can''t just make up stories like that." "Uncle Chen saw it with his own eyes. The woman died from complications while giving birth to that cat. There are even photos!" "Stop spreading rumors! You''ll get arrested for that. The killer murdered the pregnant woman and then dumped a dead cat on her body!" Mu Mian overheard their whispered conversations and suddenly had an ominous feeling. "Excuse me, could you let me through?" Mu Mian called out to the crowd, but no one paid her any attention, remaining tightly packed. Mu Mian grew anxious. She disliked touching others, so she couldn''t push her way through the dense crowd. "Mu Mian, why are you standing there in a daze?" Fang Rui spotted Mu Mian from a distance and called out to her. "Is there another victim?" "See for yourself." Fang Rui cleared a path through the onlookers and led Mu Mian to the crime scene¡ªan abandoned public toilet. Yellow police tape cordoned off the toilet entrance, with officers already maintaining order and keeping the crowd at bay. The toilet had been abandoned for a long time. It was dimly lit, and the air was thick with an unpleasant odor. Mu Mian entered and saw the victim wearing a loose maternity dress, but her belly was deflated like a popped balloon. The victim''s face was pale, her hands bound behind her back. An IV line was inserted into the back of her left hand, connected to an empty drip bottle. It seemed the killer had attempted to maintain the victim''s vital signs through an intravenous drip. "Forensic Mu, come take a look at this," Zhang greeted Mu Mian. "The victim is another pregnant woman, and she, she..." Forensic Doctor Qin and his team hadn''t arrived yet, so no autopsy had been performed on the victim. Mu Mian put on the gloves Zhang handed her. She gently lifted the victim''s nightgown, glanced briefly, then carefully rearranged the woman''s clothes before quietly finishing Zhang''s sentence: "She seems to have actually given birth to a cat." Between the victim''s legs was a small red ball, quietly curled up there. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly a blood-covered kitten. The kitten was no longer breathing. "The killer has refined his method this time," Mu Mian said, looking at Fang Rui, "but he still failed." Failure meant he was likely to try again. In less than an hour, the case had gone viral online. The first witness to discover the body had taken photos and videos of the deceased and posted them on social media. As the victim had been a minor internet celebrity with a considerable following, these images and videos spread rapidly online and became a hot topic. Details of Li Yan''s previous case had also been leaked. With such brutal and bizarre cases occurring one after another in the same neighborhood, panic had set in among the residents. Meanwhile, some internet users who enjoyed stirring up trouble had given the killer a nickname: the Cat Fetus Man. The fermentation of public opinion brought this case under intense scrutiny. Chapter 10 In the autopsy room.Forensic Doctor Qin had already placed the body on the autopsy table and was about to begin examining its external features when he felt a burning gaze upon him. He turned his head to see Mu Mian looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes. He suddenly paused and said to Mu Mian, "Little Mu, why don''t you examine this body? Xiao Xue, you''ll be her assistant and help her out." Chen Xue, who was also interning there, had a slight change in expression but replied, "Alright." Mu Mian first examined the external features of the body. The deceased had quite a few abrasions, which Mu Mian photographed and documented in order, measuring the length of each wound with a ruler. At first, Forensic Doctor Qin was impressed by how meticulous and serious Mu Mian was despite her young age. However, when Mu Mian spent half an hour just examining the superficial external wounds, he began to think she was being overly thorough. "Little Mu, the purpose of our autopsy is to determine the cause of death. There''s no need to record those minor wounds in such detail." "But every wound could be related to the cause of death," Mu Mian replied earnestly. "If we don''t examine each one, we might overlook important details." Forensic Doctor Qin found himself unable to argue with Mu Mian, especially when faced with her serious, intense gaze. But how could that frostbite scar on the deceased''s leg possibly be related to the cause of death? Was it really necessary to record its size so meticulously? When it came time for the actual dissection, Mu Mian''s speed increased. She skillfully opened the deceased''s abdominal cavity, which had quite a few scratch marks inside, but it wasn''t as bloody and mangled as the previous victim. Mu Mian examined the deceased''s internal organs and took samples. Now all that remained was to wait for the toxicology report. However, Mu Mian and Forensic Doctor Qin were already able to determine that this victim''s cause of death was likely the same as the first victim''s. After finishing the autopsy on the second victim, Mu Mian asked, "Dr. Qin, can I also examine Cat No. 2?" "Cat No. 2? Oh, you mean the cat found at the crime scene today. There''s no need to waste time dissecting it, right? We already know the cat''s cause of death was asphyxiation, probably due to its head being compressed during a difficult birth." Mu Mian persisted, "I promise I''ll finish quickly." Forensic Doctor Qin thought it was a good thing that young people were willing to do extra work, so he said, "Alright then, carry on. I''ll go write up the report first." Seeing that Forensic Doctor Qin had left, Chen Xue tactfully asked Mu Mian if there was anything else she needed help with. Mu Mian shook her head, so Chen Xue left as well. Before leaving, she saw Mu Mian enthusiastically dissecting the small cat, her eyes full of light, a complete change from her usual lethargic state. What a strange person, Chen Xue thought, shaking her head. Although Mu Mian''s dissection skills were very proficient and her work meticulous, she was better suited for research than forensics. Mu Mian was too fixated on unnecessary details. When Mu Mian finished the dissection, restored the cat''s body, and stitched it back up, she suddenly realized how hungry she was. She glanced at the clock on the wall ¨C it was already past 1 PM. She hurried to the cafeteria to eat, but unsurprisingly, the cafeteria staff had already cleared away the food. Mu Mian was at a loss. She was very hungry and needed to eat, but her social guidebook didn''t tell her how to handle this situation. "Dr. Mu, why are you still here after lunch?" Mu Mian saw Zhang and Fang Rui approaching. Zhang greeted her. Fang Rui glanced at her and then looked away in disgust. He just couldn''t understand why Mu Mian was always spacing out. Mu Mian didn''t respond. Not having eaten on time made her anxious, and she didn''t have the energy for social interaction at the moment. Zhang walked up to the cafeteria window. Before he could speak, the auntie who was cleaning inside handed him several lunch boxes, a warm smile on her face. "Xiao Zhang, it''s a good thing you messaged me on WeChat to save some food for you. Otherwise, you would''ve missed out on today''s braised pork." "That''s right, good thing I was quick-thinking. Otherwise, I''d be stuck with takeout for lunch today." "That young lady over there doesn''t seem to have eaten either. You and Captain Fang probably can''t finish all this food. Why don''t you share some with her?" s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhang had a sudden realization and turned to Mu Mian, "Dr. Mu, so you haven''t eaten yet? Come on, let''s eat together. We can discuss the case while we''re at it." Mu Mian wanted to refuse because, apart from her family, she had never eaten with anyone else. But her growling stomach made the decision for her. "Dr. Mu, you don''t have any dietary restrictions, do you?" Zhang opened the lunch boxes one by one, intending to share some of the delicious braised pork with Mu Mian as a friendly gesture towards his new colleague. "I''m not picky about food," Mu Mian said. She pointed at the dishes in the lunch boxes, "I just don''t eat this kind of sticky, fatty meat, or carrots cut into cubes, or cooked cucumbers." Zhang''s expression turned awkward. "Oh... well, then there''s nothing here you can eat." What a troublesome person! Fang Rui didn''t bother to humor her. He scooped a bowl of white rice, poured some braised pork sauce over it, and handed it to Mu Mian. "Here, eat this!" Mu Mian didn''t say anything. She took the bowl and started eating silently. Zhang was bewildered. So Mu Mian only likes to eat plain rice? Halfway through the meal, Zhang couldn''t keep quiet any longer. "Dr. Mu, did you find anything during the autopsy?" Mu Mian put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "This killer is likely a doctor with clinical experience, or at least used to be one. And he really likes cats." Zhang exclaimed, "How do you know he''s a doctor?" "How can you prove he likes cats?" Fang Rui had also suspected the killer might be a doctor. Although the killer''s dissection skills were terrible, the fact that he could stuff a cat into the victim''s uterus proved he had at least some medical knowledge. So he was more interested in Mu Mian''s second conclusion. "Do you want to know the answer?" Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui, excitement in her eyes. "If you agree to do one thing for me, I''ll share it with you right now." "I''m not going to donate my body to you!" The light in Mu Mian''s eyes instantly went out, and the rice in her bowl no longer seemed appetizing. She took out her phone and showed Fang Rui some photos. "Is this enough proof?" Chapter 11 The case received high-level attention, and the bureau established the 317 special task force, now led by Fang Rui as the team leader, with the mandate to apprehend the killer within seven days.Fang Rui''s pressure suddenly increased. As the meeting began, Fang Rui briefly introduced the victim''s situation. Since the victim was an internet celebrity, various information had already been exposed by netizens. The police quickly investigated and identified the victim as Lu Yaoyao, who was once a streamer in the dance section of a certain platform. A few months ago, she was exposed for being a mistress and frantically insulting and doxxing netizens. Combined with her pregnancy preventing her from livestreaming dance performances, her career took a major hit, and she hadn''t been streaming much for a long time, causing her popularity to plummet. Fang Rui pointed to the information of the two victims on the screen and summarized: "The two victims have very obvious commonalities: both were mistresses; both were pregnant women around eight months along, and they were carrying illegitimate children. This should be the killer''s criteria for selecting victims. From the current investigation, there is no overlap in the social circles of the two victims, and they did not know each other previously. Although the body of the second victim, Lu Yaoyao, appeared in the Ziweili Residential Area, she usually resided in the Lijing Residential Complex in the city center, more than 20 kilometers away from the crime scene." Forensic Doctor Qin also reported on the autopsy findings: "The modus operandi in the second case is almost identical to the previous one, with the cause of death still being hypovolemic shock." Forensic Doctor Qin continued: "However, the killer seems to have learned from the first experience. He used hemostatic drugs to reduce the victim''s blood loss. At the same time, we detected an abnormally high concentration of oxytocin in her body, suggesting she was likely injected with a large amount of oxytocin before death." "The test results for the liquid in the IV bag have come back. It''s a regular glucose solution, probably used to maintain the victim''s strength." After hearing this, the others turned to look at Mu Mian. Could it really be as Mu Mian had said, that the killer intended to have the victim give birth to a live cat? Feeling the gaze of everyone, Mu Mian thought it was her turn to speak. She stood up and said seriously, "The killer is likely a doctor with clinical experience, or at least used to be one." Forensic Doctor Qin immediately refuted, "That''s unlikely! The incisions on the victim''s body are crooked and uneven, with several tentative cuts. The suturing technique is also very crude. This doesn''t seem like the work of someone with a medical background." Mu Mian inserted her USB drive into the device, and two photos of the abdominal wounds on the corpses appeared on the screen. "The curved shapes of these two incisions are almost identical, and both victims have three tentative cuts on their abdomens." "What does that prove?" someone questioned. Forensic Doctor Qin quickly understood Mu Mian''s point. "Tentative cuts occur when the killer is nervous or unable to accurately locate the incision point. For them to be so consistent in both cases, along with the consistent angle of the crooked incisions, suggests that the killer isn''t incapable of dissection, but is deliberately disguising their skill." Seeing that she had convinced everyone, Mu Mian brought up several images of the kitten''s corpse, showing its body, paws, and a cut-open stomach. Pointing to the stomach photo, Mu Mian said, "I analyzed the food in the stomach of kitten number 2. It consists of granular cat food and some kind of minced meat, which I suspect is canned cat food." She then pointed to the cat''s paw, "The claws of kitten number 2 have been carefully and evenly trimmed. Despite being a stray cat, it has no parasites, and I detected deworming medication in its fur, suggesting it had been recently dewormed. In conclusion, this cat received very good treatment before its death." "How does this help us solve the case?" someone questioned. "This proves that the killer is very knowledgeable about cats and may have experience in raising them." Everyone fell silent. This made the killer''s motive seem even more bizarre. The killer likes cats, yet stuffs them into the victims'' bellies. The purpose became incomprehensible. Even if it was as Mu Mian had previously suggested, that the killer wanted the victim to give birth to a live cat, what would be the significance of doing so? Cats are already alive, so why make them be born again? Mu Mian didn''t look at everyone''s reactions. After finishing her report, she returned to her seat. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She wasn''t interested in analyzing the killer''s motive, nor did she care much about whether the killer would be caught. She simply enjoyed uncovering the secrets hidden in the victims'' bodies. Fang Rui quickly found a direction: "Although the two victims'' social circles don''t overlap, they are both pregnant women, so their travel routes likely intersect. We should focus on investigating whether they visited the same obstetrics and gynecology hospitals, maternity stores, and other such places. Wang, Li, check what brands the cat food and canned cat food are, and see if there''s any breakthrough there. The killer might be a doctor, so screen the major hospitals to see if any doctors have shown unusual behavior recently." While the police investigation was in full swing, discussions about the case were also intense online. Suddenly, the comments of internet celebrity psychological consultant Professor Bai spread across the network. He gave the killer a nickname: the Cat Fetus Man, and used psychoanalytic theory to provide a detailed interpretation of the killer''s psychological motives¡ªthe killer has an Oedipus complex, using this cruel method of killing to attract his mother''s attention and to take revenge on the mother who abused him. Based on the victims'' personalities, he deduced that the killer has a mother with a volatile temper and extremely strong controlling tendencies. Therefore, the killer is likely physically weak, timid and introverted, with a history of animal abuse. Finally, Professor Bai contemptuously described the killer as a "pervert obsessed with the maternal womb." Chapter 12 "A depraved person obsessed with the womb... I think this professor''s analysis makes some sense," Zhang said as he played Professor Bai''s video during the morning meeting."No matter how reasonable the analysis is, it''s useless if it doesn''t help us catch the killer!" an old policeman complained. "It''s all just for show, trying to attract attention." Fang Rui felt irritated. The professor''s comments were undoubtedly a provocation to the killer. This could potentially stimulate the killer to strike again or take some action to retaliate against Professor Bai. "That''s true. I''ve heard this Professor Bai isn''t such a good person himself. He not only has a history of academic fraud," Zhang perked up at the chance to gossip, "but it''s said he''s had unclear relationships with quite a few female students. He''s even going through a divorce because of his infidelity. What a person of poor character!" Fang Rui instructed, "Old Chen, take two people and keep a close watch on this Professor Bai for the next few days. Prevent any accidents from happening to him." "Ah, these people just create more trouble for us!" Fang Rui turned to Lin Sen, "Consultant Lin, can you profile the killer now?" But Lin Sen looked towards Mu Mian instead: "Medical Examiner Mu, why do you think the killer designed a surgery to make those pregnant women give birth to a cat?" Mu Mian, who had been absentmindedly drawing, looked up at Lin Sen in confusion when she heard her name called. After a few seconds, she spoke softly, "To answer that question is very simple." Everyone in the meeting room turned their gaze towards Mu Mian. Only Fang Rui remained calm, sipping his water. "We just need to catch the killer, interrogate him harshly, and make him tell us the answer!" "..." Lin Sen handed Mu Mian two pieces of paper: "Medical Examiner Mu, could you please draw the crime scenes of the two murders for me?" Lin Sen had noticed that Mu Mian wasn''t particularly skilled at analyzing criminal psychology, but her thinking was pure, allowing her to objectively interpret the information left by the killer at the crime scenes. "Alright." Mu Mian had been forced to take various psychological tests since childhood, one of which was a drawing test, so her drawing skills were excellent and she could draw very quickly. Although her photorealistic style of drawing was a major obstacle for psychological experts trying to analyze her mind, it now vividly recreated the bloody crime scenes, even more impactful than photographs. "We may have been looking at this from the wrong angle before. We''ve been focusing on the victims and the cats, but what if we shift our perspective to the children..." Fang Rui asked, "You think the killer''s real targets are the children in the victims'' wombs?" Lin Sen continued his analysis, "From the children''s perspective, both victims were unfit mothers. They had unstable marriages, were easily angered, and had poor interpersonal relationships. All of this suggests their children wouldn''t have had happy childhoods." Fang Rui pondered for a moment, "So, the killer likely had an unhappy childhood and is using his own mother as a template to select targets?" "Yes. The killer probably imagines himself as a savior. He hopes those unhappy children can be born as cats instead. For some reason, he believes being a cat would be happier than being human." Zhang exclaimed, "How is that possible?" Lin Sen explained, "The killer''s desire to kill stems from an abnormal need system and a long-term, distorted fantasy that continues to develop. This kind of fantasy is difficult for normal people to understand or empathize with." "This killer belongs to a special category of serial killers that we generally call ''mercy angels.'' This type of killer usually murders victims with the purpose of saving them or releasing them from suffering. This type of serial killer is likely to be a medical professional." Lin Sen provided a psychological profile of the killer: "The killer is male, around 25-35 years old, has worked in the medical field, likely in obstetrics and gynecology, but has recently stopped working or resigned for some reason. He grew up in a single-parent family. His mother was the other woman in an affair, had a volatile temper, and may have frequently abused him, resulting in a very unhappy childhood. His family likely kept cats. His mother probably passed away within the last year, causing him to have a mental breakdown." Fang Rui quickly discovered that both victims had prenatal check-ups at the same hospital, but they had different attending physicians and their check-up times didn''t overlap, so there was no connection between them. Fang Rui and Zhang immediately went to investigate at Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. The hospital was very cooperative, quickly producing the prenatal records of both victims and bringing in the two attending physicians to assist with the investigation. "Lu Yaoyao initially had her prenatal check-ups at the Provincial Hospital. Why did she suddenly switch to your hospital five months ago?" Fang Rui quickly spotted the discrepancy. Lu Yaoyao''s attending physician laughed awkwardly, "Maybe she felt our private hospital offered better service." "Please answer truthfully!" "Lu Yaoyao came to our hospital wanting an abortion. Our hospital is known for its expertise in this area. The surgery was even scheduled, but she changed her mind later. Perhaps she felt our hospital''s service was better, so she continued her prenatal care with us." "Did Li Yan also consider having an abortion?" "Yes! I remember her very clearly. She kept scheduling abortion procedures and then canceling them. This happened several times." "Why did they want abortions?" "How would we know?" "You''re doctors. Don''t you ask why they want to terminate their pregnancies?" Fang Rui stared at the two doctors. "Please answer honestly." "Well... it might be because they were carrying girls. They both wanted to have sons, but when they found out they were having daughters, they wanted to abort. Later, for some reason, they both changed their minds." The doctor, seeming to remember something, hastily added, "Our hospital didn''t disclose the gender of the fetuses. I don''t know how they found out." Fang Rui requested a list of all medical staff from the hospital, including those who had left in recent years. After verifying one by one, most of the people on the list had alibis. The small portion without alibis were still being investigated. "Boss, why do you think they suddenly decided not to abort? Could the killer''s mother have also favored boys over girls? Could the killer be a woman?" Zhang followed behind Fang Rui, chattering like a sparrow. Fang Rui interrupted Zhang''s rambling: "I suspect the killer persuaded them to change their minds, which means the killer is likely a medical professional from this hospital. We need to screen the people on the list again." S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 13 Mu Mian noticed that Fang Rui had been very busy lately, as she hadn''t seen him for several days, and even Zhang was nowhere to be found.The forensics department, however, was quite idle, so today she left work on time and then spent two hours trying to hail a cab that met her requirements. When she arrived at the residential complex, Mu Mian saw a delivery van parked by the roadside. The courier, Chen Hui, was humming a cheerful tune while loading parcels into the delivery lockers. "Excuse me, do I have any international packages today?" "Miss Mu, I''m afraid not. There haven''t been any packages for you recently." "Are you sure there''s nothing?" "No, there isn''t. I wouldn''t lie to you. If there were any, I''d contact you right away." "Alright then." Mu Mian glanced at him, then quickly averted her gaze. At that moment, the sound of an argument could be heard from nearby. "Bai Jing, are you the one spreading those rumors online? Are you trying to ruin my reputation? If my name is tarnished, do you think you''ll be better off as my daughter? Can''t you think straight?" A middle-aged man was gripping Bai Jing''s arm, emotionally accusing her. Mu Mian recognized the man; he was the internet-famous professor who had referred to the killer as a "cat fetus person." So he knew Bai Jing. "Bai Jing, I''m talking to you. What kind of attitude is this? My divorce from your mother is between her and me. Why are you getting involved? I''m warning you, you''d better behave yourself!" "I''ve told you, I didn''t do it! I have nothing to do with you now, so stop harassing me!" Slap! Professor Bai struck Bai Jing hard across the face. "Is this how you talk to your father? Don''t you have any manners?" Bai Jing looked at him with cold eyes. "That''s right. I don''t have a family anymore, so where would I learn manners?" Chen Hui dropped the package he was holding and ran over, forcefully pushing Professor Bai away and standing between him and Bai Jing. "Chen Hui, this is none of your business. Stay out of it." "Is this your boyfriend? Bai Jing, look at how low you''ve sunk. It''s bad enough that you''re working in this dump, but now you''re dating this bottom-feeder. Don''t ever tell anyone you''re my daughter in the future. I''d be too ashamed!" Chen Hui raised his fist, ready to punch Professor Bai, but Bai Jing held him back tightly. "Chen Hui, don''t do anything rash. It''s not worth it to fight with someone like him. Let''s just ignore him!" "Bai Jing, I''m warning you one last time. Delete those rumors you''ve been spreading online, or you can forget about getting a penny of my money!" Professor Bai cursed a few more times before driving away in his car. The crowd of onlookers buzzed with discussion. Bai Jing collapsed on the ground, covering her face and sobbing uncontrollably. "Why do I have to have a father like this..." Chen Hui patted Bai Jing''s back, comforting her silently. Mu Mian was shocked. In her understanding, parents were supposed to love their children unconditionally. Just like her adoptive parents loved her sister. She remembered her sister''s words: "Mu Mian, have you ever considered that your mother might not want to be found?" Mu Mian took out a tissue and handed it to Bai Jing. Both Bai Jing and Chen Hui were surprised. They hesitated for a moment before Bai Jing accepted the tissue. "Mu Mian, thank you!" Mu Mian didn''t respond to them and turned to go home. Fang Rui had pulled an all-nighter and only managed to doze off at his desk as dawn was breaking. "Captain Fang, we''ve investigated Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. Only a few doctors'' situations are uncertain," Zhang reported. "Shen Yuanyuan and Zhang Linyang went to work at hospitals in the north and haven''t been back to the city for nearly half a year. Chen Jian, Li Qiang, and Ye Wenwen are said to have gone abroad for further studies, but we haven''t been able to contact them yet, so we''re not sure if they''ve returned recently." "Chen Jian? Is that his real name?" Fang Rui frowned as he flipped through Chen Jian''s file. "Boss, you also think this name is strange, right? I suspected it was a fake name at first, so I quickly checked his identity information. It turns out that''s really his name. Man, his parents must have been heartless to give their child such a name." Fang Rui looked at Chen Jian''s photo, feeling oddly familiar with the person. In Chen Jian''s file, only his mother''s information was filled in the parents'' section, while the father''s section was blank. "Find out where he is now." "Boss, do you suspect him?" Zhang suddenly had a revelation. "Chen Jian''s parents must have really hated him to give him such an insulting name. Doesn''t this match the profiler''s description?" The police quickly found out Chen Jian''s whereabouts. It turned out that Chen Jian hadn''t gone abroad to study. Half a year ago, he had been treated at a psychiatric hospital in the city. After that, he never contacted his former friends or colleagues again. There were no records of transactions on his bank card, and his ID card hadn''t been used either. The house he lived in was rented, and the landlord reported that he had moved out half a year ago. The house now had new tenants. Chen Jian had suddenly vanished without a trace. Fang Rui had planned to work overtime again tonight, but when he saw Mu Mian standing by the roadside lost in thought, he decided to drive her home first. "Why don''t you rent a place nearby?" Fang Rui couldn''t help but suggest. "That''s a good idea," Mu Mian thought Fang Rui''s suggestion was excellent. This way, she wouldn''t have to get up early or take unsafe taxis. But she quickly became dejected: "But I don''t have money to rent a place." "Didn''t you have plenty of money when you wanted to buy my corpse last time? Did you spend it all in less than two weeks?" Fang Rui was surprised; Mu Mian didn''t seem like the type to splurge. "I didn''t spend it." "Then where did the money go?" Mu Mian wanted to change the subject, but she wasn''t good at lying, so she had to be honest: "I was scammed!" Fang Rui was shocked. He couldn''t believe someone with Mu Mian''s intelligence could be scammed, but then again, it wasn''t impossible. "I wanted to find my long-lost mother, so I posted online looking for her. Someone contacted me, saying she was my mother, but that she had been in a car accident and needed a large sum of money for treatment. So I transferred all my money to her." Mu Mian''s tone was a bit dejected, "After she received the money, she never contacted me again. Chen Xue told me I had been scammed." After her parents'' divorce, Mu Mian never saw her mother again. She had returned to China this time specifically to find her mother, even having a big fight with her sister over it. "Why didn''t you report it to the police?" "Why should I report it?" Mu Mian looked confused. "Even though she''s not my mother, she was in a car accident and really needed the money." "Is it possible that she wasn''t in a car accident at all?" Fang Rui looked at her incredulously. "That person might not even be a woman. Can you trust what a scammer says?" Mu Mian was dumbfounded. Her social guide hadn''t told her that lies could be nested within lies. "How much money did you lose?" Fang Rui pulled over to the side of the road and took out his phone, intending to make a call. "I''ll contact the anti-fraud department and see if they can help you recover it." "Five hundred and thirty-one yuan and ninety cents." "You were only scammed out of five hundred yuan?" "Yes. I''m very poor now." This was... too poor. "Forget it, it''s not even enough to file a case!" Fang Rui sighed in relief. "Don''t trust people so easily. There are too many scammers these days. Be careful, or you might end up being sold without even realizing it." "I''ve already learned my lesson." After dropping Mu Mian off at the entrance of the residential complex, Fang Rui planned to canvas the neighborhood and ask residents if they had seen Chen Jian. Old Chen, the security guard, looked at the photo and shook his head. "Never seen him. Not to brag, but I remember everyone I''ve ever seen. I haven''t seen this young man before, so he probably hasn''t been to our complex." "Alright, thank you. If you remember anything, make sure to contact me." Mu Mian glanced at the photo and felt strangely familiar with the person, but when she tried to recall, she couldn''t place him. "Do you know this person?" "I''m not sure. My memory is very good, so if I had seen him before, I wouldn''t forget. Maybe some feature of his was familiar to me, that''s why he seems familiar." Just then, Mu Mian''s phone rang. She received an email from her sister: Little Mian, I noticed that your bank account balance was low, so I''ve transferred some money to you. I''ve also mailed you this month''s new issues of NATNED and NEJM. Please keep an eye out for them. Looking at the email, Mu Mian finally had a definitive answer to a question that had been troubling her. "Fang, don''t you think this person looks like Chen Hui?" she asked. "Chen Hui? You mean the delivery guy?" Fang Rui tried to recall Chen Hui''s appearance. In the photo, Chen Jian was very thin. He wore a T-shirt, had a lanky build, and looked very much like a student, but with a depressed and gloomy demeanor. Chen Hui, on the other hand, was much heavier, with a large body and round face. He looked like an ordinary delivery worker who had been in the job for years, and his personality seemed outgoing and gentle. The two men had no similarities in appearance or demeanor. At first glance, they looked like completely different people. "Fang, do you remember how you helped clear my name?" Mu Mian asked. "Yes, I do," Fang Rui replied. "Actually, what I was taking back then wasn''t sleeping pills. It was a medication to reduce anxiety associated with autism. It contained sedatives, so it also had a good sleep-inducing effect." "I had guessed as much." "I only need to take this medication when I''m in a state of intense anxiety. For example, when entering a new environment or when a routine is disrupted. At that time, my sister suddenly stopped sending me the medical journals I wanted to read. I thought she was going to abandon me, and I fell into an anxious state. That''s why I needed a large amount of medication to help me sleep." "Are you saying the killer knew you were using this medication?" Fang Rui inquired. "I just called my sister, and she said she had been sending me magazines every week, and my end shows they were signed for. Obviously, someone deliberately created conditions to make me take that medication." "Because you''re sensitive to noise, if the killer had committed the crime next door, you would have certainly noticed," Fang Rui analyzed. "Looking at it this way, Chen Hui does seem very suspicious." "They both have a black mole on the left corner of their mouth," Mu Mian pointed at the photo. "The size and position are exactly the same." Fang Rui took out his phone to contact Zhang and the others to come over. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "I won''t go with you to catch the killer," Mu Mian said softly. "It''s a very dangerous thing to do!" Chapter 14 Police cars approached from different directions, stopping at the base of the building. Curious onlookers peered down from their windows to observe the commotion.0Fang Rui quickly led his team to Chen Hui''s apartment, kicking the door open with one forceful blow.0 The room was pitch black and eerily quiet. A strong scent of incense permeated the air, mingled with a faint but unmistakable odor of decay.0 There was no one inside.0 With a sharp click, Fang Rui flipped on the lights.0 Zhang sighed, "Chief Fang, you don''t think that guy''s already fled, do you?"0 "Chief, come quick! You need to see this," someone called out in alarm. "Good God, what are these things?"0 "Stop being so jumpy. How bad could it possibly be¡ª"0 The voice trailed off as everyone stood frozen, stunned by the horrifying sight before them:0 On the left side of the living room stood an enormous metal rack. Arranged on it were rows upon rows of transparent glass jars of varying sizes. Each jar contained an infant.0 Some held shapeless masses of flesh, others embryos beginning to take form, and still others fetuses with discernible limbs... All suspended in formaldehyde solution.0 Fang Rui did a quick count¡ªthere were at least forty or fifty jars.0 "Dear Lord, how many children did he kill?"0 "This is beyond cruel!"0 Lin Sen examined the infant specimens on the shelves. Each jar bore a label with a date and number.0 The earliest date was from three years ago.0 "I don''t think he killed all these infants himself," Lin Sen explained. "He''s an obstetrician. These are likely fetal remains he collected during his work."0 The police searched the entire apartment but found no trace of Chen Hui. The place was immaculate, with no signs of a struggle.0 Fang Rui and his team staked out Chen Hui''s home for hours, but there was no sign of him.0 Just then, an officer on surveillance outside the complex called in: "Boss, we''ve spotted Chen Hui. He''s in Building 8 of the complex. He''s taken a hostage and is heading for the roof..."0 Mu Mian glanced down at the scalpel pressed against her throat, recalling Chen Xue''s words.0 "Mian, your Leo sign is in retrograde this month. You need to be careful¡ªyou might have some bad luck."0 Indeed... very bad luck!0 She had simply been heading home after work as usual, never expecting to encounter Chen Hui at the third-floor stairwell landing and end up as his hostage.0 "Move faster!" Chen Hui had a black backpack slung over his shoulder, bulging with its contents.0 He shoved Mu Mian hard, causing her to stumble. If she hadn''t grabbed the railing, she would have fallen.0 "The correct escape route should be downstairs. The roof is upstairs¡ªyou''ll have nowhere to go once you''re up there," Mu Mian couldn''t help but advise. "Plus, I''m a bit afraid of heights!"0 Chen Hui ignored Mu Mian''s suggestion and dragged her upstairs.0 When they reached the sixth floor, Mu Mian sensed something was different. The sixth floor had always been vacant, with a persistent musty odor in the hallway. But today, the smell was off.0 Mu Mian habitually scanned her surroundings repeatedly to ensure her living environment was safe. She had already inspected this building 101 times, so she was certain the hallway smell was different from the last time she''d been there.0 "Hurry up!"0 The roof access was on the sixth floor. The door was unlocked. Chen Hui kicked it open forcefully. Outside was pitch black, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, instantly tousling Mu Mian''s short hair.0 "Are you planning to commit suicide? Could we perhaps choose a different method? This way is rather unsightly. Also, I have severe acrophobia."0 Chen Hui pressed the scalpel against Mu Mian''s neck, muttering incoherently, "For you, this is a dead end. For me, it might be a rebirth."0 Mu Mian made a sour face. "I don''t want to die right now!"0 Chen Hui reacted as if he''d heard a joke, asking in confusion:0 "Why don''t you want to die? Isn''t it exhausting for someone like you to live in this world? You try so hard to disguise yourself as normal, desperately trying to please others, but they still look at you strangely. They mock you, even ostracize you. Don''t you feel hopeless?"0 As he spoke, his tone grew increasingly agitated. His hand began to shake, waving the sharp scalpel and leaving several thin, long cuts on Mu Mian''s neck.0 Mu Mian''s eyes widened. She protested softly, "I''m a normal person now. My sister said so, and she''s an excellent psychotherapist. She loves me very much, so I can''t die. It would make her very sad."0 "She''s lying to you, you fool! Your sister surely sees you as a burden. She''d be happier if you were dead."0 Mu Mian''s gaze instantly dimmed. Her lips moved, but she swallowed the words she was about to say.0 Her sister''s friend had once said something similar¡ªthat because of caring for Mu Mian, her sister had lost both her career and her love life.0 "No one loves you!" Chen Hui looked at her with pity. "Let me help you find release."0 The moment Chen Hui first saw Mu Mian, he knew they were the same¡ªboth outcasts, rejected by society.0 He had wanted to befriend Mu Mian, to ease her loneliness, but she had sided with the police instead.0 s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Can we at least choose a different method of death? My brain has significant research value, and it would be damaged if I fell. So please don''t let me die from falling. Don''t stab me either, because I''ve already pledged to donate my internal organs. If you damage them, they can''t be given to others who need them. Strangulation won''t work either¡ªI hate the feeling of suffocation..."0 "Shut up! Say one more word and I''ll stab you a few times before throwing you off!"0 Mu Mian immediately closed her mouth.0 Just then, they heard soft footsteps behind them. Chen Hui saw that Fang Rui had led his team to the roof.0 As Fang Rui burst onto the roof, he saw Chen Hui holding the scalpel to Mu Mian''s throat. Mu Mian, however, seemed lost in thought, her expression remarkably calm.0 "Stay back! All of you, back off! Don''t come any closer!" Chen Hui immediately dragged Mu Mian to the edge of the roof. "Come any closer, and I''ll push her off."0 The roof''s edge had no railing¡ªone small push, and Mu Mian would fall.0 "Alright, we''re backing up. Don''t harm the hostage." Fang Rui signaled his team to retreat a few steps.0 "Keep backing up!"0 The sensation of hanging in midair snapped Mu Mian back to reality. Suddenly, as if she''d had an epiphany, she asked, "Chen Hui, were you talking about yourself earlier?"0 "What?"0 "No one loves you!" Mu Mian said. "You''re the outsider. You can''t fit into this world. You''re the one who feels hopeless!"0 "Shut up! You''re the unloved waste. Someone like you shouldn''t be alive. I''ll help you find peace!" Chen Hui''s emotions flared. Just as he was about to push Mu Mian off the roof, he heard someone say to him:0 "Chen Hui, your mother loves you."0 Chapter 15 The voice was soft yet firm, almost drowned out by the howling wind, but it reached Chen Hui''s ears clearly.0Chen Hui''s body froze.0 "No, my mother doesn''t love me! She can''t possibly love me!"0 Chen Hui''s attention was immediately drawn to Lin Sen. His expression was angry, his eyes bloodshot, as he shouted hysterically:0 "If I didn''t exist, she would be happier. She hates me, I ruined her life!"0 "Chen Hui, your mother does love you, she just doesn''t know how to express it."0 Lin Sen approached Chen Hui step by step.0 "Did she ever hold your hand and take you to the amusement park?"0 Chen Hui instinctively wanted to deny it, but he couldn''t control the image that floated into his mind¡ªhis mother taking him on a merry-go-round, a warm scene he had imagined countless times but knew could never have happened.0 "Did she ever hold an umbrella for you on rainy days?"0 "Did she always like to tell you bedtime stories?"0 Tears fell unconsciously as countless images flashed through Chen Hui''s mind, the painful reality intertwining with the beautiful scenes he had imagined.0 "Mom... Mom..." Chen Hui held his head, trying to collect more memories of his mother in his mind.0 Did his mother love him?0 Fang Rui cautiously approached Chen Hui. Just as he was about to reach out and pull Mu Mian away, Chen Hui suddenly regained his composure and pressed the knife against Mu Mian''s neck again. "Step back, all of you!"0 He looked at Lin Sen and said coldly, "Are you a hypnotist? Don''t waste your effort, hypnosis doesn''t work on me."0 Lin Sen was slightly stunned. He rarely failed.0 "Because I''ve hypnotized myself countless times, but I still can''t find any trace of my mother''s love in my memories," Chen Hui''s expression was tragic, "No one loves me..."0 "I can''t find any trace of my mother''s love either," Mu Mian suddenly started crying too, "My mother doesn''t love me either, she abandoned me!"0 Chen Hui was startled by this. He steadied his emotions and realized it was Mu Mian speaking.0 "My sister says it''s not our fault. Some mothers just don''t love their children." But Mu Mian cried even harder.0 "It''s not... our fault?" Chen Hui muttered.0 No one had ever said this to him in all these years. Everyone around him, his grandparents, his uncle, including his mother, had repeatedly blamed him, accused him, as if his very existence was the biggest mistake.0 He tried hard to study, tried hard to meet their demands, but still no one would love him.0 "Of course not. We were so young then, what could we have done wrong?" Mu Mian''s tone was firm, as if trying to convince Chen Hui, and also herself.0 Chen Hui''s gaze searched around for something, a bit urgently, "It''s my fault, I wasn''t good, that''s why my mother doesn''t like me..."0 At this moment, the bell for the end of evening self-study rang from the nearby school.0 "Mu Mian, I''m luckier than you, I know how to make my mother love me!"0 Chen Hui suddenly showed a strange smile. He let go of Mu Mian and leaped down from the building.0 Mu Mian almost fell with him, but fortunately, Fang Rui grabbed her hand in time and pulled her into his arms. Chen Hui, however, fell straight down.0 At the moment of impact, Chen Hui showed a relieved smile.0 If I become a cute little cat, would Mom like me a bit more?0 This thought had been rooted in Chen Hui''s mind for a long time.0 His mother hated him, beating him every time she saw him, or using him to extort money from his biological father.0 His mother had said many times that if he didn''t exist in this world, she would be very happy.0 However, his mother was very good to the pet cat at home. She would groom its fur, feed it the best cat food, hug it while sleeping, and talk to it affectionately.0 Chen Hui had always wished in his heart that it would be so good if he could become a cat.0 As he grew up, by chance, he became an obstetrician and was assigned to perform abortions for pregnant women. Every day, he had to send away many children. They were so small, some hadn''t even had the chance to grow eyes to see this world before their lives were taken away.0 Those children were unfortunate because they were unwanted children who lost their lives; but they were also lucky because they didn''t have to face a world full of malice in their long lives ahead.0 They wouldn''t have to repeat his miserable life like he did.0 No one in this world loved him.0 Including his mother.0 In the next life, he''d be a little kitten. Whether raised in a warm home or wandering the streets, even if he was ugly, missing an ear, or had a broken leg, there would still be passersby who would feed him ham sausages, people who would call him cute.0 No one would dislike a little kitten.0 With a loud thud, Chen Hui fell heavily to the ground. His backpack also burst open, dropping out a transparent glass jar.0 Blood flowed from his mouth and nose, staining his smile red.0 "Isn''t that little Chen? Why did he jump off the building? Quick, call an ambulance!" The crowd of onlookers immediately gathered around.0 Old Chen, the security guard, also squeezed into the crowd, muttering, "Isn''t that little Chen the criminal who killed using cats? Impossible, how could such a kind young man be a criminal?"0 "That''s right, did the police make a mistake? Little Chen is such a kind-hearted boy."0 "You never really know a person, who would have thought that the honest and simple little Chen was this kind of person."0 "Aiya, from now on we shouldn''t let couriers come to our doors anymore, who knows what they might do!"0 "That''s right, now that the economy is bad, people easily become perverted, everyone should be careful!"0 Bai Jing squeezed through the crowd. When she saw Chen Hui''s body on the ground, she rushed over: "Chen Hui, what happened to you? Didn''t you tell me you would live on bravely? How could you leave first..."0 She turned to the surrounding crowd, "Please, someone call an ambulance quickly!"0 The police on the rooftop also had a sense of unreality.0 "Chen Hui died just like that, he got off too easy!"0 Fang Rui didn''t even bother to look at Chen Hui who had fallen. He was holding Mu Mian, who had turned pale, seemingly shocked into a daze.0 He gently patted Mu Mian''s face, "Forensic Mu, are you alright?"0 Mu Mian came to her senses and suddenly started crying again, "Wuwu..."0 "Even if your mother doesn''t love you, you don''t need to cry like this. Stop the tears!"0 Fang Rui was at a loss, he hadn''t expected Mu Mian to cry uncontrollably. She didn''t seem like an emotionally expressive person.0 "Just now... I was so scared. It''s so high, I almost fell down too."0 "So you''re crying because you were scared?"0 "Yes, I''m afraid of heights. I don''t know if my mother loves me or not, I was lying to him earlier!"0 "Not bad, you''ve mastered the skill of lying."0 "It was a white lie," Mu Mian corrected.0 Mu Mian''s limbs were limp, her whole body dizzy. She remembered there was something important and gestured to Fang Rui: "Six... six..."0 S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Has she been shocked into confusion?" Fang Rui looked at Lin Sen, "Do people talk nonsense after being stimulated?"0 However, Mu Mian had already fainted. Fang Rui quickly had someone take Mu Mian to the hospital.0 Lin Sen stood on the rooftop, looking down at Chen Hui lying in a pool of blood, and the broken glass jar.0 The glass shards reflected a dazzling light.0 Chen Hui didn''t jump off the building immediately, but negotiated with them for a while before resolutely committing suicide. Was he waiting for some opportunity?0 Zhang sighed, "My goodness, this case is finally over! Let''s wrap it up! I need to rest for a few days!"0 Others also chimed in. They had been working day and night for the past few days and were exhausted.0 "Wait a minute," Lin Sen poured cold water on the crowd preparing to celebrate, "It might not be over yet."0 "No way, isn''t Chen Hui the killer? Did we catch the wrong person?"0 "There might be another victim."0 "That can''t be, there haven''t been any pregnant women reported missing recently!"0 "That''s right, the killer is dead, where would a victim come from?"0 "He didn''t want those children to be reborn as cats. He longed to become a cat and be reborn himself," Lin Sen spoke softly, "He didn''t jump to commit suicide, but to... be reborn."0 At this moment, Fang Rui''s phone rang.0 "Fang Rui, we''ve received a report that a pregnant woman named Zhang Xueling has gone missing. She''s been out of contact for two days now," the voice on the phone sounded panicked. "Do you remember Professor Bai, the one who insulted the killer before? It seems this pregnant woman might be his lover!"0 Chapter 16 The police conducted a search around Chen Hui''s residence but found no trace of the pregnant woman, nor any clues.Time was ticking away second by second. Fang Rui felt increasingly restless and asked the meditating Lin Sen in the car, "Where could Chen Hui be hiding the pregnant woman?" Holding the drawing made by Mu Mian, Lin Sen muttered, "If I were Chen Hui, and I wanted to be reborn as a cat, I would..." "If he were to be reborn, he would definitely choose a zodiac date, at an auspicious place." "Rebirth means returning to the starting point. Time...location... where was his birth location?" Lin Sen abruptly asked, "Where was Chen Hui born?" Fang Rui immediately understood Lin Sen''s intention, "Good, I''ll have someone look it up right away." Rebirth, to return to the time and place of birth. Time can''t be turned back, but we might return to the place. However, connecting it to Chen Hui''s birthplace is extremely difficult due to the long time span, and they lacked the necessary time to look for it carefully. Then Fang Rui received a call, "Captain Fang, the forensic investigator Mu says, go check the sixth floor of the previously mentioned building. She says the environment there has changed and wants your assistance." Fang Rui and Lin Sen exchanged glances, intuition told them that the pregnant woman might be there. Fang Rui and his team searched the entire floor, ultimately discovering a pregnant woman in the room at the very back. The pregnant woman was still breathing but seemed to have received a large dose of anaesthetic, lying calmly on the bed. Two bottles of medicine were hanging beside the bed, being injected into her body through the drip tube, preserving her life. Fang Rui promptly got the pregnant woman onto an ambulance. Because she was sent to the hospital in a timely manner, the doctors were able to successfully extract the dead cat from inside the pregnant woman through surgery. The pregnant woman¡¯s life was saved, but her uterus was severely damaged, and it seemed she would never be able to conceive again. "Eh, it''s all because of that Professor Bai, if not for his video shaming the criminal online, this girl wouldn¡¯t have been targeted," Zhang, couldn¡¯t help but sigh, "Also, it¡¯s her own fault, of all things, she had to become a third party." Reminded by Zhang, Fang Rui suddenly thought of something. "Zhang, check for me, does this Professor Bai have a daughter?" "Why do you want to check this?" "Just go check!" The police conducted a thorough search of Chen Hui''s house and found 132 jars containing preserved fetal embryos. These embryos had been specially processed and had not decomposed. Fang Rui found a number of mystical books on Chen Hui¡¯s bedside, all related to the reincarnation of the soul. Among them was a crime novel. In the novel, to attract media attention, the criminal stuffed live cats into the stomachs of pregnant women. Chen Hui had scribbled notes throughout this book. It seemed to have acted as a reference for his crime. There were many bottles filled with common medications for treating schizophrenia in Chen Hui¡¯s drawer. In the drawer, there was a diary, carefully detailing Chen Hui''s criminal plans, and how his mind twisted step by step, eventually fostering the malevolent idea of being reborn as a cat. Fang Rui quickly discerned Chen Hui''s process of crime. Originally, Chen Hui was an obstetrician-gynecologist. Half a year ago, he was fired due to frequent mistakes in his work. It was at this time he was diagnosed with schizophrenia but did not seek hospital treatment. Three months ago, he started implementing his rebirth plan. He applied for a job as a delivery man, taking advantage of his work pretext to enter the home of his first victim, Li Yan, and commit a crime. Using the excuse of parcel collection, he tricked the second victim, Lu Yaoyao, to his delivery van, drugged her, and transported her to the crime scene in the same van. Thanks to his deliveryman''s identity, he managed to avoid police investigation several times. His diary presented the entire process of the crime, clear as daylight. "Boss, Professor Bai does indeed have a daughter," Zhang paused for a moment, creating suspense. "We know this person. Can you guess who it is?" "Bai Jing!" "You guessed it. Bai Jing is from the psychology department of A University. Half a year ago, she applied to be a social worker in the Ziweili Residential Area. Her psychology studies were wasted; she didn''t see that Chen Hui was a psychopath." A suspicion was growing in Fang Rui''s mind, but he had no evidence to support it. The next morning, the sunshine was bright and cheerful. Early in the morning, Fang Rui drove to Ziweili Residential Area. As soon as he arrived at the plaza, he spotted Mu Mian standing near the flower beds. She was still lost in thought. "Forensic Mu, are you waiting for a ride again?" Fang Rui approached her and asked teasingly. "Waiting for you." As she spoke, Mu Mian looked again towards the lawn not far away, where Bai Jing was feeding a cat. "I once thought she was a good person," Mu Mian murmured. "After I arrived here, she was the second person to return my smile." "And what do you think now?" "I''m not sure." Mu Mian''s voice was somewhat low. "The first one to respond to my smile was Chen Hui, but he doesn''t seem like a good person." Feeling their gaze, Bai Jing put down the cat food and walked towards them. "Officer Fang, congratulations on cracking this serial murder case!" Bai Jing smiled at them, her tone suddenly turn somber. "I can''t quite believe it... The kind-hearted Chen Hui would do something like this!" "Miss Bai studies psychology. Didn''t you notice anything abnormal about his mental state?" "A lot of psychological diseases are latent. Without in-depth interaction, they are hard to detect. Everyone in the residential area had dealings with Chen Hui, but no one noticed that there was anything wrong with him. This shows that his symptoms were not obvious." Bai Jing mocked herself, "What''s more, if my professional knowledge was good, how could I not find a job and ended up working as a community service worker here?" "Your father is a university professor, can''t he find a job for you?" As soon as her father was mentioned, Bai Jing''s facial expression became stiff for a moment. "My mother has already divorced that man. Please do not associate me with him." "Do you hate your father?" Bai Jing''s eyes were filled with defensiveness: "Officer Fang, what are you trying to ask, exactly?" "Is it really a coincidence that the third victim was your father''s mistress?" "Of course it''s not a coincidence. It was he who first posted a video online to provoke Chen Hui. Someone who studies psychology, yet doesn''t understand how to respect people, it''s laughable!" On Bai Jing''s face, there was little expression. "This is his retribution, and the retribution of that woman for being a mistress, isn''t it?" "Miss Bai, were these books you showed to Chen Hui?" "Do you mean the coloring book? That''s a gift I gave to Chen Hui," Bai Jing responded, "Chen Hui sometimes has trouble controlling his emotions. I gave it to him to help him regulate." "I''m talking about the books on mysticism." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "No. Chen Hui and I are not interested in mysticism." "You used those books on mysticism, and that novel to lure Chen Hui into committing these crimes, didn''t you?" "Do you suspect me?" Bai Jing sounded somewhat incredulous, "Do you suspect that I caused Chen Hui to become like this?" Bai Jing became agitated instantly, her voice choked up, tears flowing uncontrollably down her cheeks. "Believe it or not, Chen Hui was a good friend of mine. Recently, I''ve been feeling a lot of regret... If I had been better at my major, if I had been more intelligent, could I have seen the pain he was hiding behind his bright smile? Could I have pulled him out from the muck of his dysfunctional family..." Mu Mian quietly pulled out a tissue and handed it to Bai Jing, "Even if you had noticed, you couldn''t have helped him because psychological counseling is not effective for mental illness. You should have taken him to the hospital..." Fang Rui signaled Mu Mian with his eyes to keep quiet. Mu Mian protested with a sense of grievance, "I was comforting her." "..." Rather than respond to them, Bai Jing focused on her lamenting. "Chen Hui was a beam of sunlight in my life. After I graduated from a prestigious school and couldn''t find a job, and had to settle for a job paying just a few thousand, it was him who comforted me, it was him who took me to feed the stray cats." "In fact, if it weren''t for Chen Hui, I would have jumped off that building,¡± pointing towards a building at a distance, Bai Jing stated, "I stood there several times. It was Chen Hui who saved me." "He told me that life is precious. Just like these stray cats; they have nothing, but they continue to live freely." Fang Rui promptly advised her, "Miss Bai, in your current state, you should consider seeing a psychiatrist." "Don''t worry, I won''t commit suicide. Only those who are mentally fragile choose to escape reality through suicide. Besides, these stray cats still need me." Seeing her in such a state, Fang Rui realized that he wasn''t going to get anything useful out of Bai Jing. Although one could deduce from the results that Bai Jing benefitted, there was currently no evidence pointing towards Bai Jing having any dealings with the case. Even if it was discovered that Bai Jing had a close relationship with Chen Hui, it wouldn''t prove anything, much less charge Bai Jing with any crime. "Officer Fang, you don''t need me for anything else, do you?" Bai Jing wiped her tears, slowly regaining her composure, "I need to go to work. I work hard to earn a living and feed these little ones.¡± Watching Bai Jing walk away, Fang Rui turned to look at Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, do you think she manipulated Chen Hui to commit the crimes?" "It doesn''t seem like she has the ability to do so." "That''s true. She is just an ordinary psychology graduate. She shouldn''t have the ability to manipulate Chen Hui into committing crimes," someone commented. "But my older sister said that people''s self-awareness is fragile. Sometimes a simple psychological suggestion can interfere with others'' choices," another person interjected. "Even if Chen Hui committed crimes under her influence, we can''t catch her. We can''t say that Bai Jing used psychological suggestion to control Chen Hui into committing all these murders," came a counter-argument. Fang Rui felt helpless. If Bai Jing really used psychological suggestions to mould Chen Hui into a serial killer, then Bai Jing is truly terrifying. "Although I can''t quite figure out whether her expressions are real or feigned, I think Chen Hui must have been the sunshine in her life. She wouldn''t intentionally extinguish it," someone hypothesized. "Only Bai Jing would know if she did lead Chen Hui astray," someone else pointed out. Mu Mian turned to Fang Rui, asking, "Why did you keep my secret?" "What?" "You know that I have autism, don''t you? But I was never fired. Is it you who kept the secret for me?" Fang Rui paused, "Was this really a secret? Can''t everyone see it?" Changing the subject, Fang Rui suggested, "Let''s go eat. I''m treating." "I should be treating you. I appreciate you keeping my secret," Mu Mian insisted. After walking a few steps, Fang Rui turned to give Mu Mian a warm smile. "Mu Mian, you don''t have to pretend to be normal," he told her. A smile...this was the third person to smile at her since she arrived. In that moment, Mu Mian''s heart felt as if it was touched by sunshine, warmly illuminating her. It was a satisfaction felt from being accepted. "Because, your secret might not be a secret anymore," he added. Stunned, like she was struck by lightning, Mu Mian stared at him. "Who did you tell?" She had perfectly masked herself, how could anyone see through her? "Consultant Lin discovered it. Zhang was there too at that time. You probably don''t know, but there''s nothing that he can keep to himself. Once he knows, the whole department will know," Fang Rui explained. Mu Mian felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She had meticulously hidden her true self for nearly a month. Was all her effort in vain? She had thought she hid it so well. "Mu Mian, just be yourself from now on. You don''t need to pretend to be seen as normal," he reassured her. Can she really be herself? "Captain Fang," Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui earnestly, "would you donate your body to me?" "No! I''ve told you not to bring up that again!" It seems that being herself is still out of reach... Chapter 17 After Chen Hui''s case was closed, the police station became much more relaxed.0Mu Mian made significant contributions in the process of solving the case, leading to his formal promotion and official entry into the Special Crime Unit, and Chen Xue became Mu Mian''s assistant.0 The Special Crime Unit held a welcoming ceremony for Mu Mian.0 Mu Mian met many familiar faces. They were all friendly towards him, after all, as soon as he arrived at the city bureau, he helped them solve a major murder case.0 Mu Mian''s impression changed from an eccentric forensic doctor to a competent case solver.0 "Mu Mian, write a self-criticism, and reflect well on why a forensic doctor like you could be taken hostage by the killer." Fang Rui''s words broke the previous friendly atmosphere, "Submit it to me before work ends."0 "Alright."0 Fang Rui received Mu Mian''s self-criticism, which was very earnestly written, with deeply profound self-analysis. Just as he was about to fold it up, he caught sight of the conclusion:0 All the above reasons are not the root cause of why I was taken hostage by the killer. The real reason is: I''ve been unlucky lately, or in Chen Xue''s words, my luck has been bad! People of the Leo zodiac sign will be very unlucky recently!0 Seeing Mu Mian space out in front of the computer, Chen Xue patted her, "Mian Mian, why are you wasting time and effort on DNA tests for these babies? It''s meaningless."0 "Chen Xue, I want to help these fetuses find their mothers."0 "Their mothers had them aborted, they didn''t want them anymore, what good would finding their parents do? They won''t take this jar back, they might even resent it for bringing bad luck."0 "Were they... also abandoned by their mothers?" Mu Mian looked at the clumps of flesh floating in glass jars, seeming somewhat perplexed.0 "Of course!" Chen Xue felt that today''s Mu Mian was a bit different. She was usually spaced-out, expressionless, but today she seems particularly down.0 Mu Mian hung her head, "Why don''t they want them? These embryos look healthy, they could have been normal children."0 Mu Mian had always thought that it was only the disabled children who were abandoned by their mothers, like those in the orphanage who were sick, or physically handicapped, or autistic...0 "There are many reasons, it could be an unplanned pregnancy or lack of resources to raise them... In any case, their mothers won''t want to see them again."0 Chen Xue took a sip of her coffee, "So let''s send these embryos to the funeral parlor asap. Otherwise, it''s bad luck to keep them here."0 Mu Mian remained silent.0 "I know you feel sympathetic towards these embryos. How about we give these embryos names, so they would have left some traces of existence in this world."0 "I already named them."0 Only then did Chen Xue notice that there were labels stuck on the jars:0 BB1, BB2...0 "Do these names carry any special meaning?"0 "This one is called Baby No.1, this one is called Baby No.2, and so on."0 Chen Xue facepalmed. Mu Mian did show kindness, but not too thoughtfully.0 Mu Mian continued searching for the parents of these children in the police department''s gene bank.0 But she found nothing.0 Mu Mian became somewhat frustrated.0 She tried to match the genes of the victims with those of these children. But the result showed no match.0 Mu Mian frowned, weren''t the jars marked with the death date of the deceased supposed to contain their children?0 Chen Hui''s house had been thoroughly searched, all the jars had been brought to the office, and Mu Mian had collected all the DNA data. However, the DNA of the infants in those jars did not match that of the three victims.0 So, where had Chen Hui hidden the fully formed fetuses inside the stomachs of these three victims?0 Why did he hide them?0 Mu Mian pulled out the files of the three victims again and discovered that they had all had pregnancy check-ups at the Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, where Chen Hui worked.0 "Mu Mian, Zhang Qiang says there is a dinner tonight. Will you go?"0 Chen Xue''s voice disrupted Mu Mian¡¯s pondering, and suddenly she felt that the truth of the matter wasn''t that important.0 Those children were all unwanted, who would care about where their bodies were?0 "Can I... not go?"0 "Of course not! As a newcomer to the workplace, it is essential to go to the dinner!"0 "Okay."0 The dinner ended well past ten in the evening.0 When Mu Mian returned home and was about to open the door, she noticed that the keyhole was shifted by 5 degrees - someone had broken into her house, and they had used a key.0 As Mu Mian contemplated whether to call the police, the door suddenly opened from the inside.0 "Mu Mian, it''s been a long time." A beautiful woman emerged from inside, holding out her arms to hug Mu Mian.0 "Shen Xiyin."0 Mu Mian was slightly taken aback upon seeing Shen Xiyin, with her voice slightly choked.0 Shen Xiyin was the daughter of her foster parents and also Mu Mian''s therapist. Mu Mian had grown up abroad as her parents had gotten divorced and her father had died, her father''s colleague had adopted her.0 Shen Xiyin released Mu Mian and gave a gentle smile, "You didn''t push me away this time, it seems like living independently has brought about some changes in you."0 "We haven''t seen each other in a long time, so we can hug." Mu Mian hated physical contact with others; it was already hard enough for her to not push her away.0 "How did you get injured on your neck?" Shen Xiyin noticed the scar on Mu Mian''s neck.0 "Zhang says, it''s a badge of honor." Mu Mian''s voice carried a hint of pride.0 "A badge?"0 "It is the badge left by my confrontation with a ruthless criminal."0 Mu Mian briefly described the course of events, of course, she hid the part about her acrophobia causing her to faint, and then embellished the part about how she escaped from Chen Hui.0 Mu Mian found that she could already skillfully tell small white lies.0 "Your work seems quite dangerous."0 Shen Xiyin had already found Mu Mian a very good job, working as a researcher at a university, which was stable and required no social interaction. But Mu Mian had secretly quit.0 "Not dangerous. Chen Xue says I am the only forensic pathologist in the office who was taken hostage by a murderer. This shows how safe this job really is."0 "But you got hurt."0 "That''s because I¡¯m unlucky, otherwise known as going through a retrograde period. But don¡¯t worry, Chen Xue says that Leo''s retrograde period is already over, my luck for the next few months will be very good."0 Shen Xiyin realized, Mu Mian had changed a lot.0 Mu Mian took several notebooks from the desk, "I have recorded all the peculiar things that have been happening recently in my self-observation diary."0 Shen Xiyin flipped through Mu Mian''s observation diary. As with previous entries, they were descriptions of events viewed objectively, with little subjective emotional experience.0 When she read about Mu Mian''s interest in the body of her deceased coworker and realized she had even planned how to study the corpse, Shen Xiyin seemed a bit exasperated, "How have you been getting along with your colleagues?"0 "I don''t know. Most of my colleagues don''t talk to me much. Maybe not so good, they don''t smile at me," Mu Mian slumped into the sofa, sounding extremely dejected, "I''ve been interacting with them according to the social guidelines, but it seems like I still messed up."0 "But they were okay with you hitching a ride. And you became a regular in just a month," Shen Xiyin encouraged, "This shows that your social skills have improved a lot."0 "Really?" Mu Mian''s mood immediately lifted, "Sister Xiyin, am I a normal person now?"0 She had asked this question countless times since childhood.0 Mu Mian was diagnosed with autism when she was just three years old. At that time, many top autism experts predicted: Mu Mian would have a low IQ, might not even develop language skills, and would lack emotion.0 When Mu Mian still couldn''t speak at the age of six, all the therapists gave up on teaching her language skills.0 However, only Shen Xiyin didn''t give up. She was just a high school student at the time, not understanding complicated techniques. She could only repeat simple words and phrases in front of Mu Mian over and over again, even if Mu Mian didn''t respond.0 Amazingly, Mu Mian eventually spoke her first word. Now, she could basically communicate with others without any problems.0 The journey was lengthy and challenging.0 Shen Xiyin knew very well that it was a miracle for Mu Mian to have recovered to this extent.0 Mu Mian could never become a "normal" person.0 No matter how much training she went through, she would never have the emotions of a ''normal'' person.0 "Little Mian, you''re a genius. Geniuses are always a bit different from others."0 "I still want to be a normal person like you."0 Mu Mian had always admired Shen Xiyin. Her sister had loving parents, many friends, didn''t have to hide in the corner all by herself, and was never a burden to anyone.0 Shen Xiyin understood why Mu Mian wanted to be normal¡ªMu Mian stubbornly believed that if her autism was cured, her mother would come back for her.0 "I''m sorry, Little Mian, it''s my fault. I shouldn''t have hidden your mother''s photos. You have the right to find your mother."0 Half a year ago, Mu Mian found her mother''s marriage license and a stack of photos in Shen Xiyin''s room. In one of them, her mother was holding a baby, her eyes full of affection.0 This photo overturned Mu Mian''s opinion of her mother¡ªan unfeeling woman who abandoned her autistic child. It led to a fierce argument between Mu Mian and Shen Xiyin, and Mu Mian ran away from home.0 Mu Mian suddenly interrupted her, "I don¡¯t want to look for her anymore."0 "Why?" Shen Xiyin was somewhat surprised, "Didn''t you return to China to find your mother?"0 Mu Mian thought of Chen Hui, who committed so many evil deeds, just to gain illusory love and acceptance. 0 "Here is your photo," Mu Mian took out the picture with her mother from the pocket of her clothes, took a reluctant glance at it, then handed it to Shen Xiyin, "I think you are right. I shouldn''t disturb her current life, nor should I let her disturb mine." 0 Shen Xiyin was surprised by Mu Mian''s shift. In fact, she was not eager for Mu Mian to see that woman, as it might be a heavy blow to Mu Mian.0 S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Mu Mian, let''s move. The sound insulation here is not good, and it''s too far from where you work," Shen Xiyin closed Mu Mian''s diary. "I have already bought a house near your city bureau, let''s move there in the next few days."0 "Are you also staying here?" Mu Mian was somewhat surprised, "What about your job?"0 "I have a senior sister who opened a psychological clinic, she wants me to return to China to help her, I have agreed."0 Seeing that Mu Mian''s mood was low, Shen Xiyin added, "Mu Mian, you are not a burden to me, you are my family. No matter what happens, I will not abandon you."0 Shen Xiyin knew that Mu Mian had a great sense of insecurity, so she always repeatedly told Mu Mian that there were people who would steadfastly love her. 0 "And neither will I!"0 Shen Xiyin somewhat hoped Mu Mian could abandon her, as then Mu Mian would be able to become an independent person.0 Chapter 18 Fang Rui took advantage of his time off and had a good rest at home for several days. But when he opened the door, he saw Mu Mian squatting in front of his house, her eyes vacant, seemingly lost in thought.0"Mu Mian, why are you squatting in front of my house? Looking for a loan?" Fang Rui frowned at her.0 "Fang Rui?" Upon seeing Fang Rui, Mu Mian looked surprised, "What a coincidence, so you also live here!"0 "What are you doing?"0 "Eliminating potential threats. The good news is, the danger alert has now been cleared!"0 Mu Mian''s new home almost perfectly met her requirements: quiet surroundings, no blind spots for surveillance, and close to her workplace.0 The only thing that worried her was her unseen neighbor.0 Fang Rui looked at the peeling door. Except for being a bit run-down, it seemed nothing special.0 He asked in confusion, "What risks? Someone is planning to break into my room?"0 "I thought my neighbor was a violent adult male. But now I see it''s just you, I feel more at ease."0 "Why would you think I''m violent?"0 "During my inspection around the new house, I noticed that the neighbor''s doorknob was loose and the bottom of the door frame had lots of shoe prints¡ªevidence of frequent violent treatment."0 "..."0 "So, I deduced that the occupant could be a quick-tempered, violence-prone danger."0 Mu Mian explained gravely, not noticing Fang Rui''s rapidly darkening face.0 "You''re pretty unlucky then, to have a dangerous neighbor like me."0 "Not unlucky at all!"0 With Fang Rui there, she felt her safety was secured. She wouldn''t have to worry about being captured by a murderer and taken to the rooftop for chills anymore.0 "Congratulations, you''ve got a very dependable neighbor." Mu Mian pointed at herself, beginning to enumerate her own virtues, "I won''t make any noise, won''t litter; if you fall ill, I''ll be the first one to take you to the hospital."0 "You sure you won''t be squatting by my bed, waiting for me to pass away and then steal my body?"0 Fang Rui imagined the scenario in his head and felt it quite humorous. Mu Mian being so tiny, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to move his corpse.0 "Stealing bodies is illegal!" Mu Mian corrected him.0 "¡­You sure respectful of the law."0 "I will take you to the hospital first, then stay by your sickbed, get the body donation document from you before you die. Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of your body..."0 "..." Why did he even bring up this subject?0 At this point, Fang Rui''s phone rang. Mu Mian tried to avoid it, but saw Fang Rui put his hand on her shoulder, his expression becoming serious.0 "Call the firefighters for a fire! The fire department reported it? Give me the address."0 "The villa area on the outskirts of the city. Boss, I''ve already sent you the coordinates on your phone, hurry up!"0 "Mu Mian, your vacation is over." After finishing the call, Fang Rui turned to Mu Mian, "There''s a new case, we''ll go straight to the scene."0 "Let''s go immediately!" Mu Mian''s eyes instantly lit up.0 Fang Rui was speechless, why was Mu Mian so interested in dead bodies?0 By the time Fang Rui and Mu Mian arrived at the scene, the fire had already been extinguished. Zhang and his team also made it to the scene of the homicide.0 The once lush green lawn was burnt bare, strewn with a variety of objects and shards of glass.0 S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian paused in her steps as she felt like she stepped on something. Something soft was prickling her feet. She looked down and was startled to find a charred severed finger.0 Mu Mian put on her gloves and picked it up for closer inspection.0 The finger had a silver ring on it. The ring was uniquely shaped and irregular, much like a M?bius strip.0 The ring''s silver sheen glimmered under the sunlight.0 "What on earth are you holding, Doctor Mu?" Zhang suddenly exclaimed, "Is that a broken finger?"0 Everyone turned their attention towards Mu Mian.0 "I picked it up from the ground." she said, putting the finger with the ring into an evidence bag.0 "The impact of the blast shredded the victim¡¯s body, you all might come across many body parts."0 Mu Mian further explained: "So be careful not to step on the body parts. Also, please mark the spots where you find the remains.¡±0 "My God, I used to think it was just drama in those war stories, but it seems even minor explosions can shatter bodies!" exclaimed Zhang.0 Fang Rui gave Zhang a look, "Do you want to check out the state of this building? Can you call this a minor explosion?"0 The mansion¡¯s owner, Ye Zeming, was a renowned sculpture artist in the city. He enjoyed a surge in his net worth as his works sold at high prices over the recent years.0 The targeted villa was his workshop, stocked with inflammable materials such as paints, varnishes, and plaster, which aggravated the fire. The villa had been reduced to its frame, even the lawn outside was left scorched and explosions occurred in several parts inside the house.0 The floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor were completely shattered with a part of the roof collapsed too. The place was in complete disarray.0 The body of the deceased was buried under shards of glass and bricks. The body had scattered into several pieces, and due to the prolonged exposure to the fire, the remains had turned charred black, emitting a revolting smell.0 "Oh God, this smell is unbearable! I guess I won''t be having barbecued meat for at least half a month!" lamented Zhang.0 Someone immediately responded, "Oh, please. The first time you saw a corpse, you declared to quit meat forever, and look at you now, eating more than any of us.¡±0 Old Zhang, the captain of the fire brigade, knew Fang Rui. On his arrival, Old Zhang quickly briefed him about the situation on site.0 "Captain Fang, we believe the victim''s fragmented body is due to the blast. This building was filled with explosive materials, which on meeting a spark ignited an explosion. But the victim¡¯s sister insists he was murdered and demands an investigation." 0 Fang Rui asked: "Have we identified the point of the fire''s origin and where the explosion occurred?"0 "The building was filled with combustible materials, pinpointing the exact location where the fire started is proving difficult, we are still investigating."0 Mu Mian, wearing gloves, started collecting the remains of the deceased.0 With the help of Zhang and others, Mu Mian quickly gathered the deceased''s torso and limbs.0 The upper half of the body was relatively complete, but the portion below the thighs had mostly been blasted into fragments. Many of the soft tissues, including the reproductive parts, were still missing.0 Preliminarily, all these fragments were believed to belong to a single deceased individual.0 The face of the deceased was carbonized and covered in ashes. Therefore, the appearance was not identifiable.0 But from the pelvic part of the corpse, it could be concluded that the deceased was an adult male.0 "Fang Rui, he was already deceased before the fire broke out. This could be a murder case!" Mu Mian turned to Fang Rui and said.0 Old Zhang doubted Mu Mian''s expertise, seeing as she seemed young and freshly out of college. 0 He retorted, "It''s not possible! Ye Zeming''s sister saw him at the scene of the fire. How could he have died before the fire?"0 "There are no signs of life response on the burns and the severed body parts, which indicates that the deceased was already dead when the fire and explosion occurred. In fact, the time of death was at least two to three hours before the fire broke out."0 As Mu Mian explained, she continued to scrutinize the breakage on the body parts.0 She frowned in puzzlement ¨C the rupture sites of these fragments were too smooth, neither explosion-induced nor caused by a cutting tool, the wounds were strange.0 Moreover, body fragments in previous explosion cases would often have soft tissues separated from the skeleton, torn apart. However, these fragments were relatively intact, as if a sculpture had fallen and shattered.0 Old Zhang stubbornly claimed, "Multiple witnesses saw the victim at the window on a phone call before the fire. The victim''s sister also affirmed that she saw her brother at the scene of the fire. She was the last person to see him alive."0 "What they saw might not be the deceased."0 "What?"0 "What those eyewitnesses saw was a living Ye Zeming."0 Fang Rui asked, "Mu Mian, are you suspecting that the deceased is not Ye Zeming?"0 "Let''s start with a DNA test on the body. Does Ye Zeming have any close relatives?"0 Chapter 19 Ye Zeming has a sister named Ye Zeling, twenty-seven years old, a dance drama actress. She was the first to discover the fire and called the fire brigade.When Fang Rui and Zhang located her, she was outside the police cordon, engaged in a fight with another woman, and several policewomen were intervening to separate them. The beaten woman was the former girlfriend of the deceased, named Lin Lan. "You damn woman, why are you here? Did you start this fire? Did you kill my brother? I knew it, you could not let go of my brother." Ye Zeling yanked Lin Lan''s hair forcefully, cursing like a shrew. Her crude behavior heavily contrasts with her beautiful appearance. "Zeling, your brother called me here." Lin Lan''s hair was disheveled, and there were several scratches on her body, but her tone was still gentle, looking at Ye Zeling as if looking at a naughty child. "Nonsense! Impossible! My brother assured me that he would never see you again, why would he call you? You''re lying!" Ye Zeling became increasingly hysterical, her fierce eyes seeming to want to tear Lin Lan apart. "Your brother said he wanted to see me one last time." "Shut up! You''re fantasizing again that my brother likes you. My brother hates you, you wicked woman, he would never see you!" Lin Lan started to argue back, "Your brother called me anyway. You are not your brother. How would you know he doesn''t want to see me?" "Shut up! I just know. My brother says you''re a whore!" Seeing Fang Rui and Zhang come over, Ye Zeling immediately felt bolstered. "Officer, the fire was definitely set by this woman. She''s the murderer! My brother dumped her, and she held a grudge, she killed my brother!" "We will thoroughly investigate this case. Miss Ye, please return to the station for questioning with me," said the officer. "Good, officer, I will fully cooperate. You must catch my brother''s murderer!" Ye Zeling spoke as she unleashed a venomous glare on Lin Lan. Zhang corrected her, "I''m younger than you, you can just call me Officer Zhang," emphasizing on ''Officer''. Zhang then looked at Lin Lan, saying, "You should come to the station for questioning as well." "Okay, I will cooperate with your investigation," Lin Lan replied defiantly, mocking Ye Zeling with a smirk. Just then, two policemen emerged, carrying a body bag. "Is that my brother''s body?" Ye Zeling threw herself onto the body bag, sobbing uncontrollably, "Bro, how could you just die like this? How am I supposed to live without you?" Everyone present was a bit stunned - the siblings'' bond was incredibly strong. Fang Rui turned to look at Lin Lan. Lin Lan was staring at Ye Zeling, disgust written on her face, but she quickly managed to squeeze out a few tears, feigning grief. "Can I ride in the same car as my brother?" Ye Zeling did not let go of the body bag, "I want to be with my brother." Mu Mian was taken aback, it was her first time seeing someone so enamored with a corpse. Despite the body being shattered beyond recognition and the stench of flesh charred by fire, Ye Zeling couldn''t let go. She really loved it! Mu Mian wanted to befriend her. She switched her gaze to Fang Rui, lost in thought. Sensing the intense gaze from Mu Mian, Fang Rui couldn''t help but ask, "What''s the matter, Doctor Mu?" "If your corpse were to be shattered like that, I definitely wouldn''t embrace it. However, I would try to piece you back together!" "...Should I say thank you?" He added one more unnecessary question. "You''re welcome." Despite Ye Zeling''s persistence, Fang Rui relented and let her ride in the car with the deceased. "If you''re not afraid, go ahead and ride in this car." "This is my brother''s body, why would I be afraid! I would like to ride in this car!" Mu Mian warned her: "Just don''t open the bag. I haven''t finished piecing the body together yet. I suggest you wait for me to finish before viewing his remains!" Ye Zeling stared at Mu Mian with her shiny, large eyes, "What do you mean?" "The body of the deceased has been blown to pieces." Mu Mian kindly informed, "Don''t worry, I will do my best to put him back together. I am rather good at jigsaws." What then followed was the sound of sirens accompanying Ye Zeling''s loud wails the entire way, causing headaches for everyone in hearing range. As Ye Zeling had had a mental breakdown, Fang Rui and Zhang had no choice but to first take a statement from Lin Lan. Lin Lan was a pastry chef in her thirties. She was not as pretty as Ye Zeling, but had a unique charm of tranquillity and timelessness, and her voice was gentle. "Miss Lin, what is your relationship with Ye Zeming?" "Zeming is my ex-boyfriend." Lin Lan lowered her eyelids, her tone somewhat desolate, "Now, I guess we have no relationship. We broke up six months ago." "Why did you break up?" "Isn''t the answer obvious?" Lin Lan laughed at herself, "Once he gained prosperity, he went about damaging relationships. After Zeming became an art master with a net worth of millions, he thought me beneath him, a mere humble pastry chef, and dumped me." Zhang asked, "Do you hold grudges against him?" "How could I not! When he was in difficulty, penniless, I was the one who took care of him. However, once I was useless to him, he kicked me out, spreading rumors that I was a gold digger and had left him for money before he made a name. Ahh, but what good is resentment? When we broke up, he gave me a huge sum of money, we settled the score. Life has to go on, you can''t be immersed in painful memories all the time." Lin Lan''s voice was calm, she seemed void of any emotions towards Ye Zeming. There was no emotional fluctuation when she mentioned him. Fang Rui asked, "Considering your bitter fallout, why did he call you this morning?" "He told me he was leaving the country and wanted to see me one last time before he left, to apologise. Initially, I refused but he said he had something important to return to me. I had no choice but to agree." "What is it?" "He didn''t tell me. But I guessed it was the cross that my grandmother gave me, I lost it at his place, couldn''t find it, I thought he had found it and wanted to return it to me." Suddenly, something came into Lin Lan''s mind, she pulled out her phone, "This is a recording of our phone call. You might want to listen." Fang Rui played the recording aloud. Indeed, the contents of the call matched what Lin Lan had described. "Miss Lin, do you habitually record your calls?" Fang casually asked. "In our line of work, we constantly need to communicate with customers. Some clients are indecisive, if we don''t record, it will lead to endless disputes at billing. So, I have set my phone to automatically record all incoming calls." S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Was the relationship between Ye Zeling and the deceased good?" "Pretty good. Their mother left home when Zeling was two, and their father passed away early. It was Zeming who brought up Zeling. Hence, their sibling bond is exceptionally strong." Lin Lan gave a self-mocking smile, "So good that they might be a bit exclusive. Therefore, she despises me, has prejudices against me. She always says I am after her brother''s money, but when I was with Zeming, I was the one supporting her and her brother." "You mentioned earlier that the deceased told you he was going abroad, do you know why?" "Perhaps...for love." "Love?" ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But he once told me that he seemed to have found his true love. The reason he broke up with me was because he wanted to be with his true love.¡± Fang Rui asked, "Miss Lin, do Ye Zeming siblings have any other relatives?" "Other relatives? They have an uncle, but they don''t get in touch frequently. But Zeming told me that their father had an affair and illegitimate child outside, this was the reason for their parents'' divorce." "Alright, thank you for your cooperation. If you have any clues, please contact me." Leaving the interrogation room, Zhang immediately complained, "Boss, don''t you think there is something twisted about the relationship between the sister and the deceased? They don''t behave like the typical siblings." Fang Rui corrected him, "At this point, it is not confirmed whether the deceased is Ye Zeming." "Who else can it be! Just now, Lin Lan mentioned that Ye Zeming had a true love. Given Ye Zeling''s obsessive property towards her brother, wouldn¡¯t she have gone crazy and ended up killing her brother if she found out about this true love? Can the murderer be Ye Zeling?" "Following your logic, shouldn''t she have killed the true love of her brother first?" "Yeah, boss, you thought about it more comprehensively! Shall I go and dig more at the fire scene, see if I can find the body of the deceased''s true love?" "You go!" Zhang ran off in a puff of smoke. The world quieted down in an instant for Fang Rui. Chapter 20 At the entrance of the autopsy room."I won''t let you touch my brother''s body. No one can touch it!" Ye Zeling clung tightly to the body bag, her eyes darting around warily. She threatened to scratch anyone who dared come close. "Get away! All of you, get away! Don''t you dare disturb me and my brother." Mu Mian looked at the scratch marks on the back of her hand, feeling like she had just earned a new badge in her professional career. She might well be the first forensic pathologist in the Jiangzhou City Police Department to be scratched by a victim''s family member. "Miss Ye, if you keep holding onto the body like this, how can we help you catch your brother''s killer?" a female police officer approached cautiously, trying to soothe her. "Why don''t you let go of your brother''s body first and come with me to the rest area? Okay?" "No! Don''t think I don''t know. An autopsy means you''ll cut my brother open. I won''t let you get away with it." "But your brother''s body has already been blown apart and burned by the fire," Mu Mian carefully reminded her. "Cutting it open won''t make much difference now, since the body is already damaged." "Ah! I don''t want to hear you talk! Go away! Go away!" The female police officer was Li Lanlan, the department''s psychological counselor. She glared at Mu Mian, signaling with her eyes for Mu Mian to step back and stop agitating the deceased''s family member. Mu Mian quietly retreated to the back, but her eyes remained fixed on the body bag Ye Zeling was holding. She desperately wanted to autopsy this body. She was curious to know what exactly the body had endured to result in such shattered wounds. "Miss Ye, please try to calm down. Your brother would want to rest now. If you keep crying and making a fuss, I''m sure it would make him sad," Li Lanlan gently patted Ye Zeling''s shoulder. "Can you let us move your brother''s body inside first?" Ye Zeling seemed to be listening. Her grip on the body bag slowly loosened. But when she looked up and saw Mu Mian staring intently at her brother''s body, she immediately tightened her hold again. "No! You''re lying! You just want to autopsy my brother''s body!" Mu Mian sighed inwardly. If this dragged on any longer, it would be dark soon. Once night fell, the timid Chen Xue wouldn''t want to work overtime with her, and she''d have to autopsy the body alone. "Mian, what''s going on here?" Mu Mian turned around to find her sister, Shen Xiyin, speaking. "Sister Xiyin, why are you here?" "Professor Jiang invited us to dinner today. I''m here to pick you up. Professor Jiang is a top expert in autism in the country, and she''s also a good friend of Dad''s. She''s been wanting to meet you." Mu Mian didn''t really want to go. Those useless experts always repeated the same boring, tedious procedures. But she didn''t want to make things difficult for her sister. Shen Xiyin changed the subject, "What''s happening here? What''s wrong with that girl?" "She''s in shock. She needs immediate psychological crisis intervention," Mu Mian quietly explained the situation, adding at the end, "I really want to autopsy that body right now!" Shen Xiyin walked over to Ye Zeling, crouching down to meet her eyes: "Miss Ye, I know the news of your brother''s death is very upsetting for you. I also know that you don''t really want to stop the police from autopsying the body. You just don''t want to believe that your brother is really gone, isn''t that right?" Tears rolled down Ye Zeling''s cheeks in big drops. "Your brother loved you so much. He would want to see you being brave and strong. You want to put your brother''s mind at ease too, don''t you?" "If my brother loved me, why did he leave me?" Ye Zeling burst into tears. "Without my brother, how am I supposed to live on my own?" "You love your brother very much too. For your brother''s sake, you can become braver and stronger." "I..." Ye Zeling hugged Shen Xiyin. "My brother said he would take care of me for life. How could he lie to me!" Shen Xiyin patted her shoulder gently. "Your brother didn''t lie to you. He loved you very much. Nothing can change the fact that he loved you. He will always live on in your memories." Ye Zeling cried for a long time. When she was finally exhausted from crying, her emotions stabilized. Li Lanlan looked at Shen Xiyin with admiration. Li Lanlan felt that what she had said wasn''t much different from Shen Xiyin''s words, so why was the effect so different? Shen Xiyin explained: "People go through four stages when accepting death: denial and shock, anger and resistance, pain and grief, acceptance and adjustment. Miss Ye''s situation is a bit special. She witnessed her brother''s death with her own eyes, so she can''t deny the fact. That''s why her resistance is stronger." Li Lanlan asked, "Are you a professional psychological counselor?" "Not exactly. I''m a psychiatrist. Most of the cases I handle are neurotic patients with psychological abnormalities." "No wonder you''re so good at this. Neurotic patients are much harder to deal with." Shen Xiyin advised, "Miss Ye''s condition requires immediate psychological crisis intervention. Someone needs to watch her 24 hours a day. Her emotional state is very fragile right now." Li Lanlan nodded, "Mm, I understand." Mu Mian quickly had someone help move the body into the autopsy room. Just as she was about to go change her clothes, Shen Xiyin called out to her, "Mian, it''s already after work hours. We need to go meet Professor Jiang first." Mu Mian''s gaze reluctantly left the body bag as she replied in a disappointed tone, "Alright. Let''s go quickly then. I need to work overtime tonight!" As they were about to reach the exit, Mu Mian saw Fang Rui and Lin Sen returning from outside. She greeted them, "Good evening, Captain Fang, Consultant Lin!" Shen Xiyin looked at Fang Rui. This name left a deep impression on her, as it appeared most frequently in Mu Mian''s self-observation diary. She knew that Fang Rui held a special place in Mu Mian''s heart. When she saw Lin Sen, her brows furrowed slightly before quickly returning to a polite smile. "Captain Fang, hello. I''m Mian''s sister. Thank you so much for taking care of her." "Hello." For some reason, Fang Rui felt that Mu Mian was acting very strangely today, constantly making eye contact with him as if pleading for help. But Shen Xiyin was her sister, so why would Mu Mian need to ask for help? Shen Xiyin then turned to Lin Sen, a smile on her face: "Lin Sen, long time no see. How have you been?" The air suddenly froze. Lin Sen stared at Shen Xiyin for a full five seconds before coldly averting his gaze and walking away without a word. Fang Rui was surprised. Although Lin Sen was known for being arrogant and sharp-tongued, he usually maintained basic politeness. Why would he completely ignore Shen Xiyin today? And it seemed they knew each other. Had something happened between them? Mu Mian''s eyes were blinking frantically, trying to get Fang Rui to notice her distress signal and rescue her from her sister using the overtime work excuse. But to no avail. "Sister, let''s go! We need to hurry to dinner! Quick!" "Alright." Shen Xiyin said to Fang Rui, "Captain Fang, I''ll take my sister to dinner now. Let''s chat more another day when we have time." After Mu Mian and her sister left, Fang Rui went upstairs and found Lin Sen standing on the second floor, watching Shen Xiyin leave. "What happened between you and Mu Mian''s sister? She greeted you, but you completely ignored her. Don''t tell me she''s your ex-girlfriend?" Lin Sen turned his head, looking coldly at Fang Rui. "Even if she is an ex, you shouldn''t treat her so coldly," Fang Rui advised. "You''re not getting any younger. If you keep being so cold to everyone, you''ll never find someone." Fang Rui and Lin Sen were childhood friends who grew up together. Lin Sen had always been cold and aloof, not very fond of socializing, but he still had many friends and many girls pursuing him. However, Lin Sen never seemed to take an interest in anyone. Fang Rui always thought it was because Lin Sen was too picky and couldn''t find anyone good enough. "You don''t have a partner either!" Lin Sen retorted. "That''s because I''ve dedicated myself to the noble cause of fighting crime. I''m so busy every day, where would I find time for romance!" Lin Sen remained silent. Just as Fang Rui was starting to wonder if Lin Sen had caught autism from Mu Mian, he finally spoke: S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "She was the one who broke up with me first. She said she never wanted to see me again. But just now she appeared in front of me, called my name, and asked how I''ve been, as if nothing ever happened." Fang Rui couldn''t help but pry, "Why did you two break up?" Fang Rui guessed that Lin Sen must have met Shen Xiyin while studying abroad. "I don''t know. She said she doesn''t love me. But I can''t accept that reason." "..." Fang Rui hadn''t expected Lin Sen to be such a hopeless romantic! "Fang Rui, do you think she broke up with me because of Mu Mian? Maybe she gave up our love to take care of her autistic sister." Fang Rui couldn''t help but remind him, "First, you need to be sure if there was any love between you two." "Let''s assume there was." How pathetic... Too pathetic! He even needed to assume whether the other person had loved him or not. Fang Rui started to feel a bit sorry for Lin Sen. "I don''t think it''s because of Mu Mian." "Why not?" "If she had asked you to help her take care of her autistic sister, you would have agreed without a second thought, right?" "Of course!" "Then she probably really doesn''t love you," Fang Rui patted his shoulder. "Hey, you can''t force love, you know!" Chapter 21 Due to traffic delays, Mu Mian and Shen Xiyin arrived at the restaurant to find that Professor Jiang had already been waiting for them for quite some time.Professor Jiang was a kindly old lady with graying hair and glasses. Upon seeing Mu Mian, she greeted her first: "Hello, Mu Mian. It''s wonderful to finally meet you. You''re just as lovely as your photo." "Hello, Professor Jiang. It''s nice to meet you too. You look just as professional as your photo," Mu Mian forced herself to make eye contact with Professor Jiang, stretching her lips into a smile, trying to act like a normal person. "Mu Mian, there''s no need to be nervous. We''re just here to have a meal. I won''t be conducting any behavioral assessments." "I''m not nervous." Professor Jiang exchanged pleasantries with Shen Xiyin for a moment, then turned to Mu Mian and cautiously probed, "Mu Mian, would you like to see your mother..." Mu Mian, focused intently on the menu, hadn''t clearly heard what Professor Jiang was saying. "Professor Jiang," Shen Xiyin handed the menu to her, forcibly interrupting, "What would you like to eat?" Professor Jiang gave Shen Xiyin a disapproving look but swallowed the question she was about to ask. They were at a Western restaurant. Shen Xiyin ordered a seafood risotto for Mu Mian and a steak for herself. "I''d like another seafood risotto to go!" Mu Mian told the waiter. Shen Xiyin looked at Mu Mian, puzzled. "Are you that hungry today?" "I have a friend who often forgets to eat dinner on time. I thought I''d bring him something to eat." After the food arrived, Shen Xiyin and Professor Jiang began discussing work-related matters. Mu Mian first picked out all the shrimp and carrots from her plate and put them into the takeaway box. "Mu Mian, wasn''t that meant for your friend? How can you put the food you don''t like in there?" Although Mu Mian had been picky with food before, she never had the habit of putting food into other people''s bowls. "He won''t mind. He likes these things. Last time, he ate all the carrots from the plate." Shen Xiyin was a bit surprised. Mu Mian was a person with strong boundaries, but this friend she spoke of seemed to have already been placed within the circle Mu Mian had drawn for herself. Over the past six months, Mu Mian''s social skills had improved greatly. Having finished picking through her food, Mu Mian began to eat quickly. "Sister, don''t talk to me. You''ll affect my eating speed." Professor Jiang asked, confused, "Mu Mian, are you in a hurry? You''re eating so fast." "There''s a corpse waiting for me. It''s urgent, I need to get back quickly." Professor Jiang''s expression froze for a moment before she regained her smile. "You''re a forensic pathologist now?" "Yes! And a very excellent one at that." "I can see that, because you''re so dedicated to your work." "Your logic is flawed. Not all dedicated forensic pathologists are excellent ones. Chen Xue is also very dedicated, but she''s not an excellent forensic pathologist." "..." Mu Mian finished her meal quickly. She refused Shen Xiyin''s offer to drive her home and took a taxi instead. After Mu Mian left, Professor Jiang watched her retreating figure and couldn''t help but remark: "It''s been nineteen years, hasn''t it? The last time I saw Mu Mian, she was only six years old. Back then, we all thought she might live in her own world forever. I never expected her to change so much. If I didn''t observe carefully, I wouldn''t even be able to tell she''s an autistic patient." S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Professor Jiang still remembered her first encounter with Mu Mian. Mu Mian was very quiet, like a soulless puppet. No matter how people talked to her, she wouldn''t react at all, focusing intently on the patterns on the floor. She conducted a series of tests on Mu Mian, and the results were terrible. Mu Mian''s intelligence level was extremely low, her language development was stagnant, and she had severe sensory integration disorder. It was a case where post-natal intervention seemed impossible. At that time, they all gave up on intervention therapy for Mu Mian. Only Shen Xiyin didn''t give up. Shen Xiyin smiled and said, "Professor Jiang, you''re exaggerating. Mu Mian''s symptoms are still very obvious. Her behavioral logic is very different from normal people." "But her current state is what many families with autistic members dream of. She can basically live independently now, right?" "Yes, she''s been living independently for the past six months." Professor Jiang was a bit shocked. It was rare for autistic patients to live independently without a caregiver. Although Mu Mian had no problems with daily living skills, it was clear from their conversation that she had severe social difficulties. "Mu Mian''s emotional disorder is still very serious. Her memory is excellent, but she can hardly remember emotions. Her emotions are just perceptions of the present moment, and it''s very difficult for her to extract them from memories again. Professor Jiang, is there any way to improve this situation?" Shen Xiyin knew that the root of Mu Mian''s social difficulties was that she couldn''t judge other people''s emotions or empathize with them. "Many autistic patients have this problem. It might be related to the developmental state of their brains. It''s very difficult to improve through post-natal training." "I see." Shen Xiyin wasn''t surprised by her answer. She had brought Mu Mian to meet Professor Jiang today just to catch up. "So, are you planning to settle down in China?" "It''s uncertain. But for now, we might stay in China. My father left an inheritance that I need to deal with. Once I''ve handled that, I''ll take Mu Mian back." "I met Mu Mian''s mother a few days ago. She''s doing quite well now. Don''t you want to take Mu Mian to see her? I think she would be willing to take care of Mu Mian, and you could relax a bit." "There''s no need! I begged her before to see Mu Mian, I even promised her a large sum of money, but she still refused to come see Mu Mian." Shen Xiyin calmly cut the steak on her plate. "So I won''t let Mu Mian see her." Professor Jiang noticed that Shen Xiyin had changed a lot. During her university days, Shen Xiyin was like a little sun, lively and expressive. Since her parents died in a car accident, she had become much more composed, but she had lost that sense of lightness. She seemed to be carrying a lot of pressure. "Xiyin, what responsibility and obligation do you have to take care of Mu Mian? What about your own life? Your career? Your supervisor is very angry. He''s cultivated you carefully for so many years, and now you''ve come back to China to work in an unknown clinic. You''re throwing away your career! You should return Mu Mian to her mother, let her mother take care of her. It would be good for you and for Mu Mian!" Professor Jiang became increasingly agitated as she spoke. She was good friends with Shen Xiyin''s parents and knew Shen Xiyin''s supervisor. She felt that Shen Xiyin was being too emotional, giving up such a good job opportunity for Mu Mian, a sister with no blood relation. "Xiyin, if you go back now and apologize to your supervisor, withdraw that resignation letter, there''s still a chance to salvage everything." "He should learn to respect my choices. My career aspiration is simple: I just want to fulfill my sister''s wish and help her become a normal person." Shen Xiyin didn''t understand why everyone thought Mu Mian was holding her back. In fact, it wasn''t the case. She resigned not just to take care of Mu Mian, but more for herself. Mu Mian was her family, and also an achievement in her professional career! "You''re too naive! That''s impossible!" Professor Jiang sighed. Shen Xiyin remembered many years ago when they had told her the same thing: you''re too naive, Mu Mian will be a speechless idiot all her life. "Professor Jiang, as therapists, we shouldn''t easily say something is impossible." "Ah, we advised you back then that you should hand Mu Mian over to other therapists. She''s both your patient and your sister. This dual relationship means you can no longer make rational judgments." Chapter 22 As Mu Mian passed by Fang Rui''s office, she noticed his light was still on.He was indeed working overtime, as expected. Mu Mian knocked on the door and then walked in. "This is for you!" Mu Mian handed him the lunchbox. Fang Rui was somewhat surprised. He hadn''t expected Mu Mian to bring him food. "Thank you." Fang Rui opened the lunchbox to find a seafood rice dish, generously filled with shrimp and carrots. "Dr. Mu, what about me? I''m sitting right here, and you don''t even say hello?" Zhang looked at Mu Mian with a hurt expression. He noticed that Mu Mian had completely different attitudes towards him and Fang Rui. "Officer Zhang, good evening!" "Mu Mian, you''ve wounded me. We''re such close friends, yet when you bring food, you only bring it for the boss and not for me. Tsk tsk, you''re not being a good friend at all!" Mu Mian was already accustomed to Zhang''s exaggerated way of speaking. She explained, "Because you''ve already eaten!" Unable to refute! Zhang had just returned from fieldwork and had already eaten a hearty meal outside. "But I could eat another portion!" "You''re allergic to seafood. Even if I had brought you seafood rice, you couldn''t eat it." Zhang felt a bit touched that Mu Mian remembered his seafood allergy. But still¡ª "So that restaurant doesn''t have any other dishes? They only serve seafood rice?" "Of course not. But if you don''t eat seafood, I wouldn''t be able to pick out the shrimp and carrots I don''t like and put them in the lunchbox." "Haha, that''s so like you!" Zhang immediately felt better. Fang Rui was speechless. So Mu Mian had put all the food she didn''t like into his bowl? No wonder it was so full! He had felt touched for nothing! While listening to Zhang''s gossip, Mu Mian kept sneaking glances at Fang Rui eating. Her actions were so obvious that Zhang first gaped in surprise for a moment, then quietly asked Mu Mian, "Dr. Mu, have you finally realized how handsome our boss is?" "..." Fang Rui closed the lunchbox and said to Mu Mian, "Let''s go!" "Where to?" "Didn''t you want me to help you?" Mu Mian was a bit surprised but nodded, "Yes, I need a brave assistant right now!" "Assistant? I can do that too! Dr. Mu, why didn''t you ask me for help? I''m free right now!" Fang Rui and Mu Mian both looked at Zhang. Fang Rui said helplessly, "Aren''t you afraid of having nightmares tonight?" S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhang watched their retreating figures, feeling that something was off. Something flashed through his mind, but regrettably, it passed too quickly for him to grasp. Mu Mian and Fang Rui placed the body parts one by one on the autopsy table. The upper half was mostly reassembled, but the lower half was more severely fragmented, with many parts missing. Fang Rui noticed that Mu Mian was indeed skilled at puzzles. She could tell where many small body fragments should be placed with just a glance. Mu Mian frowned as she looked at the body, "It''s strange, this body is too easy to reassemble!" "Is it easy? I''ve been looking for a while and still don''t know where this piece should go," Fang Rui said, holding a small piece of flesh. He suppressed his nausea and handed it to Mu Mian. "I once reconstructed a body that had been run over by a train. That time, I spent a very long time on it, a full five hours." "You''ve been working on this for quite a while too. Look, it''s already past 2 AM. That''s about five hours as well." Mu Mian glanced at Fang Rui''s watch, realizing it had indeed been a long time. She was a bit surprised, "Has my perception of time gone wrong? I thought it hadn''t been that long. Well, let''s go home and sleep for now, and continue tomorrow!" "First, tell me what''s different about this body?" "This body seems like a ceramic sculpture that fell to the ground and shattered into this state." "Isn''t it normal for a body to be blown apart by an explosion?" "Explosion injuries are mainly caused by shock waves, high temperatures, or explosive projectiles. From what we can see of this body, the most obvious injury pattern is blast injury. The explosion''s shock wave would create multiple blast and stretching forces that would tear the body apart. Because the force is uneven, the severed ends should be very irregular, and there should be a large amount of soft tissue separation. But the severed ends of this body are very neat. Even the victim''s clothing is strange; it doesn''t look like it was torn by impact force, but more like it shattered. Fearing Fang Rui might not understand, Mu Mian gave another example: "This body should have been torn apart like a piece of cloth, but instead, it shattered like a piece of glass." "You suspect the body''s fragmentation wasn''t caused by the explosion?" "No, it should have been caused by the explosion. It''s just that this body gives me the feeling that at the time of the explosion, it was in a very brittle state." "How can a body be brittle?" "I''ve never encountered this situation before. I need to research it further." At this moment, Mu Mian noticed that the victim''s left hand was tightly clenched, seemingly hiding something inside. "There''s a piece of paper in the victim''s hand." Mu Mian had to use considerable force to extract a small piece of paper from the hand. The paper was very small, about the size of a thumb, with its edges burned away. On the paper was written: Unrecorded 18:9 The text was handwritten in black ink, with very neat handwriting. "Is this a message the victim left for us? It looks like some kind of code." Fang Rui looked at it for a while, unable to understand the information on the note. He put the paper into an evidence bag: "What was the victim trying to tell us?" Mu Mian corrected him: "It could also be something the killer left for us. This seems to be a page number and chapter from a book. However, it doesn''t seem that such a book exists." Fang Rui took off his gloves and searched for this string of text on his phone, but found no results. There was also no book called "Unrecorded." "There''s another strange thing. We haven''t found the victim''s genitals at the crime scene yet. According to the direction of the shock wave''s force, it should have appeared on the lawn, but we haven''t found it." Fang Rui remembered Ye Zeming''s complicated romantic relationships and couldn''t help but form a hypothesis: "Could this be a crime of passion?" "A crime of passion?" Mu Mian suddenly remembered something. She found the severed finger and handed it to Fang Rui to look at. "The victim was wearing a ring with a special shape. This shape looks very much like a M?bius strip, which could symbolize eternal time. Could this be a couple''s ring?" Fang Rui took off the ring and found two letters engraved on the inside: M&L M stands for Ye Zeming, but who does L represent? Chapter 23 The next day, after receiving counseling from a professional psychologist, Ye Zeling''s condition had improved significantly.Fang Rui and Zhang took her statement. Ye Zeling was already twenty-seven years old, but her mental maturity seemed lacking. Not only did she speak in a childish, coquettish voice, but her language was also disorganized and illogical. Before Zhang could even begin questioning, Ye Zeling, with puffy eyes, started accusing: "It was Lin Lan who killed my brother! Lin Lan is an extremely vicious woman. My brother..." "Miss Ye, please calm down first," Zhang interrupted her endless lament. "Answer only what I ask, and don''t over-elaborate. Do you understand?" "Okay." "Did you report the fire?" "That morning, I received a call from my brother, so I came over to see him. As soon as I entered the villa''s gate, I saw my brother standing by the window. I was about to greet him when I saw the entire villa catch fire. In no time, my brother was engulfed in flames." "Are you sure it was your brother you saw?" "It should... be. Although I didn''t see clearly, it was my brother. I wouldn''t mistake him," Ye Zeling tried hard to recall the scene. "It was my brother. I couldn''t have been wrong. He even waved at me." Fang Rui asked, "Why do you think your brother was murdered?" "My brother''s villa was equipped with the most advanced fire prevention system. Even if a fire broke out, the intelligent system would automatically extinguish it. How could such a severe fire occur? Someone must have deliberately set the fire! It must have been Lin Lan. She knew the layout of my brother''s house very well. She must have disabled the system in advance!" Zhang reminded her, "But Lin Lan has an alibi. When the fire occurred, she was involved in a traffic accident. The traffic police can verify this. Don''t make baseless accusations in the future. It''s slander and damages Lin Lan''s reputation!" "The murderer isn''t Lin Lan...?" "How was your brother''s relationship with Lin Lan? How did they break up?" "My brother didn''t like Lin Lan, but that bitch was like a leech, always clinging to my brother. She was just after my brother''s money. That woman is extremely vicious. She even killed my favorite pet dog. Wah, that was my favorite Teddy..." "Why did they break up?" "My brother didn''t love her, so he dumped her. A woman like her doesn''t deserve my brother!" Zhang continued to ask, "Did your brother have any new girlfriends after breaking up with Lin Lan?" Ye Zeling''s expression changed momentarily, and she immediately denied it: "No, my brother said he would never have another girlfriend. The harm that evil woman Lin Lan caused him was too great. He would never fall in love with another woman!" Fang Rui asked, "Miss Ye, besides Ye Zeming, do you have any other siblings?" "Why do you ask that? I only have this one brother. Where would other siblings come from?" "Your father seems to have had an illegitimate child. Did you know about this?" "An illegitimate child? Impossible! My father passed away when I was very young. How could he possibly have other children?" Ye Zeling seemed to realize something. "Did Lin Lan say this? She''s a compulsive liar. There''s not a word of truth from her mouth. Don''t believe her!" After Ye Zeling left, Fang Rui fell into deep thought. Both Ye Zeling and Lin Lan had received calls from the deceased, and both were asked to come to his house. Was this a coincidence? "Has the deceased''s phone been found?" "Yes, it''s in the evidence bag. However, the entire phone was badly burned in the fire. The data inside might not be recoverable." "Ask the Technical Department to check it and see if there are any clues." "Understood!" Case analysis meeting. The DNA test results of the deceased had come out, indicating that the deceased was related to Ye Zeling. Zhang briefly introduced the case: "The deceased is named Ye Zeming, 33 years old, and worked as a sculptor. The fire occurred around 9:30 this morning. The first person to discover the fire was the deceased''s sister, Ye Zeling. According to Ye Zeling''s description, she first received a call from her brother, then went to her brother''s villa to see him, only to find the entire villa on fire. An explosion occurred shortly after." Zhang continued, "Around 9 AM this morning, the deceased''s neighbor saw him making a phone call by the window. The deceased''s ex-girlfriend also received a call from him around 9 AM, proving that the deceased was still alive at that time. Therefore, the time of death should be between 9 AM and 10 AM." Mu Mian interrupted, "If the deceased is Ye Zeming, he should have already been dead at that time. It''s impossible for him to make phone calls to the outside world." "But there''s a phone recording as evidence. We''ve let Ye Zeming''s sister listen to it, and she''s certain that it''s her brother''s voice." Mu Mian interrupted again, "Does Ye Zeling have any other male relatives? Around thirty to thirty-five years old?" "Dr. Mu, why do you ask that?" "If the deceased is Ye Zeming, he couldn''t have been alive at 9 AM on the day of the incident!" Mu Mian explained, "The burns and limb fractures on the deceased''s body show no vital reaction, proving that the deceased was already dead when the fire and explosion occurred. When a person has just died, the cells still have vitality, so the wounds would still show bleeding, blood clotting, and other vital reactions. But his wounds show none of these, proving that the deceased had been dead for at least three hours before the fire occurred." Everyone was shocked. The forensic autopsy results contradicted the information they had gathered from their investigation. Chen Xue analyzed, "Could it be that the immense force of the explosion caused the deceased to die rapidly, and the high-temperature burning resulted in no vital reactions in the wounds?" "But the deceased didn''t die from traumatic shock caused by limb separation. Preliminary judgment suggests that the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation. We can''t determine exactly how the asphyxiation occurred at this point, but we can at least prove that it''s unrelated to the fire and explosion. This is because no soot was found in the deceased''s nasal cavity, throat, or lungs. Furthermore, we found a wound on the back of the deceased''s head in the occipital area. There were bleeding points at the wound site, indicating that the wound was inflicted while the deceased was still alive." The people present fell silent for a moment. They had initially thought this was just an ordinary accident, but if someone had deliberately staged the fire scene, then this was a murder case. Zhang asked, "But how do we explain that several people saw Ye Zeming before the fire?" Mu Mian said, "Either there''s a problem with the deceased''s identity, or there''s a problem with their eyes." "Now that the deceased''s identity has been confirmed, and he''s related to Ye Zeling, he must be Ye Zeming. Could it be that all those witnesses had a collective hallucination? Did they see a fake Ye Zeming?" Fang Rui interrupted, "Having a blood relation doesn''t necessarily mean he''s Ye Zeming. Lin Lan mentioned that Ye Zeling has a half-brother. We can''t be certain that the deceased is Ye Zeming." Mu Mian agreed, "That''s right. The DNA test can only prove that they''re related. Ye Zeming''s house has been completely burned down, so we can''t find any uncontaminated DNA samples from his home." Zhang had a sudden idea, "We could look at Lin Lan''s house. She''s the deceased''s ex-girlfriend. She must have some of his personal belongings at her place. There might be his hair or skin cells on them." "But we can''t confirm whether the samples we obtain are Ye Zeming''s." Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian, "Dr. Mu, do you have a way to confirm the deceased''s identity?" "Of course!" Mu Mian opened a photo showing the deceased''s oral cavity. "I discovered that his lower left wisdom tooth had been extracted. The root of that tooth is close to the nerve, so a CT scan of the oral cavity is necessary to extract a tooth in that position." Mu Mian continued, "If the deceased is Ye Zeming, he must have a record of tooth extraction, and we should be able to obtain his dental X-rays to compare with the deceased''s teeth. The shape of human teeth is unique and can be used to prove the deceased''s identity." s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 24 Through Ye Zeling, Fang Rui and the others quickly learned about the dental clinic where Ye Zeming had his tooth extracted."My brother had his wisdom tooth removed about six months ago, I believe it was at a private clinic called Huikang Dental Clinic in the city center. I actually accompanied him there at the time." Mu Mian went with Fang Rui to visit the dental clinic. "Mr. Ye Zeming was indeed our client. Our visitor records show that he came to our clinic six months ago to have his wisdom tooth extracted," confirmed the receptionist. Mu Mian inquired, "Do you have his medical records on file?" "We should. Mr. Ye is one of our VIP clients, so we keep all of his reports and generate a personal file for him." The nurse at the front desk opened the system, intending to retrieve Ye Zeming''s file, but after searching for quite some time, she couldn''t find it. She apologized with a regretful expression, "I''m sorry, but Mr. Ye''s file has been deleted. This usually happens at the client''s request. Some clients are particularly concerned about their privacy and ask us to remove their records." Mu Mian persisted, "Don''t you have any backups?" The receptionist shook her head, "No, if a client requests deletion, we remove the backups as well." "What about the dental CT scans? Are there no backups of those in the system either?" "No, we delete those periodically to free up system memory." "I see," Mu Mian said, feeling a bit dejected. "It''s going to be much harder to prove his identity now." Fang Rui also felt that this case had too many coincidences. Both Ye Zeling and Lin Lan happened to receive calls from the deceased, and several neighbors just happened to see Ye Zeming standing by the window¡ªall of these seemed to emphasize that the person who died in the fire was indeed Ye Zeming. But now the dental records that could prove the deceased''s identity had conveniently been deleted. This lead had hit a dead end. Mu Mian could only fall back on the next best option: going to Ye Zeling and Lin Lan''s homes to find Ye Zeming''s personal belongings. Fortunately, both of their homes still retained traces of Ye Zeming''s life. Mu Mian quickly collected numerous DNA samples, and after comparison, all the DNA belonged to the same person. So the deceased was very likely Ye Zeming. This method of comparison still had significant flaws, but Mu Mian had no other evidence to verify with. Early the next morning, instead of going to the City Police Bureau, Mu Mian took a taxi directly to Ye Zeming''s villa. Mu Mian lifted the police tape and had just stepped onto the lawn when she saw what appeared to be a person standing on the second floor. The clothing looked like Fang Rui''s, but the build didn''t quite match. At that moment, Mu Mian received a phone call from Zhang: "Dr. Mu, look at the second floor. Do you see the boss?" "You mean that person on the second floor? That''s not Fang Rui!" Mu Mian''s tone was certain. "Ah, I knew you''d be able to tell," Zhang said, then turned to mutter to the others, "This doesn''t count! I told you this test wouldn''t work on Dr. Mu!" Mu Mian went straight to the second floor. She saw a familiar-looking police officer wearing Fang Rui''s clothes, apparently impersonating him. Fang Rui himself was standing right next to him. "Aside from Dr. Mu, who''s a special case, no one else realized that the boss was being impersonated by Jian Guo. So if someone were to wear Ye Zeming''s clothes and stand on the second floor, passersby might also think it was Ye Zeming," Zhang excitedly concluded. "This could prove that on the morning of the explosion, what the neighbors and Ye Zeling saw might not have been the deceased, but rather the killer in disguise." Mu Mian couldn''t help but pour cold water on his enthusiasm: "Ye Zeling loves her brother so much. Are you sure she would make such a mistake?" "..." The villa complex where the deceased lived was an upscale neighborhood that placed a high value on privacy. This resulted in very few public surveillance cameras within the complex, with most cameras being installed by the homeowners themselves. The only surveillance cameras were at the entrance to the neighborhood. The villa area was nestled against a mountain and bordered by a forest, in a secluded environment. This meant that if the killer didn''t use the main entrance but instead came through the forest to enter the villa, they could avoid the surveillance cameras. There were cameras installed around the deceased''s villa, but the surveillance footage wasn''t backed up to the cloud and was instead saved on the deceased''s computer. The massive fire had destroyed all the electronic devices in the deceased''s home, and the technicians had no way to recover the data. This added significant difficulty to the investigation. There were still a few technicians at the scene, working to determine the cause of the explosion. The entire second floor of the villa was open-plan, serving as the deceased''s studio. It was filled with his artworks, as well as large quantities of paint, varnish, and plaster powder. After the intense fire and explosion, the place was in complete disarray. The floor was covered with debris. Fang Rui asked, "Has the center of the explosion been determined?" "We''ve pretty much pinpointed it. The explosive force radiated outward, with the epicenter as its focal point. The distance objects were thrown correlates with their proximity to the epicenter. In other words, the closer to the center, the shorter the distance objects were thrown. Based on the distribution of body parts, we can determine that the epicenter was the workbench behind where the deceased was standing." The deceased''s workbench faced the floor-to-ceiling windows, measuring three meters long and two meters wide, occupying a considerable area. The workbench was made of high-quality pear wood, now reduced to a pile of charcoal by the fire. Technician Feng said, "However, we didn''t detect any explosive residue here. Our initial guess is that the explosion was caused by the large number of aerosol paint cans stored in the house, which exploded under high temperatures. We also found a large amount of paint thinner in the air, which might have rapidly evaporated and accumulated, leading to a deflagration when it encountered a source of ignition." Fang Rui asked, "Are you suggesting the explosion might have been accidental?" "At this point, we can''t prove it was deliberate. There were too many flammable and explosive items stored here. Once they encountered an open flame, an explosion was highly likely." Feng pointed to the left side of the workbench: "The carbonization is most severe here, so this should be where the fire started. We also detected accelerants in this area. From the combustion products, it''s likely to be paint. We''ve sent samples for physicochemical analysis, and we should be able to determine the specific accelerant soon." Captain Fang, wearing gloves, rummaged through the pile of debris. The ground was covered with various charred objects, broken plaster fragments, utility knives, an old-fashioned alarm clock, batteries... Fang Rui noticed the burnt-out battery, picked it up to examine it for a moment, then placed it in an evidence bag. "What''s this?" Mu Mian had originally come to look for body fragments, but she discovered something strange. Fang Rui and the others all turned to look at Mu Mian. Mu Mian was holding a small piece of charcoal, black and unremarkable. From its shape, it appeared to be a wooden clothespin that had been burned by the fire. "Dr. Mu, isn''t that just a wooden clothespin used for hanging socks?" Zhang glanced at it, his tone disappointed. He had thought Mu Mian had found something important. Fang Rui took the clothespin and examined it carefully. The front end of the clothespin had two thumbtacks nailed to the upper and lower sides respectively, with the two thumbtacks touching each other and wire wrapped around them. Mu Mian explained, "The burnt material on the clothespin appears to be glue. It likely had something attached to it." Fang Rui remembered the battery from earlier. He took it out and placed it on the clothespin. "If there were two wires, this could make a simple ignition device," Mu Mian said quietly. "A closed circuit would cause a short circuit, generating heat that could ignite flammable materials. This kind of device is quite simple, something an ordinary person could probably make." Everyone present was startled by this revelation. It meant that the killer might have been able to start the fire remotely. This invalidated all the previously established alibis. The technicians conducted another sweep of the villa and quickly made a new discovery. "This villa was equipped with an intelligent fire suppression system. In the event of a fire, this system would immediately sound an alarm and spray water to extinguish the flames. However, we found that the electrical system of this setup had been tampered with." This discovery proved that the villa fire was not an accident, but a deliberate act of arson. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian searched the crime scene for a long time and found some more fragments of the body. However, she still couldn''t find the deceased''s genitals. Based on the angle between the epicenter and the body parts on the ground, it was possible to deduce where the severed limbs should have been. The positions of the other body parts generally matched Mu Mian''s predictions, but she just couldn''t find this particular part. Therefore, Mu Mian speculated that it was highly likely that the evidence had either been taken away by the murderer or destroyed by them. Chapter 25 Fang Rui and his team quickly reconstructed the ignition device found at the fire scene:They glued a 5V battery to the upper end of a wooden clothespin. On the inside of the gripping part of the clothespin, they nailed two thumbtacks, one on top and one on the bottom, separated by a piece of stiff paper. The positive and negative terminals of the battery were connected to two wires, with the ends of the wires wrapped around the two thumbtacks. "Can this little device really start a fire?" Zhang looked at the ordinary-looking clothespin on the ground. The device was so simple that even an elementary school student could make it. Fang Rui removed the paper, causing the entire circuit to short circuit. The high temperature quickly ignited the accelerant placed nearby. "It can actually start a fire?" Zhang exclaimed in surprise. "But the killer would have to pull out the paper strip to ignite it. How is that any different from lighting a match?" "This ignition device should have another part that controls when the circuit is connected," Fang Rui said. Fang Rui recalled the old-fashioned alarm clock he had seen at the explosion site. He found a similar one in the adjacent office. He drilled a hole in the paper strip, tied a string to it, and attached the other end to the alarm clock. When the alarm clock vibrated, the paper strip was quickly pulled out of the clothespin. Without the paper as an insulator, the circuit connected and short-circuited, igniting the accelerant once again. "This way, the killer doesn''t even need to be present at the fire scene. They just need to set the alarm clock time to achieve ignition!" Zhang exclaimed. Fang Rui took out the alarm clock found at the crime scene from the evidence box. The clock had been damaged by the explosion, with the time frozen at 9:30. Mu Mian realized she had encountered a major problem. She seemed unable to determine the victim''s exact time of death. Mu Mian and Chen Xue separated the food from the victim''s stomach and placed it in a container. "Mian, the food in the victim''s stomach is barely digested," Chen Xue analyzed. "We found undigested green cake and coffee in his stomach. Based on the degree of digestion of the stomach contents, the victim died within an hour after finishing breakfast." The high-temperature burns had damaged the victim''s body, making it impossible for them to determine the time of death based on body temperature and rigor mortis. Fortunately, the victim had just eaten before dying, so they could estimate the time of death by examining the degree of digestion of the food in the victim''s stomach. "Based on the reaction of the wounds on the body, I estimate that the victim died at least three hours before the fire started, which would be before 6:30 in the morning, possibly even earlier. However, analyzing the degree of digestion of the stomach contents suggests that the time of death should be between 8:30 and 9:00. The death times we''ve deduced using these two methods don''t match up." S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chen Xue cautiously said, "Could it be that the high-temperature burns and the impact of the explosion altered the body''s condition, leading you to make an incorrect judgment? This is a special case, so it''s understandable if the assessment is off." Mu Mian frowned. Had she made a mistake in her judgment? Chen Xue continued, "If the victim''s time of death was between 8:30 and 9:00 on the day of the incident, that would also align with the witnesses'' statements. They could indeed have seen the victim alive at that time. So it''s possible that the killer first murdered the victim at the crime scene and then set the fire to destroy the body and evidence." But then why would the killer design a remote ignition device? Usually, such a device is designed to create an alibi. Mu Mian felt Chen Xue''s reasoning wasn''t rigorous. Mu Mian looked at the pile of sticky green food, furrowing her brow. After death, the food in the stomach would continue to digest. Although estimating the time of death based on the degree of stomach content digestion couldn''t be very precise, the margin of error shouldn''t be this large. Was there something preventing the victim''s stomach from digesting? In fact, Mu Mian had a theory, but unfortunately, there was no evidence to verify her idea at the moment. Fang Rui and his team reviewed the surveillance footage from the fire scene. After careful examination, they quickly identified a suspicious person¡ªthe victim''s apprentice, Liu Jiale. Liu Jiale was thirty-one years old and had repeatedly clashed with the victim. They had even ended up at the police station due to a physical altercation. The surveillance video from the villa area showed that over the past two weeks, Liu Jiale had followed Ye Zeming in his car several times, behaving suspiciously. However, in the past week, the surveillance at the entrance of the community hadn''t captured Liu Jiale entering the villa. The victim''s neighbor had once seen Liu Jiale sneaking into Ye Zeming''s house through a window. He reported it to the police, who were about to file a case, but Ye Zeming vouched for Liu Jiale, saying he had allowed Liu Jiale to enter and that he climbed through the window only because he didn''t have a key. In the end, the police dropped the administrative penalty against Liu Jiale. Staff at Ye Zeming''s studio reported that the relationship between Ye Zeming and Liu Jiale was strange. Liu Jiale would often argue with Ye Zeming one-sidedly, but Ye Zeming always patiently coaxed him and even spent a lot of money on Liu Jiale. Fang Rui suddenly thought of the engraving on the couple''s ring: M&L. Liu Jiale''s name could also be abbreviated as L. However, Liu Jiale had disappeared. Liu Jiale lived in a cheap rental apartment in an urban village. The building was dilapidated, and he lived on the top floor with an artist friend. His roommate was an art student who made a living by setting up a street stall to draw portraits. Liu Jiale sold sculptures next to his stall, and that''s how they got to know each other. Later, when Liu Jiale had a complete falling out with Ye Zeming, his roommate took him in. Liu Jiale''s roommate had rainbow-colored hair and looked disheveled with sunken eyes. He appeared nervous when he saw the police. "Officers, has Jiale done something wrong? Jiale is a good person; he wouldn''t commit a crime." There were still some of Liu Jiale''s belongings in the room, mostly paints and some finished sculptures. Although Fang Rui and Zhang weren''t art experts, they could tell that Liu Jiale''s works were artistic. The shapes and color combinations were abstract yet had a harmonious beauty. There was a self-portrait of Liu Jiale on his bed. He had an ordinary appearance, but there was a decadent air unique to artists that gave him a melancholic quality. "When was the last time you saw Liu Jiale?" "Last Thursday. Jiale suddenly came back in a panic at noon that day. He told me he was going to stay with his cousin in another city. He hurriedly grabbed a few clothes, packed his backpack, and left. He hasn''t been back since then. His phone is also unreachable." The fire occurred on June 12th, and last Thursday was June 8th. This meant that Liu Jiale had disappeared before the fire happened. "Do you know the address of Liu Jiale''s cousin?" "No, I don''t! I even doubt he has a cousin at all. Jiale grew up in a single-parent family and had very few relatives. I only heard him mention his mother." "Do you have his mother''s contact information?" "No. His mother passed away seven years ago. He was in college at the time. After that, he lost his motivation, let himself go, and dropped out of school to pursue art." Fang Rui asked, "Do you know Liu Jiale''s master?" "You mean that famous sculptor, Ye Zeming? I''ve met him a few times. He''s a nice person. Every time he saw Liu Jiale, he would give him money and repeatedly urged him to return to the studio. But Jiale always refused. Jiale said he didn''t like the oppressive atmosphere of the studio and preferred a free creative environment!" Liu Jiale didn''t have many friends in Jiangzhou City, nor did he have any relatives, so the police couldn''t immediately find his whereabouts. Surveillance cameras near the rental apartment showed Liu Jiale carrying a black backpack, looking very nervous, his eyes darting around. Later, he disappeared into a blind spot in the surveillance coverage. Based on his ID number, there were no records of him purchasing bus, train, or plane tickets, but it couldn''t be ruled out that he left Jiangzhou City by private car. Chapter 26 Fang Rui and Zhang went to the police station again to inquire about the dispute between Liu Jiale and Ye Zeming.0"Liu Jiale assaulted Ye Zeming, and during the scuffle, Ye Zeming''s left leg was fractured. We were originally going to place Liu Jiale under criminal detention, but Ye Zeming claimed he fell on his own and didn''t want to press charges against Liu Jiale. The two eventually reached a settlement."0 Fang Rui asked, "Why did Liu Jiale assault Ye Zeming?"0 "It seems to have been about money. Liu Jiale said Ye Zeming had promised him five million yuan, but Ye Zeming hadn''t given it to him. He was desperate for the money, so he used force to try to get it from Ye Zeming!"0 Fang Rui then asked the police officer for the original statement from that time.0 After leaving the police station, Zhang asked, puzzled, "I heard Ye Zeming has assets worth over 100 million yuan, and he even owns a large villa. Is it possible he couldn''t come up with five million?"0 Fang Rui was equally confused: "And why would he need to give Liu Jiale money? He seems to be very afraid of Liu Jiale. Zhang, go investigate Ye Zeming''s transfer records."0 To their surprise, Ye Zeming wasn''t as wealthy as rumors suggested. In fact, he was deeply in debt.0 He originally owned two apartments and a villa, but half a year ago, all these properties had been mortgaged. Even so, Ye Zeming still owed the bank over ten million yuan in loans.0 Zhang had a sudden realization: "No wonder Lin Lan said he was planning to go abroad recently. Could he be planning to flee from his debts? Boss, do you think it''s possible that the deceased isn''t Ye Zeming, but someone else?"0 Fang Rui was also shocked. Ye Zeming was an artist, and even if he spent money like water, how could he have accumulated so much external debt?0 The bank staff helped them check Ye Zeming''s bank transactions. There were several large transfers, all to overseas accounts, which had since been closed.0 "All that money transferred overseas... Could Ye Zeming have fallen victim to a telecom fraud? Or was he gambling? Otherwise, how could there be such large transfers?"0 Fang Rui then had Zhang investigate Ye Zeming''s insurance purchases.0 "Chief Fang, your guess was right. Ye Zeming did indeed purchase insurance. Half a year ago, he bought three personal accident insurance policies, all with high payouts. One policy''s beneficiary is named Lin Lan, and the other two are for someone named Ye Zeling. He also insured his villa, with Ye Zeling as the beneficiary for that as well."0 Zhang couldn''t help but exclaim, "Boss, if it weren''t for the DNA test results showing that the deceased is indeed Ye Zeming, I would suspect he might be faking his own death for insurance fraud."0 Fang Rui had originally suspected this was a crime of passion, but now he too began to doubt whether the deceased was really Ye Zeming.0 Mu Mian had been working overtime for many days in a row. When Fang Rui arrived at the autopsy room, he found Mu Mian had scattered the body parts, as if playing a jigsaw puzzle, trying to reassemble them.0 Mu Mian was somewhat agitated, disliking this state of being unable to solve the problem.0 "Dr. Mu, do you have any other ways to confirm the identity of the deceased?" Fang Rui''s words pulled Mu Mian back to reality from her reverie.0 S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The testimony from the deceased''s neighbor, the deceased''s sister''s statement, and the phone recordings all confirm that the deceased was alive around 9 PM on the day of the incident. But I also trust your autopsy conclusions. The two are contradictory, so I can only question whether the deceased is really Ye Zeming."0 Mu Mian was somewhat surprised: "You believe me?"0 "Of course."0 Mu Mian felt less agitated now.0 "But proving whether the deceased is Ye Zeming or not is difficult. The fire has burned away his external features, and the only dental records that could prove his identity have been deleted."0 "The deceased had an apprentice named Liu Jiale, who has now disappeared. I''m even starting to wonder if the body at the fire scene might be Liu Jiale?"0 Fang Rui handed Mu Mian a photo ¨C a picture of Liu Jiale and Ye Zeming together. From the photo, although Liu Jiale and Ye Zeming looked different, their height and build were very similar.0 Moreover, Liu Jiale grew up in a single-parent family, and his hometown was also in Yuan''an County, the same place as Ye Zeming and his sister''s hometown. He could very well be the illegitimate son of Ye Zeming''s father that Lin Lan had mentioned earlier.0 The face of the body at the fire scene had been burned beyond recognition by the flames. If it weren''t for the DNA test proving that the deceased was related to Ye Zeling, he would have suspected that the body was the missing Liu Jiale.0 "Mu Mian, is there any other way to determine if the deceased is Ye Zeming? Ye Zeming owed a lot of debt, and he also bought several insurance policies. We can''t rule out the possibility of him faking his death for insurance fraud."0 Although the DNA samples taken from Ye Zeling and Lin Lan''s homes matched the deceased''s DNA, if the killer really had a plan to fake death, they could have easily replaced the DNA samples in advance.0 "I''ll do my best."0 Mu Mian had almost finished reassembling the body. As she was about to place the shattered soft tissue into the left lower leg, she noticed a surgical scar on the deceased''s knee. She cut open the deceased''s knee and found a titanium alloy bone pin in the joint.0 "Fang Rui, I have a way to prove whether this person is Ye Zeming or not." Mu Mian stared at the bone pin, a look of excitement on her face.0 Fang Rui followed Mu Mian''s gaze and saw only a metal-like pin in the deceased''s joint, which must have been used to fix a broken joint.0 "What''s this?"0 Mu Mian carefully removed the bone pin and placed it in an evidence bag.0 "Fang Rui, let''s go to the hospital now."0 "Which hospital?"0 "I don''t know. We''ll check them one by one."0 Mu Mian quickly tidied up the autopsy room and pushed the body back into the freezer.0 Outside the City Police Bureau, the night was dark, with barely any stars visible. The once bustling city now had only a few lights still on.0 When Fang Rui parked the car at their residential complex, Mu Mian was surprised: "Aren''t we going to the hospital?"0 "Mu Mian, doctors need to sleep too."0 "But..."0 "Good night!"0 The answer was right in front of them, yet they had to wait until tomorrow to uncover it. Mu Mian didn''t know how Fang Rui could sleep, but she certainly couldn''t. She didn''t close her eyes all night and was waiting outside Fang Rui''s door early the next morning.0 When Fang Rui opened the door, he saw Mu Mian with dark circles under her eyes. Her short hair was messy, and she looked disheveled, but her eyes were bright and alert.0 "Fang Rui, let''s go!"0 Mu Mian''s original strategy was to inquire at hospitals one by one. But Fang Rui remembered that the earlier dispute between Liu Jiale and Ye Zeming at the police station was because Ye Zeming''s leg had been injured. So he went directly to the First Affiliated Hospital of the City.0 "This is a titanium alloy bone pin. From the serial number on it, it should be from our hospital. You should ask at the orthopedics department."0 Mu Mian then found the head of the orthopedics department.0 "This type of titanium alloy bone pin is used to fix bones after a fracture. This one is from our hospital; it has our hospital''s specific coding on it."0 "Is it possible to find the user of this titanium alloy bone pin based on this code?"0 "Of course!"0 The nurse on duty quickly helped retrieve the medical records of the user.0 Chapter 27 The sun blazed overhead as Mu Mian sat listlessly in the passenger seat.She had reviewed the medical file countless times, but those three glaring characters remained unchanged: Ye Zeming. To their surprise, the deceased was indeed Ye Zeming. "It''s alright, at least we''ve eliminated one incorrect answer. Since the victim is Ye Zeming, the missing Liu Jiale becomes very suspicious. If we find Liu Jiale, we might uncover more clues." Just then, Fang Rui received a phone call. "Boss, we''ve found a trace of Liu Jiale. His mobile payment app shows he made a purchase at a convenience store in the East City district. The store''s security camera captured footage of a man who looks like him!" "Have you located him then?" "Not yet. Nearby cameras caught him too, but there aren''t many in the area. He disappeared in a blind spot. We''re currently searching for his whereabouts." The search for Liu Jiale wasn''t going smoothly. The East City district was an old area, surrounded by urban villages with many illegally renovated rental units, making it difficult to pinpoint Liu Jiale''s location. After work, Fang Rui took the initiative to wait for Mu Mian to go home. He realized that ever since Mu Mian moved in next door, he had been forced to take on the responsibility of driving her around. And Mu Mian seemed quite content to enjoy this arrangement. "Fang Rui, I want to buy a cake!" "I thought you didn''t eat sweets?" "It''s my sister''s birthday in a few days. I want to order a beautiful cake for her." "Alright, I''ll take you!" Fang Rui remembered Lin Sen''s lovesick state and decided to gather some information about Shen Xiyin for him. "Mu Mian, does your sister have a boyfriend right now?" Mu Mian was taken aback by the question. She looked at Fang Rui for a few seconds, then averted her gaze. "Probably not. I''m not entirely sure." In truth, Mu Mian didn''t know much about Shen Xiyin''s private life, or rather, she didn''t care. Ever since their adoptive parents died in a car accident, Shen Xiyin had become very busy. Not only did she have to manage her own work and handle their adoptive parents'' estate, but she also had to take care of Mu Mian''s daily needs. As a result, Mu Mian spent much less time with her. But Mu Mian believed her sister probably didn''t have a boyfriend, otherwise she would have told her. "Doesn''t she introduce you to her friends?" "She does. She has many friends, both men and women. They even give me gifts. But I''m not interested in them. I just focus on eating whenever I go out with them." Shen Xiyin''s friends were all very friendly to Mu Mian, but Mu Mian didn''t like how they always looked at her with pity in their eyes, as if confirming that she wasn''t a normal person. She didn''t need anyone''s sympathy or pity. "Has your sister ever told you who she likes?" "Yes! Her favorite psychologist is Piaget, and her favorite writer is Camus." "..." Mu Mian found it strange that Fang Rui was suddenly interested in her sister. Could it be that he liked Shen Xiyin? "Fang Rui, do you like my sister?" Mu Mian''s tone was somewhat excited. If Fang Rui married her sister, then when Fang Rui died, she could ask her sister to give her his body. Her sister surely wouldn''t refuse. Fang Rui immediately clarified: "I don''t like your sister." Mu Mian looked a bit disappointed, "Are you sure you don''t want to like her? My sister is very accomplished. She''s kind, and she''s also wealthy." "I''m sorry, but I won''t like her." Fang Rui felt a lump in his throat, making him a bit uncomfortable. "I was asking for Lin Sen. He likes your sister!" "But I don''t want Consultant Lin''s body. He can''t even read minds, his brain has no research value." "..." Fang Rui suddenly laughed, almost forgetting that Mu Mian was autistic. She seemed to have no idea what "liking" someone meant. Sea??h the NovelFire.net* website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui drove Mu Mian to the nearest cake shop. Upon entering, he realized that this shop was owned by Lin Lan. Lin Lan was momentarily surprised to see Fang Rui and Mu Mian, but quickly composed herself. She smiled and said, "Officer Fang, do you have any more questions for me?" Mu Mian replied, "I want to order a very beautiful cake!" Lin Lan gave Fang Rui a teasing look: "Officer Fang, is this your girlfriend? She''s very cute." Fang Rui wanted to clarify, but Mu Mian spoke first: "Please don''t call me cute. That''s for describing small animals and children." After clarifying this point, Mu Mian wanted to further clarify that she wasn''t Fang Rui''s girlfriend, but Lin Lan interrupted: "Officer Fang, your girlfriend is very humorous." Humorous... No one had ever used that word to describe her before. Mu Mian liked this word. Because humorous people tend to be more popular. "Thank you for the compliment." "..." Lin Lan sighed. How could such a handsome man like Officer Fang end up with such a silly girlfriend? The shop specialized in custom wedding fondant cakes, focusing on beautiful designs but with average taste. The display cases were filled with many beautifully crafted desserts. On the left, there was a special display with a sign that read "Thursday Special." Inside was a stunning velvet cake. The cake was green, dotted with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Mu Mian stared at it for a long time, then asked, "Is this cake matcha flavored?" Mu Mian detected a fresh plant scent from the cake. "No, it''s not." "The green color is very unique." "It''s not made with food coloring. I used pandan leaf juice to dye it, which gives the cake a special plant fragrance." "Did you design this yourself? It''s very special!" Mu Mian seemed to really like the color. "Yes, I designed many of the cakes here myself. They''re not only beautiful but also delicious." Pleased with the customer''s approval, Lin Lan cut a small piece and handed it to Mu Mian. "Here, try it for free." "Can you pack it for me?" Mu Mian wasn''t interested in the taste of the cake; she was just attracted by the green color. "..." Lin Lan gave Mu Mian a strange look, then packed the piece of cake for her. "It''s best to eat it on the same day. This type of cake doesn''t taste good if left overnight." "Is this cake only sold on Thursdays?" "Yes. Our shop offers a special cake each day of the week. This velvet cake is only available on Thursdays." Mu Mian''s attention seemed to be completely captured by the green cake, showing little interest in the other cakes. "Mu Mian, you can''t give your sister a green cake!" Fang Rui couldn''t help but remind her. "I know." Mu Mian''s eyes showed some regret; she thought the green color was quite beautiful. Mu Mian continued to carefully select a cake design while Fang Rui inquired about Ye Zeming from Lin Lan. "Miss Lin, do you know about Ye Zeming''s financial situation?" "Not really. The Ye siblings guarded against me like I was a thief. He never told me how much money he made. But he hasn''t earned much in recent years. His famous works are all from before, and he hasn''t completed any works in the past year, so he probably doesn''t have much income." "Did he have a history of online gambling?" "Online gambling? I don''t think so! When we were together, he didn''t have any bad habits. After we broke up, I don''t know. But strangely, a while ago, Zeming asked me if I could lend him some money. I was planning to open a branch store at the time, so I didn''t lend him any." Fang Rui continued, "Do you know Liu Jiale?" "Yes, I do. Jiale was Zeming''s apprentice, and they had a good relationship. Jiale was even Zeling''s boyfriend at one point, but they broke up later. After that, Jiale and Zeming''s relationship also became strained, seemingly due to differences in creative ideas. Zeming has a bit of a temper and sometimes acts without consideration for others'' feelings, easily offending people." Mentioning Liu Jiale, Lin Lan''s expression softened a bit, "Jiale is a very talented artist. His future achievements might even surpass Zeming''s. But Zeming was too harsh on him, always suppressing him, causing him to lose some confidence. This might be the main reason for their falling out." After a long selection process, Mu Mian finally chose a cake with a rose and Little Prince theme. Lin Lan asked, "Miss Mu, when would you like to pick up the cake?" "Sunday morning." "I''m sorry, our shop isn''t open on Sunday mornings. I have to attend church service on Sundays. Could you come on Saturday evening instead? I''ll wait for you no matter how late!" "Saturday it is, then." "Thank you so much for understanding. Here''s your receipt. Remember to bring it with you when you come to pick up the cake." Lin Lan wrote out the receipt and handed it to Mu Mian. As Mu Mian took the receipt, she noticed several books on Lin Lan''s desk. Judging by the titles on their spines, most were detective novels. On top of the pile was a Bible, its embossed golden title somewhat faded, evidence of frequent use. Suddenly, Mu Mian remembered the code on the small piece of paper: Deuteronomy 18:9 Lin Lan seemed to sense Mu Mian''s gaze. She casually placed the receipt book on top of the Bible, covering its title. Mu Mian asked, "May I take a look at that book? I''d like to write a blessing from the Bible on the cake, but I''ve forgotten the exact words. I''d like to check it." Chapter 28 Lin Lan hesitated for a moment before handing the book to Mu Mian. "Do you believe in God too?"Mu Mian didn''t answer her question. Instead, she quickly flipped through the book, stopping at a page and glancing at it briefly. The page was intact. "Never mind, here''s your book back. I don''t want to add any text to the cake anymore," Mu Mian said, returning the book to Lin Lan. She then left the cake shop, leaving Lin Lan puzzled. Once in the car, Mu Mian turned to Fang Rui and said, "Fang Rui, I know what the words on that small piece of paper mean now." "You mean the note found in the victim''s hand?" "Yes. That string of characters was incomplete. The complete version should be: Leviticus 18:9. Leviticus is one of the books in the Bible, and 18:9 corresponds to this passage." Mu Mian recited, "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father''s daughter or your mother''s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home." Fang Rui summarized, "So the killer left this note to tell us that the victim had a special relationship with his own sister?" Fang Rui was shocked, but then he recalled Ye Zeling''s unusual reactions and realized that the relationship between the Ye siblings did indeed seem abnormal. Fang Rui and Mu Mian immediately drove to find Ye Zeling. Due to Ye Zeling''s fragile mental state, the police had assigned a female officer to protect her closely to prevent any potential incidents. Ye Zeling''s home was in an upscale neighborhood in the city center. The apartment, registered under Ye Zeming''s name, was beautifully decorated. "Captain Fang, you''re here to see Ye Zeling?" The female police officer seemed surprised to see Fang Rui. "Yes." Sea??h the N?velFire.net website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon seeing Fang Rui, Ye Zeling ran over, her emotions high. "Officer Fang, have you found my brother''s killer?" As she turned her head, she spotted Mu Mian and her expression instantly changed to one of hostility. "Get away from me! I don''t want to see you!" Mu Mian, however, smiled at her, seeing Ye Zeling as a kindred spirit who shared her fascination with corpses. "Miss Ye, what was your relationship with Liu Jiale?" Fang Rui asked. "Jiale was my brother''s apprentice. They had known each other for many years and used to be very close. Since none of us had parents, my brother and I considered him family." "But Liu Jiale had several recent conflicts with your brother. Why was that?" Ye Zeling''s expression changed slightly, but she quickly tried to cover it up. "Because Jiale changed. He met some new friends outside, and his creative vision no longer aligned with my brother''s. So he wanted to leave my brother''s studio. But my brother felt that Jiale was family, and he didn''t want to let him mix with those people, afraid he''d eventually go astray." "Is that the only reason?" "It''s the main reason." "Was Liu Jiale your ex-boyfriend?" "Of course not. Jiale and I were just friends. He was the most talented student in my brother''s studio. I often visited the studio, and that''s how we got to know each other. He did confess his feelings for me, but I didn''t like him that way. I had someone else I liked at the time." Fang Rui looked at her and asked, "Was the person you liked your brother?" "My brother is my family. Isn''t it normal for me to like him?" Ye Zeling awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression becoming unnatural. Mu Mian, observing Ye Zeling''s fingers as she touched her hair, asked bluntly, "Did you have a sexual relationship with him?" Ye Zeling''s face instantly turned red. Trembling with anger, she pointed at Mu Mian and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? How could I have a sexual relationship with my brother? You''re spreading lies!" Mu Mian grasped Ye Zeling''s hand, pointing at her finger. "What''s this mark?" There was an irregular indentation on Ye Zeling''s middle finger, left by a ring. "It''s none of your business! This is my private matter!" Ye Zeling quickly pulled her hand away. "Did you wear a ring here? From this mark, we can deduce that the ring had an irregular shape. With such a unique indentation, it would be easy for us to recreate the shape of the ring." Ye Zeling''s expression changed again. Fang Rui said, "Your brother was also wearing a ring, with M&L engraved inside. Those are the initials of your names, aren''t they?" Ye Zeling''s face flushed with anger. "Shut up! Don''t talk nonsense! My relationship with my brother was pure and innocent." "I can produce that ring. We can compare them and find out." "You..." Suddenly, Ye Zeling covered her face and burst into tears. "I just love my brother so much, is that wrong? Why can''t I love my brother..." Mu Mian and Fang Rui exchanged glances. If there was an inappropriate relationship between Ye Zeming and his sister, then Lin Lan would become a strong suspect for the murder. "It''s not just wrong, it''s illegal," Mu Mian cautiously reminded her. "In our country, marriage between close relatives is forbidden." "Shut up! I love my brother. My brother is so exceptional, he''s mine alone. I won''t allow him to be good to anyone else! My brother had already promised me that he wouldn''t be with anyone else in the future, only with me..." Through Ye Zeling''s incoherent narrative, they learned the story of the Ye siblings. Originally, they had a normal sibling relationship, but Ye Zeling became increasingly dependent on Ye Zeming and gradually developed inappropriate feelings. Later, when Ye Zeming broke up with Lin Lan, Ye Zeling seized the opportunity and became intimate with her brother. Afterwards, under Ye Zeling''s constant pursuit, they maintained this distorted relationship until her brother''s death. After leaving Ye Zeling''s home, Mu Mian analyzed: "Lin Lan is a religious person. In the Bible, a relationship between siblings is considered a grave sin, and a raging fire can cleanse the world of sin. This could be Lin Lan''s motive for murder." "But Lin Lan doesn''t have an alibi for the time of the crime. She was in a car accident that morning and was cooperating with the traffic police investigation until she received a call from Ye Zeming. Only then did she leave the vehicle management office. Moreover, the cameras at the entrance of the villa complex didn''t capture her on film." Fang Rui had initially suspected Lin Lan as well, but she had an alibi. She had been going only between her shop and home for the past few days, and the neighborhood surveillance cameras hadn''t captured her either. Mu Mian fell silent. This again raised the question of how to determine the exact time of the victim''s death. "Liu Jiale once had feelings for Ye Zeling. If he knew about the inappropriate relationship between Ye Zeling and her brother, he would also have a motive. According to our previous investigation, Liu Jiale and Ye Zeming had several arguments, which could very well have been about this. It''s possible that Liu Jiale was using this information to blackmail Ye Zeming for money." "Their relationships are so complicated!" Mu Mian couldn''t understand such complex emotions, though, to be fair, she couldn''t understand simple emotions either. Chapter 29 The next day, Mu Mian brought the small green cake to work.0Chen Xue noticed the cake in Mu Mian''s hand and said with surprise, "Mian Mian, what a beautiful cake! Is it for me?"0 Mu Mian hesitated for a moment, quickly hiding the cake behind her back. She smiled apologetically, "I''m sorry, Chen Xue, it''s not for you. If you like it, I can buy you one next time."0 "Oh, I see. Did Fang get this cake for you? No wonder you''re so protective of it. Tsk tsk, Mu Mian, I never thought you''d prioritize romance over friendship," Chen Xue teased, leaning in closer.0 Chen Xue didn''t understand! Mu Mian found Chen Xue''s words strange, not quite grasping the meaning of each sentence.0 Mu Mian clarified, "Fang Rui didn''t buy it. The bakery owner gave it to me. But Fang Rui did take me to the bakery."0 "Mian Mian, there''s been a lot of gossip lately. People are saying you and Fang are together. I''ve noticed you two have been inseparable recently. Are you really dating?" Chen Xue''s eyes sparkled with curiosity.0 Chen Xue had observed that Mu Mian''s gaze rarely lingered on living people, as she seemed uninterested in most things. However, whenever Fang Rui appeared, Mu Mian''s eyes would lock onto him with radar-like precision.0 After much observation, Chen Xue realized she had become invested in their potential relationship.0 The interactions between Mu Mian and Fang Rui were intriguing. Often, only Fang Rui could understand Mu Mian''s train of thought. They shared a strange kind of chemistry. Moreover, Fang Rui displayed exceptional patience with Mu Mian.0 In the past, other female officers had pursued Fang Rui, but he had remained aloof. With Mu Mian, however, he was always accommodating.0 Mu Mian nodded, "Together? Yes, we''ve been together recently."0 "Ah! I knew it! You really are involved with Fang!"0 "Chen Xue, your guess is incorrect. Fang Rui and I don''t have a leg."0 "...Wait, what do you think ''being together'' means?"0 "Frequently appearing in the same place, commuting to and from work at the same time. I''m often together with you too, aren''t I?" Mu Mian opened the cake box, took out a small piece, and placed it in a glass container.0 Chen Xue suddenly realized that Mu Mian might not have understood her meaning.0 "Mu Mian, don''t you like Fang?"0 Mu Mian turned to look at Chen Xue: "Your question is too vague. You should add more specific details. I suppose I do like Fang Rui. I really want to obtain his remains."0 "Remains? What do you want his remains for?" Chen Xue''s eyes widened in shock.0 So, every time Mu Mian''s eyes sparkled while looking at Fang Rui, was she seeing a corpse? Chen Xue suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Fang Rui.0 "For research, of course. I had initially planned to slice Fang Rui''s brain and preserve it, discarding the rest of the tissues and keeping only the skeleton. But I''ve changed my mind now. I want to immerse him in formaldehyde solution, so his remains won''t decay, and I can see him every day..."0 "You haven''t told Fang Rui about your plan, have you?"0 "Of course not. I''m afraid if I did, Fang Rui might think I''m a pervert."0 "..." At least she''s self-aware!0 "Chen Xue, you have higher emotional intelligence. Do you know any way to make Fang Rui willingly donate his remains to me? It has to be through legal means. I''ve asked him many times before, but he always refuses. I''ve tried hinting at it, but that didn''t work either."0 "He just refused? He didn''t hit you?" Chen Xue couldn''t believe that Mu Mian had actually expressed her desire for Fang Rui''s remains, and multiple times at that.0 Mu Mian''s expression turned dejected: "He told me never to mention it again!"0 "Have you considered marrying Fang Rui? That way, when he dies, wouldn''t his remains be yours?" As soon as she said it, Chen Xue regretted it. She must have been infected by Mu Mian''s thinking; otherwise, how could she suggest such a morbid idea?0 Even more disturbing was Mu Mian''s response:0 "Chen Xue, I''ve actually thought of that method."0 "..."0 "But I can''t get married."0 "Why not?"0 Mu Mian didn''t answer that question.0 "Well, you could try to gain more favor with Fang. Maybe then he''d be willing to donate his remains to you." Chen Xue skipped over that topic and offered a new suggestion.0 How could she let the relationship she had just started shipping end badly?0 "Do you know how to gain favor?"0 Chen Xue grinned at her and then forwarded several files: "I think these novels would be perfect for you. You should study them carefully."0 Mu Mian felt that Chen Xue might not be entirely reliable, but she agreed to read the files when she had time.0 Fang Rui and his team had spent a long time finally pinpointing Liu Jiale''s approximate location. He had rented a house in the urban village of the East City district.0 Just as Fang Rui was about to go bring Liu Jiale in for questioning, he received a phone call:0 "Fang, it''s terrible! Someone tried to kill Ye Zeling! The attacker has been subdued, but he seems to be mentally unstable."0 When Fang Rui arrived at the scene, he saw that the female officer protecting Ye Zeling had been slashed with a knife, her entire right arm covered in blood. Ye Zeling was unharmed, but she appeared to be in shock.0 The assailant was pinned to the ground by several concerned citizens.0 S~ea??h the novelF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ye Zeling, pay up! Your brother swindled my money, you have to pay it back for him! If you don''t pay, I''ll stab you to death!" The criminal was still struggling, glaring at Ye Zeling with murderous intent, as if he might lunge at her at any moment.0 Zhang exclaimed, "Boss, isn''t that Liu Jiale?"0 Liu Jiale looked like a vagrant, with long beard and hair, disheveled and wearing tattered clothes. His eyes were sunken, and his overall mental state appeared to be in terrible condition.0 Fang Rui brought them all back to the station.0 Ye Zeling was emotionally distraught, continuously crying and pleading, "I don''t know why Liu Jiale wanted to kill me! We don''t have any conflicts, we used to be good friends. My brother was so kind to him, how could he have swindled his money? He''s lying!"0 "According to our investigation, it seems your brother owed a lot of money. Do you know why he was in debt?" Fang Rui asked.0 Ye Zeling vehemently denied it: "Impossible! My brother couldn''t possibly be in debt!" But her tone didn''t sound very confident.0 Fang Rui then took Liu Jiale''s statement.0 Liu Jiale had calmed down by then: "Officer, I wasn''t trying to kill Ye Zeling. I just wanted to scare her into paying me back. Her brother is dead, so all his money is hers now. She should repay me!"0 "We haven''t released the investigation results yet. How are you so certain that the deceased at the fire scene was him?"0 Liu Jiale hesitated for a moment, then replied, "It was in the news. They said Ye Zeming had died and reminded everyone about fire safety."0 "How much money did Ye Zeming borrow from you, and why did he need to borrow from you?"0 "Six months ago, he got addicted to online gambling and lost a lot of money. At first, he could manage by selling his artworks, but later when he couldn''t sell them anymore, he turned to me. He said if I gave him all my money, he''d let Zeling marry me. But he lied to me. Not only did he not repay me, but he also made Zeling ignore me!"0 "Then why did you go into hiding?"0 Liu Jiale looked bewildered: "Hiding? I didn''t hide!"0 "Why did you lie to your roommate about going to stay with your cousin?"0 "I did intend to go to the Northeast to find my cousin, but I didn''t have enough money for the plane ticket. I could only rent a place in the urban village and continue with my artwork. I''ve been working on a piece these past few days that I can enter into a competition!"0 "If that''s the case, why did you suddenly attack Ye Zeling instead of focusing on your work?"0 "I saw in the news that Ye Zeming had also bought accident insurance, so Ye Zeling would get a large compensation. I went to ask her for the money, but she refused to acknowledge the debt and accused me of slandering her brother! I got angry and tried to stab her, but I ended up stabbing someone else by mistake."0 Fang Rui asked, "If you were just going to ask her for compensation, why did you bring a knife?"0 Liu Jiale fell silent.0 "Is Ye Zeling your girlfriend?"0 "No, I''ve been pursuing her, but she never accepted my confession. She said she would only be with me after I became famous. Later, I realized she had been lying to me all along. She would never like me. Because..."0 "Because she likes her brother?"0 Liu Jiale''s eyes widened suddenly: "How did you know that?"0 "Did you attack Ye Zeling in the street because you couldn''t accept this fact?"0 "No! I just wanted money!" Liu Jiale''s fingers kept fidgeting with the cross he wore on his chest. He seemed a bit nervous, his hand trembling slightly.0 "Where were you on the day of the fire, which was June 12th?"0 Chapter 30 "Officers, do you suspect that I killed Ye Zeming?" Liu Jiale suddenly became agitated. "If I wanted to kill him, wouldn''t I have done it long ago? Why would I set fire to the house? Why do you suspect me? I''m an innocent, upstanding citizen..."0Fang Rui interrupted him: "Upstanding citizen? Just a moment ago, you tried to harm Ye Zeling."0 "I..." Liu Jiale lost his confidence for a moment, but he quickly recovered, saying, "That day, I was at the city library reading books for inspiration. I was there from 7 AM until 5 PM, staying inside the whole time. I even ate a sandwich there for lunch. You can check the security footage. There''s no way I could be the murderer!"0 Fang Rui had someone retrieve the library''s security footage. Whether by coincidence or not, Liu Jiale''s reading spot was directly in view of the camera, which captured his actions clearly.0 Liu Jiale entered the library at 7:05 AM. He found a few art books and then sat down to read. He was very focused on his reading, only leaving his seat once to use the restroom.0 When Liu Jiale saw Fang Rui and Zhang return, he displayed a smug smile. "Officers, have you proven my innocence now? Can I go home? I''m just a bit short of finishing my sculpture, and I need to get back to complete it as soon as possible."0 Zhang was irritated by his smug expression, but they indeed had no evidence linking Liu Jiale to Ye Zeming''s case.0 Fang Rui gave him a cold look. "I''m sorry, but you can''t leave yet."0 "You''re not trying to frame me, are you? This is a society governed by the rule of law. You can''t detain me without cause."0 "Yes, this is indeed a society governed by law, which is why assaulting a police officer is a crime! We need to detain you first. Once the hospital provides a report on the injuries, we''ll decide whether to press charges against you!"0 Liu Jiale''s smug smile instantly crumbled.0 As soon as they left the interrogation room, Zhang analyzed, "Chief Fang, I think this Liu Jiale is the killer. Look at that smug smile of his, he''s so arrogant he might as well confess to being the murderer. Plus, the library camera was pointed right at him. He must have done that on purpose to create an alibi."0 However, Fang Rui found Liu Jiale''s sudden attack on Ye Zeling strange. Even if Liu Jiale was desperate for money, there was no need to resort to such extreme measures to get it.0 Fang Rui returned to his office to find Mu Mian sitting in his chair, waiting for him.0 "Fang Rui, I declare that from now on, green is my lucky color," Mu Mian said excitedly, her face clearly saying: Ask me why.0 Fang Rui obliged, "Why?"0 "I''ve reached a conclusion. It''s not entirely rigorous, but I think it could help with your investigation," Mu Mian handed Fang Rui a report. "The victim likely died on a Thursday."0 Fang Rui recalled the green cake that had piqued Mu Mian''s interest. The sign next to that cake seemed to say it was a Thursday special.0 "Because of that green cake?"0 "Yes. We found partially digested green cake in the victim''s stomach. At the time, I thought the color was unusual, not like matcha or food coloring. But I couldn''t pinpoint what was special about it. Then I saw that green velvet cake at Lin Lan''s Shop. I''ve compared them, and the ingredients are the same."0 The fire occurred on June 12th, which was a Monday.0 "This cake is only sold on Thursdays, but the fire happened on a Monday. Logically, the victim shouldn''t have been able to eat that cake on a Monday."0 Mu Mian continued to explain: "So I reasonably suspect that the victim''s actual time of death was likely the previous Thursday, which would be June 8th."0 Fang Rui suddenly remembered that Liu Jiale had disappeared on June 8th.0 "Of course, this reasoning isn''t entirely rigorous. That''s why I''m only telling you."0 If the victim''s time of death was moved earlier, many people''s alibis would be invalidated.0 "Dr. Mu, you''re so biased. You discover a clue and only tell the boss, not us," Zhang suddenly chimed in.0 Mu Mian was startled. When had Zhang appeared?0 "I was here when you said the first word."0 "..."0 Zhang analyzed, "Dr. Mu, according to your reasoning, if the victim had been dead for several days, the body should have decomposed, right? Shouldn''t you have noticed that immediately during the autopsy?"0 "Yes, and this leads to another of my not-so-rigorous conclusions," Mu Mian sighed. "I suspect that after killing the victim, the murderer immediately froze the body. By using extremely low temperatures, they prevented changes in the body''s condition. Then they used the fire to destroy the body''s surface features, interfering with the forensic examination."0 "The body was likely still frozen when the explosion occurred. That''s why I felt the body was as fragile as a sculpture at the time."0 Mu Mian felt her analysis was correct, but there was no concrete evidence to prove her deductions. Unfortunately, by the time she performed the autopsy, the body parts had already been frozen once in the morgue refrigerator.0 Mu Mian then thought of Ye Zeling, blaming her for delaying the examination by clinging to the body.0 Zhang listened in astonishment. "This killer is incredibly clever!"0 But Zhang quickly noticed another issue: "Then how do we explain that several people received phone calls from Ye Zeming? The tech department analyzed the call recordings and confirmed they were real human voices, not synthesized."0 Fang Rui instructed Zhang, "Zhang, go check Ye Zeming''s electricity bills. See if there have been any fluctuations in power usage recently."0 "On it!"0 The investigation results came back quickly. Ye Zeming''s power usage had spiked abnormally on June 8th and remained at that elevated level for the following days.0 Fang Rui recalled that when they examined the scene, they found a freezer in the blast area, which was used to accelerate the setting of plaster molds.0 Sea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All of this indirectly supported Mu Mian''s deductions. Ye Zeming was likely murdered on June 8th, and the killer staged the fire and explosion on June 12th in an attempt to destroy evidence.0 Fang Rui went to the security office of the villa complex to retrieve surveillance footage from around June 8th.0 The video showed that on June 8th, Ye Zeling first drove to Ye Zeming''s house, then Liu Jiale arrived by taxi. Later, Ye Zeling left in her car, followed shortly by Liu Jiale, who nervously left the villa complex and took a taxi at the entrance.0 Fang Rui first questioned Ye Zeling.0 "Miss Ye, do you remember what you did on June 8th?"0 "June 8th? I can''t quite recall. I''m busy every day, how can I remember what happened on a specific day?"0 "Your theater company said you took a day off. Don''t you remember why you took that day off?"0 "Oh, that day. I took time off to visit my brother. He said he was sick, so I specifically took a day off to check on him."0 "Did you see Liu Jiale that day?"0 "Yes, I did. He came to my brother''s house, quite angry. My brother didn''t want me involved in their business, so he asked me to leave first."0 "After June 8th, did you see your brother?"0 "Yes, I talked to my brother on the phone every day. On the morning of the day he died, I even received a call from him..."0 "I mean, did you see your brother in person, not just talk on the phone?"0 "No, I didn''t. Our theater company was about to have a performance, so I was rehearsing every day and didn''t have time to meet with my brother. He was supposed to have dinner with me, but I was kept for rehearsal, so we didn''t get to meet. If I had known my brother would die, I would have gone to see him even if it meant missing the performance..."0 Ye Zeling seemed to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown.0 "I''m sorry, I''m having trouble controlling my emotions. Could you give me a moment to calm down?"0 Fang Rui then interrogated Liu Jiale again.0 Fang Rui played the surveillance video showing Liu Jiale hurriedly leaving Ye Zeming''s villa.0 "Mr. Liu, do you remember when this happened?"0 "I don''t remember. The video is a bit blurry. Is that even me in there?"0 Fang Rui paused the video, freezing the frame on Liu Jiale''s panic-stricken face.0 "Does this jog your memory now?" he asked.0 "Yes, I did go to see Ye Zeming that day. I was pressuring him to pay me back, but he threatened me, saying he knew a lot of people in the underworld. He warned that if I kept bothering him, he''d kill me and dump my body in the sea to feed the fish.0 I was so terrified that I ran away immediately. After that, I didn''t dare to ask him for the money again. Officer, do you think it''s possible that those gangsters Ye Zeming knew might have killed him? He owed so much money, surely many people wanted him dead!"0 "Did you see Ye Zeming again after that incident?"0 "No, I was too scared to approach him. However, I did try calling him once. He answered, but only to hurl more abuse at me. After that, I didn''t dare to call him again."0 Chapter 31 Although Liu Jiale was highly suspicious, there was no direct evidence yet proving that he had killed Ye Zeming.However, Fang Rui discovered that after June 8th, none of them had seen Ye Zeming, but several people close to him had all received phone calls from him, seemingly at random. Sea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It appeared that the killer was trying to create the illusion that Ye Zeming was still alive through these call records. In the conference room, Fang Rui played the phone recording again. [Ye Zeming: Lin Lan, are you busy today? Lin Lan: I''m watching the shop now. What do you need? Ye Zeming: Lin Lan, I''m going to emigrate abroad in a few days. Can you come see me one last time? Lin Lan: That''s not necessary! I don''t think we need a farewell given our relationship. Ye Zeming: Didn''t you leave something important at my place last time? I found it for you, come pick it up! Lin Lan: Why don''t you just mail it to me? Ye Zeming: If you don''t come, I''ll throw it in the trash. Lin Lan: I''ll come right away, you...] The call was disconnected. Zhang said, "The tone sounds natural, Ye Zeming speaks fluently. This recording doesn''t sound like it was spliced together." Wang from the technical department said, "Audio analysis shows that Ye Zeming''s voice is not synthesized or pre-recorded. It''s a real human voice." "But Ye Zeming was already dead at this time, so how could he make a phone call?" "May I request to listen to it again?" Mu Mian asked. Fang Rui played it once more for Mu Mian. "At 19 seconds, I heard a car horn. At 31 seconds, I heard the voice announcement of a bus - it''s the B31 bus route, and the stop is Yunzhai Station..." Wang said, "We''ve already isolated the background noise, there''s nothing special." He then played the isolated background sounds, which were not very clear but matched what Mu Mian had described. Mu Mian continued her analysis: "Lin Lan said she was watching the shop. But the B31 bus route doesn''t pass by her cake shop." Zhang and the others immediately checked the map on their phones. Lin Lan''s shop was in the North City District, while the B31 bus connected the East-West City District, indeed not passing by Lin Lan''s cake shop. Zhang looked at Mu Mian in surprise: "Dr. Mu, do you memorize bus routes in your spare time?" "Is that something you need to memorize? Can''t you just remember it after seeing it once?" Mu Mian had an exceptional memory since childhood, almost able to remember everything she saw. Fang Rui asked, "You suspect Lin Lan is lying?" "That bus announcement should have come from Ye Zeming''s end. The person faking the recording was probably driving, and their route overlapped with this bus route." Fang Rui quickly retrieved surveillance footage near the Yunzhai Station bus stop. After careful screening, one of the cameras caught Ye Zeling''s car. The footage clearly showed Ye Zeling''s face as she was holding a phone, seemingly talking to someone. The surveillance video showed it was 9:04 AM on June 12th. This was exactly the time when Ye Zeming had called Lin Lan. Fang Rui quickly investigated further and found that Ye Zeling had been part of the anime club in university. She was skilled at voice acting and could imitate many voice actors'' tones. This almost proved that Ye Zeling was the one who faked the phone call recording. Fang Rui called Ye Zeling back in for questioning once again. Ye Zeling, confused, asked, "Detective Fang, have you caught the person who killed my brother?" Fang Rui handed her a photograph. In the photo, Ye Zeling was making a phone call. "Miss Ye, does this scene look familiar to you?" Ye Zeling glanced at it, her expression changing slightly, but she tried to remain composed, "This photo shows me making a phone call. What''s so special about that? Don''t you all make phone calls?" "Miss Ye, what were you doing at 9:04 AM on June 12th, the day of the fire?" Ye Zeling adjusted her posture, "How could I remember that precisely? I only remember that I was driving to my brother''s house around 9 AM that morning." "Did you make a phone call on the way?" "Yes, I did." "But when we checked your phone records, you didn''t make any calls that day. You used your brother''s SIM card to call Lin Lan, didn''t you?" Ye Zeling vehemently denied it: "No, why would I call that bitch Lin Lan?" "Miss Ye, you''d better tell the truth. We already have evidence of your crime." "I..." Ye Zeling covered her face and began to sob uncontrollably. "It was Liu Jiale who forced me! He accidentally killed my brother, and I saw it. Then he threatened me, making me help him cover it up. He knew I was good at imitating voices, so he made me call my brother''s friends and colleagues to create the illusion that my brother was still alive!" Fang Rui exchanged a glance with Zhang. According to the surveillance video, Liu Jiale had left after Ye Zeling, so it was very likely that Liu Jiale was also involved in this case. "Jiale said my brother was already dead, and if I didn''t help him, he would go to jail. Liu Jiale was like another brother to me, I couldn''t not help him! Plus, Jiale said if I went to the police, he would spread rumors to the media about my relationship with my brother, ruining both our reputations. I had no choice, I could only help him cover up the truth..." Ye Zeling broke down crying hysterically. Fang Rui waited for her emotions to calm a bit before asking her to recount the details of the incident. "That day, my brother said he was sick and asked me to come see him. Shortly after I arrived, Liu Jiale also came. He and my brother were discussing something in the second-floor studio while I was washing fruit downstairs. Just as I was about to go upstairs, I heard a scream. My brother had been pushed by Liu Jiale and hit his head on a sculpture on the table. There was blood all over his head. Then I realized my brother wasn''t breathing! Liu Jiale had accidentally killed my brother. I was going to call the police, but Liu Jiale wouldn''t let me. He was very panicked at first, but then he said we should freeze my brother''s body first and find a way to dispose of it later. Initially, he planned to cut the body into small pieces and hide them inside sculptures, but that was too risky. Later, he found out that my brother had bought accident insurance for the villa. So he thought of setting a fire to burn down the villa. This way, he could destroy the evidence and I could get a large insurance payout. I don''t know about the other details. He just made me imitate my brother''s voice to make phone calls and act in front of the police. He didn''t tell me anything else." Fang Rui then interrogated Liu Jiale. At first, Liu Jiale was confident, seemingly certain that the police couldn''t find any evidence. But when Fang Rui told him that Ye Zeling had already confessed, his expression changed dramatically. Liu Jiale''s body tensed, but he feigned nonchalance, saying contemptuously, "I''m innocent! Do you have any evidence that I killed him? If not, even if a judge convicts me, I''ll appeal to the media!" Fang Rui showed Liu Jiale the chain of evidence regarding Ye Zeling faking Ye Zeming''s voice to create call records. Liu Jiale''s eyes turned red as he shouted, "What did you do to Zeling? Why is she falsely accusing me?" "Based on the surveillance footage and Ye Zeling''s confession, we can basically convict you now. Are you sure you still want to deny it?" Liu Jiale gritted his teeth and said, "Ye Zeming was scum who deserved to die! Even if God knew what I did, He wouldn''t consider me guilty!" Fang Rui interrupted him: "I don''t know how God would judge, but why don''t you tell us what happened first." "Do you know how disgusting Ye Zeming was? He was so perverted that he raped his own sister! You think he''s some kind of artist? He''s just scum! None of his works were his own. At first, he relied on Lin Lan - those famous pieces were all completed by her. Later, he started stealing my work. Six months ago, he got addicted to gambling and lost all his money. That day I went to his house, he said he had no money to pay me back, but he offered to let me sleep with Zeling to settle the debt! I was furious, so I pushed him. He fell to the ground, hit his head on the edge of the workbench, bled a lot, and then stopped breathing." Liu Jiale became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his saliva droplets almost spraying across the interrogation room table onto their faces. Fang Rui asked, "You''re saying you pushed the deceased once, his head hit the workbench, and then he died?" Chapter 32 Liu Jiale licked his dry lips and grinned, "Ye Zeming got what he deserved for all his evil deeds. How else could he have died from such a light bump?"0"Are you sure he hit the workbench?" Fang Rui repeated.0 "Is that important? I killed him, I admit it. Judge me however you want, just stop interrogating me!"0 Fang Rui paused the questioning and left the room to find Mu Mian.0 "Mu Mian, you mentioned earlier that the victim had a wound on his head that was inflicted before death. How was that wound caused?"0 Mu Mian retrieved the autopsy report and turned to the photo of the wound.0 "It''s an impact injury. Based on the shape of the wound, the object should have been oval-shaped. I suspect it was a sculpture. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find the murder weapon at the crime scene."0 "Is there any possibility it was caused by hitting the edge of the workbench?"0 "Unlikely. If it had hit the edge of the workbench, the wound shape wouldn''t be oval."0 "Thank you. Liu Jiale is lying. It''s very likely that Ye Zeling killed him, and Liu Jiale is taking the blame for her!" Fang Rui patted Mu Mian''s head and left with the report.0 Mu Mian was stunned for a moment, then reminded Fang Rui unhappily, "Patting heads stunts growth. Also, the victim..."0 But Fang Rui had already left.0 He really is an impatient person! But Mu Mian knew Fang Rui would come back to see her later.0 When Fang Rui returned to the interrogation room, Liu Jiale had already entered a state of refusing to answer any questions.0 Fang Rui''s eyes fixed on Liu Jiale, "The one who killed the victim wasn''t you, but Ye Zeling, right?"0 "What does this have to do with Zeling? I killed him, I confess! What more do you want?"0 "Then please answer again, how did Ye Zeming die?"0 "I told you, I was very angry at the time, so I pushed him. He hit the workbench and died shortly after!"0 "But our forensic results don''t show that," Fang Rui took out the autopsy report and showed Liu Jiale the photo. "This wound was clearly caused by hitting the floor. You don''t even know how the victim died, are you sure you killed him?"0 Liu Jiale immediately defended himself, "I was too panicked at the time, I remembered wrong. Now I recall, his head hit the floor, making a very crisp sound."0 "I just lied to you. Actually, it was caused by hitting a sculpture," Fang Rui said to Liu Jiale. "You don''t know the details of the case at all. The killer isn''t you, you''re just trying to take the blame for Ye Zeling, aren''t you?"0 "I''m the killer, I killed him! Am I an idiot? How could I possibly take the blame for that bitch Ye Zeling! I hate her so much I could kill her too!"0 Zhang couldn''t help but feel some sympathy for Liu Jiale. Being this devoted to someone who doesn''t care about you is too pathetic.0 "Ye Zeling doesn''t like you, she likes her brother," Zhang couldn''t help but remind him. "Even if you take the blame for Ye Zeling, she won''t like you!"0 Liu Jiale clenched his fists in anger but remained silent, seemingly confident that the police couldn''t prove whether it was Ye Zeling or him who pushed Ye Zeming down.0 Fang Rui said, "Liu Jiale, your plan was perfect, but do you know why we still guessed the truth? It''s because of Ye Zeling. She insisted that the victim was murdered, she insisted that we investigate."0 Liu Jiale''s eyes widened instantly, as if struck by lightning, and he froze.0 "Why do you think she did that?"0 Liu Jiale still didn''t speak.0 "If your plan had succeeded, you both would have been innocent, and Ye Zeling would have been blackmailed by you with this incident. She would have been under your control for the rest of her life. On the contrary, if the case was solved, you would definitely take the blame for her voluntarily. This way, Ye Zeling could successfully escape punishment and have a free life."0 "No, you''re talking nonsense, Zeling wouldn''t do this to me!"0 Fang Rui continued to attack his psyche: "It seems Ye Zeling is much smarter than you. Her plan is what you''d call a perfect crime."0 Liu Jiale was on the verge of a mental breakdown, but he still defended Ye Zeling: "Zeling didn''t mean to, she accidentally pushed her brother, who knew it would turn out like this. She only committed manslaughter."0 "Then why did you create the fire and explosion?"0 S~ea??h the novelF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "It was all my idea. We were too panicked at the time. Later when we calmed down, we were blinded by the huge benefits.0 Ye Zeming had bought insurance for himself, with Zeling as the beneficiary. But if the insurance company found out that Zeling killed Ye Zeming, she wouldn''t get a penny of compensation. And there would be no way to repay the debts Ye Zeming owed!0 We created the fire to ensure Ye Zeming''s body would be discovered quickly, so the insurance company would pay us the compensation."0 Liu Jiale detailed the process of the crime:0 When Ye Zeling discovered that her brother was addicted to gambling and owed huge debts, she completely broke down. She lost her temper with her brother, and when Ye Zeming tried to comfort her, she pushed him away forcefully. Unexpectedly, he lost his balance and crashed into a huge sculpture on the table.0 Ye Zeling left the villa in a panic but encountered Liu Jiale, who had come to collect debts, outside the villa. Seeing Ye Zeling in a state of panic, Liu Jiale asked her what happened. After learning that Ye Zeling had accidentally killed Ye Zeming, Liu Jiale immediately said he would help Ye Zeling handle the situation.0 Liu Jiale loved reading detective novels, so his mind quickly came up with many ways to dispose of the body.0 He originally planned to cut the body into small pieces and hide them inside a batch of plaster sculptures. He first cut off Ye Zeming''s genitals with a knife, and out of anger, he smashed them with a hammer. But when he saw the bloody wound, he became scared and didn''t dare to dismember Ye Zeming further.0 But then he thought of an even more clever method.0 First, he and Ye Zeling put Ye Zeming''s body in a freezer and set it to the lowest temperature. This way, the body wouldn''t decompose, and the forensic experts wouldn''t be able to determine exactly which day Ye Zeming died.0 He had Ye Zeling imitate Ye Zeming''s voice and call Ye Zeming''s colleagues and friends every day, creating the illusion that Ye Zeming was still alive.0 In the early hours of the day of the incident, he placed the frozen Ye Zeming near a window. From that position, one could vaguely make out that it was Ye Zeming, but couldn''t see the details clearly. This further reinforced the illusion that Ye Zeming died on June 12th.0 Then he left the villa and deliberately found a spot directly facing a camera in the library, giving himself a solid alibi.0 The reason he deliberately left his previous residence and went into hiding was to add another layer of protection. If the police discovered the truth, he could more easily take the blame for Ye Zeling. He loved Ye Zeling so much that he didn''t want her to be harmed in any way.0 On June 12th, he set up the fire-starting device and deliberately piled up many paint cans and turpentine near the workbench. He closed all the windows so that when the fire started, it might cause an explosion, further damaging the body.0 According to his plan, the firefighters would treat it as an ordinary fire. Even if someone became suspicious, the body would have been burned, making it difficult for the police to determine if the body had been frozen, let alone pinpoint the exact time of death.0 But an unexpected situation arose. The police investigating the case were very capable, and they unraveled the truth bit by bit.0 Ye Zeling learned from the female officer protecting her that the police had confirmed Ye Zeming was murdered and had made significant progress in the investigation.0 Ye Zeling told him this. He immediately planned a staged attack on Ye Zeling in the street, so the police investigation would shift focus to him. If the truth came out, he could reasonably take the blame for Ye Zeling.0 His plan was perfect, ensuring that Ye Zeling would definitely escape punishment. He never expected that the one who would make his plan fail would be Ye Zeling, the very person he had been trying to protect.0 Liu Jiale''s face turned ashen. He knew Ye Zeling didn''t love him, but he never imagined she could be so vicious. Indeed, both siblings were demons.0 Chapter 33 Ye Zeling also quickly confessed to her crime. Having killed her most beloved brother with her own hands had been tormenting her heart. So before Fang Rui and his team could even begin to interrogate her, Ye Zeling had already provided a detailed account of how the crime took place.0Her statement was largely consistent with Liu Jiale''s account.0 Fang Rui remembered something and asked, "Miss Ye, did you two put that small piece of paper in the victim''s hand?"0 "What paper?"0 Fang Rui felt that there were still some unresolved questions in this case.0 However, everyone else was already basking in the joy of solving the case.0 Zhang exclaimed, "Ah! This case is finally solved. I can''t believe Ye Zeling''s acting was so good, she almost had me fooled!"0 "I know, right? She was crying so heartbrokenly while hugging her brother''s body. Who could have imagined that she was the killer herself! Though she''s quite unfortunate. If she had honestly turned herself in, she might have only been charged with manslaughter. Now that she''s made everything so complicated, she''ll definitely get a longer sentence."0 "Aren''t you forgetting that she''s a dance drama performer? I felt something was off about her at the time. Normal people don''t cry like that."0 "Then why didn''t you say something at the time? If you had, we would have solved the case immediately!"0 "Well... we didn''t have any evidence then!"0 "I have to say, the boss and Dr. Mu are really impressive. If we were investigating this case, we might have just thought it was an ordinary fire."0 Everyone was eager to celebrate solving the big case, but Fang Rui wasn''t as happy as they were.0 Because he remembered Mu Mian saying that the cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. Although brain damage could also cause asphyxia, Mu Mian hadn''t emphasized it at the time, which suggested that the wound wasn''t the fatal injury.0 And then there was that small piece of paper. Both Ye Zeling and Liu Jiale said they didn''t put it there, which meant there was likely a third person at the crime scene!0 When Fang Rui found Mu Mian, she was drawing in her office.0 Mu Mian had weekly drawing assignments as part of her autism intervention therapy. She had been busy with the case all week and hadn''t had time to complete it, but now she finally had time to catch up on her homework.0 sea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Fang Rui, Mu Mian put down her brush, "Fang Rui, I wanted to tell you earlier that I think Lin Lan is the real killer, but you left immediately."0 Fang Rui smiled at Mu Mian. What a coincidence, he also suspected Lin Lan was the killer.0 Mu Mian took out the now shriveled but still beautifully colored green cake from her drawer, "This is the evidence. Although it''s not very rigorous as evidence."0 "We found out that Lin Lan also went to that villa on the morning of June 8th. This further proves that she was likely present at the time of the crime."0 Lin Lan had entered the villa by taxi, sitting in the back seat and avoiding the surveillance cameras the entire time, so she wasn''t discovered in the first round of investigation.0 After finding this discrepancy, Fang Rui questioned the taxi drivers one by one again, and one taxi driver confirmed that Lin Lan had taken his car to enter the villa area that morning.0 Fang Rui took his team to arrest Lin Lan.0 Lin Lan was cleaning the shelves, which had already been emptied of cakes, leaving only some molds. But Lin Lan was still cleaning very meticulously.0 Fang Rui asked directly, "Miss Lin, you were also in the room when Ye Zeling and Ye Zeming had their argument, weren''t you?"0 Lin Lan''s expression was very calm. Fang Rui thought she would deny it, but she confessed, "Yes, I was there that day. I was hiding behind the shelf."0 "When Ye Zeming hit the sculpture, he wasn''t dead yet. At that time, Ye Zeling ran out in a panic, and you took advantage of this opportunity to kill Ye Zeming. When Ye Zeling and Liu Jiale came back in, Ye Zeming was already dead, so they mistakenly thought Ye Zeling had killed him, right?"0 "Yes." Lin Lan looked at her cake shop reluctantly, then extended her hands to Fang Rui, saying softly, "I confess. My faith does not allow me to lie, let alone commit crimes."0 Fang Rui handcuffed her and took her back to the police station.0 Lin Lan was probably the most cooperative criminal Fang Rui had ever seen. Before he could even ask, she volunteered the details of what happened:0 "That day I heard Zeming was sick, so I brought him some medicine and cake. When I got there, I found out he wasn''t sick at all, he just used this excuse to lure me there and ask me to lend him money. I was very angry, but I loved him so much that I still decided to lend him the money.0 Then Zeling arrived.0 Zeming didn''t want us to meet because Zeling was very hostile towards me, so he asked me to hide and wait until Zeling left before coming out.0 The siblings had a fierce argument, and during their quarrel, I learned about the sordid relationship between them. At that moment, my world collapsed.0 Can you understand that kind of despair? I was raised with the purest faith, only to fall in love with such a scumbag. How ironic!0 Later, Ye Zeling accidentally pushed Zeming, and his head hit a statue, causing a lot of bleeding. Ye Zeling was frightened, thinking she had accidentally killed her brother, so she ran out of the villa in a panic.0 At this point, I walked over to Zeming and found that he was still breathing, he wasn''t dead. He opened his eyes wide, seemingly wanting to ask me for help. But I didn''t save him. I took a pillow and smothered him to death.0 I think God will forgive me. I was punishing a demon, not committing a crime."0 "You know what happened after that. When Ye Zeling went out, she met Liu Jiale. Liu Jiale loved her so much that when he found out about this, his first instinct was to cover up the truth. He engineered a fire, intending to destroy all traces of evidence.0 Haha, but they never thought that the person who actually killed Ye Zeming was me."0 Lin Lan sighed, "If only I hadn''t left that note, you probably wouldn''t have discovered that there was another person at the crime scene. But I don''t regret it. Ye Zeling isn''t a good person either, and I wanted to expose her dirty secret with her brother.0 I hoped that the big fire would cleanse his filthy, sinful soul."0 Fang Rui said, "We suspected you not just because of the note, but also because of that green velvet cake."0 "The cake?" Lin Lan gave a bitter smile, "No wonder your girlfriend was so interested in that piece of cake. So she suspected me even then. I was careless. I saw her looking so naive, I thought she really just liked the cake. I didn''t expect she was trying to get information out of me!"0 "She''s very smart."0 Coming out of the interrogation room, Zhang gossiped, "Girl...friend? Boss, aren''t you single? Where did you get a girlfriend?"0 Fang Rui glared at him, "Don''t go spreading rumors, this is just a misunderstanding."0 "She was talking about Dr. Mu, right? Boss, be honest, are you dating Mu Mian?"0 "Why would you have such a misconception? Mu Mian and I are diligently solving cases, what are you doing, imagining some romance novel? Are you tired of your job and want to quit?"0 Fang Rui was a bit exasperated. He and Mu Mian had been working day and night to solve the case, where would they find time for dating?0 "Tsk tsk, Boss, you used to call her Dr. Mu, but look now, you''re calling her by her first name!"0 "Is there a difference?" Fang Rui hadn''t paid attention to these details. Names were just labels to him.0 "You should use someone''s title when working, it''s common sense." Zhang imitated Mu Mian''s tone.0 "..."0 "Boss, don''t you feel that you treat Dr. Mu very specially?"0 "I treat everyone who can help me solve cases specially. Mu Mian is a genius at solving cases, of course I have to treat her well, don''t I?"0 Zhang felt a bit disappointed. So the boss only valued Dr. Mu for her case-solving abilities. Dr. Mu really misplaced her affections. But then again, it seemed Mu Mian wasn''t interested in Fang Rui as a person either, but rather in his future corpse.0 Strangely compatible!0 "Zhang Qiang!" Chen Xue patted Zhang''s shoulder, "What are you muttering about again?"0 "Ah, don''t call my full name! And why are you shouting so loud!" Zhang saw that no one was around and whispered to Chen Xue, "Chen Xue, the CP you''re shipping is purely your imagination! The boss doesn''t like Dr. Mu at all!"0 "That''s not important, it doesn''t matter," Chen Xue''s eyes gleamed, "The boss is a Libra, and Dr. Mu is a Leo. These two zodiac signs are perfect for each other. They''ll definitely end up together!"0 Zhang looked at Chen Xue helplessly. He had thought he was the most unreliable one here, but to his surprise, Chen Xue, who usually appeared clever and quick-witted, turned out to be just as unreliable.0 Chapter 34 The three testimonies matched up completely, and the case was finally closed.0When Ye Zeling learned that the killer of Ye Zeming was Lin Lan, she was first shocked, then fell into a state of frenzy: "I knew it, I didn''t kill my brother. Thank goodness, I didn''t kill my brother..."0 Liu Jiale, on the other hand, was utterly shocked when he found out. He could hardly believe that Lin Lan would kill someone.0 S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In his heart, Lin Lan was like an angel, always accommodating Ye Zeming and the others, and always comforting him when he was oppressed. How could such a kind person kill someone?0 He was desperate to see Lin Lan while in detention, almost suicidal in his attempts.0 Although Lin Lan was wearing a yellow prison uniform, her expression was calm, and she still exuded an aura of tranquility.0 Liu Jiale grabbed Lin Lan''s hand and said urgently, "Sister Lin Lan, the police made a mistake, right? They got it wrong. The one who killed that scumbag Ye Zeming was clearly Ye Zeling. Why are you taking the blame for her?"0 "Jiale, they didn''t make a mistake. I killed Ye Zeming."0 "...Why?"0 "Jiale, although your actions obstructed the police investigation, you probably won''t be sentenced to more than a few years. After you get out of prison, stay away from Ye Zeling, don''t love her anymore. You should plan for your own life now. Don''t be like me, who lost everything for love and betrayed my own beliefs in the end."0 Liu Jiale''s eyes were somewhat bewildered. "I... I don''t know if I can do that."0 "You must do it. Don''t love someone who doesn''t love themselves!" Lin Lan''s gaze was determined. "It''s too late for me, but you still have a chance."0 Liu Jiale was in tears.0 "Jiale, don''t come to see me anymore. I''ll be fine in here."0 Lin Lan was a person with her own beliefs. Even in prison, she could still live out the rest of her days calmly.0 After work, Fang Rui didn''t plan to go home with Mu Mian. They had been together a lot lately, even commuting together, which could easily lead to misunderstandings. He didn''t want rumors to affect their purely professional relationship.0 But when he saw Mu Mian standing at the entrance, quietly waiting for a ride, Fang Rui hesitated.0 As he was hesitating, a car stopped beside Mu Mian.0 "Dr. Mu, need a ride?"0 It was Lin Sen speaking. He had driven by the City Police Bureau, originally intending to ask Fang Rui out for dinner, but changed his mind when he saw Mu Mian.0 Mu Mian quickly analyzed the situation in her head: Lin Sen''s car was well-maintained and looked very safe, and Lin Sen was an emotionally stable person who probably wouldn''t get road rage¡ªit should be quite safe to ride with him.0 More importantly, Mu Mian wanted to get home quickly to prepare a birthday surprise for her sister.0 "Thank you," Mu Mian said as she got into the back seat.0 Fang Rui watched Lin Sen''s car leave, feeling perplexed. Since when had that selfish and cold guy become so kind-hearted? Could it be that Lin Sen was trying an indirect approach, using Mu Mian to get closer to her sister?0 Love really does make people blind! Fang Rui couldn''t help but sigh.0 Zhang, seeing Fang Rui staring wistfully as Lin Sen''s car drove away, also sighed, "Consultant Lin is quite a catch too. I wonder if Dr. Mu might develop feelings for him instead?"0 Fang Rui gave him a withering look. "Don''t you have work to do?"0 If it weren''t for Zhang constantly whispering in his ear, would he have been affected by those rumors? And now the culprit had the audacity to appear before him.0 "Consultant Lin also has a smart brain. I wonder if Dr. Mu might be interested in his body too?" Chen Xue chimed in out of nowhere, playing off Zhang''s comment.0 Fang Rui retorted, "You''re overthinking it. Consultant Lin can''t read minds, so Dr. Mu wouldn''t find his brain worth researching. Mu Mian wouldn''t be interested in Lin Sen''s love-addled brain!"0 "...No wonder you''re not worried!" Chen Xue muttered under her breath.0 "Yeah, we were so worried for you just now."0 "You two..." Fang Rui suddenly scrutinized them both.0 Chen Xue and Zhang felt uneasy under his gaze.0 Zhang''s voice trembled, "Boss, what''s wrong?"0 "You two have been acting strange lately, always sticking together. You''re not dating, are you?"0 "Boss, don''t spread rumors! Chen Xue and I are just friends, nothing more."0 "Oh."0 Chen Xue also hurried to clarify: "Captain Fang, Zhang and I are just bros!" They just liked to ship couples together, that''s all.0 At this moment, Wang passed by and, seeing Zhang and Chen Xue both blushing furiously, asked in confusion, "Captain Fang, what''s wrong with these two? How come Zhang, with his thick skin, is blushing?"0 "Don''t know, maybe they''re dating!" Fang Rui dropped this bomb and walked away without looking back, leaving the three of them shocked.0 Zhang said, "We''re not dating."0 Chen Xue added, "We''re just friends."0 Wang, who was passing by, chuckled, "Oh... I see, I understand!"0 Within minutes, the gossip about Chen Xue and Zhang''s romance spread throughout the entire City Police Bureau.0 Zhang and Chen Xue were on the verge of tears. This was definitely Fang Rui''s revenge on them!0 Shen Xiyin was returning home after work when she happened to see Mu Mian getting out of Lin Sen''s car.0 She was a bit surprised. In Mu Mian''s observation diary, Lin Sen''s name had only appeared once. Mu Mian and Lin Sen weren''t close.0 "Sister."0 "Lin Sen, thank you for bringing my sister home."0 Lin Sen didn''t respond to Shen Xiyin, but he didn''t leave either. He just looked at her.0 Mu Mian, completely oblivious to the undercurrents between them, looked at Shen Xiyin, then at Lin Sen, and curiously asked, "Consultant Lin, Sister, are you communicating through mind reading?"0 "..."0 "But I can''t read minds, so I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''ll be very bored standing here. Can you communicate verbally? I promise I''ll keep it a secret. I won''t tell Fang Rui what you talked about."0 Shen Xiyin said to Mu Mian, "Mian, can you go home first?"0 "Okay. But Sister, come home soon, okay?" Mu Mian wasn''t interested in their secret.0 After Mu Mian left, Shen Xiyin said to Lin Sen, "Lin Sen, we can be friends, can''t we?"0 Lin Sen ignored her. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one.0 "I don''t need friends."0 Shen Xiyin sighed. She knew Lin Sen was a stubborn person, but wasn''t she also obsessive in her own way? Once she had decided to break up back then, she wouldn''t start over with Lin Sen.0 Lin Sen took a drag on his cigarette, his tone softening a bit, "You came back to the country to investigate the truth about your parents'' car accident, didn''t you?"0 Shen Xiyin''s mother was a renowned neurosurgeon, and her father was a senior researcher at a pharmaceutical company. They died in a car accident. The police found that the car involved in the accident had been tampered with, but they never caught the culprit.0 Lin Sen had participated in the investigation of this case at the time. They had identified a suspect, but that person had immigrated back to their home country.0 Shen Xiyin''s smile gradually faded, and she struggled to control her emotions, "Please don''t tell Mu Mian about this. I can handle my parents'' matter on my own."0 "Shen Xiyin, I can help you! I''ll take care of Mu Mian with you, I''ll help you investigate the truth about your parents'' accident. Can we get back together?"0 "Lin Sen, we can''t."0 When Shen Xiyin returned home, she found the house pitch dark. Just as she was puzzled, Mu Mian came out of the room holding a cake.0 "Sister, happy birthday!"0 Shen Xiyin was surprised and touched. This was the first time Mu Mian had taken the initiative to celebrate her birthday.0 "I originally ordered a very pretty cake with lots of beautiful flowers on it, but the bakery owner was arrested. Guess who discovered she was the murderer?"0 "You."0 "Yes, but Fang Rui also guessed she was the killer." Mu Mian remembered Lin Sen and asked, "Fang Rui said Consultant Lin likes you very much. Do you like him?"0 "Once upon a time, very much."0 "Will you marry him then?"0 "No," Shen Xiyin said, "I won''t marry anyone."0 "Then Consultant Lin is so pitiful. He likes you, but you won''t marry him. He''ll be all alone and very lonely."0 "He''ll fall in love with another girl in the future," Shen Xiyin sighed. "I''m not getting married, why don''t you think I''m pitiful?"0 "Sister, you have me. I''ll always be with you."0 Shen Xiyin smiled.0 Mu Mian turned on the small speaker, which played the birthday song. "Sister, hurry and blow out the candles to make a wish," she said.0 Shen Xiyin made her wish and blew out the candles.0 "This is my gift for you," Mu Mian handed Shen Xiyin an exquisite gift box, urging, "Open it quickly and take a look."0 "It''s beautiful. I love it," Shen Xiyin said as she opened it. Inside the box was an hourglass, simple in design, with soft white sand inside transparent glass.0 "After Mom and Dad passed away, you''ve been so busy all the time. I feel like you''re very tired. So I''m giving you an hourglass. Chen Xue said it can represent time. Sister, I wish you to have time!"0 Shen Xiyin hadn''t cried when their parents died, but at this moment, she suddenly found it hard to control her emotions.0 It turned out that Mu Mian could sense her feelings. It''s just that before, Mu Mian hadn''t learned how to express it.0 Mu Mian stretched out her arms and said to Shen Xiyin, "Sister, I can allow you to hug me now."0 "Mu Mian, thank you!"0 "You''re welcome."0 Mu Mian was very happy. She felt that she had finally done something that made her sister happy.0 She decided that when Fang Rui''s birthday came, she would also give him a cake and an hourglass. That way, Fang Rui would surely be so moved that he''d immediately agree to donate his body to her.1 Chapter 35 Mu Mian had just arrived at the office when she overheard Zhang and Chen Xue gossiping about their rumored romance.She was somewhat surprised, but also found it reasonable - they both loved to talk, so they must get along well. When Chen Xue saw even Mu Mian''s expression of having stumbled upon juicy gossip, she knew that rumors truly don''t stop with the wise! "Mian Mian, you have to believe me, I''m not dating Zhang," Chen Xue said. Mu Mian''s gaze was a bit bewildered as she asked in confusion, "But you seem so happy when you''re with Officer Zhang!" "...Do I?" Chen Xue questioned. "When you talk to me, you smile like this." Mu Mian stiffly imitated a "caught between laughter and tears" expression. "I smile sweetly at you, and your imitation looks nothing like it!" Chen Xue protested. "When you smile at Officer Zhang, your mouth stretches really wide. That''s how the female lead smiles at the male lead in movies," Mu Mian said, imitating a big, hearty laugh. One part of the autism intervention program involved having autistic patients watch therapist-selected movies and write their impressions afterwards. Mu Mian''s movie list included several romance films. Though she watched them many times without understanding, she did remember the female lead''s smile. Smiling, being one of the more outward and positive emotions, was also the emotion Mu Mian could identify most easily. Chen Xue fell into self-doubt: Could her pure collegial relationship with Zhang really have changed without her noticing? After solving the arson case involving Ye Zeming, the Special Crime Unit had been relatively idle for a while. "Fang Rui, there''s a case I find rather tricky. Could your Special Crime Unit take it over?" Captain Li from the neighboring Criminal Investigation Unit approached Fang Rui. "I think only your team can handle it!" Fang Rui asked, "What kind of case?" "A rape case. The victim is an internet celebrity, so it''s causing quite a stir. We need to solve it quickly. But it''s complicated and not easy to investigate." Without hesitation, Fang Rui asked for all the case files. Fang Rui saw the suspect''s name: Lin Qianjie, son of Jiangzhou City''s wealthiest man. No wonder Captain Li was in such a hurry to pass the case to him - he clearly didn''t want to invite trouble. Zhang tried desperately to signal Fang Rui with his eyes, but failed to stop him from taking the case. "Boss, are you crazy? Captain Li is obviously trying to dump this on us! Even if we solve it, we won''t get much credit. But if we can''t uncover the truth, or if the truth doesn''t match public speculation, we''ll be crucified!" Zhang exclaimed. Fang Rui paused in his steps. "Zhang, we became police officers to uphold justice, not for promotions or money." Zhang fell silent. Fang Rui had the right to say such things. Both of Fang Rui''s parents were in politics, and his family members all held high positions. If Fang Rui hadn''t insisted on becoming a police officer, he could have had an even brighter future. "But we can''t take every case that comes our way," Zhang said, stifling a bored yawn. "A case like this isn''t complex. There''s no challenge to it." The victim was named Lu Tian, a beauty blogger on a certain platform. On the day of the incident, Lin Qianjie had entered Lu Tian''s home under the pretext of discussing a business collaboration and then raped her. The forensic doctor had already examined Lu Tian. Semen was extracted from her vagina and confirmed to be Lin Qianjie''s. Lu Tian had many defensive wounds on her body, indirectly proving that she had been forced into sexual intercourse with Lin Qianjie against her will. Lin Qianjie had already been brought to the interrogation room. Lin Qianjie was somewhat good-looking, but had a sleazy air about him. There was a bruise at the corner of his mouth where Lu Tian had hit him with a vase while resisting. He wore a gaudy shirt, slouched sideways in his chair with his legs crossed, looking arrogant. No matter what he was asked, he kept saying that he had the right to remain silent until his lawyer arrived. When he saw Fang Rui enter, he was taken aback for a moment and instinctively sat up straighter. But the contemptuous smile remained on his face. "Well, if it isn''t my old classmate Fang Rui? Look at you now, what''s the point of being a lowly cop? Why don''t you come work for me as a bodyguard? I''ll pay you tens of thousands a month, that''s way more than you make as a cop, right?" Fang Rui raised his eyes and gave him a cool look. "Are you sure about that?" "Oh come on, I was just joking," Lin Qianjie immediately backed down. He knew very well that if Fang Rui wasn''t wearing that police uniform, he would have already beaten him up. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Qianjie and Fang Rui were classmates from elementary school through high school. Fang Rui, who despised evil, had always disliked Lin Qianjie and had beaten him up quite often. "Fang Rui, you don''t need to investigate this case. Lu Tian and I are a couple. I didn''t rape her at all. She''s just upset with me and that''s why she called the police on me. If you don''t believe me, go check - I have plenty of witnesses and evidence!" Fang Rui cut him off, "Answer only what I ask. Please don''t over-explain!" "Don''t be so serious. It''s not like I''m a real rapist!" Lin Qianjie protested. Fang Rui looked at him coldly. "Alright, alright, go ahead and ask. I''ll answer everything truthfully," Lin Qianjie conceded. "Describe the situation on the day of the incident." Lin Qianjie explained, "That day I had secured a brand promotion deal for Lu Tian, so I went to her place to give her the good news. We were already a couple, you know, and I have pretty high sexual needs, so naturally, things led to us having sex. Who would have thought Lu Tian would pull this trick, actually accusing me of rape? I''m being framed here!" "If she was willing, why does she have defensive wounds on her body?" Fang Rui questioned. "Come on, women are like that. They say no with their mouths, but they actually mean yes. It''s just foreplay!" Lin Qianjie glanced at Zhang, then looked back at Fang Rui. "You two are both single, how would you understand these things?" "You say you were dating her. Do you have any evidence?" Lin Qianjie leaned back, a very confident smile on his face. "There''s plenty of evidence. My lawyer is already collecting it, and he''ll bring it over to you soon. Fang Rui, you don''t need to investigate this case. My lawyer will submit all the evidence to you, and you can just write up the case closure report." Just as Lin Qianjie finished speaking, his lawyer arrived to bail him out. Lin Qianjie''s lawyer was named Wang Li, the most famous criminal lawyer in the city. Rumor had it that he had never lost a case. He even dared to defend murder cases with a not guilty plea, and still won. However, he generally only took cases for wealthy clients because his fees were exceptionally high. "Officer Fang, I believe these materials can prove that my client and Ms. Lu were in a relationship," Lawyer Wang, dressed in a black suit with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, looked very professional as he handed Fang Rui a file folder. Fang Rui took the folder, which was quite heavy, filled with photographs. All the photos were of Lin Qianjie and Lu Tian together - some of them on a yacht during a sea trip, some of them entering and leaving an apartment complex together, and some of them wearing matching outfits. The photos covered many different scenarios, but the main subjects were always Lin Qianjie and Lu Tian. In the photos, Lu Tian''s expressions looked natural, not as if she had been coerced into taking them. "Officer Fang, take your time to look through these. I''ll take my client home now," Wang Li said, having quickly completed the bail procedures. He was in a hurry to get Lin Qianjie out. Lin Qianjie raised his chin at Fang Rui provocatively. "Officer Fang, I''m leaving now!" A middle-aged woman with a refined air was waiting for him in the hallway. When Lin Qianjie saw her, his whole demeanor became nervous. He shuffled over slowly and called out, "Mom, why are you here?" The woman was Lin Qianjie''s stepmother, Jiang Yun. Without a word, she slapped him across the face. "You''re a disgrace!" Lin Qianjie''s fists clenched tightly, but he didn''t dare to talk back. Instead, he put on a placating smile and said, "I was set up by that woman this time. It won''t happen again." Mu Mian came out of the office just in time to see Jiang Yun. She froze in place. This woman looked almost identical to the mother in the photograph. Could she... be her mother? Chapter 36 Jiang Yun left with Lin Qianjie and Lawyer Wang, brushing past Mu Mian as they went.0Mu Mian froze, unsure whether to call out to her or if this woman could possibly be her mother. She had always imagined her mother as a poor, struggling woman who couldn''t afford to visit her abroad despite working hard. In her mind, her mother wore tattered clothes and had a face lined with wrinkles... but this woman looked nothing like that.0 If she was her mother, why hadn''t she come to see her when she seemed so wealthy?0 "Mu Mian, daydreaming again?" Fang Rui tapped her shoulder. "Save that for the office, or you''ll affect our City Police Bureau''s image."0 Mu Mian forced a smile worse than crying. "Got it."0 "Did something happen?" Fang Rui rarely saw Mu Mian looking so upset.0 Mu Mian shook her head. She was fine, she just needed to revise the mental image of her mother in her mind.0 "Fang Rui, I''m okay now," Mu Mian smiled again, this time genuinely.0 Fang Rui had the tech team verify the authenticity of the photos. They reported that none showed signs of digital manipulation and appeared to be genuine.0 Fang Rui and the police psychologist Li Lanlan took Lu Tian''s statement together.0 Lu Tian, 27 years old, was strikingly beautiful with classical features. But sitting in the interview room, she looked haggard, her pretty phoenix eyes swollen from crying.0 Li Lanlan asked gently, "Miss Lu, what is your relationship with Lin Qianjie?"0 "He''s a friend of my best friend. I guess we''re friends too."0 "But he says you two are in a romantic relationship," Li Lanlan said carefully, not wanting to upset the fragile-looking Lu Tian.0 "He''s lying! I don''t like him at all, and he''s never confessed to me. We''re just normal friends. He''s making this up to avoid punishment. He must be lying to save himself."0 "Miss Lu, please calm down. Why did you let him into your home on the night of the incident?"0 Lu Tian kept wiping away tears. "I''ve said this many times. He told me he had arranged an advertising deal for me and came over to discuss the details. My best friend was there at first, but she left after getting a phone call. We were in the middle of discussing contract details, so I couldn''t just kick him out. I had no idea he would drag me into the bedroom and force himself on me."0 Each recollection was deeply traumatic for Lu Tian. She was already emotionally fragile, and this retelling pushed her further towards a breakdown. She began crying uncontrollably.0 Fang Rui produced a photo of her with Lin Qianjie. "Miss Lu, how do you explain this picture?"0 The photo showed Lu Tian and Lin Qianjie posing together, Lu Tian smiling sweetly with a blue ocean in the background. They looked very intimate.0 "This photo was taken with my best friend and Lin Qianjie. Why is it just the two of us now? My friend should be there too!" Lu Tian looked at the photo in shock. "This must be fake. I''ve never taken a photo like this with him alone."0 Fang Rui pointed out, "But there are many such photos in different settings."0 "Impossible! I''ve never taken photos alone with Lin Qianjie. In this one, we''re wearing matching clothes because we were at a charity event. Many people wore the same shirt. This photo has been altered - we took it with a large group..."0 Lu Tian had a somewhat plausible explanation for each photo. But faced with so many pictures, her excuses seemed weak.0 Fang Rui latched onto a key figure in her story - her best friend.0 His instincts told him Lu Tian wasn''t lying.0 Fang Rui knew Lin Qianjie fairly well. Lin had been constantly dating girls since middle school and led a chaotic personal life. He was unscrupulous and had a history of deceiving girls. This was why Fang Rui used to beat him up so often!0 "Boss, you don''t think Lu Tian is actually lying, do you?" Zhang held up his phone. "A cleaner from Lu Tian''s apartment complex posted online saying she''d seen Lin Qianjie leaving Lu Tian''s place multiple times. Some female employees from Lin Qianjie''s company also claimed they saw Lu Tian passionately kissing him in his office..."0 After reporting to the police, Lu Tian had posted about the incident online, fearing the police might favor Lin Qianjie.0 As a popular social media influencer, her story spread quickly. Public opinion initially sided with Lu Tian. But when her "intimate photos" with Lin Qianjie appeared online, along with the efforts of Lin Qianjie''s paid internet trolls, public sentiment rapidly turned against her.0 "Have Li Lanlan stay with her 24/7. Her mental state is already fragile. If she sees these comments, she might even attempt suicide."0 "Boss, do you really think Lu Tian was raped?" Zhang was starting to waver in the face of so much evidence. While Lin Qianjie didn''t seem like a good person, did that necessarily mean the seemingly weak and pitiful Lu Tian was innocent?0 "Let''s find her best friend first. Maybe we can get some leads from her."0 Lu Tian''s best friend was named Wang Xiaoya, a sales assistant at a luxury goods store.0 When Fang Rui and Zhang arrived at the store, they saw Lawyer Wang just leaving.0 Lawyer Wang noticed Fang Rui and greeted him before driving away.0 "Boss, we''re too late. That lawyer Wang probably already bought off Wang Xiaoya."0 Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When they entered, Wang Xiaoya was touching up her makeup.0 After learning why they were there, she continued applying foundation: "Ask what you need to quickly. Don''t make me late for work."0 Zhang was indignant: "Miss Wang, your best friend went through such a traumatic experience, and you''re worried about makeup?"0 "What''s that supposed to mean? I didn''t stop doing my makeup even at my father''s funeral," Wang Xiaoya rolled her eyes at Zhang. "What''s wrong with putting on makeup? Is it a crime?"0 Fang Rui asked, "Were you at Lu Tian''s place on the night of July 20th?"0 Wang Xiaoya''s eyes lit up when she saw Fang Rui. She flipped her hair, "Officer, do you have a girlfriend?"0 "Please answer my question."0 "Fine, no need to be so harsh! Yes, I was at Lu Tian''s that night, but they seemed to be having a great conversation, so I felt like a third wheel and made an excuse to leave."0 "You say they were chatting happily?"0 "Of course."0 "Are Lu Tian and Lin Qianjie in a relationship?"0 "I can''t say for sure. Lin Qianjie changes girlfriends all the time, who knows what their relationship is? But Lin Qianjie seemed to really like Lu Tian. And Lu Tian took advantage of that to get a lot of benefits from him."0 Fang Rui showed her the stack of photos: "Were you present when these were taken?"0 "I was there for this one on the yacht. I don''t remember when this one was taken. I don''t think I was there for this one with the matching outfits." Wang Xiaoya cooperatively explained each photo.0 "I don''t know why Lu Tian is making such a fuss. This should be a good thing, I can''t understand why she reported it to the police! I suspect she might be mentally ill. She''s not quite right in the head, always going to see psychologists."0 "A good thing?" Zhang was stunned. "How is this good?"0 "Lin Qianjie runs an influencer management company. Lu Tian hooking up with him means she''ll have no shortage of resources in the future. If Lin Qianjie marries her, she''ll become a rich man''s wife! So many people would kill for that kind of luck, but she goes and offends her meal ticket!"0 Fang Rui realized they wouldn''t get any useful information from Wang Xiaoya.0 "Officer, is that all you''re going to ask?" Wang Xiaoya looked at Fang Rui, seeming reluctant to let him go. "Why don''t you leave me your number? If I remember anything, I''ll contact you right away."0 Fang Rui gave Zhang a look, and Zhang quickly wrote down a phone number for Wang Xiaoya.0 Wang Xiaoya took the paper with obvious disappointment.0 As soon as Zhang exited the luxury boutique, he quickly took a deep breath of fresh air. "My goodness," he exclaimed, "that woman''s perfume was so overpowering it nearly suffocated me."0 Chapter 37 Chen Xue and a few others, including Wang, were outraged when they heard about this case. They were completely on Lu Tian''s side. Lu Tian had a delicate, pitiful appearance that evoked sympathy, while Lin Qianjie, judging by his looks, seemed every bit the spoiled rich kid."Is there really nothing we can do to help Lu Tian?" Chen Xue was furious. "Even if Lu Tian was dating Lin Qianjie, does that give him the right to force her into a sexual relationship?" "Chen Xue, that''s not quite right. If they were actually in a relationship, it''s a different situation. Isn''t it normal for couples to be intimate?" someone countered. Chen Xue grew even more indignant: "As long as the woman doesn''t consent, it''s rape! Otherwise, why would marital rape be a crime?" Mu Mian, irritated by their heated debate, turned and said, "This Lin Qianjie is not a good person!" "Mu Mian, isn''t that obvious and beyond dispute?" Mu Mian continued, "He''s been involved in this kind of lawsuit more than once. One of the victims not only lost her case but was also sued by Lin Qianjie for defamation. In the end, that girl committed suicide by jumping off a building." "How do you know all this?" "I found it on the computer." Chen Xue immediately rushed to Mu Mian''s computer. On the screen was a court verdict: The Jiangzhou City East City District Court dismissed Shen Yuanyuan''s rape lawsuit against Lin Qianjie due to insufficient evidence... Mu Mian switched to another webpage, which was a news report. Shen Yuanyuan had suffered from cyberbullying because of this incident, and she also had to pay Lin Qianjie a huge amount in compensation, or she might have faced jail time. Under this double pressure of mental and financial strain, Shen Yuanyuan jumped to her death. The media had extensively covered Shen Yuanyuan''s loss in court, but very few outlets reported on her suicide. Only some independent bloggers had spread the news voluntarily, so it didn''t reach a wide audience. Chen Xue was terrified after reading this. If they couldn''t help Lu Tian, she might very well become the next Shen Yuanyuan. When Fang Rui and Zhang returned, Chen Xue showed them the news about Shen Yuanyuan: Shen Yuanyuan was a graduate student who had met Lin Qianjie through a friend, and they had attended gatherings together. Later, at one of these gatherings, Lin Qianjie raped Shen Yuanyuan. The subsequent developments were similar to Lu Tian''s case. Shen Yuanyuan also sued Lin Qianjie for rape, but Lin Qianjie used a wealth of evidence to prove that Shen Yuanyuan was his girlfriend. His lawyer also provided chat records suggesting that Shen Yuanyuan had attempted blackmail. In the end, not only did Shen Yuanyuan lose the case, but she also had to pay a huge amount in compensation. Zhang felt a chill run down his spine. "This Lin Qianjie is a habitual offender!" Fang Rui felt a headache coming on. In the current situation, unless they could obtain direct evidence of Lin Qianjie raping Lu Tian, there was no way Lu Tian could win this lawsuit. The next morning, Lin Qianjie and his defense lawyer proposed a private mediation with Lu Tian. The mediation was to take place in a private room at a restaurant. Lu Tian hadn''t hired a lawyer. She was accompanied by Nie Yan, the prosecutor in charge of the case. It wasn''t that Lu Tian couldn''t afford a lawyer, but other lawyers in Jiangzhou City were unwilling to defend her. They coldly told her that she had no chance of winning this lawsuit. That''s when Nie Yan actively sought her out. Rape cases are criminal cases, usually prosecuted by the procuratorate to the people''s court. Most prosecutors didn''t want to take on this case, but Nie Yan voluntarily applied to be responsible for it. When Nie Yan learned that Lin Qianjie and his team had arranged a private settlement meeting with Lu Tian, she feared Lu Tian might be taken advantage of and decided to accompany her. Lin Qianjie recognized Nie Yan. When he saw her, he flashed a smug smile: "If it isn''t Prosecutor Nie. Didn''t you have enough of losing last time?" Nie Yan ignored him and went straight into the private room. Lin Qianjie turned to Wang Li and said, "Let''s not settle with that bitch anymore. Let''s sue her for defamation, just like last time!" Wang Li''s expression was serious. He pushed up his glasses and said, "Miss Jiang said it would be better if we reached a settlement." Lin Qianjie immediately fell silent. Lawyer Wang poured Lu Tian a cup of tea and got straight to the point: "Miss Lu, if you''re willing to withdraw the lawsuit and publicly apologize to my client online, my client is willing to pay you one million yuan as a breakup fee!" Lu Tian didn''t hesitate and immediately refused: "I don''t want money. I want Lin Qianjie, that scumbag, to face legal punishment!" Lin Qianjie sat leisurely with his legs crossed, completely unfazed by Lu Tian''s curse. "We''re willing to settle with you not because we''re afraid of losing the lawsuit, but because we don''t want to make a big fuss and affect my client''s reputation," Lawyer Wang said. He took a sip of tea, his smile fading and a hint of malice flashing in his eyes. "Miss Lu, I advise you to think carefully. You only get one chance." "I''ve thought it through very clearly. I won''t compromise," Lu Tian said. Though she looked fragile, her will was strong. On the day she was hurt, she had sworn to make Lin Qianjie pay for his crimes. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open. Two elderly people walked in ¨C Lu Tian''s parents. They were farmers with little worldly experience, and they timidly greeted Lin Qianjie and Lawyer Wang. "Lawyer Wang, our Tian Tian will sign the settlement agreement. We''ll persuade her," Lu Tian''s mother said. Lu Tian''s mother held her daughter''s hand and said earnestly, "Tian Tian, just settle with him, okay? Let''s drop the lawsuit. How can ordinary people like us win a case like this?" "Dad, Mom, didn''t you say you would support me? I won''t settle with him!" Lu Tian protested. "We can''t win this case. Tian Tian, listen to your mother. Just settle with them," Lu Tian''s mother hugged her daughter, her tone urgent. "They''ve agreed to give us one million yuan. With that money, your brother can buy a house in the city..." Lu Tian''s father even knelt down before her. "Tian Tian, please settle." "Mom... Dad... why are you forcing me?" Lu Tian choked up, feeling as if she had fallen into an endless darkness. Her best friend had betrayed her, and now even her beloved parents were betraying her. She felt like a complete failure in life. Lawyer Wang was satisfied with this scene. He took out a contract that had been prepared in advance and handed it to Lu Tian. "Miss Lu, please sign. Once you sign, we''ll immediately transfer the one million yuan to your account." Lin Qianjie also watched the scene with a mocking look. In his mind, there was nothing money couldn''t solve. If it didn''t work, it just meant not enough money had been offered. "Tian Tian, sign it, quick, sign it!" Lu Tian''s father hurriedly brought the contract and pen to Lu Tian, urging her to sign. "That kind of thing isn''t a big deal. You can come back to the countryside with us afterward, and we''ll definitely find you a good match. He won''t mind these things." Lu Tian''s mother chimed in, "Yes, Tian Tian, don''t be stubborn. Out of this million, we''ll give you 200,000 yuan. You can use it to start a business!" Lu Tian was on the verge of a mental breakdown, crying uncontrollably. She felt as if she were drowning, unable to grasp onto anything. "Lawyer Wang, a rape case isn''t something that can be withdrawn just like that. If Lu Tian signs this contract, aren''t you going to turn around and sue her for blackmail next?" Nie Yan snatched away the contract, saying angrily. "Prosecutor Nie, you''re interfering too much. You should respect Miss Lu''s own choice," Lawyer Wang retorted. Nie Yan turned to Lu Tian and promised, "Lu Tian, if you don''t want to settle, I will definitely help you win this case!" Nie Yan''s words gave Lu Tian a chance to breathe. Lu Tian looked at Nie Yan eagerly: "I don''t want to settle. I don''t want to!" "Then we won''t settle," Nie Yan affirmed. "Madam Prosecutor, haven''t you learned your lesson yet? Wasn''t your last defeat embarrassing enough?" Lawyer Wang taunted Nie Yan. "Do you think you''re helping her? You''re actually harming her! If you had let that Miss Shen agree to withdraw the case, she wouldn''t have jumped to her death. Do you want to see Miss Lu commit suicide in front of you too?" Nie Yan was so angry her hands were shaking. She glared fiercely at Lin Qianjie and Lawyer Wang. "Those who do evil will eventually face retribution!" Lu Tian grasped Nie Yan''s hand. "Nie Yan, I trust you. Let''s go!" Nie Yan led Lu Tian out of the private room, with Lu Tian''s parents'' pleading voices still echoing behind them: "Tiantian, why are you being so stubborn? This is a million yuan we''re talking about! How can you just refuse it like that?" "Tiantian, please listen to your father just this once. I''m on my knees begging you!" Lu Tian ignored her parents. From the moment they had tried to force her to sign, she had decided to sever ties with them. "Nie Yan, aren''t you afraid of offending them by helping me like this? Lin Qianjie''s family is very powerful. Won''t they retaliate against you?" Nie Yan looked at Lu Tian, and through her, saw another fragile yet determined girl. Nie Yan said, "I don''t want to see another girl like you. I want to bring Lin Qianjie to justice." Nie Yan had previously handled Shen Yuanyuan''s case. She had lost that lawsuit, which had also cost Shen Yuanyuan her life. She didn''t want to see the tragedy repeat itself. Lin Qianjie watched Lu Tian leave, then turned to Lawyer Wang and said, "Since they refuse to drink to our toast, let''s make them drink a forfeit. This time, I''m not only going to sue that Lu Tian, I''m also going to ruin Nie Yan''s reputation!" Lawyer Wang gave Lin Qianjie a sidelong glance: "Miss Jiang only asked me to help you win this lawsuit. She didn''t ask me to do anything else." "Don''t worry, your work won''t go unrewarded. I''ll give you another sum of money." Lawyer Wang smiled with satisfaction, "That Nie Yan has crossed me several times. I''ve been wanting to teach her a lesson for a long time. Rest assured, this time I''ll put an end to her career for good." Chapter 38 Fang Rui planned to go to Lu Tian''s house with Zhang to see if they could find any clues. But as soon as he left the office, he saw Mu Mian blocking his way."Fang Rui, can I come with you to investigate the case?" she asked. "Why?" Fang Rui was a bit surprised. In his impression, Mu Mian wasn''t very interested in investigating cases; she was only interested in corpses. Mu Mian glanced back at Chen Xue, then looked at Fang Rui again. "For justice!" "..." As it happened, Zhang had gone out on duty, so Fang Rui directly took Mu Mian to Lu Tian''s house. Lu Tian lived in the Wenyuan Residential Complex in the East City district. The security in the complex was quite good. Lu Tian lived in Building 6, Room 603. Nie Yan opened the door. Lu Tian had been in a very bad emotional state recently, so Nie Yan was with her almost 24 hours a day, fearing she might do something rash. Nie Yan was pleasantly surprised to see Fang Rui. "Officer Fang? It''s been a while since we last met. Are you investigating this case?" "Yes. Nie Yan, are you in charge of Lu Tian''s case?" "That''s right. Are you here to see Lu Tian? She just took her medication and is asleep now. She''ll probably wake up in a while." Nie Yan used to specialize in handling criminal cases and was an excellent prosecutor, so she often had work handovers with Fang Rui and his team. Through these interactions, the two of them got to know each other. Later, Nie Yan was marginalized in the prosecutor''s office and was mainly responsible for small cases, so she had fewer interactions with Fang Rui. "Fang Rui, seeing that you''re investigating this case, I suddenly feel confident. I''m sure we can find evidence to prove Lin Qianjie''s guilt," Nie Yan said happily. Fang Rui and Nie Yan continued to exchange pleasantries, blocking Mu Mian''s path and making her a bit irritated. So she chimed in, "And me too!" Only then did Nie Yan notice that there was a young girl behind Fang Rui. "This is Prosecutor Nie Yan," Fang Rui turned to smile at Mu Mian, then introduced her to Nie Yan, "Nie Yan, this is Mu Mian, our new forensic expert at the City Police Bureau." "Hello, Forensic Expert Mu!" Nie Yan extended her hand towards Mu Mian. "Hello." Mu Mian looked at Nie Yan''s fair hand, which she didn''t know how many bacteria it harbored, and felt conflicted. She didn''t want to shake hands with this Prosecutor Nie. So she looked at the ceiling. "Sorry, I don''t like shaking hands." Nie Yan withdrew her hand, feeling that this Forensic Expert Mu didn''t seem to like her very much. The location of the rape case was Lu Tian''s room. Her room faced south, with a large window that let in plenty of light when the curtains weren''t drawn. After the rape occurred, Lu Tian hadn''t entered the room, preserving the crime scene. The entire room was in disarray. The pillow had fallen to the floor, there were pieces of a broken vase on the ground, and the blanket was messy, indicating that Lu Tian had put up a fierce struggle at the time. Looking out from the window, Mu Mian could see the balconies of the building opposite. The distance between the two buildings wasn''t very far. With good eyesight, one could see the TV screen in the living room across the way. The apartment directly across from them on the eighth floor was watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Mu Mian wanted to see more clearly, so she leaned out of the window to look. She was very curious about the flowers on the balcony of the ninth floor opposite, so she leaned out a bit further. The feeling of suspension suddenly reminded her that she was afraid of heights! Fang Rui had been discussing the case with Nie Yan. He caught sight of Mu Mian''s dangerous action from the corner of his eye and immediately ran over to pull her back. "Mu Mian, don''t you know how dangerous that is! Don''t you have a fear of heights? Why are you leaning out of the window? This is the sixth floor. If you fall, you''ll die!" Fang Rui was furious with Mu Mian. Mu Mian was startled and couldn''t help but point out, "I wouldn''t have fallen. I only had a quarter of my body out. According to the principle of leverage, I wouldn''t have fallen..." Seeing Fang Rui''s face getting darker, she quickly changed her tune, "Fang Rui, thank you for saving me!" "If you do this again, I won''t bring you out to investigate cases next time." Mu Mian felt a bit wronged. It was Fang Rui who was making a big deal out of nothing; she hadn''t done anything very dangerous. She still valued her life very much. She wanted to live for a very long time, so she could dissect Fang Rui''s body after he died. "What did you want to see?" "The balcony over there." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui followed Mu Mian''s gaze to the living room on the eighth floor of the opposite building. From this angle, they could see that the TV in the living room was playing a cartoon, which appeared to be SpongeBob SquarePants. Fang Rui almost laughed in exasperation, "Mu Mian, you made such a dangerous move just to watch SpongeBob SquarePants? Can''t you watch it on your phone?" Mu Mian wanted to argue, but seeing that Nie Yan was still standing nearby, she could only acquiesce. Nie Yan felt that the current Fang Rui was very different. She had dealt with Fang Rui before, and although he was very good at social niceties, he was skilled at controlling his emotions and often gave people a sense of detachment. But he was very different with Mu Mian. Fang Rui suddenly realized that the buildings in this residential complex were quite close together, which didn''t provide much privacy. The residents in the opposite building might also be able to see what was happening on Lu Tian''s side. "Were the curtains not drawn at the time of the incident?" Fang Rui turned to ask Lu Tian. Lu Tian said, "I''m not sure. That day he suddenly pulled me into the room. I don''t remember clearly. But I didn''t touch the curtains afterwards, so they probably weren''t drawn." Nie Yan immediately understood Fang Rui''s meaning - the residents in the opposite building might have seen what happened. Nie Yan immediately ran out to investigate. Mu Mian watched Nie Yan''s hastily departing figure and sighed, "Fang Rui, next time don''t reveal the clues. Look, she''s beaten us to it." "She''s Lu Tian''s prosecutor. She''s on our side." "Shouldn''t we be neutral?" Fang Rui was taken aback. Perhaps because Lin Qianjie had so much negative history, he had subconsciously sided with Lu Tian. But Lu Tian could also be the one lying. "It''s okay, those residents haven''t returned from work yet, so her trip will be in vain," Fang Rui said. "We''ll go interview those residents after dark." Fang Rui then questioned the security guard downstairs. The security guard was a man from the Northwest, with a large build. He spoke with an accent: "Miss Lu and Mr. Lin were definitely a couple. We often saw them entering and leaving the complex together." "Are you saying that Lin Qianjie also lives in this complex?" "Yes, Mr. Lin lives on the eighth floor. But Sister Wang said that when she was cleaning early in the morning, she saw Mr. Lin coming out of her apartment several times. They were probably living together." Fang Rui then found the cleaning lady, Sister Wang. She was in her fifties and looked quite kind. "Mr. Lin moved in last month. I remember him clearly because as soon as he moved in, he gave me a big red envelope with several hundred yuan. He was very generous. He and Miss Lu had a very good relationship. Once when I was cleaning the corridor, I saw him coming out of Miss Lu''s apartment. It was at 6:30 in the morning, they couldn''t have been discussing work at that time, right? Oh, Miss Lu is too bad. She was clearly in a relationship with Mr. Lin, but she accused him of rape. She probably didn''t get the money she wanted, so she turned on him. Young girls these days are so wicked." "Have you seen them come out of the apartment together?" "No, I haven''t!" "Thank you for your cooperation." Fang Rui felt that this cleaning lady probably wasn''t lying, but why would Lin Qianjie come out of Lu Tian''s apartment? Could Lu Tian be lying? As night fell, lights began to come on in the residential complex. "Based on the distance between the two buildings and the height of Lu Tian''s window, the residents who can see into Lu Tian''s room are those on the fourth to twelfth floors," Mu Mian said, drawing a proportional sketch of the two buildings on paper. "The residents on the left side can''t see into Lu Tian''s room due to the angle. So we only need to question sixteen households." "Mm-hmm." Most of the residents were cooperative. Upon learning of Fang Rui''s purpose, they all said they hadn''t seen anything. "Why are you here again? Didn''t you ask us last night?" one resident complained. "Someone came to ask you last night?" Fang Rui inquired. "Yes, he said he was the prosecutor in charge of Miss Lu''s case." Fang Rui frowned. Nie Yan had only gone to question these residents this afternoon. How could someone have come last night? "It was a man in a suit, wearing glasses." It was Lawyer Wang! Fang Rui knew that someone had beaten him to it again. Even if there were eyewitnesses, it was very likely that Lawyer Wang had already bought them off. Sure enough, as Fang Rui went door to door asking questions, most people cooperatively claimed they hadn''t seen anything. By the time he had finished questioning all the residents, it was already ten o''clock at night. They had walked so much that day that Mu Mian felt her legs cramping. She was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep. Fang Rui said, "Let''s go back!" As they reached the ground floor, Mu Mian suddenly said, "Fang Rui, I wasn''t really watching SpongeBob this afternoon." "Mm, I know." "No, you don''t. I was looking at the balcony on the ninth floor. I saw a red dot from a camera on that balcony. There''s a good chance a camera has been installed there." Fang Rui looked up at the balcony on the ninth floor. The owner of that apartment seemed to be away, as the entire place was dark. The balcony was filled with various plants, some with beautiful flowers blooming, and some with vines. Among the greenery, there was a faint red dot, but it wasn''t clear what it was. Fang Rui went to find the residential complex''s security guard again. The guard knew that resident because he had given the guard several pots of orchids and always greeted him when coming and going. "Uncle, my girlfriend wants to buy some orchids from the resident on the ninth floor of that building. Do you have their contact information?" Fang Rui made up an excuse, fearing that this security guard might have also been bought off by Lawyer Wang. "The flowers at his place are indeed beautiful, but he might not want to sell them. His phone number... Oh, I can''t just give you residents'' contact information. You''ll have to find him yourself." "Do you know when he''ll be back?" "He left on a business trip a few days ago and should be back tomorrow. How about this: give me your phone number, and when he returns, I''ll ask him to contact you. But whether he''ll sell the flowers or not, I can''t say." After getting the information from the security guard, Fang Rui returned to the car to find Mu Mian already asleep. Looking at the dark circles under Mu Mian''s eyes, Fang Rui smiled helplessly. He didn''t know why Mu Mian had suddenly become so invested in this case, but he was certain that Mu Mian had been acting a bit strange these past few days. Mu Mian wasn''t usually the type of person who was passionate about upholding justice. Chapter 39 The next day at noon, Fang Rui suddenly received a call from the community security guard.0"That young man has returned, but he says he''s not selling his flowers, and he refuses to contact you."0 "Alright, thank you."0 Fang Rui and Zhang immediately drove to the residential complex.0 "Boss, what did you do with Mu Forensic Doctor yesterday? Look how tired she is, she has no energy at work today."0 "Investigating the case!"0 "Boss, haven''t you noticed that I''m still the more useful assistant? At least I have good stamina and never complain about being tired!"0 Fang Rui gave Zhang a side-eye, "She''s quieter than you!"0 "When Mu Forensic Doctor isn''t quiet, her destructive power is much stronger than mine," Zhang grumbled.0 "Her evidence-gathering ability is better than yours."0 "..."0 The resident who grew flowers was named Yu Haibo. After learning of Fang Rui''s intentions, he hesitated, "I''m sorry, I can''t give you the surveillance footage."0 "Why not?"0 "It''s not that I don''t want to cooperate with you, but the camera on my balcony is only used to film my flowers. It probably didn''t capture any other residents, so even if I gave it to you, it wouldn''t be of any use."0 Zhang pleaded, "We only need the surveillance footage from July 20th. Even if it''s useless, please give it to us. What if there''s some clue? We really need this video!"0 "I''m sorry, I can''t provide it!" Yu Haibo made a gesture of seeing them out, "Officers, I need to rest, so I won''t be entertaining you any longer."0 "We won''t disclose your personal information," Fang Rui said. "You won''t need to cooperate with any subsequent court appearances either. You just need to give us the footage."0 After hesitating for a long time, Yu Haibo finally told the truth: "I really only installed the camera to film my plants, but if I give you the surveillance footage, and it happens to have captured something it shouldn''t have, my reputation would be ruined. What would others think of me? I''m a university professor, if people found out, I could very well be seen as a peeping tom."0 "Mr. Yu, we will keep it confidential for you..."0 Yu Haibo interrupted Zhang, "Officer, it''s not that I don''t want to help you. Firstly, my surveillance probably didn''t capture any relevant content, and secondly, even if it did capture something, the court would definitely require me to testify, and if I don''t testify, this evidence would likely be invalid, so it wouldn''t be of any use to you even if you had it. So, you''d better look for other evidence!"0 "Mr. Yu, please consider the case of Shen Yuanyuan... If you don''t help, Miss Lu could very well be the next Shen Yuanyuan..."0 "I''m sorry, I can''t help you. I will delete this footage immediately, so don''t come looking for me again!" Yu Haibo''s tone was very firm. He wanted to be a kind person, but everything he had now had not come easily, and he didn''t want to face any risks.0 Fang Rui knew it would be very difficult to change his mind, and he didn''t want to morally coerce Yu Haibo. He said to Zhang, "Zhang, let''s go!"0 The surveillance installed on the balcony was private property, and if the owner refused to provide it, the police couldn''t force him to, unless Fang Rui and his team could prove that the camera had captured Lu Tian''s situation.0 After leaving the complex, Zhang kept looking back, "Boss, are we really not going to try to persuade him again? This is the most promising evidence."0 "We can only look for other evidence now."0 Back at the office, Chen Xue immediately ran over to ask about the result: "Zhang, did you get the footage?"0 Zhang dejectedly replied, "No! The owner refused to hand over the footage."0 Mu Mian, who had been napping on her desk, sighed upon hearing Zhang''s words, "Then Prosecutor Nie will most likely lose this case." Mu Mian then looked at Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, do you want to go comfort her?"0 Zhang and Chen Xue both looked at Fang Rui: "Captain Fang, why do you need to comfort Prosecutor Nie? And who is Prosecutor Nie?"0 Mu Mian explained, "Prosecutor Nie is the public prosecutor for Lu Tian''s rape case. She''s also Fang Rui''s friend."0 "You just continue your nap!" Fang Rui pushed Mu Mian''s head back onto the desk. He clarified to Zhang and Chen Xue, "The person Mu Mian is talking about is Nie Yan. Zhang, you know her too."0 "Ah, I remember now. That prosecutor is amazing at investigating cases. And she has a strong sense of justice. I''ve always thought she should be a police officer; she''s wasting her talents in the prosecutor''s office."0 Zhang then turned to whisper to Chen Xue: "She seems to have a crush on the boss, but unfortunately, the boss never picked up on her hints, so they never got together. The CP you''re shipping is in danger."0 Chen Xue''s internal alarm bells started ringing. She looked at Mu Mian, who was carefreely napping, and felt exasperated.0 Mu Mian, your man is about to be snatched away, and you can still sleep!0 She wanted to shake Mu Mian awake, but she felt a cold gaze on her.0 "Chen Xue, don''t disturb Mu Mian''s sleep! She needs to rest well," Fang Rui warned quietly.0 "..." She had worried for nothing.0 When Nie Yan learned from Fang Rui that Yu Haibo''s surveillance might have captured the incident, she also tried to contact Yu Haibo many times, but he refused to provide the footage and stated that he had already deleted it, asking Nie Yan not to harass him anymore.0 Nie Yan handed Yu Haibo a newspaper with a report on Shen Yuanyuan''s case: "Mr. Yu, this is a news report about the victim in another case. If you don''t help, Lin Qianjie might target other girls. Please reconsider!"0 Yu Haibo took the newspaper, but he still refused to hand over the surveillance video to Nie Yan.0 With Lu Tian''s case about to go to trial, the police still hadn''t found new evidence, and the current evidence all seemed to indicate that Lin Qianjie and Lu Tian were in a relationship, which didn''t constitute rape.0 Although Chen Xue wasn''t directly involved, she was more anxious than anyone. She buzzed around Mu Mian like a fly.0 "Mian Mian, clever and cute Mian Mian, use that smart brain of yours and think of a way to help Lu Tian!"0 She didn''t dare to bother Fang Rui, so she could only pester Mu Mian.0 Mu Mian heaved a heavy sigh.0 Half an hour later, Mu Mian sent Fang Rui and Chen Xue a surveillance video file named "Evidence."0 "Mu Mian, where did you get this video?" Fang Rui asked, holding his phone.0 Chen Xue opened the video. It was about five minutes long. In the video, Lin Qianjie was constantly using violence to control Lu Tian, while Lu Tian was continuously resisting, but unsuccessfully.0 "Mian Mian, where did this video come from? This is solid evidence! Lin Qianjie clearly committed rape!"0 Mu Mian looked up at Fang Rui, "Downloaded from Mr. Yu''s computer."0 Chen Xue exclaimed in surprise, "You hacked into Yu Haibo''s computer? You even have hacking skills?"0 Mu Mian shook her head, "I don''t have those skills, that would be illegal."0 Chen Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Good, Mu Mian understands the law!0 "So I paid my hacker friend to help me hack into Mr. Yu''s computer. We found this video in his computer''s recycle bin. My hacker friend helped me download it and sent it to me."0 Mu Mian''s tone was proud, "Now we have evidence to prove that Lin Qianjie is a rapist!"0 "Mu Mian, this footage was obtained through illegal means. We can''t use it in court," Fang Rui reminded her. "You can''t do things like this in the future, understand?"0 "But I bought this video, it''s not illegal!" Seeing Fang Rui''s expression wasn''t very pleased, Mu Mian nodded, "I understand. Fang Rui, I promise, I won''t casually hire hackers to hack other people''s computers in the future."0 Fang Rui patiently explained to her, "The judge will definitely ask about the source of the video. If we can''t provide that, this evidence will likely not be accepted, and we might get into trouble."0 "Alright."0 S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui asked, "Was the video already edited when you hacked into the computer?"0 "Yes," Mu Mian said. "But it was in the recycle bin. It had been deleted."0 This video was probably edited by Yu Haibo himself, and the fact that he edited it shows that he had considered testifying. But he then deleted the video, which means he ultimately chose not to testify.0 Fang Rui thought for a moment and said, "Can your friend put this video back on his computer desktop? Preferably in an easily noticeable place, in a conspicuous format. It would be even better if it could automatically play at random intervals."0 Chapter 40 Mu Mian opened her eyes wide and looked at Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, you didn''t let me hire a hacker earlier. Are you teaching me to do bad things now?"0Chen Xue was also surprised. How could the usually upright Captain Fang be instigating Mu Mian to break the law?0 Fang Rui patted Mu Mian''s head and corrected her: "Mu Mian, computer viruses are very common. This is common knowledge. It''s Mr. Yu''s computer that got a virus, what does that have to do with us?"0 Mu Mian nodded, "I see. Getting a virus isn''t illegal!"0 You don''t understand at all! Chen Xue just realized that Fang Rui could be a bit slyly mischievous.0 "Mian Mian, ask your friend to add some creepy music," Chen Xue said. "It will help set the mood."0 "No problem." Mu Mian looked at them again, "Do you have any other requests? Tell me all at once, otherwise if you add requirements later, it''ll cost more money."0 Mu Mian immediately contacted her hacker friend using her encrypted email and told him her requirements.0 The hacker said he could do it, but it would cost double.0 Mu Mian sent him the money right away.0 The hacker replied that he would strike when Yu Haibo was working late at night on his PowerPoint, as that would have the best effect.0 Chen Xue exclaimed in surprise: "Mu Mian, you''re so impressive, you even know a hacker friend?"0 "We met in an online mental health support group. He became my friend because I was the only one willing to play air chess with him."0 "What''s air chess?"0 "There''s no chessboard or pieces, you have to remember the positions of your moves and your opponent''s moves in your head. It''s really fun. Want me to play with you? But with you, we might only be able to play tic-tac-toe."0 "No thanks!"0 Chen Xue was speechless. Mu Mian''s friends were just as strange as her. She asked again: "How much did you pay to hire him?"0 Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian held up five fingers.0 "Fifty thousand?"0 Mu Mian shook her head.0 "Five hundred thousand?"0 Mu Mian continued shaking her head, "Fifty US dollars. He said Mr. Yu''s computer didn''t even have a firewall, so he got in easily. It wasn''t technically challenging at all. But he still charged me because he was afraid if he didn''t, I''d ask him for favors all the time!"0 "Do you often ask him to hack computers for you?"0 "Of course not. Including this time, it''s only been twice."0 "Whose computer did you hack last time?" Chen Xue glanced at Fang Rui, who had returned to his seat, and whispered, "It wasn''t Captain Fang''s, was it?"0 Mu Mian nodded guiltily, "Yes. I wanted to know what Fang Rui likes." She added: "But he doesn''t have any hobbies. His computer only has work files. His inner world is quite barren."0 "..." Who still uses computers for entertainment these days? Doesn''t everyone play on their phones now? But Chen Xue didn''t dare remind Mu Mian, afraid she might hack Fang Rui''s phone next.0 Late that night, Yu Haibo opened his computer, intending to play a game to relax. Suddenly his computer froze, and eerie music began to play.0 Just as he was about to shut it down, his screen suddenly split into many small frames, each playing the video of Lu Tian being raped. Accompanied by fancy special effects, these frames started rotating in a mesmerizing way.0 He tried to turn off the computer, but couldn''t. He was sweating profusely from anxiety.0 Ten minutes later, his computer finally returned to normal. The video file he had deleted now reappeared prominently on the desktop. The file kept flashing, impossible to ignore.0 He successfully lost sleep that night.0 The next morning, when he turned on his computer, the same thing happened again.0 He didn''t hesitate any longer. He sent the video to Nie Yan, indicating that he would testify in court if needed.0 On the day of the trial, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.0 Fang Rui, Mu Mian, Zhang, Chen Xue, and others also went to the courthouse. Rape cases are usually not open to the public, but they were the investigating officers who handled the case, so they could attend.0 They had learned from Mu Mian''s hacker friend that Yu Haibo had sent the surveillance video to Nie Yan. So they all came to see Lin Qianjie go to jail.0 "Fang Rui, thank you all for coming to support us," Nie Yan greeted them when she saw Fang Rui and the others.0 Lu Tian had put on makeup today and was wearing a white chiffon maxi dress. She looked spirited and didn''t seem nervous at all. She appeared relaxed, as if certain of her victory.0 "Mr. Yu sent me the surveillance video and agreed to testify," Nie Yan said, holding up a USB drive, her face full of confidence. "We''re sure to win this case!"0 The video had been sent just two hours before the trial. Nie Yan hurried to submit it as new evidence. This normally wouldn''t follow proper procedure, but luckily the court clerk knew her and bent the rules a bit to allow her to submit it successfully. Otherwise, she would have had to wait until the next hearing to submit it.0 After everyone had arrived in court, the presiding judge declared the trial open, and Lin Qianjie was brought to the defendant''s seat. His expression was casual and nonchalant, as if he were at a bar rather than in court.0 After the judge went through the routine questioning of Lin Qianjie, prosecutor Nie Yan read out the indictment.0 Lin Qianjie''s defense lawyer, Wang Li, immediately began his defense: "The charges in the indictment are unfounded. My client and the plaintiff were in a romantic relationship. Prior to this, they had already been intimate multiple times.0 On the night in question, my client and the plaintiff were alone together, and overcome by passion, they engaged in consensual relations.0 Because my client did not promise to marry the plaintiff, she is falsely accusing my client of forcing her. This is a malicious accusation by the plaintiff.0 I have already submitted the relevant evidence to the court."0 The judge had already reviewed the evidence provided by Wang Li. He turned to Nie Yan: "Prosecutor, do you have any objections to these photographs?"0 "Yes!" Nie Yan held up one of the photos, showing Lu Tian and Lin Qianjie wearing matching outfits. "Don''t the two people in this photo appear to be wearing couple outfits?"0 Nie Yan then produced a group photo, "But this clothing was actually a T-shirt for a certain event. Everyone in this photo is wearing the same shirt."0 "The angles of these photos are all very strange. For example, in this one, neither the plaintiff nor the defendant is facing the camera directly, which doesn''t match our usual photo-taking habits. It''s reasonable to assume that this was originally a group photo, but to capture just these two people alone, they had to shoot from this awkward angle." Nie Yan went on to explain the other photos.0 She concluded by saying: "The defense lawyer is attempting to mislead everyone with these photos, creating a false impression that the victim and the defendant were dating."0 Wang Li then called other witnesses to the stand.0 The first to testify was Lin Qianjie''s female secretary.0 "Our boss was definitely dating Miss Lu. That day, Miss Lu went into our boss''s office. Our boss came out midway to give me some tasks, and I saw lipstick marks on the corner of his mouth. They must have been kissing, otherwise how would our boss have lipstick on his face?"0 "When did this happen?"0 "July 15th."0 Nie Yan smiled, "The victim had lip inflammation in early July, so she hadn''t been using lipstick for most of that month. So how could the lipstick marks on your boss''s face have anything to do with the victim?"0 "I..."0 "Objection! This is leading the witness," Wang Li interrupted Nie Yan''s questioning.0 "Objection sustained. Prosecutor, please present relevant evidence," the judge said.0 "The victim mentioned having lip inflammation in her livestream video. She livestreams every day, and she hasn''t been wearing lipstick in her recent videos."0 The next to testify was the janitor from Lu Tian''s apartment complex: "I saw Mr. Lin leaving Miss Lu''s apartment."0 Nie Yan asked, "How many times did you see this?"0 "Two or three times?"0 "You usually clean the hallways between 5 and 7 in the morning. So you saw Mr. Lin in the morning each time?" Nie Yan inquired.0 "Yes."0 "If the defendant and the victim were in a relationship, why would he leave my client''s home so early in the morning?" Nie Yan looked at the judge, "The victim once lost a key. I suspect this key was picked up by the defendant. He used the key to sneak into the victim''s home and create the false impression that he was living with the victim."0 Nie Yan systematically refuted each piece of evidence presented by the defense lawyer.0 However, these rebuttals weren''t strong enough, causing the case to fall into a "Rashomon" situation where neither side could definitively prove the truth or falsehood of the events.0 "Your Honor, I have submitted a new piece of evidence, a surveillance video," Nie Yan said.0 Chapter 41 "Objection! This video was not included in the list of evidence provided by the prosecutor before the trial," Wang Li said.0The presiding judge hesitated. According to procedure, this was irregular - such evidence should be submitted at the next hearing. However, exceptions could be made on a case-by-case basis. If the evidence had a crucial impact on the trial, he as the judge could use his discretion to make a ruling.0 Nie Yan said, "Your Honor, this evidence will have a critical impact on the case. I only obtained it just before the trial, so I couldn''t submit it in advance. Please consider allowing it."0 The judge played the video in court.0 In the video, Lin Qianjie forcibly restrained Lu Tian, who was struggling and repeatedly trying to resist without success, until Lin Qianjie finally had his way with her.0 Though not high definition, the faces were clearly visible. This recording was enough to convict Lin Qianjie.0 Seeing the video, Lawyer Wang frowned slightly. "Objection! Your Honor, I question the authenticity of this video and request a recess."0 "The court will fully consider the defense counsel''s opinion," said the judge. "We will now take a 30-minute recess before reconvening."0 As soon as the recess began, Lin Qianjie berated his lawyer: "Is this how you handle things? Why do they have video footage? Why didn''t you buy it off them? You''re so incompetent - I''ll never hire you again!"0 "Shut up!" Lawyer Wang snapped impatiently. "Can''t you keep your cool? I told you, we won''t lose this case, period! If you don''t want to go to jail, keep your mouth shut and don''t say anything you shouldn''t!"0 Wang Li was furious at his client''s idiocy. Committing a crime was bad enough, but how could he let someone record it on video?0 Lin Qianjie laughed bitterly. "You''re telling me to shut up? Get this straight - I''m the one paying you. How dare you yell at me?"0 "Mr. Lin, you''re not the one who hired me. Miss Jiang is," Lawyer Wang reminded him.0 Lin Qianjie immediately backed down.0 Lawyer Wang glanced at the smiling Nie Yan and Lu Tian, a hint of viciousness flashing in his eyes. "Let them enjoy their moment. They won''t be smiling for long."0 He hadn''t planned to be too harsh on Lu Tian before, but now they were asking for it.0 Across the crowd, Fang Rui observed Lawyer Wang, noting the cold, snake-like gleam in his eyes.0 This lawyer likely had more dirty tricks up his sleeve.0 "Fang Rui, it''s all thanks to you for telling me that security camera might have caught the incident. Otherwise, we''d have a hard time winning this case. I''ll have to treat you to a nice dinner when it''s over."0 "I''m the one who found the camera," Mu Mian emphasized.0 Nie Yan turned to Mu Mian. "Then I owe you a big meal, Dr. Mu."0 "Great, I''ll send you my list of dietary restrictions beforehand. I''m not a picky eater."0 "..."0 The 30 minutes passed quickly. Mu Mian went to the restroom, and when she returned, she noticed the woman who resembled her mother sitting in a corner.0 After some consideration, Mu Mian walked over and sat down in the empty seat beside her.0 Once all relevant parties had arrived, the court reconvened.0 The technical experts had confirmed the video''s authenticity. Its contents clearly showed that Lin Qianjie was indeed forcing himself on Lu Tian when the incident occurred.0 At this point, Wang Li adjusted his glasses and said, "Your Honor, I request that a new witness be allowed to testify."0 The judge felt a headache coming on. Why did everyone insist on presenting new evidence during the trial? Was it so difficult to give advance notice?0 "Your Honor, this witness''s testimony will also have a critical impact on the case," Wang Li said confidently.0 After conferring with the other judges, the presiding judge granted Wang Li''s request.0 Lu Tian''s mother walked gravely to the witness stand. She glanced at her daughter in the plaintiff''s seat, a flicker of guilt passing through her aged eyes before she quickly looked away.0 When Lu Tian saw her mother appear, it was as if she''d been struck. Why was her mother testifying as a witness for Lin Qianjie?0 Nie Yan frowned. Why would Wang Li call Lu Tian''s mother to testify? How could this help refute the rape charges against Lin Qianjie?0 "Witness, please state your identity," the judge instructed.0 "Wang Guixiang. I am Lu Tian''s mother," she replied.0 "Witness, do you understand your obligation to testify truthfully to this court? If you give false testimony or deliberately conceal facts, you will face legal consequences," the judge reminded her, following procedure.0 "I understand. Lawyer Wang explained everything to me."0 Wang Li turned to Wang Guixiang and began questioning: "Mrs. Wang, what is the relationship between your daughter Lu Tian and my client Lin Qianjie?"0 "They were dating."0 "Do you have any evidence to support this?"0 "My daughter told me several times on the phone that she had a boyfriend. She said his name was Lin Qianjie, that his family was very wealthy, and that we''d soon be living a better life. Her father can confirm this as well."0 Lu Tian glared furiously at her mother, shouting hysterically, "I never said any of that! Why are you lying?! Mom, I''m your daughter - how can you slander me like this..."0 "Plaintiff, please remain calm!" the judge interrupted Lu Tian''s tearful outburst.0 "Tian-tian, it''s precisely because you''re my daughter that I can''t stand by and watch you make mistakes and falsely accuse others! We must live with a clear conscience and not do bad things!"0 Lawyer Wang asked, "Mrs. Wang, based on your understanding of your daughter, why do you think she would falsely accuse my client?"0 "Objection! Speculation!" Nie Yan interjected.0 "Overruled. The witness may continue," said the judge.0 "Tian-tian has mental health issues. Her moods are extremely unstable - she can be happy in the morning and throwing tantrums by afternoon. She''s been seeing psychologists for years without improvement."0 "Did the doctors diagnose her condition?"0 "I believe it was schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. Tian-tian has frequently claimed men were raping her before.0 Oh, it''s our fault really. When Tian-tian was young, a relative of ours molested her. Since it was family, we didn''t report it to the police. Tian-tian was severely traumatized - she almost committed suicide by eating rat poison. Luckily we discovered it in time.0 We didn''t know any better back then and didn''t take her to see a psychologist. This is how she turned out as she grew up."0 "Has she falsely accused others before?"0 "In college, she had a boyfriend. The boy kissed her once, and she insisted on reporting him to the police for rape. Fortunately, we stopped her, or that poor boy''s reputation would have been ruined."0 Lu Tian shrieked in denial: "These are all lies! None of this ever happened. Mom, why are you making up these stories?"0 Nie Yan challenged: "If you say Lu Tian reported it, where''s the police report?"0 "There isn''t one - we stopped Tian-tian from filing the report. But you can contact that boy; I can give you his information."0 Lu Tian''s face changed slightly. In college, she had been sexually harassed by a male student, but he was never her boyfriend. How did her mother know about this?0 Nie Yan realized the male student was likely someone who had pursued Lu Tian. After being rejected, he might have spread rumors about her being his girlfriend. And many people tend to believe such rumors.0 Wang Li stared at Lu Tian, enunciating each word: "Miss Lu, are you also denying that you''ve seen psychologists?"0 "I..." Lu Tian couldn''t refute this point. She did have bipolar disorder and was indeed taking medication regularly.0 Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Your Honor, I request a psychiatric evaluation of the plaintiff. I suspect the plaintiff may have had an episode during intimate relations with my client, which could explain the resistance we saw in the security footage."0 After conferring with the other judges, the presiding judge granted Wang Li''s request.0 "The court will fully consider the defense counsel''s opinion," said the judge. "We will now adjourn and reconvene at a later date, which will be notified in writing."0 As the trial concluded, Lu Tian collapsed in the plaintiff''s seat, as if she had endured mental torture.0 She had always known her parents favored boys over girls and that her mother didn''t love her that much, but she had deluded herself into believing her mother cared for her at least a little.0 Even on that day when her parents forced her to sign the settlement agreement, Lu Tian still held a glimmer of hope for them, defending them in her heart as simply being afraid of poverty, desperately in need of money.0 But every word her mother just uttered in the courtroom felt like sharp swords, piercing Lu Tian to her core.0 At this moment, she had only one thought: to die. Just die and leave this godforsaken world.0 "Lu Tian, don''t be afraid. You still have me," Nie Yan tightly embraced Lu Tian, her voice trembling. "It''s okay. Even if your mother has betrayed you, you still have me. We can win this!"0 Nie Yan was stunned by Wang Li''s brutal attack. She hadn''t expected Wang Li to approach the defense from this angle.0 Now that Lu Tian had just endured so much, and given her existing emotional issues, if they were to conduct a psychiatric evaluation on her at this point, they would have no chance of winning.0 More importantly, Lu Tian''s mother''s words were a fatal blow to Lu Tian!0 Lu Tian was like a soulless puppet, allowing Nie Yan to hold her without any reaction. She felt utterly exhausted, lacking even the strength to blink.0 Lin Qianjie strutted around like a victorious rooster, his face beaming with glee. He came over to observe Lu Tian''s expression, leering at her with a lecherous grin.0 "Tsk, tsk. I told you to settle with me quietly, but you wouldn''t listen. Now it''s too late. Let me tell you, you''re going to lose this case for sure.0 This is just the beginning. I''m going to have you locked up in a mental hospital. Haha! That way, no one will be able to rape you anymore. Though, looking as crazy as you do now, even if someone offered you for free, no one would touch you. They''d be afraid you''d go berserk and attack them!"0 Chapter 42 Lu Tian watched his smug expression, her nails digging deep into her palms. Blood seeped from her clenched fists, bringing her a moment of clarity.0Suddenly, she felt a surge of strength. A voice in her head told her not to give up, she must not give up! How could she surrender her life when this scumbag hadn''t been punished yet?0 Fang Rui rolled his eyes at Lin Qianjie, "You haven''t won the case yet. What are you so pleased about?"0 Lin Qianjie put his arm around Lawyer Wang, his tone boastful, "With Lawyer Wang here, how could I possibly lose? Fang Rui, remember to come to my victory party. I''ll treat you to something nice."0 "Mr. Lin, Miss Jiang wants us to return," Lawyer Wang shrugged off his hand, his tone cold.0 "Alright, I know."0 "Nie Yan, we can''t lose!" Lu Tian stared intently at Nie Yan. "I''ll take my medication properly, I''ll control my emotions well. I won''t let those experts diagnose me as insane. We cannot lose!"0 Lu Tian wasn''t doing this for herself. Her life was already ruined. She just didn''t want scum like Lin Qianjie to harm another innocent girl.0 Let the tragedy end with her.0 Nie Yan, however, wasn''t so confident anymore. Mental assessments weren''t as easy to distinguish between true and false as other physical evidence. In other words, if Lawyer Wang had bribed those experts, even if they provided false assessment reports, they would have no way to refute them.0 Mu Mian seemed to have shut out all external sounds, focusing entirely on the painting in her hands.0 Jiang Yun felt that the girl sitting next to her was strange. She seemed to want to talk to her, but always hesitated.0 Mu Mian finally thought of an opening line, "Hello. Do you recognize the person in this painting?"0 Mu Mian handed her freshly completed painting to Jiang Yun, her tone probing.0 The paper showed a loving mother holding a small infant. Mu Mian had perfectly recreated the photograph with delicate brushstrokes.0 Jiang Yun took the painting and looked at it. Her expression froze. The memories she had suppressed came flooding back into her mind like a tidal wave.0 She coldly looked at Mu Mian: "Who are you? What''s your relationship with Mu Mian?"0 Mu Mian didn''t speak. She didn''t know whether to reveal herself to her mother. Her mother''s expression didn''t seem joyful, it even looked... disgusted.0 Why would a mother be disgusted by her own child?0 Jiang Yun continued, "You''re from the Shen family, aren''t you? Didn''t I already tell you not to bother me? Whether that child Mu Mian is dead or alive has nothing to do with me. I won''t go see her. If you want money, I can give you a large sum, but on the condition that you stop harassing me..."0 "Why... don''t you want to see her?" Mu Mian felt her mind was in chaos.0 Although her adoptive parents treated her well, cherishing her like a precious and fragile piece of porcelain, that wasn''t loving a child. They were just caring for and looking after an autistic patient.0 Her entire understanding of mothers came from beautiful fairy tales, so she couldn''t comprehend the current situation. Of course, she also couldn''t fully understand fairy tales.0 "She''s the nightmare of my life. I can''t accept having a child who''s like an idiot." Jiang Yun pinched the bridge of her nose, trying hard to stop herself from remembering the past. "You''ve all raised her for so many years, just keep raising her. Why come find me now?"0 So that''s how it is...0 Mu Mian looked at Jiang Yun, trying hard to maintain eye contact. In those cold eyes, Mu Mian saw a pitiful reflection of herself.0 S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her sister was right. Not all mothers love their children. Only mothers in storybooks do that.0 Jiang Yun also carefully examined the strange girl before her. The girl''s features seemed familiar, and she wanted to ask if she was Mu Mian, but she thought it impossible.0 Mu Mian should be a mentally deficient girl. She shouldn''t be able to speak, shouldn''t be able to paint, and certainly shouldn''t be appearing before her.0 Mu Mian might even be dead already. A child like that wouldn''t live long, and shouldn''t live too long.0 "Alright," Mu Mian snatched her painting back from Jiang Yun''s hand. She tried to speak in a calm tone, "I promise you, she won''t bother you."0 Jiang Yun looked at her empty palm and demanded, "Who are you really?"0 Mu Mian didn''t answer.0 By now, the court hearing had ended. Jiang Yun glanced at Mu Mian once more, then put on her sunglasses and left with her assistant.0 Mu Mian felt an overwhelming sadness engulf her. But she couldn''t describe that feeling. She couldn''t even cry. Her mind just went blank, as if all her memories had been erased.0 "Mu Mian, you''re spacing out again!" Fang Rui had been searching for a while before he found Mu Mian sitting dazed in a corner. She looked very different from usual.0 At that moment, Mu Mian looked very lonely, as if encased in a glass dome with only herself inside.0 Suddenly, the memories rushed back into Mu Mian''s mind. Even though she had once again modified the part about her mother in her mental schema, she still couldn''t suppress the overwhelming sadness.0 "Fang Rui, I''m very sad. I need comfort," Mu Mian opened her arms towards Fang Rui, "Can you... give me a hug?"0 Fang Rui glanced around. Most people were heading out. He didn''t really want to embrace someone in public, even if it was Mu Mian.0 But Mu Mian looked so fragile right now.0 Fang Rui sighed and hugged Mu Mian. "Did you meet your mother?" He saw the painting in Mu Mian''s hand and could guess what had happened.0 "Yes, she''s completely different from what I imagined. She doesn''t like me. It''s okay though. Some mothers just don''t love their children. That''s common sense."0 Mu Mian realized she didn''t love her mother that much either. She had just been deluded by the imaginary mother figure she had created, which embodied Mu Mian''s desire to be loved as a normal person.0 When she actually met her mother, the illusion shattered, which is why she felt so sad.0 Because it meant she could never experience the emotions a normal person should have.0 Feeling the warm touch, Mu Mian suddenly felt the wave of sadness recede. But another strange and fresh emotion surged forth. Mu Mian wasn''t sure what it was, but it occupied her mind, making her feel happier than ever before.0 At this moment, Mu Mian wanted Fang Rui''s body more than ever.0 Mu Mian reluctantly let go of Fang Rui.0 Fang Rui reached out and stroked Mu Mian''s head, messing up her short hair, comforting her, "Mu Mian, it''s okay if she doesn''t like you. There are still many people who will love you."0 Fang Rui decided to be even nicer to Mu Mian in the future. She seemed to be in great need of love.0 "I know many people love me. But Fang Rui, you can''t ruffle my hair like that. It''s too much like petting a cat or dog. I really don''t like it!" Mu Mian reached up to fix her hair.0 Even though her adoptive parents and sister didn''t treat her as a normal person, their love was genuine. Even the psychologists she disliked had given her a lot of love. So Mu Mian''s upbringing wasn''t lacking in love.0 "If you really like touching my head that much, I can allow it, but you have to donate your body to me."0 "...I can see you''re not so upset anymore. Let''s head back then!"0 Mu Mian followed Fang Rui out. When they saw Nie Yan and Lu Tian waiting at the courthouse entrance, Mu Mian finally remembered to ask about the trial results: "Prosecutor Nie, did you win the case?"0 "No. The court is temporarily adjourned. Both sides need to provide more evidence. The other party has requested a psychiatric evaluation for Lu Tian."0 "Do you want to give Prosecutor Nie a hug then?"0 Fang Rui replied irritably, "Why would I hug her?" Fang Rui really wanted to open up Mu Mian''s brain and see what on earth she was thinking all day.0 "She''s your friend. She didn''t win the case. Shouldn''t you comfort her?"0 "I''ve already comforted her verbally. Adults don''t use hugs to comfort each other."0 Mu Mian tilted her head, "But you hugged me just now."0 "..." Where had that fragile Mu Mian from earlier gone? Was Mu Mian''s emotional recovery ability this strong?0 Chen Xue had excellent hearing. She immediately came over and asked, "Mian Mian, what were you just saying? I thought I heard the word ''hug''."0 "It''s not that difficult to mislead mental health specialists and psychologists into making an incorrect diagnosis," Mu Mian said, changing the subject. "Faking an illness or pretending to be healthy are both relatively simple. Which one does Lu Tian need to do? I can teach her."0 Chapter 43 "Mu Mian, not everyone can easily manipulate psychological test results like you," Fang Rui interrupted Mu Mian, "and your act wasn''t convincing either. Lin Consultant saw through it with just one look."Mu Mian lowered her head guiltily. Although she always managed to pass the psychologists'' scale assessments, she would inevitably slip up during the behavioral evaluation stage. That''s why, for a time, she strongly believed in the existence of mind-reading. Those psychological experts could see through her disguise with just one glance. It turned out the truth was that her disguise simply wasn''t good enough! Lu Tian confessed, "Nie Yan, I am indeed seeing a psychologist. I have bipolar disorder. Will this affect the trial outcome?" Nie Yan asked, "Who is your psychologist? We can consult with her." "Her name is Shen Xiyin. She''s an excellent psychologist, and since I started treatment with her, my emotional issues have been under control. She should be able to testify for me in court." "She''s my sister," Mu Mian said proudly. "She''s an outstanding psychotherapist. She can definitely help you." Fang Rui reminded them, "The problem now is that Wang Li may have bribed those experts to provide false assessment results." Mu Mian objected, "But falsifying evidence is illegal! Would those experts really break the law?" They all fell silent, with no one providing an answer to Mu Mian. The second court hearing arrived quickly. Zhang was out on field duty, and Chen Xue was too afraid of a negative outcome to attend, so this time it was just Fang Rui and Mu Mian who went to court. Four psychiatric experts and two psychologists from the Judicial Appraisal Center separately evaluated Lu Tian''s mental state. The six of them reached a unified assessment result and provided a detailed analysis: Lu Tian suffers from dissociative conversion disorder (also known as hysteria, or colloquially, multiple personality disorder). The patient cannot recall important past events¡ªshe has forgotten about being molested as a child and falsely accusing her ex-boyfriend of rape. Delusions¡ªshe has repeatedly told her parents that someone raped and molested her. Recent memory loss¡ªshe frequently forgets intermittently that she and Lin Qianjie are in a relationship, leading to her suddenly attacking Lin Qianjie during their intimate moments, which is the content seen in the video. Sudden purposeless wandering and physical rigidity¡ªobserved during the diagnostic process. Nie Yan looked at this report and found it laughable. The basis for these experts'' diagnosis was actually the words of Lu Tian''s parents. Even she, as a layperson, could see how unprofessional this diagnostic report was. Nie Yan also called in their own expert witness. "Witness, your identity?" the presiding judge asked. "I am Lu Tian''s psychologist, Shen Xiyin," Shen Xiyin replied. Nie Yan asked, "Dr. Shen, do you agree with this psychiatric assessment report?" "I do not. Lu Tian does not have dissociative conversion disorder. Her personality is very stable, and she hasn''t shown any memory problems," Shen Xiyin said. "Her real issue is bipolar affective disorder, commonly known as manic depression. This is an emotional problem that doesn''t significantly affect our memory capacity." Wang Li asked, "Dr. Shen, are you questioning the diagnostic results of these experts?" "Mental and psychological issues are not like other physical illnesses with clear pathological bases. They are usually implicit and require long-term follow-up observation to reach accurate conclusions. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The assessment results emphasize that Miss Lu has memory problems, so additional memory tests should have been conducted to prove that emotions can affect Miss Lu''s memory. However, no such tests were performed during the assessment. Therefore, I question the rigor of this assessment result. Furthermore, I have doubts about the qualifications of these experts. Is it possible to provide more credential information?" Shen Xiyin''s voice was gentle, but her rebuttal was well-reasoned and substantiated. Wang Li frowned, seeing that this psychologist was very professional, so he changed the subject, "If we follow your diagnosis, and Miss Lu has bipolar affective disorder, would this affect her behavior?" "...Yes, it would." Wang Li said, "Please explain bipolar affective disorder to us." "Bipolar affective disorder is a serious mental health condition. Clinically, patients may experience periods of extremely low mood, showing symptoms of depression, followed by periods of extremely elevated mood. These manic and depressive episodes cycle, with some people experiencing highs or lows every six months, others every month, and in severe cases, multiple times within a week or even days." "Does this sound similar to the symptoms of dissociative conversion disorder?" "Not at all. They are unrelated." "So, the patient''s behavioral patterns are very different in these two emotional states, correct?" Shen Xiyin looked at Wang Li for a long time before answering, "Yes." "Is it possible for her to suddenly display aggressive behavior?" "If she''s in a manic phase, aggressive behavior is possible." "Your Honor, the expert witness''s diagnosis also proves that the plaintiff''s emotions are very unstable. When in a manic state, she may exhibit inexplicable aggressive behavior. I reasonably suspect that on the day of the incident, the defendant suddenly had an episode, which is why she assaulted my client." Wang Li also called to testify a male classmate who had harassed Lu Tian in college, "Lu Tian was originally dating me, all my buddies can attest to this, but when I tried to kiss her, she hit me and accused me of harassment. Your Honor, Lu Tian must have some mental illness that prevents her from accepting intimate relationships." Wang Li said, "Your Honor, my client is an ordinary person who lacks understanding of mental illnesses. He thought it was normal for couples to engage in intimate relations and didn''t realize that the plaintiff''s resistance at the time was due to a disease flare-up. He thought she was just being shy." After a long wait, the verdict was finally announced. The presiding judge declared in court, "...Due to insufficient evidence, the plaintiff Lu Tian''s rape lawsuit against Lin Qianjie is dismissed. Lin Qianjie is found not guilty and released in court..." Lu Tian calmly listened to the judge''s verdict, then turned to Nie Yan with a smile, "Prosecutor Nie, we really couldn''t win after all. But thank you, thank you for staying with me throughout." Perhaps because she had anticipated the outcome, or maybe because the antidepressants she had taken in advance had taken effect, Lu Tian didn''t feel as upset. At least she had bravely fought against the darkness, and even though she lost, it was an honorable defeat! Nie Yan struggled to hold back her tears. She had lost again, this time to power and influence. The law she had studied had failed to uphold justice. On the contrary, her sense of justice had been crushed by Wang Li using legal weapons. She had lost not just a case, but also her faith in the law and the once unshakeable dream she had held. She tightly gripped Lu Tian''s hand and said chokingly, "Lu Tian, promise me you''ll keep living well, okay?" Lu Tian nodded and said firmly, "Yes, I will." If not for herself, then for Nie Yan''s sake, she had to live on. She couldn''t let Nie Yan have another psychological trauma. Lin Qianjie watched them crying miserably, his lips curling into a smile. He turned to Wang Li and said, "Lawyer Wang, well done! I''ll hire you again next time." "You''re planning on a next time?" Wang Li glared at him coldly, "If it weren''t for Miss Jiang''s sake, do you think I would have handled this kind of case for you? Keep a low profile. Next time, you won''t be so lucky." With that, Wang Li left. Lin Qianjie rolled his eyes at Wang Li''s back, but his attention was quickly drawn to Shen Xiyin. He had been attracted to this beautiful and gentle psychologist earlier in the courtroom. Chapter 44 Lin Qianjie caught up with Shen Xiyin in the parking lot. "Dr. Shen, please wait a moment."0Shen Xiyin saw him and a look of disgust flashed across her face, but she quickly put on a professional smile. "Is there something I can help you with?"0 "Dr. Shen, I think I have some psychological issues. I often feel empty inside. Do you have time to talk with me?" Lin Qianjie placed his hand on his heart, feigning a sad and vulnerable expression.0 "I have time right now," Shen Xiyin raised an eyebrow, her gaze suddenly turning cold. "You like to choose women with weak personalities because you think they''re easier to control. This is because you''ve been oppressed for a long time, and can only gain a sense of control by oppressing those weaker than you."0 Lin Qianjie was taken aback. Shen Xiyin looked so gentle, and her voice was pleasant, but her words were like knives, cruelly stabbing into his heart.0 "I''m not like what you''re saying, Dr. Shen. You don''t know me well enough. Why don''t you give me your contact information so we can get to know each other better sometime?" Lin Qianjie said shamelessly.0 "I wasn''t entirely accurate before. Even when you choose the most vulnerable girls, you still lack the confidence to control them, so you prefer forceful methods. I even suspect that your sexual performance is lacking, and you attempt to use rape as a way to prevent those girls from noticing your inadequacies. Have you ever received positive feedback from a girl regarding your sexual performance?"0 "Shut up! You''re not a real psychologist, you''re just a fraud!" Lin Qianjie exploded, his veins popping out in anger.0 Shen Xiyin raised an eyebrow and said, "Your sexual dysfunction is likely caused by psychological factors. You do indeed need to see a psychologist. However, I don''t specialize in that kind of treatment. Would you like me to recommend a doctor?"0 Lin Qianjie instinctively wanted to argue, but he controlled his expression and instead said sleazily, "Why don''t you find out for yourself how good I am?"0 "Are you sure?" Shen Xiyin looked at Lin Qianjie as if he were trash, her beautiful eyes intensely intimidating. "I''m not like those weak girls. I enjoy turning people into my playthings. Are you sure you want to play with me?"0 "You... aren''t you a psychologist? Why are you so perverted?"0 "Are you scared already? I''m a psychologist, which is why I''m so good at controlling others. Once you become my toy, you''ll understand what true perversion is. Want to try?" Shen Xiyin stared at him. "I''m very interested in you right now."0 Lin Qianjie backed away a few steps in fear. Shen Xiyin''s expression reminded him of his stepmother, that hateful and terrifying woman.0 His original evil intentions towards Shen Xiyin had completely vanished. This kind of woman was definitely not someone he could handle!0 "Sister." Mu Mian saw that Shen Xiyin was being bothered by Lin Qianjie and quickly called out to her.0 Hearing Mu Mian''s voice from behind, Shen Xiyin swiftly switched back to her gentle expression. Lin Qianjie was startled by how quickly she changed her demeanor.0 "Mr. Lin, consider this psychological consultation free of charge. Next time you come to me for a consultation, I''ll have to charge you." Shen Xiyin suddenly lowered her voice to a whisper, "Of course, you can be my toy for free!"0 "What rotten luck to run into someone like you today!" Lin Qianjie glared at Shen Xiyin before quickly getting into his car.0 Shen Xiyin saw Mu Mian standing with Fang Rui. She was a bit surprised - wasn''t Mu Mian a forensic pathologist? Why was she at the courthouse?0 If that was the case, had Mu Mian already met that woman? She had been careless; she should have taken Mu Mian to see her mother directly. At least then she could have controlled the situation and minimized the hurt Mu Mian might experience.0 "Sister, Lin Qianjie is a bad person. You''d better stay away from him," Mu Mian warned in a low voice.0 Shen Xiyin smiled at her, "Don''t worry, he probably won''t show up in front of me again. I''m a psychologist, after all. I''ve seen all kinds of disturbed patients. Someone like him is easy for me to handle."0 Mu Mian turned to Fang Rui and said, "Yes, my sister is a very capable psychologist."0 Fang Rui addressed Shen Xiyin, "Dr. Shen, Lu Tian''s mental state isn''t good. Please pay extra attention to her condition."0 "I''ve already increased Lu Tian''s medication dosage. If she takes her medicine on time, she should be able to control her emotions," Shen Xiyin sighed and continued, "More than Lu Tian, I''m worried about Prosecutor Nie. She hasn''t fully recovered from her previous psychological trauma, and now she''s suffered a new one. Moreover, she''s very resistant to psychological treatment. Her situation could be quite serious."0 Shen Xiyin had previously suggested that Nie Yan undergo psychological treatment. Her emotional state wasn''t much better than Lu Tian''s. But Nie Yan had refused.0 Fang Rui asked, "What should we do then?"0 "For the next few days, have her family pay close attention to her, to prevent her from hurting others or herself. People always need an outlet for their emotions."0 Nie Yan''s parents wouldn''t arrive until tomorrow. Fang Rui had originally planned to have Li Lanlan closely protect Nie Yan and Lu Tian, but Chen Xue volunteered to go to Nie Yan''s house to both monitor and protect Nie Yan and Lu Tian.0 She also invited Mu Mian along, with a very sound reason: Mu Mian had good medical skills, so if they attempted suicide, she could provide immediate first aid.0 Chen Xue was a naturally friendly person, and it didn''t take long for her to become quite familiar with Lu Tian and Nie Yan. She was great at livening up the atmosphere. She had bought a lot of groceries and prepared a hot pot.0 Nie Yan and Lu Tian were infected by her mood, and the group gathered around the table for hot pot.0 Mu Mian just stared at the hot pot on the table, sinking into a depressed state.0 There wasn''t a single dish on the table that she liked. And why were they eating hot pot in the middle of summer?0 "Dr. Mu, why aren''t you eating?" Nie Yan used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of meat in Mu Mian''s bowl. "It''s delicious, try it."0 Mu Mian looked at the unidentifiable piece of meat with a disgusted expression. She didn''t want to eat this questionable product.0 Chen Xue didn''t coddle Mu Mian. She dipped the meat in sesame sauce and stuffed it into Mu Mian''s mouth. "Mian Mian, chew it."0 Mu Mian chewed, and it was quite tasty. She picked up some more meat and started eating quietly.0 "Mian Mian, you need to be brave and try new things!"0 So Mu Mian bravely ate a chili pepper from the hot pot base.0 Mu Mian nearly cried from the spiciness!0 Indeed, she shouldn''t try things so recklessly.0 Mu Mian didn''t touch her chopsticks again.0 Chen Xue had also brought several cases of beer and said to Lu Tian and Nie Yan, "Let''s drink until we can''t anymore!"0 She then whispered to Mu Mian, "Watch me get them drunk. Once they''re drunk, they won''t be able to overthink things."0 "What if you get drunk first?" Mu Mian was a bit worried. If Chen Xue drank herself into a stupor, she wouldn''t be able to stop both of them from committing suicide at the same time.0 "Impossible! I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."0 The three of them drank can after can, and Nie Yan started to open up: "I feel so useless. I studied law for so many years, but I can''t do anything. I''m just a waste!"0 Lu Tian encouraged her, "No, you''re just too stupid, always choosing cases that no one else wants to take. You''re very brave, you''re the best prosecutor, a champion of justice!"0 "Yes, I will be the best prosecutor!" Nie Yan felt like crying, but she couldn''t shed any tears.0 Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She had watched helplessly as Shen Yuanyuan jumped to her death right in front of her, unable to do anything. Even if she could do it all over again, she still wouldn''t win.0 If incompetence were a crime, she would be guilty of the worst offense!0 Chen Xue joined in the shouting: "I''ll be an excellent forensic pathologist in the future too!"0 Lu Tian clinked glasses with them: "We may be defeated, but we''re still glorious!"0 Mu Mian watched this lively atmosphere with confusion. She couldn''t quite understand their behavior, but she didn''t feel excluded either.0 "Dr. Mu, what''s your dream?" Nie Yan asked.0 Mu Mian opened her mouth to speak, but Chen Xue answered for her: "She wants Fang''s corpse. Haha, Mian Mian''s brain works differently from ours, her thoughts are always unique."0 Mu Mian nodded, "Yes." But she had many dreams.0 Nie Yan''s expression was a bit startled, but she quickly smiled and said to Mu Mian, "Keep it up, if you work hard enough, you''ll soon have the right to dispose of Fang Rui''s body."0 "Really?"0 Nie Yan and Chen Xue exchanged a glance, and both burst out laughing.0 "Why are you all laughing?" Mu Mian asked, confused.0 "Mu Mian, I wish you happiness!" Nie Yan raised her glass towards Mu Mian.0 Mu Mian found her behavior strange. "I''ve always been happy," she said.0 Nie Yan then raised her glass to Chen Xue and Lu Tian: "I wish you both happiness!"0 Chen Xue and Lu Tian were already drunk, and they responded with silly grins: "Everyone will be happy!"0 Nie Yan had a high alcohol tolerance and had drunk many cans without getting drunk. She opened another can, but Mu Mian tried to stop her, saying, "You shouldn''t drink any more. You could get alcohol poisoning."0 "This is just beer. There''s hardly any alcohol. I could drink a dozen more without any problem."0 Mu Mian held onto the beer bottles, refusing to let go.0 At that moment, Nie Yan''s phone lit up. She glanced at the message, and her expression froze for an instant. Then, smiling, she said, "Alright, I''ll stop drinking."0 Chapter 45 Mu Mian felt that Nie Yan''s expression was a bit complex. She couldn''t read it, which made her feel irritated."Justice is something that needs to be pursued and sought after. Because we can''t achieve a perfect reality of justice, we must strive for it. Justice isn''t a result, but a process," Mu Mian comforted her. "That quote is from Alan Dershowitz. He defended Simpson, who killed his wife, and also defended the pedophile billionaire Epstein. Are you trying to comfort me with the words of such an infamous shyster?" Nie Yan couldn''t help but laugh. She found Mu Mian to be a very interesting person. "See, even someone like that believes in justice. It shows that upholding justice isn''t a foolish thing," Mu Mian said. "Haha, your logic for comforting people is so strange. But thank you, my good friend. I do feel comforted. Now I''m going to sleep. Good night." "Nie Yan, are we... friends now?" Nie Yan didn''t answer Mu Mian. She was already asleep, leaning on the sofa. Mu Mian felt a bit happy. She quickly wrote in her self-observation diary: Today I was very lucky, I made a friend. She thought for a moment, then crossed out the "a" and changed it to "two". Lu Tian should probably count as her friend too. Mu Mian covered them both with blankets. She didn''t sleep, instead looking at the night sky and boredly counting stars. She didn''t actually believe much in the existence of justice. Justice was just a concept created to maintain order and stability, just like laws were only tools. But Nie Yan viewed it as incredibly noble. After counting to the 130th star, Mu Mian finally couldn''t stay awake and fell asleep. She only slept for a few minutes before suddenly waking up startled. She looked towards the sofa, and sure enough, Nie Yan was gone. Mu Mian searched everywhere. When she pushed open the bathroom door, she saw a bathtub full of bloody water. Nie Yan''s left wrist artery had been cut, and blood had stained the entire bathtub red. Mu Mian woke up Chen Xue, telling her to quickly call an ambulance, while she pressed on Nie Yan''s wrist to stop the bleeding. At the same time, she pondered a question - Nie Yan seemed to have been comforted earlier, so why did she attempt suicide? She should have given Nie Yan a hug... Indeed, she still wasn''t good at comforting others. Because it was discovered in time, Nie Yan''s life wasn''t in danger. She just needed to have her wound bandaged. "The patient didn''t lose too much blood. Just make sure she gets plenty of supplements in the near future," the doctor instructed, then couldn''t help but comment, "This wound isn''t even that deep. And look at how well it''s bandaged, even better than we would have done it. There wasn''t really any need to bring her here!" When Nie Yan woke up, she apologized to everyone: "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to commit suicide. I don''t know what came over me. When the emotions hit, I just couldn''t control myself. I won''t do this again." Originally, Nie Yan hadn''t intended to commit suicide. But then she received a message from her superior saying she had been fired for accepting bribes. Unable to process it in the moment, she cut her wrist. Mu Mian reminded her: "Prosecutor Nie, you likely have depression. It''s very difficult to recover on your own. You need to see a psychiatrist. Medication can be very effective." Mu Mian handed her Shen Xiyin''s business card. "Alright, I''ll go see one after I''m discharged," Nie Yan said, taking the card and casually tucking it under her pillow. Seeing her dismissive attitude, Mu Mian felt a bit angry. "I''m giving you very serious advice. We''re friends, and I hope I''ll be able to see you again in the future." "I promise I''ll go see a psychiatrist! I''m not lying to you! But," Nie Yan pointed at her bandaged wrist, "you can''t expect me to go right now, can you? I need to let my hand heal first!" "You must go after you''re discharged!" Mu Mian emphasized again. "I know, I know." When Nie Yan''s parents heard the news, they quickly came to the hospital. Both were high school teachers. Though they looked stern, they were very good to Nie Yan. They didn''t question her about the reason for her suicide attempt. Her mother gave her a hug and encouraged her: "Nie Yan, we saw the news. We''re very proud to have a daughter like you." Nie Yan hugged her parents and burst into tears. "Mom, I don''t want to work in law anymore. I want to go home with you," Nie Yan tightly hugged her parents, "I''ll become a teacher like you!" "That''s fine. Even if you don''t work at all, that''s okay too. Whatever you want to do, we''ll support you. But we hope you''ve really thought this through, and that you''re not just giving up on your dreams because of a setback, trying to avoid difficulties." Seeing that Nie Yan''s parents had come to take care of her, Mu Mian and Chen Xue left the hospital. The sky was just beginning to brighten, with a fiery red sun slowly rising on the horizon. "Another beautiful day!" Chen Xue yawned, admiring the sun rising from the horizon. She took photos while exclaiming, "It''s so beautiful. Just for this gorgeous sunrise, it''s worth living well!" "Chen Xue, the sunrise isn''t beautiful at all! It''s too glaring," Mu Mian grumbled, with dark circles under her eyes. She had only slept for five minutes last night, and she had also pondered a lot of meaningless questions, leaving her exhausted and sleepy. She had gone through an extremely awful night. "Mian Mian, you look so tired. Are you going to take the day off?" "Yes! I''m going to sleep for a whole day." Chen Xue drove Mu Mian home. When they were almost at the entrance to the residential complex, Mu Mian''s phone rang. She declined the call and continued napping. Then Chen Xue''s phone rang. "Chen Xue, there''s been a homicide case, two victims!" It was Zhang speaking. "Is Dr. Mu with you? Come directly to the dock. I''ve sent you the location." Before Chen Xue could reply, he had already hung up. "Mu Mian, you..." Chen Xue turned her head towards Mu Mian, about to ask if she still wanted to take the day off, when she saw Mu Mian staring at her with bright eyes. "Chen Xue, drive to the dock quickly. Hurry, don''t let them mess up my corpses." "Weren''t you just feeling very sleepy?" Chen Xue was shocked at how quickly Mu Mian''s energy had recovered. "I can manage. I''ve gone five days without sleep before, and even then, my thinking speed wasn''t affected." "Why would you go five days without sleep?" Mu Mian didn''t answer. She looked out the window and exclaimed: "Chen Xue, the scenery here is so beautiful!" "If you don''t want to talk about it, that''s fine. But there''s nothing outside the window except traffic. Where''s the beautiful scenery? Mu Mian, your way of changing the subject is really clumsy." Jiangzhou City was a coastal city with a long shoreline and beautiful seaside views. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The location of the homicide was a small yacht. When the incident occurred, the yacht had already set sail, with four passengers on board having a party. During the party, two of them suddenly started convulsing and foaming at the mouth, becoming unresponsive shortly after. The remaining two immediately steered the yacht back to the dock and called the police. When Mu Mian and Chen Xue arrived at the yacht, Fang Rui and his team were already examining the scene. There were two bodies on the floor, one male and one female. "The victim is actually Lin Qianjie?" Chen Xue recognized the victim and exclaimed while nudging the body with her foot, "Wasn''t he alive and kicking just yesterday?" Mu Mian said disapprovingly: "Chen Xue, stop stepping on the corpse." "Sorry, my foot slipped." Chapter 46 "We were also surprised," Zhang said quietly. "The female victim''s name is Wang Xiaoya. She was Lu Tian''s best friend. What a coincidence that these two ended up dead!""The killer definitely can''t be Lu Tian or Prosecutor Nie. Yesterday, Mu Mian and I were watching them closely the entire time. In the middle of the night, Nie Yan even attempted suicide. Thankfully, Mu Forensic Doctor discovered it in time, otherwise Nie Yan would have lost her life," Chen Xue immediately cleared Lu Tian and Nie Yan of suspicion. "We weren''t suspecting them anyway!" Zhang said. "There were only four people on the yacht at the time. Two are dead, so one of the two survivors must be the killer." Mu Mian examined the two corpses. Both victims had white foam around their mouths and their skin had turned bluish. "They were poisoned, likely by some kind of neurotoxin," Mu Mian carefully inspected the bodies'' surfaces. "No external injuries. No obvious needle marks, so we can tentatively rule out injectable drugs. We''ll need to run toxicology tests to determine the specific poison used." Fang Rui turned to one of the people who reported the incident, "You didn''t use any illegal drugs last night, did you?" The person he addressed was Chen Dongdong, Lin Qianjie''s assistant and lackey, who often participated in Lin Qianjie''s misdeeds. "No... of course not," Chen Dongdong''s expression was evasive. "I definitely didn''t use anything. If you don''t believe me, you can take me for a urine test." "You''d better not have!" Mu Mian took samples of all the food on the yacht. There were several opened bottles of alcohol and some glasses with alcohol residue on the table. She packaged them as-is, planning to take them back for toxicology testing. "What''s this?" Zhang pried open the bedside drawer in the yacht''s cabin and discovered a bottle of pills. The bottle was white with a label in English that Zhang couldn''t quite understand. Mu Mian hadn''t seen this medication before, but she could read the ingredient list. "Based on the ingredients, it might be some kind of erectile dysfunction medication. Let''s take it back for analysis!" Mu Mian opened the bottle and poured some out. It contained small white pills. The bottle was only about a quarter full, suggesting the user had been taking this medication for some time. After Mu Mian finished collecting samples, Fang Rui and his team had also completed their crime scene investigation. They hadn''t found any useful clues on the yacht and were preparing to leave. "Is this Qianjie''s body?" A cold female voice came from outside the yacht. Fang Rui walked out to see the speaker was Jiang Yun, Lin Qianjie''s stepmother. She was wearing a black suit dress, looking polished and businesslike. She looked at Lin Qianjie''s body with a slight frown but showed no trace of sorrow, her expression cold and detached. Jiang Yun knew Fang Rui and addressed him directly: "Fang Rui, are you in charge of this case?" "Yes, I am." "There''s no need for you to investigate this case. I want to take this body away and find the killer myself!" Jiang Yun''s tone was aggressive. Due to the police''s obvious bias towards Lu Tian in the previous rape case, she didn''t trust that Fang Rui and his team would take this case seriously. Fang Rui refused, "I''m sorry, but we''ve already taken over this case. According to procedure, you can''t take the body away." "I''m the deceased''s family member. I have the right to handle his body." "We''ll return the victim''s remains to you after the case is closed," Mu Mian suddenly spoke up. "But not now. Please trust us. We''ll solve this case as quickly as possible." Although Mu Mian was wearing a mask, Jiang Yun still recognized her as the girl she had encountered in the gallery that day. Jiang Yun looked Mu Mian up and down, her tone arrogant, "You''re a forensic expert? You look extremely unprofessional! Why should I trust that you can find the real culprit?" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Are you afraid we won''t find the real killer, or are you worried we''ll discover your son was using illegal substances and tarnish your family''s reputation?" Fang Rui stepped in front of Mu Mian, cutting off Jiang Yun''s words. "We''re investigating this case, and that''s final!" At that moment, Chen Xue held up a toothpick and asked Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, should we take this back for toxicology testing?" "Yes, we should! Chen Xue, you''re becoming more attentive to details." Mu Mian... Upon hearing this name, Jiang Yun froze. She scrutinized Mu Mian carefully. She should have recognized her; this was her child after all! She approached Mu Mian and asked in a trembling voice, "Are you... Mu Mian?" Mu Mian didn''t answer her. Instead, she said to Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, I''ve finished collecting samples. Let''s head back!" "Alright!" "Mu Mian, I''m..." Jiang Yun grabbed Mu Mian''s hand, but halfway through her sentence, she couldn''t continue. She had said such vicious things that day, and she had never visited Mu Mian. What right did she have to acknowledge her daughter now? "Ms. Jiang, please don''t interfere with our work," Mu Mian gently removed her hand. "We''re very busy." Jiang Yun stood there, stunned. She had finally heard her daughter speak, but she had addressed her as "Ms. Jiang." After Mu Mian and her team had driven away, the assistant cautiously asked, "Ms. Jiang, shouldn''t we be heading back now?" She had worked for Jiang Yun for many years, but she had never seen Jiang Yun display such a guilty and despairing expression. Jiang Yun had always been a cold-blooded woman. "Yes, let''s go back," Jiang Yun composed herself, reminding her assistant, "If the police discover that Qianjie was using illegal drugs, make sure to suppress the news immediately." "I understand. I''ll have someone keep an eye on the situation." In the autopsy room, Chen Xue kept glancing at Mu Mian. She suspected that Jiang Yun might be the mother Mu Mian had been searching for, but she didn''t know how to bring it up. "Chen Xue, Ms. Jiang is my biological mother," Mu Mian said as she cut open Lin Qianjie''s stomach. A strong smell of alcohol wafted out. His stomach was nearly empty, with hardly any food residue. It seemed likely that the poison had been in the alcohol. "Then why didn''t you acknowledge her?" Chen Xue was puzzled. "Haven''t you always wanted to meet your mother?" "Yes. So now that I''ve seen her, I won''t want to anymore." Mu Mian collected a sample of the deceased''s heart blood for toxicology testing. "But she''s very wealthy. If you acknowledged her, you''d suddenly become rich," Chen Xue remarked. "Then you wouldn''t have to work anymore and could spend money freely." "I enjoy working, and I don''t like excessive spending," Mu Mian paused, looking at Chen Xue. "Besides, I''m already quite wealthy now." "...Are you referring to your few hundred dollars of savings that were scammed away? Or our meager salaries?" "Of course not! My sister has a lot of money, and I can use as much as I want." Chen Xue had met Mu Mian''s sister. She was beautiful and elegant, and judging from her clothes and car, she was indeed very wealthy. "That Ms. Jiang doesn''t seem like a good person. You''re better off staying away from her. Look at how she raised Lin Qianjie - he turned out to be such a scoundrel! It''s fortunate that she didn''t raise you, otherwise you might have become a bloodthirsty forensic expert!" "I don''t like blood; I prefer bones. I might have become a thief instead, stealing mummies from museums or corpses from ancient tombs." "..." Chen Xue was speechless. Even if Mu Mian had turned to the dark side, she wouldn''t have been very destructive. Chapter 47 The next day, the toxicology results came in.Mu Mian reported: "The poison found in the victim''s body is tetramethylene disulfone tetramine, commonly known as tetramine. It''s a colorless, odorless, highly toxic powder. The lethal dose for humans is only 7 to 10 milligrams. Symptoms of poisoning include tonic and clonic convulsions, loss of consciousness, foaming at the mouth, cyanosis, resembling status epilepticus, and may be accompanied by psychiatric symptoms. In severe cases, convulsions occur almost continuously, even leading to opisthotonus. We also detected some undissolved soil in the poisoned wine glass, likely impurities from the tetramine." Zhang asked puzzledly, "Hasn''t tetramine been completely banned from production and sale for many years? How could the killer obtain such a poison?" "Tetramethylene disulfone tetramine is very stable. It won''t decompose even after decades," Mu Mian explained. "It could be from earlier production." Fang Rui frowned, "In that case, it''ll be difficult to investigate the source of the poison." Mu Mian continued, "Although both Lin Qianjie and Wang Xiaoya were poisoned, Lin Qianjie''s poisoning was more severe, while Wang Xiaoya''s was milder. If medical treatment had been timely, Wang Xiaoya might have had a chance of survival. There were four wine glasses at the crime scene. We detected tetramine in one glass, but not in the other three. The wine in all four glasses was the same type. No poison was detected in the wine bottle found at the scene, nor in any other food or containers. This suggests the poison was likely added directly to the glass." Fang Rui said, "It seems the killer had a specific poisoning target. They probably didn''t intend to poison everyone, otherwise they would have put the poison in the wine bottle." Mu Mian then showed the medicine bottle: "The pills in the bottle are erectile dysfunction medication. Only Lin Qianjie''s fingerprints were found on the bottle, so it likely belonged to him. We didn''t detect any tetramine in it, and the medication doesn''t seem to have been tampered with." Zhang exclaimed, "No way, Lin Qianjie had performance issues? How could he still rape those girls?" Chen Xue gave Zhang a stern look, "It''s erectile dysfunction medication. He just had some difficulties, not complete impotence. Maybe his insecurity about this led to his psychological issues, causing him to rape innocent girls." "He''s such a pervert! He''s so rich, why didn''t he just get treatment instead of attacking innocent girls?" On the night of the incident, there were four people on the yacht: the deceased Lin Qianjie and Wang Xiaoya; and the reporters Chen Dongdong and Xu Qin. Chen Dongdong was Lin Qianjie''s assistant. He was in a relationship with Wang Xiaoya, and it was because of him that Wang Xiaoya was able to board the yacht that night. Xu Qin was Lin Qianjie''s new girlfriend. They had been together for about half a year, constantly breaking up and getting back together, but never managing to separate for good. At the time, Lin Qianjie had just won a lawsuit. He originally wanted to throw a big celebration, but his stepmother had cut off his credit card and ordered him to keep a low profile. Angered by this, Lin Qianjie took his yacht out to sea. He often did this in the past. Fang Rui decided to take Chen Dongdong''s statement first. Mu Mian said she wanted to join, as she had some questions for them. Fang Rui first asked Chen Dongdong to recount the incident. Chen Dongdong recalled, "We were all drinking at the time. Mr. Lin was in a bad mood, so he drank a bit too much. We were drinking with him. But halfway through, Mr. Lin suddenly collapsed. He was convulsing, foaming at the mouth. It was terrifying. A while later, Xiaoya also collapsed. She was convulsing just like Mr. Lin. I called out to her, but she didn''t respond. Xu Qin and I were scared to death. We thought we might be next, but after waiting for a long time, nothing happened to us. I quickly steered the yacht back to the dock and called the police." "Did Lin Qianjie and Wang Xiaoya drink from the same glass?" Mu Mian asked. "Well... they..." Chen Dongdong looked uncomfortable and stammered, "We were playing a game. Xiaoya lost, and her punishment was to feed Mr. Lin wine with her mouth. Does that count as drinking from the same glass?" "Whose glass was it?" "Mr. Lin''s." Mu Mian and Fang Rui exchanged a glance: it seemed the killer''s real target was Lin Qianjie. Wang Xiaoya''s death by poisoning was likely due to that silly game. "Was everyone drinking the same wine?" Mu Mian asked. "Yes, Jamaican rum," Chen Dongdong said. "It''s Mr. Lin''s favorite. We were just drinking along with him." "Did he have a habit of taking medication?" "Not that I know of." "Are you sure?" Mu Mian took out the bottle found at the crime scene. "Then what''s this?" "I... I don''t know." Fang Rui crossed his arms. "You know providing false testimony is punishable by law, right?" "It should be erectile dysfunction medication. I bought it for him from abroad. It works very well," Chen Dongdong immediately confessed. "He was a bit insecure about that aspect, so he liked using those pills." "Did he take any that night?" Mu Mian asked. "I don''t think so. Mr. Lin wasn''t in a good mood that night, he wasn''t in the mood. He probably didn''t take any." Fang Rui asked, "How did Xu Qin and Lin Qianjie meet? Were they close?" "Wang Xiaoya introduced them. Xu Qin is an art teacher at a tutoring center. She has an artistic air about her, and she''s quite good at pleasing people, so Mr. Lin liked her a lot. But Mr. Lin had many girlfriends, she was just one of them." Fang Rui and Mu Mian then took Xu Qin''s statement. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xu Qin was very beautiful, but she seemed timid, speaking with a stutter, "I don''t know what happened either. Qianjie and Xiaoya suddenly collapsed, convulsing all over. It looked terrifying, just like an epileptic seizure." Fang Rui asked, "How did you meet Lin Qianjie?" "Xiaoya introduced us. I used to work part-time at Xiaoya''s shop, and we became friends. Later, she introduced me to Lin Qianjie. I quite liked him, so we started dating." Mu Mian asked, "Who poured Lin Qianjie''s wine that night?" "Most of the time, it was Wang Xiaoya. She was very enthusiastic towards Qianjie. She even used the game as an excuse to forcibly kiss Qianjie," Xu Qin said. "Officer, could Wang Xiaoya have been the one who poisoned him?" "Why do you suspect her?" "You might think Wang Xiaoya is carefree, but she actually values relationships quite a lot. She used to be very close with Lu Tian, often dining and shopping together. After what happened to Lu Tian, she must have harbored resentment towards Qianjie. After all, she bears some responsibility for what happened." Fang Rui then asked, "What was Lin Qianjie''s relationship with Chen Dongdong like?" "I''m not sure about that. But I don''t think anyone would willingly be someone else''s lackey. He must have some resentment towards Qianjie. Plus, Qianjie often lent him money. If Qianjie died, he wouldn''t have to repay those loans." "What about you, Miss Xu? How would you describe your relationship with Lin Qianjie?" "Me? I don''t love him, nor do I hate him. I''m with him for his money. I certainly wouldn''t want him dead. Where else would I find such a generous sugar daddy?" After leaving the interrogation room, Fang Rui asked Mu Mian, "Who do you think might have poisoned him?" "They all seem suspicious. We need to figure out how the killer administered the poison first," Mu Mian said. Fang Rui remembered the white medicine bottle and analyzed, "Could the killer have disguised the poison as erectile dysfunction medication and put it in the bottle? Lin Qianjie might have had a habit of putting the medication in his wine. That night, he might have put a poisoned pill in his drink." "If the medication was in capsule form, that could be possible. But Lin Qianjie''s erectile dysfunction medication wasn''t encapsulated. If a poison pill was mixed in with the other pills, it would have left traces in the bottle. We would have been able to detect it." Fang Rui speculated further, "What if the poison pill was coated with normal erectile dysfunction medication on the outside, but contained tetramine on the inside?" Chapter 48 "Fang Rui, I think you have a bit of a criminal talent! But," Mu Mian objected, "we didn''t detect any of those aphrodisiac components in Lin Qianjie''s body. That possibility has been ruled out."Fang Rui felt that the possibility of Chen Dongdong poisoning Lin was low. He had a close relationship with Lin Qianjie, and if he really wanted to poison him, he could have easily chosen a time when he wasn''t present, allowing Lin Qianjie to die from the poison. Moreover, Wang Xiaoya was his girlfriend. If he only wanted to poison Lin Qianjie, he could have easily prevented Wang Xiaoya from drinking the poisoned wine. In that case, Xu Qin became highly suspicious. Fang Rui focused his investigation on Xu Qin. "Boss, this Xu Qin and Shen Yuanyuan were actually from the same high school," Zhang said, holding up a photo. "This is their graduation photo. They were in the same class for all three years of high school, and from the photo, it looks like they were quite close." The photo showed three girls, all smiling happily. The third girl in the photo was called Shen Meilin. She didn''t go to college after high school, but she also worked in Jiangzhou City, so she maintained contact with Shen Yuanyuan. When Shen Yuanyuan was involved in the lawsuit earlier, she had been by her side the whole time. Shen Meilin worked as a waitress in a restaurant. "Ah, I should have stayed by Yuanyuan''s side," Shen Meilin sighed. "After that lawsuit failed, Yuanyuan developed severe depression. At that time, Prosecutor Nie, who was in charge of Yuanyuan''s case, and I stayed with Yuanyuan for many days. Later, Yuanyuan pulled herself together and even found a job. We thought her illness had improved and she was starting to live again. We never expected her to suddenly commit suicide by jumping off a building!" Fang Rui took out the group photo and asked, "What about Xu Qin? How did she react after Shen Yuanyuan''s suicide?" "What reaction could that gold-digger have? What happened to Yuanyuan was her fault. If she hadn''t introduced Yuanyuan to Lin Qianjie, would Yuanyuan have met such a tragic fate? She''s viciously cruel! At that time, she even tried to introduce me to Lin Qianjie. Thankfully, that scumbag wasn''t interested in me. Xu Qin, that bitch, I curse her every time I see her!" Shen Meilin became increasingly agitated as she spoke. She and Shen Yuanyuan were from the same village and had grown up together, sharing a very close bond. "What was the relationship between Xu Qin and Shen Yuanyuan like?" Fang Rui asked. "Very good! Originally, Yuanyuan and I were inseparable best friends, but after Xu Qin came along, I became the third wheel in this friendship. That''s why I''m so angry. Yuanyuan trusted her so much, but she knew about Lin Qianjie''s crimes and still refused to testify in court, causing Yuanyuan to lose the lawsuit." Shen Meilin sighed, "Yuanyuan hated her even on her deathbed, which is why she specifically called her to the bottom of the building and jumped to her death right in front of her eyes. If she had any conscience left, she probably wouldn''t be able to sleep for the rest of her life." "Alright, thank you for your cooperation." On the drive back, Zhang analyzed, "Boss, do you think the killer could be Xu Qin? If she and Shen Yuanyuan were really good friends, she must have harbored hatred towards Lin Qianjie. On the day of the incident, Lin Qianjie had just won another lawsuit. Maybe that triggered Xu Qin, and she couldn''t help but poison Lin Qianjie." Fang Rui thought Zhang''s analysis made some sense. When they had previously taken Xu Qin''s statement, she had spoken about Wang Xiaoya with disdain and mentioned that Wang Xiaoya would feel guilty about what happened to Lu Tian. Could this have been a projection of her own feelings? "Let''s go talk to Xu Qin again!" Fang Rui said. Xu Qin had studied art and was now teaching children to paint at a tutoring center. When Fang Rui found her, she was guiding a child in coloring. Xu Qin led Fang Rui to her office. "Detective Fang, Officer Zhang, please have some tea!" Xu Qin poured two cups of tea for Fang Rui and Zhang, then sat down on the sofa. Fang Rui didn''t drink the tea. He noticed a sketchbook on the table and casually picked it up to flip through it. The drawings were in color, but the lines were very blurry. They didn''t look like paintings, more like colors randomly smeared on paper. Although Fang Rui didn''t understand psychology, he could tell from these drawings that the mental state of the person who drew them was not very good. He took out his phone and photographed them, planning to ask Mu Mian to take a look later. Mu Mian had long been receiving art therapy and should be familiar with these things. "Miss Xu, did you draw these?" Fang Rui asked casually, pretending to be curious. "They''re quite unique!" "Yes," Xu Qin nervously snatched the sketchbook and stuffed it into a drawer. "I''ve been obsessed with modernist painting styles lately. These are just some casual drawings, very abstract. That''s the style of modernism." Seeing that Fang Rui hadn''t drunk the tea, Zhang didn''t dare to drink his cup either. He was afraid Xu Qin might have poisoned the tea and kill them both. Zhang asked, "Miss Xu, do you remember Shen Yuanyuan?" Upon hearing this name, Xu Qin froze. She cautiously asked, "What does this case have to do with Yuanyuan? Yuanyuan''s parents are farmers, they couldn''t possibly have poisoned Lin Qianjie. Please don''t harass her parents, they''re already miserable enough having to bury their child." Fang Rui asked, "Do you feel guilty about Shen Yuanyuan''s death?" "Why should I feel guilty? I wasn''t the one who raped Yuanyuan, nor did I push her off the building. Why don''t you blame Lin Qianjie? Why blame me? I had no choice, I didn''t want things to turn out like this..." Xu Qin lost control of her emotions, tears continuously flowing from the corners of her eyes. "Yuanyuan''s death wasn''t caused by me!" Zhang asked, "Then don''t you hate Lin Qianjie? He caused the death of your best friend, yet you still associated with him. Aren''t you afraid that Shen Yuanyuan won''t rest in peace?" Xu Qin''s mind flashed back to Shen Yuanyuan''s bloody, mangled body and those wide-open eyes. These scenes had become her inescapable nightmares. Her mental state was on the verge of collapse, and she struggled to defend herself: "This society is all about survival of the fittest. Even the law couldn''t do anything to him, what could I do? If I had helped Yuanyuan, I might have been the one who ended up dead!" Xu Qin finally realized Fang Rui''s intention. "Detective, I didn''t poison Lin Qianjie. It wasn''t me!" "If it wasn''t you, then it must be Chen Dongdong," Fang Rui said. "Was there anything suspicious about him on the night of the incident?" "Wang Xiaoya liked Lin Qianjie, she was always trying to seduce him. No man can tolerate being cheated on." Xu Qin continued, "He also knows many people in the black market and often buys illegal goods. It would be easy for him to buy poison. I think he''s the killer!" Xu Qin recalled, "Before we went to the dock that day, I saw Wang Xiaoya arguing with Chen Dongdong, and it was quite heated. Could it be that Chen Dongdong intended to poison Wang Xiaoya? Maybe Lin Qianjie accidentally drank that glass of wine by mistake, and that''s why he was poisoned too? Detective Fang, you should investigate Chen Dongdong thoroughly, he might just be the killer!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was already dark when they left the tutoring center where Xu Qin worked. "Boss, looking at the motives, both Chen Dongdong and Xu Qin had reasons to commit the crime. They also had the opportunity to do so, but it''s difficult to prove which one of them is the killer. If the poison was directly added to the glass, it would be hard to find any evidence." The lead on the source of the poison couldn''t be pursued further either. Tetramethylene disulfotetramine didn''t have a clear sales channel, making it difficult to trace its origin. When Fang Rui returned to the police station, he found Mu Mian still working overtime. She was hunched over her desk, which was covered with papers. She seemed to be solving calculation problems. Fang Rui placed his phone in front of Mu Mian, showing Xu Qin''s drawings. "Mu Mian, these drawings are very strange. Can they reflect the artist''s psychological issues? Like antisocial personality disorder or something?" Mu Mian glanced at the jumbled colors and thought for a moment before saying, "According to the principles of drawing tests, the artist is likely suffering from depression. She needs psychological treatment." "These drawings were done by Xu Qin. I thought they might indicate that she had strong aggressive tendencies. Now it seems she''s less likely to be the killer." "But many poisoners don''t exhibit aggressive tendencies. The perpetrators in these types of cases are usually women who can''t seek revenge through violent means, so they resort to poisoning instead," Mu Mian said as she continued her calculations on the paper. "What are you calculating?" "Liquid concentration," Mu Mian replied. "I''ve just finished." Fang Rui took a look, but the paper was full of formulas he couldn''t quite understand. "What''s the point of calculating this?" Mu Mian drew four glasses of wine on the paper, labeling one as poisoned wine while leaving the other three unmarked. Pointing at the poisoned glass, Mu Mian explained, "I conducted a component analysis of the four glasses of wine. This poisoned glass contains an additional component of rodenticide, but all other components are the same as the other three glasses. However, their alcohol concentrations differ significantly." "The poisoned glass has added rodenticide, so it would definitely affect the alcohol concentration. Are you suspecting that the murderer put a lot of poison in it?" Mu Mian sighed, thinking that Fang Rui was being a bit slow. "Mu Mian, just tell me the correct answer directly." Fang Rui couldn''t help but ruffle Mu Mian''s hair. "And don''t you dare think I''m stupid in your mind!" Mu Mian explained, "This indicates that the poisoned wine has been diluted." Chapter 49 Fang Rui decided to reenact the case. He called Chen Dongdong and Xu Qin to describe the incident again, while he and Zhang played the roles of the deceased Lin Qianjie and Wang Xiaoya.0"We were sitting around this table, in this order: Lin, me, Wang Xiaoya, and Xu Qin," Chen Dongdong recalled.0 Fang Rui and the others sat down according to this arrangement.0 "At first, Xu Qin went to get four glasses, then I went to the liquor cabinet and got a few bottles of rum. After the alcohol arrived, I poured the first round for everyone," Chen Dongdong said. "Later, Xiaoya took the bottle and kept enthusiastically pouring drinks for us. We continued drinking until about 11 o''clock."0 "Did the seating positions change at all?" Fang Rui asked.0 "Yes, they did. Later, we played a dice game where the person with the highest roll could make the person with the lowest roll do something. Xiaoya rolled the lowest, and Xu Qin the highest. Xu Qin made Xiaoya feed Lin alcohol mouth-to-mouth," Chen Dongdong described. "During the feeding, Xu Qin and Xiaoya switched places."0 Fang Rui looked at Xu Qin, "Wasn''t Lin Qianjie your boyfriend? Why did you make Wang Xiaoya feed him alcohol?"0 "When Wang Xiaoya was pouring drinks, she was practically clinging to Lin Qianjie. Since she was so eager to get something going with Lin Qianjie, I figured I''d just let her," Xu Qin shrugged and said.0 Fang Rui asked Chen Dongdong again, "Did Wang Xiaoya use Lin Qianjie''s glass to feed him directly?"0 Chen Dongdong shook his head, "At first, Xiaoya took a sip from her own glass, then fed it to Lin. Lin probably thought this way of drinking was interesting, so he picked up his glass and fed Xiaoya a sip too."0 "Did anything unusual happen after that? Like someone leaving?"0 S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Xu Qin went out for a bit."0 "I went to the bathroom," Xu Qin quickly explained.0 Chen Dongdong continued, "Afterwards, we kept drinking together. We didn''t continue the game because Lin was in a bad mood. Shortly after, Lin collapsed on the ground, convulsing. Less than a minute later, Xiaoya fell too. About ten minutes later, we realized they had both stopped breathing."0 After simulating the entire process, Fang Rui realized that the most likely person to have poisoned them was actually Wang Xiaoya. She poured the drinks and even kissed Lin Qianjie, making her the most probable suspect.0 But paradoxically, Wang Xiaoya herself had died.0 "Boss, could it be that Wang Xiaoya wanted to die together with Lin Qianjie? Maybe the poisoned glass wasn''t Lin Qianjie''s, but Wang Xiaoya''s? This way, she could kill Lin Qianjie and also make his lackeys suspects, causing them to turn on each other?" Zhang speculated.0 Fang Rui thought this was unlikely, given that Wang Xiaoya probably wasn''t clever enough to devise such a scheme.0 "Don''t you remember Mu Mian saying that Wang Xiaoya''s poisoning was less severe? If that poisoned glass was her own, she should have been more heavily poisoned. That poisoned glass must have been Lin Qianjie''s."0 "Then the murderer must be Xu Qin! She deliberately made Wang Xiaoya feed Lin Qianjie, so she could kill two birds with one stone and poison both of them at once," Zhang continued to guess.0 "If the killer wanted to kill Wang Xiaoya too, they could have just poisoned her glass directly. Why go through such a roundabout way? The killer also couldn''t be sure that Lin Qianjie would finish his own drink before feeding Wang Xiaoya."0 After watching their reenactment, Mu Mian realized that it was unlikely the poison was administered by any of the four people present. If the killer had added rat poison powder to the glass, it would have been quickly discovered; if they had added a liquid, it would have been impossible to do so discreetly.0 Fang Rui helped Mu Mian with the search and asked, "Mu Mian, do you think it''s possible the killer wasn''t among them?"0 "That''s highly likely," Mu Mian said confidently. "In poisoning cases, the killer rarely stays at the crime scene waiting to be arrested by the police."0 "Then how could the killer have poisoned them so precisely?"0 "The killer probably took advantage of some habit of the victims," Mu Mian said. "A very specific habit."0 "Are you saying that the method of poisoning is still related to that bottle of aphrodisiac?" Fang Rui guessed.0 "Why are you all so focused on that aphrodisiac bottle? It''s just an ordinary medicine."0 Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian and asked, "Mu Mian, do you know how the killer administered the poison?"0 Mu Mian didn''t answer. She pointed at the refrigerator on the yacht that held food, "Fang Rui, can you help me bring all of this back? Everything inside, including the refrigerator."0 Fang Rui remembered Mu Mian saying yesterday that the poisoned drink had been diluted, and he suddenly understood what Mu Mian wanted to verify.0 Mu Mian thought for a moment and added, "Fang Rui, even if we figure out how the killer administered the poison, we might still have trouble catching them. Because we may not be able to find evidence to arrest her."0 When Mu Mian returned to the station, Chen Xue was on a video call with someone.0 "Look, Mian Mian is back. She just went out on duty," Chen Xue said to the person on the phone, turning to pat Mu Mian.0 "Dr. Mu, long time no see!" It was Lu Tian on the other end of the video. Her emotional state seemed much improved.0 She was currently traveling abroad, with a background of azure sea - the scenery was beautiful.0 "Lu Tian, it''s been a while," Mu Mian greeted her.0 "The scenery here is really beautiful. Next time I''ll bring you all here!" Lu Tian noticed that Mu Mian looked busy and asked, "Dr. Mu, what are you busy with? Why aren''t you chatting with me?"0 Chen Xue explained, "We''re investigating a poisoning case! I told you about it, remember? That scumbag Lin Qianjie was poisoned to death. We''re working on this case now. Who knows which good Samaritan poisoned him. You have no idea, when I saw he was dead, I almost laughed out loud."0 "Have you caught the killer yet?"0 "Not so fast! We have no leads at all right now. Oh, I''ve got to go now, I need to get back to work."0 After hanging up, Chen Xue saw Mu Mian looking at her seriously. Chen Xue asked, "Mian Mian, what''s wrong?"0 "Chen Xue, we need to keep our work confidential."0 "Oh come on, Lu Tian couldn''t possibly be the killer," Chen Xue thought Mu Mian was being overly cautious.0 "It''s not impossible! This is a poisoning case." Mu Mian opened the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. The ice tray that should have been full of ice cubes was empty.0 "Mian Mian, have you forgotten? That night, we were all drinking together. Lu Tian can''t be in two places at once, how could she possibly kill Lin Qianjie?"0 Mu Mian didn''t say anything. She took the empty ice tray to run toxicology tests.0 "Mian Mian, you don''t really suspect Lu Tian, do you?"0 "The current situation is that anyone who has been on Lin Qianjie''s yacht is a suspect," Mu Mian explained. "I''m not just suspecting her. I only trust evidence."0 Chapter 50 When the toxicology results for the ice box came back, it was already 7 PM.Mu Mian glanced at the report, then closed it. The results were as she had expected. Mu Mian returned to her office and saw that Fang Rui was also working late. She handed the report to Fang Rui, saying, "Fang Rui, I know how the killer administered the poison." "This killer is quite clever, using such a discreet method to poison the victim." "Using ice cubes to deliver poison is a common technique in detective novels. It''s simple and doesn''t leave many traces," Mu Mian continued. "I just ran a toxicology test on that ice box and detected traces of tetramethylenedisulfotetramine. The killer used this box to make poisoned ice cubes." "So the killer likely prepared the poisoned ice cubes in advance and kept them in the freezer," Fang Rui analyzed. "On the day of the incident, Lin Qianjie happened to use one of those poisoned ice cubes, which led to his death by poisoning. But how did the killer ensure Lin Qianjie would definitely use that particular ice cube?" Fang Rui soon got the answer from Chen Dongdong. "Mr. Lin liked to add ice cubes to his drinks, but this particular liquor is meant to be enjoyed for its kick, so the rest of us don''t like adding ice," Chen Dongdong explained. "Mr. Lin was image-conscious, but he couldn''t hold his liquor well, so he could only reduce the alcohol content this way. We all knew about this, but no one dared to call him out on it." "Did he add ice cubes to his drink on the night of the incident?" "Of course he did! Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to drink more than a few glasses of that strong liquor." Fang Rui was speechless. Lin Qianjie really was a man who cared too much about his image. Although they had cracked the killer''s poisoning method, this actually made the case more complex. Firstly, Lin Qianjie''s yacht was docked at the marina, so it wouldn''t be difficult to sneak aboard, and Lin Qianjie himself had brought many friends on board before. Secondly, there were too many people who harbored hatred towards Lin Qianjie to investigate them all. Jiang Yun and the Lin family kept pressuring them about the progress of the investigation. They even hired thugs to beat Chen Dongdong half to death, trying to extract information about the poisoner from him. Fang Rui had no choice but to assign people to protect Chen Dongdong in the hospital to prevent any further incidents. As Mu Mian passed by Director Wang''s office, she overheard Jiang Yun complaining inside about their slow progress and demanding a change in the investigating team. Director Wang, troubled by her persistence, had to ask Captain Li, who was previously in charge of this case, to assist with the investigation again. Mu Mian thought Jiang Yun was terrifying, just like the wicked stepmother in fairy tales. "Mu Mian." Mu Mian was about to return to her office when Jiang Yun called out to her. "Mu Mian, I''m your mother. You have my photo, you should still remember me, right?" Jiang Yun''s face wore an expectant expression. "I don''t know you!" Mu Mian said calmly. "My mother is already dead. But she was very good to me, and she will always live in my memories." Mu Mian was referring to her adoptive mother, a very gentle woman. "Is it Shen Xiyin who''s not letting you acknowledge me?" Jiang Yun grabbed Mu Mian''s arm, her tone becoming urgent. "Shen Xiyin isn''t as good as you think. Their family''s motives for adopting you weren''t pure either. They didn''t adopt you because they liked you, but to claim your father''s inheritance. Mu Mian, come back to your mother." Mu Mian''s eyes widened. She didn''t understand why Jiang Yun would say such things. Her adoptive parents had spent a great deal of money and effort to treat her autism. If they were only after her father''s inheritance, they could have simply abandoned her at an orphanage and left her to fend for herself. Fang Rui, who had been summoned to the director''s office, happened to witness this scene. He pulled Mu Mian behind him and addressed Jiang Yun, "Ms. Jiang, if you''re dissatisfied with our investigation efficiency, you can file a complaint directly. Please don''t manhandle our staff!" "Fang Rui, she''s my daughter. I was just catching up with her." "But Mu Mian doesn''t want to catch up with you!" Mu Mian nodded, "Fang Rui, I don''t know her. I want to go back to work." "Alright, you can go!" Jiang Yun glared at Fang Rui, displeased. "Mind your own business! I''m Mu Mian''s mother. It''s not your place as an outsider to interfere in our affairs!" "Mu Mian was once a victim of a telecom fraud. The scammer claimed to be her mother, and she transferred all her money to them. She used to look forward to meeting her mother, but when she finally met you, you hurt her deeply." Jiang Yun''s eyes reddened. She deeply regretted saying those things to Mu Mian back then. "Ms. Jiang, if you truly have even a shred of love for this daughter, please stop hurting her." The director informed Fang Rui about increasing manpower for the investigation, with Captain Li assisting him. Fang Rui guessed that Jiang Yun must have been applying pressure again. "Fang Rui, what rotten luck. This case has landed in my lap again." Fang Rui shrugged helplessly, "We could actually use some help in investigating the victim''s social connections. It''s great that you can assist!" Fang Rui obtained a list from Chen Dongdong of everyone who had been on the yacht in the past month, including cleaning staff. There were twenty-five people in total, and to their surprise, Lu Tian was one of them. Zhang looked at Lu Tian''s name and exclaimed, "My goodness, could the poisoner be Lu Tian? No one hates Lin Qianjie more than her right now, right?" Lu Tian had been on the yacht on July 19th, the day before she was raped by Lin Qianjie. "No way, it can''t be Lu Tian. Lu Tian was raped by Lin Qianjie on July 20th. She hadn''t even been raped at that point, so what motive would she have had to kill Lin Qianjie?" Chen Xue argued, "She couldn''t have killed him for no reason, could she?" Fang Rui suddenly realized that there were some questionable points about Lu Tian''s rape case. For instance, even if Lin Qianjie had deliberately created an opportunity to meet Lu Tian, how could they have taken so many photos together if Lu Tian wasn''t cooperating? Moreover, Lin Qianjie and Lu Tian were chatting in the living room that night. Why would Lin Qianjie drag Lu Tian into the bedroom to rape her instead of doing it right there in the living room? Fang Rui also recalled what Lu Tian''s mother had said in court. If what she said was true, then... As they were leaving work, Mu Mian and Chen Xue saw Lu Tian standing at the entrance of the City Police Bureau, seemingly waiting for someone. She greeted them warmly when she saw them: "Dr. Mu, Dr. Chen." "Tiantian, are you back from your trip?" Chen Xue was happy to see Lu Tian. After spending time together, they had become quite close. "How was your trip abroad? I''d love to go too, but I can''t afford it!" "I brought gifts for you." Lu Tian handed Chen Xue a gift bag containing postcards and a souvenir made from a conch shell. Chen Xue loved it. Lu Tian then gave Mu Mian a gift box, "Dr. Shen said you especially enjoy unwrapping gifts, so I put your present in a box. I hope you like it." Mu Mian opened the box to find a colorful wind chime made of seashells. "It''s beautiful. I love it," Mu Mian said, carefully closing the box and cradling it. "Tiantian, come on, let''s go eat. I''ll treat you to hot pot," Chen Xue said, putting her arm around Lu Tian. She was glad to see Lu Tian moving past her trauma. "Sure! I haven''t had hot pot in ages." The thought of hot pot made Mu Mian a bit glum. The last time she had bravely tried it, she had developed a fever and suffered from toothache for days. She didn''t want to eat hot pot. "Chen Xue, Lu Tian, I can''t join you for hot pot. I need to go home. Goodbye!" Mu Mian''s refusal was quite direct. "Alright then, we''ll go on our own." Chen Xue waved goodbye to Mu Mian and drove off with Lu Tian. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian waited for a while and soon saw Fang Rui''s car coming out. She got in, holding her gift box. "Who gave you that gift?" Fang Rui asked. "Lu Tian," Mu Mian replied. "She went on a beach vacation. She gave me a very pretty seashell wind chime. I really like it." "When did you and Chen Xue become so close with her?" Mu Mian looked a bit sad as she turned to Fang Rui, "If Lu Tian turns out to be the one who poisoned Lin Qianjie, can we not arrest her?" Chapter 51 "Mu Mian, everyone should be responsible for their own actions. If she committed a crime, she should face legal judgment," Fang Rui said, looking at the crowded traffic. "However, our immediate priority is to find evidence first.""Lin Qianjie also committed a crime, but he escaped legal punishment," Mu Mian argued. "Lu Tian is a good person. She was forced into committing a crime!" Fang Rui noticed the red light, stopped the car, then looked at Mu Mian: "This shows the limitations of the law, and we need to work hard to improve it. Any tragic experience is not an excuse for committing a crime. If Lu Tian really committed a crime, then she should be held responsible for her actions." "But that''s so unfair!" "Mu Mian, there''s no absolute fairness in this world." Back home, Mu Mian hung the seashell wind chime by the inner window. When the wind blew, the shells made a crisp sound. So noisy! After a while, Mu Mian put it away again, storing it in a box. The next day, Fang Rui and Zhang once again found Shen Yuanyuan''s best friend, Shen Meilin. "Officer Fang, what can I do for you?" Shen Meilin asked. "We''ve told you everything about Yuanyuan. Please don''t keep coming to find me; it''s affecting my work." "Did Shen Yuanyuan have any other close friends?" "She had quite a few friends. Which one are you asking about?" Fang Rui took out Lu Tian''s photo and handed it to Shen Meilin. "Did Shen Yuanyuan know this girl?" "Isn''t this Lu Tian?" Shen Meilin recognized the person in the photo immediately. "She was Yuanyuan''s good friend." "How did they meet?" "They met in a small psychological support group about six months ago. The people in that group all had various psychological issues. They often held gatherings privately to comfort each other, and it was quite effective. After Yuanyuan was raped by Lin Qianjie, she developed PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), so she joined this group to seek solace. Later, she met Lu Tian in this group. Lu Tian was especially kind, often inviting Yuanyuan out and giving her gifts." Shen Meilin remembered something and took out her phone. "This is a photo of Yuanyuan and Lu Tian together." Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged a glance. It seemed that Lu Tian was likely seeking revenge for Shen Yuanyuan. "Later, when Yuanyuan''s lawsuit failed, she couldn''t bear the stress and committed suicide. Lu Tian even gave her parents some money to help them buy a good burial plot for Yuanyuan." "Can you send me this photo?" "Sure." After leaving the restaurant where Shen Meilin worked, Zhang''s thoughts were still in disarray. "Boss, if Lu Tian knew Shen Yuanyuan six months ago, how could she still fall into Lin Qianjie''s trap? Could Lu Tian have deliberately set up Lin Qianjie to rape her?" Fang Rui analyzed, "Lu Tian''s plan might have been in two parts: if the rape charge stood, then Lin Qianjie would face legal judgment; if he managed to escape punishment like last time, then he would face Lu Tian''s judgment." "But why would Lu Tian help Shen Yuanyuan? They were just friends. Is it worth committing a crime for a friend you''ve just met?" Zhang asked, puzzled. "Do you remember what Lu Tian''s mother said in court? She said Lu Tian was molested as a child," Fang Rui paused. "Shen Yuanyuan''s case might have triggered her, so she wanted to seek justice for Shen Yuanyuan, and also for her younger self." Fang Rui immediately called Lu Tian to the interrogation room. Lu Tian was still wearing the white dress she had worn during the trial. Her expression was calm, not at all like a criminal awaiting trial. "Miss Lu, you know Shen Yuanyuan, don''t you?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes, I met her in a psychological support group. I''ve always had bipolar disorder, so I often participate in such support groups. It helps me manage my emotions and also allows me to help others." Fang Rui continued, "Miss Lu, since you knew Shen Yuanyuan, you must have known what kind of person Lin Qianjie was and what methods he used. So why did you still go to various events with him?" "For money!" Lu Tian answered. "I needed money. You should know about my family background. We''re very poor, and I have parents and a younger brother depending on me, so I need to earn money. I thought with Yuanyuan''s experience as a lesson, I could avoid such things happening, but I underestimated my judgment." Zhang interrupted, "Miss Lu, do you think this reason is convincing?" "I could be after his money, but that doesn''t mean he can force me to do things I don''t want to do." Fang Rui said, "On July 19th, you followed Wang Xiaoya onto the yacht. When they weren''t paying attention, you put rat poison in the ice tray. On July 20th, you deliberately provoked Lin Qianjie to rape you and tricked him into the room because you knew there was a camera installed on the balcony of the opposite building that could capture what was happening in your room. You also deliberately made a lot of noise while resisting. After losing the trial, you immediately went abroad for a vacation to create an alibi for yourself. Miss Lu, am I correct in my analysis?" "Officer Fang, your story is very imaginative," Lu Tian''s face showed a mocking smile. "But do you solve cases by making up stories? Though maybe that''s how all you judicial personnel work. Lin Qianjie also got away by making up a story, labeling me as mentally ill, and was acquitted." "We''re already collecting evidence," Zhang retorted. "Any crime will leave traces. If you confess now, it will be considered a voluntary surrender, and the judge will give you a reduced sentence." Lu Tian sneered, "So you have no evidence. I''m sorry, but before my lawyer arrives, I have the right to remain silent." Fang Rui also knew that the chain of evidence was not complete, but judging from Lu Tian''s attitude, she was undoubtedly the culprit. Lu Tian''s lawyer arrived at the station quickly. "Isn''t Nie Yan a prosecutor? How did she become Lu Tian''s lawyer?" Chen Xue was a bit surprised. After Lu Tian''s case ended, Nie Yan was framed for accepting bribes and was dismissed from the prosecutor''s office. Before joining the prosecutor''s office, Nie Yan had been a criminal defense lawyer. After being dismissed, she joined a small law firm and returned to being a lawyer. Mu Mian looked at Nie Yan in front of her and felt she was so unfamiliar. The previous Nie Yan, although she didn''t smile much, had a light in her eyes. But now, Nie Yan''s expression was cold, reminding her of Lin Qianjie''s defense lawyer. "Officer Fang, you have no evidence to prove that my client is related to Lin Qianjie''s poisoning case. Summoning her here privately is a violation of procedure. We have the right to file a complaint against you!" Nie Yan''s tone was a bit aggressive. Fang Rui explained, "This is not a summons. We just asked her to come here to understand some situations." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Then why are you detaining my client?" "We''re not detaining her. We''ll let her go after we finish talking." "Can my client leave now?" "...Yes!" Nie Yan left the city bureau with Lu Tian. After get ting in the car, Nie Yan held Lu Tian''s hand, "Lu Tian, don''t be afraid!" "Sister Nie Yan, they''ve guessed the truth. They''ll soon find evidence to incriminate me! But it doesn''t matter. Exchanging my life for that scumbag Lin Qianjie''s is very worthwhile. And Wang Xiaoya died too, we''ve gained." "Lu Tian, do you trust my abilities?" Nie Yan looked at Lu Tian. Lu Tian said without hesitation, "I trust you." "Then you should believe that you will be found not guilty." Nie Yan hugged Lu Tian. "Lu Tian, no matter what evidence they find, you must not admit that you put the poison. You must deny it, firmly deny it. Leave the rest to me." "Alright, Nie Yan, thank you!" Lu Tian looked at the azure sky, the sunlight felt piercing to her eyes. Perhaps this world is very dark, but there will always be someone to be the light that illuminates this world. She was willing to commit a crime for Shen Yuanyuan, and Nie Yan was also willing to do anything for her. Only girls would selflessly help other girls! Chapter 52 After Nie Yan and her companions left, Fang Rui and his team held a brief case analysis meeting."There are no fingerprints on the ice box, so we can''t prove that Lu Tian ever touched it. There''s no surveillance on the yacht either, so video evidence is impossible..." Zhang muttered, "We have no way to prove that Lu Tian was the one who poisoned them!" "Lu Tian must have had some container or packaging for the poison when she brought it onto the yacht," Mu Mian said. "But since the yacht was out at sea, she would have thrown it overboard, letting the evidence sink to the bottom of the ocean." Everyone fell silent. Although they had figured out the poisoning method and deduced who the culprit was, they couldn''t find any evidence to incriminate the perpetrator. Fang Rui said, "Can we start by investigating the source of the poison? Lu Tian is from a rural area. Would they have any special channels to buy rat poison?" Zhang''s eyes lit up, "That makes sense!" After the meeting, Fang Rui had originally planned to go to Lu Tian''s rural hometown with Zhang, but Mu Mian beat him to it, saying, "Can I go with you? I know quite a bit about poisons." "Sure." Lu Tian''s hometown was far away. It took nearly four hours of driving to reach the entrance of their village. The village was mostly populated by elderly people, with few young residents. Fang Rui bought a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of water at a small shop at the village entrance, then started chatting with the shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper, I heard there''s an internet celebrity from your village. Do you know her?" "Internet celebrity? How could we have one in a place like this?" The shopkeeper suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Come to think of it, we actually do! It''s that girl from the Lu family. I heard she makes quite a bit of money. But the way she makes money is a bit vulgar!" "How is it vulgar?" "Well, she dresses up all fancy and makes videos every day. Lots of men like her. But this child has always been pretty since she was little. Otherwise, her uncle wouldn''t have..." The shopkeeper suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. "Shopkeeper, being an internet celebrity is a legitimate job now. You shouldn''t judge them with prejudice," Fang Rui guessed what he was about to say - Lu Tian had likely been molested by her uncle when she was young. "Everyone in the village says so. Even her mother scolds her for being improper. It''s not just me saying this." Fang Rui decided not to continue this topic. "Shopkeeper, do you know where I can buy rat poison? I have a lot of rats at home and want to get rid of them." "Yes, I have some right here!" The shopkeeper took out several rat glue traps. "These work really well. Do you want to buy some?" "I''m looking for rat poison, the really strong kind." "We don''t have that. The government doesn''t allow the sale of those. It''s illegal!" "Do you know where I could buy some?" Fang Rui offered the shopkeeper a cigarette. "You probably can''t buy it anywhere now. It''s not available anywhere!" The shopkeeper lit the cigarette and took a puff before continuing, "About ten or fifteen years ago, there was a chemical factory in the next village that produced rat poison. But then the government banned its production, right? It''s probably not available anymore." "Did anyone from your village work at that chemical factory?" "Many did. That Lu family girl I mentioned earlier actually accidentally ate some rat poison when she was little. Luckily it was discovered early, and they made her drink a bowl of manure water to make her vomit it out. Otherwise, she would have died." Fang Rui and Mu Mian exchanged a glance. The poison Lu Tian accidentally ingested back then was very likely to have been the same rat poison they were investigating. "Shopkeeper, thank you. You can keep this pack of cigarettes!" "Aren''t you going to smoke them yourself?" "I don''t smoke!" The shopkeeper laughed, thinking this person was quite strange to buy cigarettes without smoking. Lu Tian''s family home was a two-story old-style building. The house was dilapidated, with the surface lime corroded away, exposing the bricks underneath. The courtyard wasn''t paved with cement and looked uneven and potholed. Fang Rui found it strange. Given Lu Tian''s income, her parents shouldn''t be living in such a rundown house. However, Lu Tian probably hated her parents and likely wouldn''t spend money on them even if she earned a lot. Lu''s Mother looked confused when she saw Fang Rui at the door, not recognizing him. "Who are you? What are you doing at my house?" "We''re from the police station. We suspect you have a highly toxic rat poison called tetramine in your home," Mu Mian looked at Lu''s Mother with a serious expression. "Please hand it over immediately, or you''ll face legal consequences." Lu''s Mother looked utterly bewildered. "What tetramine? Where would we have such a thing? Who told you this?" She suddenly walked to the gate, put her hands on her hips, and shouted towards the entrance, "Which one of you gossips has been making false reports? Where would we get such a toxic substance?" Mu Mian took out her phone and played a video recording. The background was a courtroom, where Lu''s Mother was testifying that Lu Tian had been molested by a relative when she was young and had once attempted suicide by eating rat poison. "I... I did say that. What''s the problem?" Lu''s Mother stammered. "Do you still have any rat poison at home?" Fang Rui asked. "Rat poison? Are you here to collect it?" Lu''s Mother suddenly realized. "We do have a small packet, it''s been here for over ten years." "Can you find it and give it to us?" Lu''s Mother went into a storage room filled with various items. As soon as the door opened, dust particles floated in the air. "Auntie, just tell me where it is, and I''ll get it myself," Fang Rui put on gloves, then said to Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, you take photos of the evidence from the side." "Alright." Lu''s Mother pointed to a dust-covered box on top of a cabinet. Fang Rui was about to take it down when Mu Mian stopped him, "Fang Rui, there are handprints on the box. Don''t disturb them." "I see them." Fang Rui first photographed the two faint handprints on the box, then carefully lifted the box down, avoiding the prints. The box was about half a meter long, not very big, but it was full of various items, including expired pesticides and different plant seeds. Lu''s Mother pointed to a yellow paper package and said, "That''s the rat poison. It''s been over ten years, I don''t know if it''s expired. I never dared to throw it away carelessly, afraid it might poison someone else''s chickens or ducks." While all the other items were covered in dust, the yellow paper package was clean, clearly indicating that someone had recently opened it and taken something out. "Has Lu Tian been home recently?" "She hasn''t been back for a while," Lu''s Mother sighed. "This child hates me to death. But I had no choice. If I didn''t testify, that lawyer would have sent my son to jail. He''s my only son. I had to testify." "When was the last time she came home?" "I think it was in July, July 12th. She suddenly came back that day, didn''t even stay overnight. She just packed some things and left. I don''t even know why she came back." "Auntie, we need to take this box with us." "Go ahead and take it!" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was already 10 PM when Fang Rui drove back to the city. Mu Mian had been sleeping soundly but was woken up by the voice prompt at the highway toll station. Mu Mian perked up a bit, "Fang Rui, let''s go back to the station when we get back. I want to run a toxicology test on the substances inside." "Mu Mian, it''s already 10 PM." Fang Rui couldn''t understand why Mu Mian was so eager to work. She had been exhausted earlier, but now she was suddenly full of energy. "But I''m not tired. I feel very awake now." "I''m very tired!" Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui for a moment before deciding to compromise, "Alright, but you have to get up early tomorrow!" "..." Chapter 53 The next day, Mu Mian had her sister drop her off at work early. She bought a beautiful cake and a cup of hot cocoa for Chen Xue.Mu Mian thought Chen Xue might need some sweets to lift her mood after the events that were likely to upset her today. When Chen Xue arrived at the office, Mu Mian had already sent all the items for toxicology testing, and now they were just waiting for the results. "Mu Mian, were you out burgling last night? Look at those dark circles under your eyes. You didn''t sleep at all, did you?" Chen Xue stared at Mu Mian for a moment, then commented, "If you were a bit rounder, you could cosplay as a panda." "This is for you!" Mu Mian handed Chen Xue the breakfast she had bought. "How did you know I hadn''t eaten breakfast? You''re so thoughtful!" "Chen Xue," Mu Mian''s expression turned serious, "We may have found evidence proving Lu Tian''s crime." To Mu Mian''s surprise, Chen Xue didn''t seem upset or angry. She just kept taking bites of her bread, stuffing it into her mouth. "I knew you and Captain Fang would find evidence," Chen Xue said. "That''s good. At least this case can finally be solved." "Shouldn''t you be condemning us?" Mu Mian felt a bit frustrated, unable to read Chen Xue''s expression. "We''re law enforcement officers. Our job is to solve cases and catch criminals. If Lu Tian committed a crime, we should arrest her. Although I sympathize with Lu Tian, I won''t cover for her." "Chen Xue, even if Lu Tian committed a crime, she''s still our friend," Mu Mian consoled her. "Mian Mian, she won''t consider us friends anymore. Ah, it''s really the irony of fate. We couldn''t bring a criminal like Lin Qianjie to justice, but now we have to arrest Lu Tian, the victim, with our own hands." The toxicology results came back quickly. The yellow paper package indeed contained tetramethylenedisulfotetramine, a potent rodenticide. The poison was mixed with some soil, and there was also soil in the poisoned wine at the crime scene. The impurities in the poison solution were the same, strongly suggesting it was the same batch of poison. The palm print on the wooden box was also extracted. Based on the size of the palm print and the length of the fingers, it could be preliminarily determined that the print belonged to an adult female. Fang Rui brought Lu Tian in for questioning again. This time, Nie Yan accompanied her. Nie Yan''s gaze towards Fang Rui and Mu Mian was ice-cold, as if accusing them of aiding evil. Fang Rui had Wang from the technical department take Lu Tian''s palm print and compare it with the one on the wooden box. The results showed that the two prints belonged to the same person. Now they could almost convict Lu Tian. But Fang Rui still decided to give Lu Tian a chance to confess. In the interrogation room, Fang Rui and Captain Li questioned Lu Tian together. "Lu Tian, do you still want to deny it?" Fang Rui placed a photo of the wooden box in front of Lu Tian. "The poison was taken from this box, wasn''t it?" "I don''t know what you''re talking about." "You''re very aware of anti-detection techniques. You wore gloves to handle the poison, but you forgot that the box was covered in dust, and your palm print was left on it." Fang Rui placed another photo of the palm print in front of Lu Tian. "This can prove that you opened that box." "So what? Am I not allowed to touch things in my own home?" Lu Tian retorted. "We also have your mother''s testimony. All this evidence together forms a complete chain of evidence, enough to convict you!" Lu Tian looked at Fang Rui. "I didn''t do any of this. I don''t know anything." No matter what Fang Rui and Captain Li said after that, Lu Tian kept saying she didn''t know, adamantly refusing to admit anything. Towards the end, Lu Tian started to ramble incoherently. "You''re all bad people, you''re framing me! You''re all bad people, go away! Nie Yan, save me, I''m so scared..." The current evidence had already formed a complete chain. There were even photos proving that Lu Tian had been on that yacht. Her denial was useless. But to close the case, they needed to get Lu Tian''s confession and signed admission of guilt. Fang Rui suggested that Lu Tian see a psychologist first, but Captain Li insisted that with the complete chain of evidence, they would definitely get a confession. After he and his assistant interrogated Lu Tian for eight hours, they finally got her confession, and Lu Tian signed an admission of guilt. The case was officially closed. After the case was closed, the prosecutor''s office quickly filed public charges against Lu Tian, accusing her of intentional homicide. On the day of the trial, Mu Mian thought for a long time and decided to go to court to observe. Chen Xue refused to go with her, not wanting to witness Lu Tian being judged. Mu Mian could only ask Fang Rui to accompany her. The public gallery was full of people. Mu Mian saw Jiang Yun sitting in a corner of the gallery, still wearing sunglasses, her expression cold, showing no sign of having just experienced the loss of a child. Lu Tian stood in the dock as the defendant, looking haggard and vacant. Nie Yan stood beside her, her gaze determined. Not long ago, the two of them had also stood together, fighting a losing battle in court. Only now, they had changed from plaintiffs to defendants, from victims to perpetrators. After the prosecutor finished reading the indictment, he thought the rest would be a mere formality, since Lu Tian''s guilt was a foregone conclusion. His voice was monotonous, and the lengthy indictment was making people drowsy. The prosecutor said, "Defendant, do you have any objections to the charges in the indictment?" "I didn''t kill anyone!" The prosecutor''s face changed slightly. He said, "But the evidence provided by the police proves that you are the murderer, and you also gave a confession and signed an admission of guilt." "They subjected me to mental torture and forced me to confess. They even forced my hand to sign that admission of guilt." Lu Tian stood straight, "I didn''t kill anyone. I don''t know what happened. I was framed!" The presiding judge warned, "Defendant, the court reminds you that retracting your confession in court may increase your sentence." "Your Honor, I really didn''t kill anyone. Someone controlled me to do it. It wasn''t me. It was someone else." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The audience in the gallery started to murmur, everyone wondering if the defendant had gone insane. She looked like a madwoman. Nie Yan said, "Your Honor, my client suffers from dissociative conversion disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder. She has just experienced severe psychological trauma, her memory is confused, and in this situation, she may be experiencing intermittent amnesia." The judge was a bit angry. He reminded, "Counsel, the court is a very serious place. Please don''t make up stories." "Your Honor, I have provided a psychiatric evaluation report. This report was jointly issued by four psychiatric experts and two psychological experts from the judicial center. This report is highly authoritative," Nie Yan emphasized the word ''authoritative'' and continued, "The report confirms that my client indeed suffers from dissociative conversion disorder." "My client is a completely mentally ill person. At the time of the incident, she was in a state where she could not recognize or control her own actions. Therefore, I request a not guilty plea for my client on grounds of insanity!" The prosecutor argued, "Even if the defendant suffers from dissociative conversion disorder, she is only intermittently mentally ill. How can you prove that she was in an unconscious state when she administered the poison?" "Prosecutor, it''s you who believes she is intermittently mentally ill. The burden of proof lies with the one who makes the claim. So, you need to provide evidence to prove that my client was in a clear state of mind when she administered the poison." Nie Yan held up the evaluation report in her hand. "This report can prove that my client is mentally ill, her mental state is extremely unstable, and she cannot control her own actions." The judge announced a recess to reassess Lu Tian''s mental state before reconvening for a retrial. Fang Rui stopped Nie Yan, "Nie Yan, you know very well that Lu Tian doesn''t have dissociative conversion disorder at all. Having Lu Tian fake illness is illegal, and..." "Fang Rui, I''m not the one saying she''s ill. It''s those psychiatric experts who say she''s ill," Nie Yan interrupted Fang Rui. "I''m just presenting that authoritative report." "You could use this to help reduce Lu Tian''s sentence." "The law is not fit to judge Lu Tian," Nie Yan''s lips curled into a mocking smile. "Lu Tian asked me to ask you all, now that you know the whole truth, do you really think she''s guilty?" Lu Tian felt that this world was deeply unfair. As a child, she had been molested by her own uncle, but no one sought justice for her. Not a single person condemned that beast. Instead, the neighbors constantly slut-shamed her, saying it was her fault for being too pretty, which led to her being molested. Shen Yuanyuan was raped by Lin Qianjie, and no one stood up for her justice either. Countless strangers hurled the most vicious insults at Shen Yuanyuan, ultimately driving her to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Was she committing a crime? She was merely avenging her childhood self, as well as seeking vengeance for the helpless Shen Yuanyuan who had jumped to her death. She had tried to let the law judge scum like Lin Qianjie, but reality proved that it wouldn''t work. So the only option left was to let that scumbag face her judgment. Fang Rui didn''t know how to answer this question. Nie Yan gave them a cold look, then left the courthouse. Chapter 54 "Fang Rui, we can''t stop Lin Qianjie''s lawyer from getting him acquitted, and we can''t stop Nie Yan from getting Lu Tian off the hook," Mu Mian consoled him. "It''s fair. All we can do is reveal the truth.""Mu Mian, you don''t understand. Sometimes prison is actually the safest place," Fang Rui sighed. "Do you think the Lin Family will let Lu Tian go? Only those with power and influence can exploit legal loopholes. Nie Yan is still too naive." Mu Mian indeed didn''t understand. She thought the world was so complicated. Why were there laws if so many people didn''t obey them? Was it really that hard to follow the rules? But she quickly figured it out. If there were no criminals, she and Fang Rui would be out of a job. Being unemployed meant no salary, no money to spend, and nothing to do every day. How boring and painful that would be. "Alright, don''t think about such complex issues," Fang Rui patted Mu Mian''s head. "Otherwise your brain might short-circuit again." "Fang Rui, my brain is perfectly normal. It won''t short-circuit." The Judicial Appraisal Center organized a team of experts to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of Lu Tian. They eventually issued a written report confirming that Lu Tian indeed suffered from dissociative conversion disorder. One expert even scanned Lu Tian''s brain and found organic changes, further corroborating that Lu Tian had a mental illness. Shen Xiyin was also part of the expert team. She had raised objections, but they weren''t accepted. Previously, their Judicial Appraisal Center had already issued a report stating that Lu Tian suffered from dissociative conversion disorder. If they were to issue another report now saying Lu Tian didn''t have this condition, their center''s reputation would be ruined. So Lu Tian had to be sick! The Lin Family had also intervened, but they later gave up. If Lu Tian went to prison, there was little they could do. But if Lu Tian entered a mental hospital, they would have plenty of ways to make her life a living hell! Lin Qianjie had been killed by Lu Tian, and they didn''t want Lu Tian to simply serve time in prison. That would be too easy for her. Under the influence of various factors, the court finally made its ruling: "...As the defendant is a person with complete mental illness and lacks civil capacity, this court rules that the defendant Lu Tian''s charge of intentional homicide does not stand... Lu Tian needs to be confined for life in Jiangzhou City''s Qingshan Mental Hospital..." Upon hearing the verdict, Nie Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She felt incredibly elated; she had finally won a case! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As Nie Yan was leaving the courthouse, she saw Fang Rui and Mu Mian waiting for her at the entrance. "Fang Rui, Mu Mian, if you''re here to condemn me, please leave! If you''re here to congratulate me on winning this case, then you''re welcome to join my celebration party." Fang Rui sighed, "Nie Yan, you used to despise such despicable tactics." "Fang Rui, justice belongs to the victors. I won this case, so I represent justice," Nie Yan''s tone carried a hint of arrogance and self-satisfaction. "In the pursuit of justice, it''s okay to use some tactics. I''ll use despicable means to reach a bright outcome." Nie Yan looked up at the azure sky, feeling only that the sunlight was too harsh. She seemed to have finally become the kind of person she used to hate the most. But so what? Those in power could manipulate the law to exonerate themselves, so why couldn''t she manipulate the law to save a poor girl who shouldn''t be guilty? The law was no longer sacred in her heart; justice would only belong to the victors. "Is the outcome really bright? Lu Tian will have to live in a mental hospital from now on. That''s a terrifying place. In prison, people aren''t free, but at least their minds are free. But in a mental hospital, people are not free, and neither are their minds. Moreover, the Lin Family won''t let Lu Tian off. Nie Yan, you know very well what Lu Tian is about to face," Fang Rui reminded her. "The only winner is you!" Nie Yan''s body stiffened. Shen Xiyin had also warned Nie Yan not to pursue a not guilty plea, because the consequence would be Lu Tian being confined to a mental hospital for life, a fate worse than prison. She had suggested that Nie Yan could use Lu Tian''s mental illness to apply for a reduced sentence. But Nie Yan had refused. She even prevented others from seeing Lu Tian. Was it really just about getting Lu Tian acquitted? Nie Yan found herself unable to answer this question. Nie Yan quickly regained her smile, "It wasn''t me who put her in a mental hospital, it was you. If you hadn''t insisted on uncovering the truth, Lu Tian wouldn''t have been prosecuted. You should be the ones feeling guilty! Doesn''t a scumbag like Lin Qianjie deserve to die? Why did you have to catch the killer? Couldn''t you have been incompetent just one more time?" "A tragic experience is not an excuse for crime," Fang Rui retorted. "If you commit a crime, you should face the consequences." "What about Lin Qianjie then? What consequences did he face?" Fang Rui didn''t know how to answer this question. The world was inherently unfair; for the same act, different people had to pay different prices. Nie Yan was too extreme. Previously, she had been too righteous, too believing in justice. When her sense of justice crumbled, she swung to the other extreme. "He was poisoned to death," Mu Mian answered softly. "That''s the price he paid for his misdeeds. If he hadn''t exploited legal loopholes, he would have only served a few years in prison and could have quickly come out to continue his wrongdoings." This time it was Nie Yan who was left speechless. Mu Mian didn''t understand anything; her thinking was too simple. She couldn''t comprehend this complex world at all. Fang Rui tried to console Nie Yan, "Your current mindset is problematic. You need to adjust it." "Mu Forensic Doctor, Police Officer Fang, I hope we won''t meet again," Nie Yan''s tone carried a hint of sadness. "I''m now a criminal defense lawyer. I think if we meet again, we''ll be opponents. I don''t want to face opponents like you. But if we do meet, I''ll still win!" Fang Rui watched Nie Yan''s retreating figure, feeling a bit regretful. Nie Yan had once been an excellent prosecutor. At this moment, he suddenly found himself being hugged tightly by Mu Mian. Fang Rui looked down at Mu Mian, "What''s wrong?" "I feel like you''re very sad. But I don''t know how to comfort you," Mu Mian sighed. "I''m not good at comforting people." Mu Mian remembered the night they drank together. It was Nie Yan''s darkest moment, but she still said she would become the best prosecutor. Nie Yan ultimately couldn''t realize her dream. When did Nie Yan change? Maybe it was when she lost case after case to Lin Qianjie''s lawyer, or maybe it was the night she attempted suicide. She didn''t kill herself, but she killed her naive self and adopted a new persona to face this complex world. "I''m just a bit regretful, but this is Nie Yan''s own choice. I think that passionate Prosecutor Nie will forever remain in our memories." Those who gaze into the abyss must also be wary of being swallowed by it. "Fang Rui, did you get over your sadness so quickly?" Mu Mian''s tone was a bit disappointed. She felt that hugging Fang Rui was quite nice, and she didn''t expect him to be comforted so quickly. "Do you want me to keep being sad about Nie Yan?" "Of course not. I don''t want to see you sad," Mu Mian reluctantly let go of his embrace. She suddenly thought of a serious question: if Fang Rui died, she would only be able to hug a cold corpse. She didn''t like hugging corpses. She seemed to not want his remains as much now. Mu Mian immediately pushed this strange thought out of her mind. How could she not want Fang Rui''s remains? Had her brain really short-circuited from overthinking? "Fang Rui, I''ve lost another friend," Mu Mian mumbled dejectedly. "I finally made two friends, and now they''re both gone. Sigh, making friends is so hard. Fang Rui, I''m so sad." "Do you want me to hug you to comfort you?" "If you sign this, I won''t be sad anymore." Mu Mian quickly pulled out a donation agreement from her bag and handed the pen to Fang Rui. "Just sign it, write ''Fang Rui'' right here." "Mu Mian, it seems you''re not sad anymore," Fang Rui stuffed the agreement back into Mu Mian''s bag. "Let''s go, we''re heading back." Mu Mian was dumbfounded. She compromised, saying, "Fang Rui, then just give me a hug. That way I won''t feel so bad." "Sorry, but that offer of a hug has been rescinded. You don''t need comforting now!" Mu Mian''s face fell, looking like a bitter gourd. Indeed, one shouldn''t be too greedy in life. After winning this court case, Nie Yan''s fame skyrocketed overnight. Suddenly, many parties involved in criminal cases sought her out as their defense attorney. She began a brilliant new chapter in her career in this fresh field. However, she never went to see Lu Tian again. Chapter 55 After experiencing various twists and turns, the poisoning case of Lin Qianjie and Wang Xiaoya finally came to an end.During the weekend holiday, Mu Mian accompanied Shen Xiyin to a very high-end sanatorium. This sanatorium integrated medical care and nursing, housing many wealthy people with health issues. "Mian, we''ll be meeting Aunt shortly," Shen Xiyin handed the lily bouquet to Mu Mian, "Remember to give her these flowers when you see her." Mu Mian had heard about this Aunt Shen Min. Reportedly, she had gotten pregnant before marriage, then ran away with the child and eloped with that man, never returning to see the Shen family again. Shen''s father despised this sister; he would get angry at anyone who mentioned Shen Min. "Alright, but why should I give them to her?" Mu Mian asked curiously. Shen Xiyin''s tone was somewhat dejected, "She might not like me very much." Mu Mian was a bit surprised. Why would Aunt dislike her sister? No one could dislike her sister! The nurse seemed to recognize Shen Xiyin and smiled warmly, "Miss Shen, are you here to see Mrs. Shen again? Her condition has improved recently. She''s sunbathing on the lawn outside now. Let me take you to her." "Alright, thank you, Nurse Li." Mu Mian walked into the sanatorium''s garden and saw an elegant woman sitting in a wheelchair reading a book. The sunlight fell on her face, giving her a soft appearance. The woman looked very much like Shen Xiyin, so Mu Mian recognized her at once. She must be Aunt Shen Min. "Sister, is her leg injured?" Shen Xiyin shook her head and sighed, "Her legs are healthy. Aunt has Alzheimer''s disease. Sometimes she forgets she can walk. Her memory is very confused now; she often forgets many things." "She doesn''t look very old. Why does she have Alzheimer''s?" Shen Xiyin looked at Shen Min''s not-so-aged face, as if seeing her own future through her. "She just turned sixty this year. It might be hereditary; our Eldest Uncle also developed this disease." Shen Xiyin''s voice was so soft that Mu Mian could barely hear her. "Does she still remember Dad?" Mu Mian asked. "Probably not. She''s forgotten many things. She even forgot her own name. She only remembers her daughter." Mu Mian walked up to Shen Min and handed her the flowers, "Aunt, it''s nice to meet you." Feeling the sunlight blocked, Shen Min looked up displeased. She looked at Mu Mian as if seeing someone else through her: "Miao Miao? Is that you, Miao Miao?" "My name is Mu Mian, not Miao Miao," Mu Mian corrected, stuffing the flowers into Shen Min''s arms. "These flowers are for you. I hope they brighten your day." Shen Min''s eyes were a bit bewildered. She hugged the flowers, murmuring, "Where has my Miao Miao gone? Why doesn''t she come to see me?" Mu Mian felt sympathy for her. "Is Miao Miao your daughter? What does she look like?" Shen Min pointed to the book in her hand for Mu Mian to see. Mu Mian then realized it wasn''t a book, but a thick photo album. The open page showed a photo of a girl in a police uniform. The girl was very young and pretty, making a peace sign with her fingers and smiling brightly. "Is she a police officer? I think I can help you find her and ask her to come see you." Mu Mian made a mental note of the police badge number, deciding to help Aunt find her daughter when she got back. Shen Min''s eyes suddenly lit up, "Really? Mu Mian, can you help me find my daughter?" However, Shen Xiyin held Mu Mian back, signaling her not to promise this. Shen Min didn''t wait for Mu Mian''s response and wrote beside the photo: Mu Mian promised to help me find Miao Miao. After writing, she turned to the next page and continued looking at her daughter''s photos. The entire album was filled with her daughter''s pictures, from childhood to adulthood, capturing different moments. Each photo was accompanied by lengthy notes. This was how she prevented herself from forgetting her daughter. Mu Mian thought this Miao Miao girl was so lucky to have a mother who loved her so much. But why was she so heartless, refusing to visit her own mother? Through those notes, Shen Min seemed to gradually recover some memories: "My Miao Miao was so obedient, why won''t she come to see me? Has someone kidnapped her?" Her gaze began to search around, and when she saw Shen Xiyin, she became agitated: "Get out! You''re Shen Min, you hurt my daughter, get out!" "Aunt, I''m Shen Xiyin." Shen Xiyin knew she was having another episode. "Shen Min, you killed my Miao Miao!" Shen Min seemed to remember something and burst into tears, "My Miao Miao is dead, you killed her, it was you!" She tried to attack Shen Xiyin like a madwoman. Nearby medical staff quickly came over to give Shen Min a sedative and then took her back to her room. "Sister, did Aunt''s daughter die?" Mu Mian picked up the photo album that had fallen to the ground and flipped through it casually. "Was she killed by bad people? Was the bad person Aunt herself?" Mu Mian suddenly felt the situation was quite complex. "Yes, Miao Miao died," Shen Xiyin nodded, "But she died of illness a few years ago. Aunt was deeply shocked and felt very guilty, thinking she hadn''t taken good care of her daughter. This has also accelerated her condition." "That''s so sad! She must have loved her daughter very much." Mu Mian envied this Miao Miao. If she died, Jiang Yun probably wouldn''t even buy her an urn, let alone remember her. But her sister would buy her the most beautiful and expensive urn, and choose the most scenic cemetery for her. Thinking of this, Mu Mian didn''t envy Miao Miao as much anymore, because Miao Miao had died so young. Shen Xiyin sighed, "I thought if we came to keep her company and talk to her, it might improve her condition. I didn''t expect it would upset her instead. Her condition is getting worse. Last time I visited her, her emotions weren''t this unstable." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Then maybe I should come see her alone next time. She seems to like me," Mu Mian suggested. "Yes, she liked you a lot when you were very little." "She''s met me before?" Mu Mian searched her memory. "But I don''t remember meeting her." "You were just a baby then. Later, Aunt had a falling out with Dad, and she never came back. Dad also forbade us from mentioning her." As they were about to leave, the nurse called out to them, "Miss Shen, remember I told you last time about a gentleman who''s been taking care of your aunt? He''s here today too. He''s in the Dean''s office discussing medical cooperation. Would you like to meet him?" "I''ll sit here and wait for him." Time ticked by slowly. Just as Shen Xiyin was losing patience and about to leave, the person appeared before them. "Senior Yi Nian? How come you''re here?" Mu Mian looked surprised to see him. "Weren''t you missing? I thought you might have been killed by kidnappers." Chapter 56 "Mu Mian, long time no see. Can''t you wish me well for once? Why did you think I was kidnapped?" Jiang Yinian reached out to pat Mu Mian''s head, but she dodged.0"You know I don''t like people touching my head, not even my sister, and especially not you," Mu Mian reminded him. "I don''t want to end up bald like Xiao Bai."0 Xiao Bai was an adorable little squirrel Mu Mian once had. It was so cute that everyone in her father''s lab kept petting it, until its head became completely bald.0 Jiang Yinian used to be Shen''s father''s most favored student, almost certainly destined to be the future successor of his lab. That''s why he often visited the Shen family, and gradually got to know Mu Mian.0 Back then, Mu Mian didn''t like talking much and rarely paid attention to others.0 Unlike Shen Xiyin who always went along with Mu Mian, Jiang Yinian often did disruptive things, like deliberately knocking down Mu Mian''s block towers, adding colors to Mu Mian''s finished drawings, and even hiding Mu Mian''s beloved animal specimens, making her search everywhere.0 At first, Mu Mian hated him, but gradually she got used to his behavior and even started to enjoy this confrontational interaction. It made Mu Mian feel like she was being treated as a normal person.0 "Senior Jiang, you really disappeared for a long time. You used to come play with me every week, but ever since my dad passed away, you suddenly vanished. I couldn''t even reach you by phone. Senior Fabien said you were kidnapped by bandits and they''d kill you if they didn''t get ransom money. I didn''t have money then and couldn''t borrow any. I didn''t want to sell my specimen collection either, so I could only let you be killed. Seeing you alive now, I think Senior Fabien must have been lying to me."0 At that time, Mu Mian wasn''t very good at detecting lies. But now she could. She decided to call Senior Fabien later and give him a good scolding.0 "Mu Mian, I''m sorry. I left in a hurry and didn''t have time to say goodbye," Jiang Yinian apologized to Mu Mian, but his eyes were fixed on Shen Xiyin.0 Mu Mian shrugged, "It''s fine with me. But my sister is very angry. She doesn''t even want to hear your name. You left in such a hurry, how could you not even attend my father''s funeral? He liked you the most. It''s a good thing ghosts don''t exist in this world, otherwise, my father''s ghost would have come out to scold you."0 Jiang Yinian looked at Shen Xiyin, "Xiyin, you have to believe me, what happened to your parents has nothing to do with..."0 Shen Xiyin interrupted him. She stood in front of Mu Mian, "I don''t know why you''re taking care of my aunt, but please don''t come anymore! She doesn''t need your care!"0 "Professor Shen always thought about this sister of his when he was alive. He mentioned her to me many times," Jiang Yinian explained. "Coincidentally, her daughter is my cousin''s wife. My cousin and his wife have passed away, so I have the responsibility and obligation to take care of Aunt Shen."0 Shen Xiyin sneered, "Don''t you find this reason ridiculous? You don''t even respect my father, and you expect me to believe you''re kindheartedly taking care of his sister? Do you think you''re the type of person who would suddenly become so benevolent? Although I don''t know your purpose, please stay away from my family."0 "We used to be such good friends, why won''t you believe me? I would never do anything to harm you or Mu Mian." Jiang Yinian''s eyes looked hurt, and with his handsome features, his vulnerable expression made him look very innocent.0 Mu Mian found it strange. Her sister and Jiang Yinian used to have a great relationship and never argued. Why did her sister hate him so much now?0 Mu Mian suddenly remembered that when her parents died, her sister always prevented her from seeing the bodies. Could it be that they didn''t die in a car accident?0 It seemed like her sister was hiding many things from her.0 "Mu Mian, let''s go home."0 On the way back, Mu Mian felt the atmosphere in the car was very tense. This was the first time she had seen her sister so angry. Shen Xiyin had extremely strong control over her emotions and had almost never lost her composure in front of Mu Mian.0 "Sister, didn''t Mom and Dad die in a car accident?" Mu Mian asked.0 Shen Xiyin didn''t answer this question, "Mian, if you see that man in the future, stay far away from him, okay?"0 Mu Mian nodded, then asked in confusion, "Why? Senior Jiang is a good person."0 "He''s very dangerous, he''s a madman," Shen Xiyin explained. "He might hurt you."0 "He seems normal. Why would he want to hurt me?"0 "Maybe because he hates Dad for firing him and publicly humiliating him. He might be holding a grudge and wanting to take revenge on us."0 "But we''re friends with him. He was always nice to me before," Mu Mian felt Shen Xiyin''s judgment was wrong. "Besides, Fang Rui will protect me."0 "Mian, some people are nice to you for a reason. Beneath their kind exterior, they harbor great malice. We need to stay away from these people."0 Mu Mian didn''t quite understand, but she agreed anyway. She now had friends like Chen Xue and Fang Rui, so losing one friend didn''t matter much.0 "Mian, don''t think too much about it. I can handle those things myself."0 "Okay. If you can''t handle it, I''ll help you." Mu Mian had great faith in her sister''s abilities. As long as her sister wanted to do something, she could do anything well.0 Just as they arrived downstairs, Mu Mian saw an uninvited guest waiting for them.0 Mu Mian cautiously looked at Shen Xiyin. She felt her sister was a bit unlucky today, encountering people she didn''t like.0 "Mu Mian, Mom''s here to see you." Jiang Yun saw Mu Mian and immediately came forward. She changed her previous cold attitude and started to appeal to emotions, "Look, what did Mom bring for you? A gift!"0 Mu Mian was unhappy. It turned out she was unlucky too.0 Jiang Yun handed the exquisite gift box to Mu Mian.0 Mu Mian took a look. The box was pink, and the ribbon on the box was another shade of pink. She hated pink the most.0 "Miss Shen, can I talk to Mu Mian alone?" Jiang Yun said to Shen Xiyin. She felt Shen Xiyin was controlling Mu Mian, making her distance herself from Jiang Yun.0 Mu Mian directly refused, "Ms. Jiang, I have nothing to talk about with you."0 "Mu Mian, don''t call me Ms. Jiang. Call me Mom, okay?" Jiang Yun frowned at Mu Mian. "It makes Mom very sad when you do that."0 "No!" Mu Mian looked down at her toes. "The reason I wanted to find you before was because I thought you were living in poverty. If that was the case, I could give you some money to make your life a bit better. I never intended to reconnect with you. Now you''re very rich and living well, so I''m relieved. I don''t want to see you anymore in the future."0 "Mu Mian, I''m your mother. You can''t treat me like this," Jiang Yun held Mu Mian''s hand. "Can you give Mom a chance? Mom wants to make it up to you."0 Mu Mian jerked her hand away as if electrocuted. "Ms. Jiang, I thought I made myself clear. I don''t want to see you."0 "Mu Mian, Mom had her reasons for doing what she did before. Mom loves you. Won''t you come back to Mom?"0 Mu Mian shook her head. She couldn''t understand why Jiang Yun, who used to despise her, suddenly became so full of maternal love. Did she have some special purpose?0 But that didn''t matter. Just like Jiang Yun didn''t matter to her at all!0 "Sister, let''s go home," Mu Mian tugged at Shen Xiyin''s hand. "I''m very hungry. I need to eat."0 "Mian, you go back first. There are sandwiches in the fridge you can eat. I want to talk with her for a bit."0 "Don''t talk to her for too long," Mu Mian whispered to Shen Xiyin. "She''s a bad person. But don''t be afraid. If she hurts you, I''ll have Fang Rui arrest her."0 "Don''t worry, she can''t hurt us."0 Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But she''s powerful and influential. We can''t fight against her," Mu Mian made a sour face. "We only have money."0 Through Lu Tian''s lawsuit, Mu Mian deeply realized that there were many people in this world who didn''t obey the law and wouldn''t be punished.0 "Mian, aren''t you very hungry?"0 "Yes, I''m going back to eat sandwiches now."0 Jiang Yun heard their conversation clearly. She felt a bit dejected, realizing that in Mu Mian''s heart, she had already been defined as a bad woman.0 Jiang Yun suppressed her emotions and handed Shen Xiyin a business card. "Miss Shen, I''ve established a foundation specifically to help children with autism. I''d like you to manage it. Would you be willing to work for the foundation?"0 "I''m not in need of a job, and I''ve only treated one autistic patient, Mu Mian. I won''t be treating any other autistic patients," Shen Xiyin didn''t take her card. "If you have something to say, just say it. I''m very busy and don''t have time to listen to you beat around the bush."0 "If you don''t want this job, I can give you a large sum of money. You can name any amount, as long as you give Mu Mian back to me..."0 "Give her back to you?" Shen Xiyin scoffed. "You''ve ignored Mu Mian all these years. Later, when I found you and asked you to see Mu Mian, you refused. Why are you suddenly so concerned about Mu Mian now?"0 Jiang Yun''s face showed embarrassment, but she emphasized, "Miss Shen, whether you believe it or not, I love Mu Mian. I refused to see her before because I hated her father. Seeing Mu Mian would remind me of those painful things from the past."0 Shen Xiyin interrupted her, "I''m not interested in the story between you and Uncle Mu. As far as I know, you were the one who had an affair, and you were the one who abandoned Uncle Mu and Mu Mian."0 "He''s slandering me!" Jiang Yun''s tone suddenly rose. "Xiyin, you were young then. You couldn''t understand adult matters. I truly love Mu Mian, and I want to make it up to her."0 "Mrs. Jiang, what you want isn''t Mu Mian, is it? You just want those experts to study Mu Mian. You want to know why she was able to recover, don''t you?"0 Chapter 57 Jiang Yun''s expression stiffened, but she still defended herself, "Miss Shen, don''t think so badly of me. I want my daughter back. Is that too much to ask?""You have a son named Lin Qianyan with your current husband. He''s also autistic." "How do you know that?" Jiang Yun was shocked. Shen Xiyin had investigated her. They had kept Lin Qianyan''s autism a secret, and almost no one outside knew about it. She realized she had underestimated Shen Xiyin. Shen Xiyin sneered, "You know very well that they have autism because of your genetic defect, so all the children you give birth to are autistic. You''re the one who caused Mu Mian''s autism, and you cruelly abandoned her. Yet I don''t see any guilt on your face. You''re truly a cold-blooded woman." With her true motives exposed, Jiang Yun dropped her pretense. "Miss Shen, since you know about Qianyan''s condition, can you help him?" "What do you think autism treatment is? A surgery? Or just taking a few pills to get better? It''s a long and arduous process, involving countless training sessions and interventions, requiring immense patience and love. A cold-hearted person like you wouldn''t understand." "Miss Shen, I''m not here to negotiate. I''m Mu Mian''s biological mother. I have the responsibility and obligation to take care of her. If we go to court, I think you''d lose!" "Mu Mian is an adult. She has the right to choose who she lives with. Do you think she''d choose you?" Shen Xiyin paused, then mockingly added, "Or do you also want to have Mu Mian diagnosed as mentally ill so you can get custody of her?" "I wouldn''t use such dirty tactics. However, I have many ways to make you compromise. Xiyin, have you forgotten? I used to be good friends with your parents. I know a thing or two about their affairs." Shen Xiyin''s smile instantly vanished, her eyes turning cold. "Of course you know. Jiang Yinian is your nephew, and you''re currently funding his lab. You sent him to my father back then, didn''t you?" "No, that''s not true. I didn''t orchestrate this. He''s my brother''s illegitimate son. I only found out about him a few years ago. And your father''s car accident wasn''t Yinian''s doing. He didn''t steal your father''s research materials either. Yinian suddenly returned to the country after your father''s accident because his mother had passed away. He came back for the funeral. Someone is framing him! Xiyin, you have too many misunderstandings about us." Jiang Yun patted Shen Xiyin''s shoulder, "I''ve watched you grow up. You should trust your aunt''s character. You should investigate others. There were so many people in your father''s lab, they''re all suspects." "I know your kind too well. People like you would do anything to achieve your goals," Shen Xiyin struggled to control her emotions. "Xiyin, so you should agree to my request and give Mu Mian back to me," Jiang Yun''s tone carried a threat. Shen Xiyin hesitated for a moment, then took out a document from her bag and handed it to Jiang Yun. "This is Michelle''s information. She''s the most authoritative expert in the field of autism. She was my teacher. I can help you contact her to provide intervention therapy for your son." "Is she the therapist who cured Mu Mian? So she can cure Qianyan''s autism too?" Jiang Yun''s tone was eager. Shen Xiyin found it laughable. So Jiang Yun didn''t hate autistic children, she just didn''t love Mu Mian. As Jiang Yun reached for the document, Shen Xiyin pulled it back. "I can help you, but you need to agree to two conditions first." "What conditions?" Shen Xiyin spoke slowly and clearly: "First, you and Jiang Yinian will never appear in front of Mu Mian again. You can''t disturb Mu Mian and my aunt''s life. Second, you make the Lin Family leave Lu Tian alone." "I don''t quite understand the second condition. Why are you helping Lu Tian?" "Lu Tian is my patient, and she''s also Mu Mian''s friend. I hope you can leave her alone. Actually, with Lin Qianjie dead, you''re the biggest beneficiary, aren''t you? Or rather, Lin Qianjie''s current fate was orchestrated by you. You indulged his misconduct, suppressed him, and turned him into a psychologically unstable wreck. This way, he posed no threat to you and was completely under your control." "I can agree to these two conditions. I can even have the hospital give Lu Tian preferential treatment. You''re right, I deliberately ruined Lin Qianjie. Now that he''s dead, the Lin Family''s property belongs entirely to my Qianyan." Jiang Yun no longer tried to hide from Shen Xiyin, feeling she had Shen Xiyin completely in her grasp. "Michelle will be coming next week for a conference. I''ll bring her to see you then." "Can she cure Qianyan?" "Mrs. Jiang, autism can''t be cured, only the symptoms can be improved. But she''ll do her best to help you." "Good, I hope we can cooperate pleasantly." "Here''s a friendly reminder: you''d better stay away from that lunatic Jiang Yinian. You can''t control him." "How can Yinian be a lunatic? He''s a medical genius, the pride of our family, and your father''s most satisfactory student." Jiang Yun was very fond of this nephew. The new drugs he had developed over the years had earned her a lot of money. As Jiang Yun was leaving, Shen Xiyin called out to her, "Give me that gift box. I''ll give it to Mu Mian for you." Jiang Yun looked surprised, "Didn''t you tell me not to disturb Mu Mian''s life?" "If this gift box remains unopened, Mu Mian will always wonder about it. But once it''s opened, Mu Mian will know that inside is just an expensive item without any genuine sentiment," Shen Xiyin said, "Just like her feelings towards you - once she sees you, the illusion is shattered." "Miss Shen, this is a gift I carefully selected," Jiang Yun defended herself. "Is it because you''ve been brainwashing Mu Mian, telling her I don''t love her, that she has that attitude towards me?" "Isn''t it a fact that you don''t love her? Or have you acted for so long that you actually believe you''re a caring mother?" Jiang Yun was left speechless. She did feel guilty about Mu Mian, but that little guilt was nothing compared to her love for power and status. When Shen Xiyin entered, Mu Mian was reading a book, though not very attentively. As soon as Shen Xiyin came in, Mu Mian fixed her gaze on the gift box in her hand. "Sister, I don''t want her gift," Mu Mian hid her face behind the book, trying not to look at the box. Shen Xiyin pushed the gift box into Mu Mian''s hands, "Open it. Otherwise, you''ll be thinking about it and unable to sleep for days." "Alright, I just really want to know what''s inside. You know I have OCD. When I see a gift box, I just want to open it." "Mm-hmm, go ahead and open it." Mu Mian carefully untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a pink handbag. Mu Mian opened the bag, but it was empty. "Sister, there''s no gift, no card. Did she forget to put the gift inside?" Mu Mian searched every corner of the bag but still couldn''t find what she was hoping for. "I think the bag is the gift," Shen Xiyin reminded her. "I hate pink!" Mu Mian was very unhappy. "This bag is so small, it can''t hold anything. Why would she give me this? She''s terrible at giving gifts." Shen Xiyin was also at a loss. Was this really the gift Jiang Yun had carefully chosen? There was no sincerity at all. "You don''t like it?" "No, I don''t!" Shen Xiyin suggested, "Then throw it away. Don''t let useless things take up space." "That makes sense. It''s really ugly!" Mu Mian threw the bag along with the box into the trash can and went back to her book. "Mu Mian, you don''t need to worry about Lu Tian anymore. I have a friend working at that hospital. He promised me he''d take good care of her. The Lin Family won''t harm her either." "Sister, how did you manage that?" "Whatever you want, sister will always try her best to get it for you." Mu Mian''s eyes lit up, "Then can you get Fang Rui to donate his body to me?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Some things you need to work for yourself, you know." "Alright, I''m going to tell Fang Rui and the others this good news." Fang Rui was at his parents'' house when he received Mu Mian''s call. "Fang Rui, my sister has dealt with those evil forces. She said Lu Tian will be well taken care of in the mental hospital," Mu Mian said proudly. "My sister is amazing, isn''t she?" "Mm-hmm." After hanging up the phone, Fang Rui heard his mother say, "Fang Rui, have you made up your mind? As long as you agree to go on the blind date, I''ll help you settle things with the Lin Family and make them leave Lu Tian alone." Fang Rui grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "I''m sorry, but that deal is off now. Mom, you don''t need to make me dinner. I have something to take care of, so I''m heading back." "Fang Rui, you little rascal. You come running home calling ''Mom, Mom'' when you need something, but you won''t even stay for a meal when you don''t. Hey, are you really not going to eat? I cooked myself, won''t you at least try it?" "Mom, goodbye! Save all those delicious dishes for Dad, he loves them. I won''t intrude on your romantic time together." Fang Rui quickly made his escape. Mom''s cooking... was quite unpalatable. Chapter 58 That morning, the police received a report of a murder at an escape room in a downtown shopping mall.Fang Rui and Mu Mian drove to the mall. The escape room was called "Poe''s Cottage," located on the fourth floor of the mall. Last month, this place was chosen as a filming location for a popular variety show, which made it suddenly famous. Many young people liked to choose it as a team-building venue. The customer flow increased dramatically. The owner of the store was wealthy and rented an entire floor for the venue. The exterior decoration style was Gothic horror, and as soon as one reached the fourth floor, they could feel a terrifying and chilling atmosphere that sent shivers down one''s spine. "Officers, you''re finally here." The store manager hurried over when he saw the police arrive. The manager''s name was Wang Huajian, a middle-aged man in his forties wearing black-framed glasses. He looked very anxious at the moment. "Where was the body found? Please take us there." "Inside the escape room, the body was discovered in the hidden level called ''Bride and Groom Collection Room''." The manager led them inside while explaining the situation, "We rarely go to that room normally. We didn''t expect someone to hang themselves in there. Fortunately, it was discovered in time. If it had been found any later, the body would probably have started to decay and smell." After discovering the body, the manager immediately sealed off the scene, both to protect the site and prevent the news from spreading, which could affect their store''s reputation. The room the manager was taking them to was part of a scenario called "Escape from the Mental Hospital," which was their most popular escape room. Players need to find various clues and props to deduce the correct escape route. Along the way, they encounter many horrifying scenes, such as a blood-splattered operating room, a collection room full of human organs, a gallows room hung with corpses... During the game, people dressed as ghosts or mental patients wielding chainsaws would attack the players. "Ah! What''s this thing?" Zhang accidentally touched a bone hanging on the wall, and suddenly a human head dropped from the ceiling, hitting Zhang in the face. Zhang looked up, his eyes meeting a pair of pale eyes with a blue glow. "You need to be careful, don''t touch things randomly. There are many small traps here. They''re not dangerous, just a bit scary," the manager warned. These traps needed to be manually turned off, which was troublesome, so even though a murder had occurred, the manager still hadn''t stopped those mechanisms. He was thinking that once the police removed the body, he would continue business as usual. The store had quite a large customer flow, and even though it was a weekday, there were still quite a few players coming to play. Mu Mian curiously touched the human head. She found that the face was made of silicone, with very realistic features that looked real at first glance. It felt cold and soft to the touch, quite pleasant to feel. "Dr. Mu, don''t just touch it, help me get it away!" Zhang was on the verge of tears. The head was right in his face, and he didn''t dare to touch it or move, stuck in an awkward position. Chen Xue silently helped him remove it. "Zhang, don''t be afraid. Stay behind me, I''ll protect you!" Chen Xue said to Zhang. "Okay!" Zhang clung to Chen Xue''s arm, trembling. Wang from the tech department was also shaking, "Chen Xue, I''m scared too. What kind of place is this?" "Wang, you''re a man, be brave!" Chen Xue encouraged Wang. "..." Wang was speechless. Chen Xue was so biased. Why was it okay for Zhang not to be brave? Well, who could blame him for being single? S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian picked up a corpse from the ground, pinching its scarred hand to show Zhang and Wang, "These corpses are all fake! Feel them, human skin can''t possibly be this elastic. Why are you afraid of something fake?" "Ah, Dr. Mu, take it away, take it away quickly!" Zhang shrank behind Chen Xue, tightly hugging her arm, "It''s not that I''m a coward, it''s just that this place triggers my fear of certain things that shouldn''t exist after the founding of the country! I''m not afraid when encountering real corpses." Chen Xue said to Mu Mian, "Mian Mian, stop scaring Zhang. He''s timid." "Alright." Mu Mian put the prop corpse back in its place. Mu Mian then looked at Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, are you scared? If you''re afraid, you can hide behind me. I''m not afraid of these things. I''ll protect you." "Not really scared." Fang Rui was a firm materialist, and besides, he had been forced to watch horror movies with his mother since childhood, so he was already immune to these startling horror scenes. "Okay." Mu Mian''s tone was somewhat disappointed, "You''re quite brave." The hidden level was in the innermost part of the escape room, considered the final scene. The further they went, the more horrifying the scenes became. The air conditioning on the wall occasionally blew cold air, giving a feeling of chilly gusts. The props inside were made extremely realistically, providing a fully immersive experience. Chen Xue was also starting to struggle, holding hands with Zhang as they walked carefully, afraid of triggering any traps or having strange human organs or bizarrely shaped creatures suddenly jump out. This wasn''t an escape room at all; it was practically a haunted house! It required courage rather than intelligence! "You seem a bit timid," the manager said, noticing Zhang and the others trembling in fear. He tried to lighten the mood, "We''ve already turned off many of the traps now, and we''ve turned on more lights. The people pretending to be ghosts aren''t coming out either, so it''s not as scary anymore. If you have time another day, you should come and experience it!" "No, thanks." If it weren''t for solving the case, they would never come to this man-made haunted place again! Mu Mian looked at Chen Xue, who was practically hugging Zhang now, and couldn''t help but remind her, "Chen Xue, you''re a forensic expert. You''re not afraid of real corpses, why are you scared of fake ones?" "Because real corpses don''t sway back and forth, they don''t suddenly grab my leg, and they don''t make scary noises," Chen Xue said, shaking. "Chen Xue, don''t be afraid, I''ll protect you!" Zhang said in a weak voice. "...You''d better protect yourself first," Wang commented sourly. Is it really that scary? Mu Mian tilted her head to look at Fang Rui: "Fang Rui, if you feel scared, you can hold my hand. I won''t make fun of you for being timid." "I''m not very scared!" "Really not scared?" "...Really." Fang Rui couldn''t understand why Mu Mian looked so disappointed that he wasn''t afraid. Fang Rui had been observing the structure of the escape room. He found that this theme focused on horror, with the deduction part being quite simple. Players just needed to keep walking forward to easily find the exit ¡ª provided they were brave enough. Although they had only walked for a few short minutes, it felt like the longest few minutes of Zhang and the others'' lives. Meanwhile, Mu Mian had spent an incredibly exciting few minutes. She never knew there were such fun places. She decided that on her next day off, she would spend an entire day here. The manager stopped at a room. The room was decorated like a bridal chamber, with a skeleton bride standing by the door, wearing a beautiful wedding dress and a crown on her head. Its hollow eyes were staring intently at them. "The key to triggering this hidden level, ''Bride and Groom Collection Room,'' is to hug this skeleton bride," the manager said, pointing at the skeleton bride. "Many players don''t think of this, so very few discover this hidden level. Isn''t this design clever?" Mu Mian''s eyes lit up as she looked at the skeleton bride, "Can I hug it?" Fang Rui held Mu Mian back, stopping her action, "It''s been hugged by many people. It''s covered in bacteria." "Alright then." The manager went over and hugged the bride. With a whoosh, the black wallpaper painted with fluorescent skulls was pushed up, revealing an electronic screen. A string of numbers appeared on the electronic screen: 1,12.35.914.2741.81; () Please find the pattern in this string of numbers, deduce the next number according to the pattern, and fill it in the brackets. "Just a moment, I need to find the password," the manager took out a piece of paper from his pocket with many strings of numbers written on it. "This puzzle appears randomly, there are many questions, and I can''t remember all the passwords. Let me find it." The store manager seemed very anxious. As a result, the more frantic he became, the harder it was for him to find the password. Mu Mian put on her gloves and typed the numbers on the screen: 122.243. Chapter 59 With a whoosh, a door appeared on the wall directly opposite the bride, and it slowly opened.0The Shop Manager looked at Mu Mian with shock, "Have you seen our shop''s walkthrough? How did you know the password?"0 "It''s a simple numerical reasoning problem. The numbers are divided into two parts, the decimal part is a geometric sequence with a common ratio of three. The integer part is also a sequence, where the differences between adjacent numbers form a new sequence, which is again a geometric sequence with a common ratio of three," Mu Mian explained earnestly.0 The manager was dumbfounded, feeling dizzy just hearing her explanation. How could this be called simple?0 Zhang and the others were no longer surprised, as Mu Mian''s mental processing ability was on a different level from theirs.0 "Is this touchscreen cleaned regularly?" Fang Rui asked.0 "Yes, about once a week. We haven''t had the chance to clean it this week, as the discovery of the corpse disrupted our work schedule."0 Fang Rui turned to Wang, "Wang, collect fingerprints from the touchscreen."0 To enter this hidden level, the killer would have had to input the password, so they might have left fingerprints on the screen. Of course, it was also possible that the killer had worn gloves while entering the password.0 "Yes, boss!"0 The Shop Manager led them into the hidden level.0 The room was dark. The manager felt for an eyeball on the wall, and suddenly the room lit up with a pale green light, revealing numerous prop corpses dressed as brides or grooms.0 The corpses appeared in male-female pairs, all with wound makeup on their faces. Some were hung on the walls, others suspended from the ceiling. Above their heads hung several empty nooses, as if waiting for new victims to be hung.0 "These are all prop corpses," the Shop Manager said, pointing to a male corpse dressed as a groom hanging above their heads. "Except for that one. It''s a real corpse, and we don''t know how it got up there."0 The corpse was suspended by a noose made of thick hemp rope. The deceased''s face was pale, and his red tongue was slightly protruding. Combined with his bloody and horrific makeup, the sight was extremely eerie.0 He wore a blood-stained black suit with a corsage on his chest. At first glance, there was no difference between him and the other prop corpses.0 "Today, when our staff came in here to clean, they found an extra groom prop. At first, they thought some thoughtless player had moved it from another scene, which wasn''t uncommon. Players often did such inconsiderate things.0 Later, while cleaning the floor, the corpse''s shoe touched their face, and that''s when they realized the corpse was wearing AJs. They immediately knew something was wrong - who would put brand-name shoes on a prop corpse? When they touched it, they realized it was a real corpse. We called the police right away," the Shop Manager described how they discovered the body.0 "Was the corpse in this state when you found it?" Mu Mian asked.0 "Yes. We know some basics about crime scene preservation, so we didn''t touch the body and immediately sealed off the scene."0 Fang Rui asked, "Do you recognize this person? Is he a regular at your shop?"0 The manager immediately shook his head, "I don''t recognize him. His face is in this state, how could anyone tell who he is?"0 The corpse was hanging quite high, and it would be troublesome to take down. Just as Fang Rui was about to ask the manager for a ladder, the manager said, "The rope''s height can be controlled by a mechanism. By sliding the mechanism, it can go up or down. Do you want to lower the body?"0 "Yes."0 There were many skeleton hands on the wall. The manager found the one directly opposite the corpse and slid the ring on the skeleton hand outward. The corpse slowly began to descend, soon reaching the ground.0 "This is another small mechanism. If players touch the rings on these skeletons, the hanging corpses will rise or fall," the manager explained, adding, "Isn''t this design creative? It''s unique to our shop!"0 "..." Zhang was speechless, seeing that the manager was quite pleased with their terrifying and inconsiderate mechanisms.0 The lighting wasn''t very good, so Mu Mian could only roughly examine the body.0 The deceased''s face was pale, with a deep ligature mark on the neck. The mark was located between the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage, deepest near the throat and gradually becoming shallower on both sides.0 The corneas were highly cloudy, with black spots on the sclera. The oral mucosa and conjunctiva showed signs of autolysis, and the abdomen was swollen due to decomposition. The livor mortis was approaching the fixation stage. From these characteristics, it could be deduced that the victim had been dead for 18-20 hours.0 "The time of death should be between 3 and 5 PM yesterday," Mu Mian frowned, saying, "The cause of death appears to be hanging."0 "Hanging? You mean he committed suicide?" the Shop Manager exclaimed, "Good heavens, why would he come to my shop to commit suicide? Isn''t this bad for my business? He could have died anywhere, why here?"0 "Hanging doesn''t necessarily mean suicide," Mu Mian corrected him. "Hanging is death caused by asphyxiation due to the pressure of gravity on the neck. In layman''s terms, he was hanged. There are two possibilities: he hanged himself, or someone vertically suspended him."0 "That seems unlikely. It''s not easy to hang a living person. Shouldn''t a murderer strangle their victim?" The manager had some knowledge about murder cases.0 Mu Mian explained, "We can distinguish between strangulation and hanging by the pattern of the ligature mark. In hanging, the victim''s own weight acts vertically on the neck, so the force is uneven, resulting in a ligature mark that varies in depth and has gaps.0 In strangulation, external mechanical force is applied to the neck. Since the neck is roughly circular, the force is more evenly distributed, resulting in a more consistent depth of the ligature mark.0 Moreover, in most strangulation cases, the ligature marks intersect.0 This corpse''s ligature mark is inconsistent in depth, and the face is pale, which can prove that he died from hanging. If he had been strangled, his face would be purplish-red. Like those prop corpses hanging up there. Your prop corpses aren''t very professionally made."0 The shop owner fell silent.0 Fang Rui examined the room for a while. He reached out and moved the ring on a skeleton hand. When he slid it outward, the rope would descend, the distance correlating with how far he slid the ring. When he slid the ring inward, the rope slowly ascended, the distance again related to how far he slid the ring.0 Looking at the empty noose, he suddenly seemed to understand the killer''s method.0 He turned to Mu Mian, "Could the killer have first knocked out the victim, then put the noose around his neck, slid the ring to make the rope slowly rise, and let the victim be hanged to death? Did he use this method to try to make it look like suicide?"0 S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But he was able to crack the password at the entrance. Although that password isn''t very complex, the fact that he solved it proves he''s not a stupid person. How could he naively think this would disguise it as suicide? That idea is too foolish."0 "..." Fang Rui felt he had been indirectly insulted. Was he also stupid for suggesting this theory?0 "Fang Rui, you''re very smart, don''t doubt yourself," Mu Mian comforted him.0 "..."0 There were no surveillance cameras inside this room, but cameras were installed at the entrance and exit of the escape room, and they were functional. Fang Rui took the surveillance footage from the past month.0 Back at the police station, Mu Mian cleaned off the heavy makeup on the deceased''s face, revealing his clean, fair complexion. The victim had average looks with heavy dark circles under his eyes, indicating he might have been a night owl.0 Apart from the abrasions on his neck, there were no other external injuries on his body, and no signs of struggle. This suggested he hadn''t resisted before death.0 The victim wore a suit on the outside, with a long-sleeved sweatshirt and blue jeans underneath. The suit jacket was directly put on over his other clothes. His inner clothing was neat, without any twisting that would indicate a struggle.0 Mu Mian also took a blood sample from the victim for toxicology screening.0 Fang Rui found a mobile phone in the victim''s pocket, and they quickly identified the deceased.0 The deceased was named Liu Xiaonian, a 24-year-old unemployed individual who lived with his parents and relied on them for financial support. Liu Xiaonian was also an enthusiast of escape room games.0 Chapter 60 Fang Rui and Zhang went to Liu Xiaonian''s home to gather information.Liu Xiaonian''s parents were both middle school teachers - his mother taught Chinese language and his father taught physics. They lived in an old residential compound for teaching staff. Seeing Fang Rui and Zhang at their door, Liu''s father''s expression was not very welcoming, while his mother anxiously asked, "Officers, my Xiaonian couldn''t possibly have committed a crime. He''s just been a bit listless lately, but he''s a good boy. He couldn''t have done anything wrong." Zhang carefully said, "Auntie, Uncle, please prepare yourselves. Liu Xiaonian has passed away. We suspect he was murdered, so we''re here to learn more about his situation." "That good-for-nothing is dead?" Liu''s father was stunned at first, then flew into a rage. "Good riddance! A waste of space like him, a parasite - it''s better he''s dead. Now we can finally be rid of him!" "Old man, what are you saying? Xiaonian is dead and you''re still cursing him. So what if he didn''t have a job? Our pension was enough to support him. Why do you always have to scold him like this?" Liu''s mother retorted. "Hmph, it''s all your fault. You spoiled him rotten. Go ahead and keep defending him." "It''s all my fault, is that what you want to hear? Fine, it''s all my fault!" Liu''s mother broke down sobbing. "My poor Xiaonian, how could you bear to leave your mother all alone?" Liu''s father looked at her. He wanted to get her some tissues, but in the end, he left the living room and went into the study, slamming the door shut behind him. "Auntie, please try to stay calm," Zhang said, handing her some tissues and gently patting her back to comfort her. "Officers, my husband just has a sharp tongue. He doesn''t mean what he says. Please don''t take offense," Liu''s mother said as she gradually composed herself. Then she asked, "How did Xiaonian die?" "He was found hanged in an escape room." "Escape room... again with the escape rooms. Oh, my poor Xiaonian, how did you get so trapped that you couldn''t escape?" Liu''s mother wailed. "It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have indulged him. I shouldn''t have given him money." "Auntie, what do you mean by that?" Zhang handed Liu''s mother more tissues. "What''s wrong with escape rooms?" "Ah, those escape rooms ruined my Xiaonian. He used to be such a good student, got into a great university. In his senior year, escape rooms suddenly became popular, and he fell in love with them. After that, he was obsessed, even skipping classes. He''s 24 now, won''t look for a job, won''t date, doesn''t even talk to people. All he does is play escape rooms all day. He''s completely wasted his life." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Did he have conflicts with anyone?" Fang Rui asked. "I don''t think so. Xiaonian was introverted. He usually didn''t get into conflicts with others." Liu''s mother thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "There was one time Xiaonian came home with an injured lip, like someone had hit him. I asked him what happened, but he wouldn''t tell me." "When was this? Where had he gone out to?" "I think it was September 5th. I remember because it was the day before my husband''s birthday. He asked me for a few hundred yuan that day, definitely to play escape rooms again. He wasn''t interested in anything else." "Can we take a look at his room?" "Of course. I''ll show you the way." Liu Xiaonian''s room was very dark, with thick curtains blocking the windows. Without the lights on, it was almost impossible to see anything. When the lights came on, Fang Rui saw an extremely tidy room, seemingly only in black and white. The bedsheets were white, while the wardrobe and curtains were black, covered with various strange symbols. It felt oppressive to be in such a room. On Liu Xiaonian''s desk was a row of books, many about code-breaking, including professional cryptography textbooks and some novels. In his drawer was a large stack of blueprints that looked like architectural designs. Fang Rui picked up one of the blueprints to look at it. It seemed familiar, with a layout similar to the scene he had seen in the escape room. The date written in the corner was January 15th. He looked at another one, which depicted the scene from the "Newlyweds'' Collection Room," complete with annotations for various mechanisms and how to activate them. This one was dated February 21st. "Zhang, when did that ''Edgar Allan Poe''s Cottage'' place open?" Fang Rui asked. "It''s a new place, opened around June, I think. It became an overnight sensation because it was chosen as a filming location for a variety show right after opening." Fang Rui frowned. "Then why was Liu Xiaonian able to draw the layout of one of its scenes on February 21st?" "Could Liu Xiaonian have been the designer of those rooms?" Zhang speculated. "Could it be that the people from that shop did it? They plagiarized Liu Xiaonian''s designs and didn''t want to pay, so they killed him to silence him?" Fang Rui found a student ID in Liu Xiaonian''s drawer, which showed that he had majored in Civil Engineering. This made it plausible that Liu Xiaonian could indeed draw architectural designs. "Auntie, can we take these drawings with us?" Fang Rui asked Liu''s mother. "We''ll return them to you once the case is closed." "Yes, take them," Liu''s mother said. Then she asked, "Officers, what about my son''s body? Can I bring him home?" "I''m afraid that''s not possible. We can only release the body for cremation after the case is closed," Zhang said carefully. "Can I at least see him?" "Of course. You can come with us in our car. We can take you there on our way back." "Thank you, thank you so much!" At that moment, the study door suddenly opened, and Liu''s father came out. Fang Rui thought he seemed to have aged a bit. Liu''s father''s expression was still stern as he said to Fang Rui, "I''ll come too. My wife doesn''t handle these things well. If she faints, it''ll just cause more trouble for you." Fang Rui took them back to the police station. Mu Mian had already completed the autopsy and sewn up the body, so she graciously allowed them to view it. "My son! Mama won''t scold you anymore, just open your eyes and look at Mama," Liu''s mother cried, throwing herself onto Liu Xiaonian''s body. "Whatever you want to do, Mama will support you. Don''t leave Mama!" Liu''s father''s expression was more restrained. He stood at the door of the autopsy room, looking at Liu Xiaonian''s body from afar. He regretted being so harsh on his son. He should have been more patient. Even if Xiaonian was useless, he was still his child. Thinking this, he could no longer control his emotions and also embraced Liu Xiaonian''s body, crying. The autopsy results came out quickly. Mu Mian reported the findings at the next morning''s meeting. "The cause of death was hanging. Time of death was between 3 PM and 5 PM on September 18th. There were no signs of struggle on the body," Mu Mian paused, then continued, "We also detected sleeping pills in his system." "Sleeping pills? Could the killer have drugged the victim first, then dressed him up like a prop corpse and hung him in the escape room?" Zhang speculated. Everyone agreed that this was currently the most plausible theory. Li reported his findings from reviewing the surveillance footage: "On September 18th at 3:11 PM, Liu Xiaonian entered the shop. At 3:14 PM, he entered the ''Escape from the Mental Hospital'' room alone. After that, he wasn''t seen on any cameras. It seems he never came out after going in." Li had already edited the video to show only the footage with Liu Xiaonian. The surveillance showed Liu Xiaonian entering the shop with a black backpack, looking gloomy. Shortly after, he appeared at the entrance to the escape room, still carrying his bag and looking unhappy. "I''ve extracted the faces of everyone who entered that room before and after this time frame," Li opened a folder containing image files. "There were about 47 people who entered that room." "The fingerprint analysis results are also in. We found twelve sets of fingerprints, four belonging to the shop''s employees, one to Liu Xiaonian. The other seven are unknown." "Then this case seems straightforward," Zhang leaned back, confidently saying, "We just need to investigate these people, find out who knew Liu Xiaonian, who had conflicts with him, and that person is likely to be the killer!" After hearing Zhang''s deduction, Mu Mian nudged Fang Rui''s arm. When Fang Rui looked at her, Mu Mian drew a square shape with her hand, then added several circles on top of it. Seeing this, Fang Rui smiled helplessly. Chen Xue caught a glimpse of Mu Mian''s little gesture and said disapprovingly, "Mian Mian, you can''t keep doing this, only sharing clues with Captain Fang. There are many other people sitting here too, you know?" Chapter 61 After being caught by Chen Xue, Mu Mian guiltily looked at the ceiling, avoiding their accusing gazes.0Zhang chimed in, "That''s right, what is it that we can''t hear? Or does Forensic Specialist Mu think we won''t understand?"0 "Zhang, are you sure you want to hear?" Fang Rui looked at Zhang helplessly, "I think it''s better if you don''t know."0 "Of course I do! Tell me, tell me." Zhang found it strange that the boss singled him out. He suddenly had an ominous feeling.0 "Mu Mian told me that your deduction just now was like a net."0 Zhang''s face lit up, "Is she praising my deduction for being rigorous and tightly knit?"0 Fang Rui continued, "Full of holes."0 Zhang looked at Mu Mian with a hurt expression, "Forensic Specialist Mu, you''ve wounded me!"0 "It wouldn''t have hurt if you hadn''t asked," Mu Mian also looked aggrieved, "You insisted on knowing."0 "I feel so bad... Well, help me patch up the holes then." Zhang was used to it by now; his deductions always seemed to miss the correct answer.0 Why was this happening? He wasn''t that stupid, and he had quite an imagination.0 Mu Mian reminded him, "There are many other possibilities. For example, the killer could be a psychopath randomly selecting victims, which would make it impossible to identify the killer through personal connections..."0 After the meeting, Fang Rui decided to revisit the shop. He had some questions for the Shop Manager.0 When Mu Mian found out, she excitedly expressed her desire to go there to look for clues as well.0 "Forensic Specialist Mu, hasn''t the cause of death been determined? What other clues are you looking for?" Zhang looked at Mu Mian''s excited face, feeling that things weren''t so simple.0 Mu Mian didn''t answer this question, instead turning to Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, drive faster."0 Once they arrived at the shop, Mu Mian said to Fang Rui and Zhang, "Fang Rui, you guys go take statements. I''ll go to the escape room first to look for clues. Take your time asking questions. I''ll wait for you in the room."0 The Shop Manager said worriedly, "But without me guiding you, it might take you half a day to solve the puzzles. You''d better wait for me to take you..."0 Before he could finish, Mu Mian had already cheerfully walked away.0 "It''s fine, she''ll probably be faster on her own than if you were guiding her," Fang Rui said with a smile.0 "..." The Shop Manager was a bit speechless, but remembering Mu Mian''s speed in decoding, he thought Fang Rui might have a point.0 This young lady was very clever.0 "Boss, won''t Forensic Specialist Mu be scared all alone? That place is terrifying!" Zhang exclaimed.0 "Are you sure she''d be afraid?" Fang Rui and the Shop Manager looked at Zhang simultaneously, and Zhang suddenly felt his concern might be unnecessary.0 Fang Rui turned to the Shop Manager and asked, "Do you know Liu Xiaonian?"0 "Who''s Liu Xiaonian? I don''t know him. We receive dozens of players every day in our shop. With such a large customer flow, how could I possibly remember every player''s name?"0 Fang Rui interrupted him, "I only asked about the name. If you don''t know him, how did you know he was once a player in your shop?"0 The Shop Manager''s expression changed. He explained, "Oh, I instinctively assumed you were asking about a player. My mistake, I spoke too quickly. I really don''t know any Liu Xiaonian."0 Fang Rui handed him Liu Xiaonian''s photo, "Are you sure you don''t know him?"0 "I don''t know him."0 "Didn''t you beat him up? How could you not know him?" Fang Rui asked. Actually, he wasn''t sure if Liu Xiaonian''s injuries were from them, so he was just bluffing the Shop Manager.0 Unexpectedly, the Shop Manager instantly broke into a cold sweat. He confessed, "Officer Fang, I lied earlier. I do know him. He caused trouble in our shop before, and our staff beat him up and kicked him out. I was nervous earlier, so I lied."0 After discovering the body, the Shop Manager immediately had the staff check the surveillance videos. Through the entrance and exit footage, they identified the deceased as Liu Xiaonian. Because of their previous conflict, the Shop Manager was worried the police would suspect them, so he lied.0 "Why did he cause trouble?"0 "Well... um..." The Shop Manager hesitated, but seeing Fang Rui staring at him, he finally admitted, "He thought our escape room design was garbage, that the experience was like shit. He was very dissatisfied, so he caused trouble."0 "Is that the only reason?"0 "It is. I''m not lying this time."0 Fang Rui felt that this Shop Manager was full of lies. He took out Liu Xiaonian''s design sketches and handed them to the Shop Manager, "Your shop opened in June, so why did Liu Xiaonian draw these design sketches for your escape room in January?"0 After looking at the sketches, the Shop Manager still tried to argue, "Well... escape rooms all follow similar patterns. It''s normal for designs to overlap!"0 Fang Rui pulled out one sketch, "This one shows a mechanism that''s identical to the scene setup in your ''Bride and Groom Collection Room'', with the same mechanism design and even the same way to trigger it. You call this a design overlap? Isn''t this direct copying?"0 Seeing that he couldn''t hide it anymore, the Shop Manager wiped the sweat from his forehead and confessed, "Some elements of our escape room were copied from competitors. The ''Bride and Groom Collection Room'' was plagiarized from another design, but definitely not from Liu Xiaonian''s. I''m not lying about this. We beat him up last time because he was cursing loudly in our shop, affecting our reputation."0 Fearing that Fang Rui wouldn''t believe him, the Shop Manager added, "That shop was called ''Lost Island'', and it''s already closed down. Last month, their boss sued us, we paid a large sum in compensation, and then got their authorization. If you don''t believe me, you can check the court judgment online, it''s been made public."0 "If he thought your shop''s experience was so bad, why did he come to play again this time?"0 The Shop Manager looked exasperated, "We don''t know either! We had already blacklisted him, but that day he was received by a new employee who didn''t recognize him, so he was let in. We''re just unlucky to encounter such a situation."0 So how did Liu Xiaonian have those design sketches? And what was his connection to the shop called "Lost Island"?0 Fang Rui decided to go to the escape room to find Mu Mian first.0 Zhang initially refused to go, but he had no choice but to succumb to Fang Rui''s pressure. Perhaps because he had been through it once before, Zhang found it less terrifying this time.0 sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang touched the decorations on the wall, feeling they had a nice texture, but noticed Fang Rui observing him.0 "Chen Xue isn''t here, and your courage seems to have grown. Weren''t you scared to death yesterday?"0 Zhang''s face reddened, "Boss..."0 "You''re quite clever, kid." Fang Rui looked at Zhang with newfound respect, surprised at Zhang''s little tricks when it came to romance.0 "..."0 Under the Shop Manager''s guidance, they quickly arrived at the hidden level.0 Zhang saw Mu Mian standing in front of the skeleton Bride, touching it here and there, looking extremely happy.0 "Forensic Specialist Mu, why are you standing here? Can''t you get into the escape room?"0 Zhang''s sudden voice startled Mu Mian. She quickly concealed her burning gaze and explained, "You finished taking statements so quickly?"0 Fang Rui looked at the resin skeleton, strongly suspecting that Mu Mian had fallen in love with the skeleton Bride, just like she had inexplicably fallen in love with his corpse.0 Mu Mian pressed the Bride''s chest and said to the Shop Manager, "The mechanism is in the chest. You don''t actually need to hug it to trigger the mechanism."0 Hearing this, the Shop Manager''s face became somewhat unnatural.0 Chapter 62 The store manager had other matters to attend to, so he left after Fang Rui and Mu Mian entered the crime scene.0"Dr. Mu, you''re not really here to look for clues, are you? You just like this place, don''t you? Have you fallen for that skeleton bride?" Zhang teased, exposing Mu Mian''s little scheme.0 Mu Mian averted her gaze guiltily but insisted, "I''m here to find clues. Haven''t you noticed? When he entered this escape room, he was carrying a bag, but when we found his body, the bag was missing. Aren''t you curious about why the bag disappeared?"0 Fang Rui remembered seeing Liu Xiaonian carrying a bulky black bag in the surveillance footage, but they hadn''t found it at the scene.0 "Could the killer have taken it?" Zhang speculated. "Maybe the killer murdered him to steal whatever was in the victim''s bag?"0 Fang Rui and Zhang spent the entire morning searching the locked room, examining every prop and corpse, but they couldn''t find the victim''s missing bag.0 "It seems the killer really did take it," Zhang sighed.0 Meanwhile, Mu Mian was playing with the nooses, even putting her neck through one to experience the feeling of hanging.0 Seeing this, Fang Rui quickly pulled Mu Mian away.0 "Mu Mian, that''s dangerous. You might accidentally trigger a mechanism and hang yourself," Fang Rui warned her exasperatedly.0 "I won''t be that unlucky. Chen Xue said us Leos would be very lucky this month."0 Unable to find the victim''s black bag, they had to leave the store. As they left, Mu Mian kept looking back, making Zhang suspect that her soul had been captivated by the skeleton bride.0 That place was so eerie, could it really be haunted by something?0 It was already noon, and everyone was hungry, so they ate at the restaurant downstairs.0 Fang Rui finished eating quickly and told Mu Mian and Zhang, "Take your time. I''m going to buy something."0 "Boss, go ahead. I''ll keep a close eye on Dr. Mu and make sure she doesn''t get lost," Zhang said.0 Mu Mian looked at Zhang with a hurt expression. "I have a very good memory. I''ve never gotten lost before."0 "Oh, the point is that I''ll protect you. Understand?"0 "Then next time, please just say the main point."0 "..."0 A little while later, Fang Rui called Zhang, telling them to meet him in the underground parking lot after they finished eating.0 As Mu Mian and Zhang walked to the parking lot, Mu Mian spotted Fang Rui carrying the skeleton bride from afar. Her pupils dilated in excitement.0 "Boss, why did you take that thing down?" Zhang asked.0 The skeleton bride was about Zhang''s height, made of resin, and not too heavy. Fang Rui brought the skeleton bride to Mu Mian and said, "Mu Mian, this is for you."0 "This is a gift for me?" Mu Mian felt as if she''d been hit by an enormous surprise.0 Mu Mian was stunned. It wasn''t her birthday or any special occasion, yet Fang Rui had given her a gift, and it was the very thing she wanted most today ¨C this beautiful skeleton bride.0 Chen Xue was right; Leos really were going to be lucky this month!0 Zhang was also dumbfounded. He seriously doubted whether the boss had been influenced by Mu Mian. Who gives a skeleton as a gift? But he didn''t dare to criticize, because Mu Mian might actually like it!0 "You don''t like it?" Fang Rui frowned. Then why had Mu Mian been staring at it earlier? Had he guessed wrong?0 S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I like it, I love it so much!" Mu Mian hugged the skeleton, her face full of emotion. "Fang Rui, how did you manage to buy it? I asked the staff if I could buy it, and they said no. They even said I didn''t look like I could afford it. I told them I was very rich, but they didn''t believe me..."0 "I''m glad you like it."0 In truth, it wasn''t that difficult to buy. Since a murder had occurred in that escape room, the manager planned to renovate it and was selling off all the props at a discount to replace them with new ones.0 So when Fang Rui offered to pay double the price for the skeleton bride, the manager immediately agreed and even offered to throw in the original coffin. Fang Rui declined.0 He''d rather not have such an inauspicious package. He didn''t want to be seen carrying a coffin around; it was already drawing enough attention just carrying the bride.0 "I like it, I really, really, really like it," Mu Mian said excitedly. "Fang Rui, I really, really, really like you right now too. Thank you, you''re so wonderful. I hereby declare that you''re now ranked first on my list of best friends."0 Fang Rui''s expression became a bit awkward. He knew that Mu Mian''s "like" for him was equivalent to her liking the skeleton bride, but he still felt there should be some difference between the two types of "like."0 "Boss wasn''t ranked first before?" Zhang asked in surprise.0 "Chen Xue said she had to be first. But not anymore. Even if she cries in front of me, it won''t work. Now Fang Rui must be first."0 "What rank am I?" Zhang asked curiously.0 "Fourth."0 "That high up?" Zhang felt a bit touched. "How many friends do you have in total?"0 "I have many friends, exactly four."0 "..."0 "Officer Zhang, you''re very important to me too. You''re the funniest person I''ve ever met."0 "Oh, stop praising me to my face." Zhang''s heart suddenly blossomed with joy.0 They were driving an SUV today, which could barely fit the bride. Mu Mian hugged it the whole way, extremely excited.0 Back at the police station, Mu Mian carried the bride, deliberately taking the longest route back to the office.0 Along the way, many people greeted her and asked, "Dr. Mu, what''s that? Is it evidence you''ve collected?"0 Mu Mian would then answer, "It''s not evidence. It''s a gift, a gift from Fang Rui. It''s the first gift he''s ever given me."0 Then they would look at Fang Rui with an expression Mu Mian couldn''t understand: "Fang Rui, is this what you give to a girl? You should have asked me for advice on gift-giving, I''m quite good at it."0 Mu Mian corrected them: "He''s very good at giving gifts. I absolutely love this gift."0 They all looked shocked. Fang Rui just shrugged helplessly at them.0 "Chen Xue, look, this is the gift Fang Rui gave me. I love it so much," Mu Mian said excitedly as she carried the skeleton bride into the office. "It''s the first gift he''s ever given me."0 "I already know," Chen Xue said, holding up her phone. She had already heard about it in the group chat, where someone had even posted pictures. She glanced at the horrifying-looking skeleton bride and commented, "It''s very pretty."0 "I was originally going to put it in my room, but since you like it so much too, I''ll keep it here in the office, right next to my desk. That way, when you''re tired from work, you can look up and see it."0 "...Alright."0 "I''m going to buy some pretty clothes for it online, and I''ll get some maintenance equipment to take good care of it," Mu Mian said excitedly.0 Fang Rui and Zhang showed the photos to Liu Xiaonian''s parents, but they weren''t clear about Liu Xiaonian''s social circle. They only knew that Liu Xiaonian had almost no friends.0 Fang Rui could only open Liu Xiaonian''s phone and find the person he contacted most frequently.0 That friend was also an escape room enthusiast named Li Bin. He used to team up with Liu Xiaonian to play escape rooms often, and they were good partners.0 Upon hearing the news of Liu Xiaonian''s death, he found it hard to believe. "Are you sure you haven''t made a mistake? Xiaonian was severely socially anxious and had no enemies. How could he be murdered? Are you really the police? You''re not scammers trying to con me out of money, are you?"0 Zhang showed him their credentials and Liu Xiaonian''s post-mortem photo.0 Only then did he slowly accept the news of Liu Xiaonian''s death. He choked up as he said, "I really can''t understand. How could someone like Xiaonian, with severe social anxiety and a people-pleasing personality, be murdered?"0 Chapter 63 Fang Rui showed the photos to Li Bin, "Among these people, who is acquainted with Liu Xiaonian?"Li Bin examined them carefully, scrutinizing each photo before finally pulling out a few: "These people know Liu Xiaonian." Fang Rui looked through the selected photos. One was of the manager of the escape room, three were of employees from that store, and one was of a passerby whose identity they hadn''t yet determined. "Do you know who this person is?" Fang Rui asked, pointing to the photo of the passerby. "His name is Wang Yang. He used to run an escape room too. Xiaonian and I were regulars at his place. But his store went bankrupt a few months ago." "What was the name of that store?" Fang Rui inquired. "It was called ''Lost Island.'' It was quite popular once. Xiaonian and I loved going there. Later, ''Poe''s Cottage'' became famous through a TV show and started a price war, drastically cutting prices. These underhanded tactics forced many escape rooms out of business." Li Bin frowned, "But it''s strange, why would Wang Yang and Xiaonian go to that store?" Fang Rui remembered the manager mentioning this store name that morning. Could Liu Xiaonian have sold his designs to this ''Lost Island'' store? "Why is it strange?" Fang Rui asked. "Xiaonian, Wang Yang, and I are high-end escape room players. We usually wouldn''t stoop to visiting that kind of place." Li Bin sneered, "I can understand Xiaonian going there, but why would Wang Yang go too? I don''t get it. Their tastes have really gone downhill." "What''s wrong with that store?" Fang Rui probed. "It''s very low-brow. The charm of escape rooms should be in solving puzzles, not in horror. If you want a scary thrill, why not just go to a haunted house? That place has a lot of hype, with ads everywhere, but the experience is utter crap. The worst part is, it''s driving out the good businesses. Several quality escape rooms have shut down because of it. That''s how Wang Yang''s store went under. Ugh, we won''t be able to enjoy good escape rooms anymore." "Do you know where Wang Yang lives now?" "Not really sure," Li Bin pondered, then added, "But after he went bankrupt, he was drowning in debt and couldn''t afford rent. He''s been staying with his sister. She runs a shop nearby. I can take you there." On the way to the shop, Fang Rui asked, "How did Liu Xiaonian know the manager of ''Poe''s Cottage''?" "Two weeks ago, we went to play there. We thought the experience was terrible and demanded a refund. They thought we were causing trouble, so the manager had his staff throw us out. We almost got into a fight." Li Bin sighed, "They even hurt Xiaonian. We were going to call the police, but they refunded our money, so we didn''t." Li Bin suddenly had a thought, "Officer, do you think it''s possible that those employees conspired to murder Xiaonian? Maybe they resented him for giving them a bad review, so they killed him?" "Do you think a store would kill someone over one bad review?" Fang Rui said. "Xiaonian''s review was pretty harsh. He even hired internet trolls to badmouth the store online." Li Bin looked a bit embarrassed and explained, "But that place really deserved it." Fang Rui thought Liu Xiaonian''s hatred for that store seemed excessive, almost incomprehensible. He remembered the design sketches he''d seen at Liu Xiaonian''s home. "Why did Liu Xiaonian hate that store so much? Was it because they plagiarized his designs?" "Because the experience was terrible!" Li Bin looked surprised, "Plagiarize Xiaonian''s designs? That''s highly unlikely. Although Xiaonian was good at solving puzzles, I''ve seen his room designs before, and I have to say, they were extremely uncreative! No one would want to steal those designs." Fang Rui found this odd. Where did those design sketches in Liu Xiaonian''s house come from then? Wang Yang''s sister lived in an urban village where she ran a fried noodle shop. When Li Bin brought them there, Wang Yang was lazily helping his sister wash vegetables while she nagged him: "Can''t you wash vegetables more carefully? How can you not even do this small task properly? Don''t look at me like that. You''re not a boss anymore. I''ve helped pay off so many of your debts, can''t I say a word or two to you?" Wang Yang looked unkempt, with a scruffy beard and long, greasy, unkempt hair. He appeared completely dejected. "Mr. Wang... I mean, Brother Wang," Li Bin quickly corrected himself as he greeted Wang Yang, "Could we borrow a moment of your time? These two police officers have some questions for you." Wang Yang''s sister immediately became flustered. She looked at Wang Yang, "You haven''t done anything illegal, have you? If you''ve lost money in business, I can help pay it back, but if you''ve broken the law, don''t expect me to bail you out. If you''ve done something bad, go turn yourself in right away! You hear me?" "Sis, I haven''t done anything," Wang Yang''s expression was somewhat helpless. Fang Rui explained on his behalf: "We''re just here to gather some information. There''s no need to worry." "Oh, that''s good, that''s good!" Wang Yang''s sister breathed a sigh of relief and enthusiastically invited them into the shop. "Officers, please come in and have a seat. Ask whatever you need to ask. Our Wang Yang will cooperate fully." Wang Yang''s sister was very hospitable, pouring hot tea for each of them. Fang Rui asked, "Do you know Liu Xiaonian?" "Yes, I do. He was a regular at our store and we got along well. We''re friends, I suppose. We have a group chat where we often organize various escape room activities." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Bin looked at Wang Yang with a sad expression, "Brother Wang, Xiaonian is dead." Wang Yang was shocked: "How did he die? That''s impossible! How could he be dead? I saw him just a few days ago." Fang Rui asked, "What were you doing on September 18th?" "The 18th? That morning I was washing dishes at my sister''s shop. I broke a plate and cut my hand on the broken pieces. In the afternoon, my sister told me to rest." Wang Yang lowered his voice, "I went to play an escape room in the afternoon. Please don''t tell my sister. She doesn''t allow me to play those anymore, and I promised her I wouldn''t. If she finds out, she''ll kill me." Li Bin said, "Brother Wang, you shouldn''t go to that kind of place anyway. What''s the point of playing there?" "But it''s the only place nearby to play! And they had a half-price discount that Monday. The temptation was too great!" Wang Yang''s tone was resigned, "I feel ashamed too, but I just couldn''t resist the urge to play. I have to admit, that place has an intense immersive experience. It''s quite thrilling." "Brother Wang, we play escape rooms for the mental challenge, not for thrills!" "What time did you go?" Fang Rui asked. "I arrived there around 4 PM and played until evening before going home," Wang Yang answered. His statement matched what the surveillance footage had captured. "Liu Xiaonian also went to that store that day. Didn''t you arrange to go together?" "Xiaonian went too?" Wang Yang looked shocked, "That''s impossible! Xiaonian said that place was garbage. How could he go there? Anyone else might go, but not him!" Fang Rui looked at him, "You also thought that place was garbage, but you still went." Chapter 64 "That''s different! Xiaonian told us he would never go to that store, even if it killed him," Wang Yang argued. "As for me, I didn''t just go to play, I went to investigate."Li Bin chimed in, "Yes, I can testify to that. Xiaonian said he hated that store and wouldn''t go there even if it meant his death." "What were you investigating?" Fang Rui asked. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Yang took a sip of tea, instantly becoming energized, completely lacking the dejected air he had while washing vegetables earlier. "Previously, Xiaonian told me that store had plagiarized my store''s design, so I sued them in court. A few days ago, we reached a settlement. Their boss was very forthcoming and agreed to compensate me three million yuan. My goodness, three million! With this money, I can not only clear my debts but also open a new store." "Brother Wang, you''re going to open another store? We support you!" Li Bin said excitedly. "I can provide you with creative ideas when the time comes." "Sounds great!" Fang Rui seized on the key point of his statement: "Was it Liu Xiaonian who told you that store had copied your design?" "Yes. I had been to that store before and played that scenario, but I didn''t trigger the hidden mechanism, so I didn''t know about the design in that secret room. Later, Xiaonian sent me photos, and that''s when I realized they had made a one-to-one copy of my store''s design. This was all thanks to Xiaonian." "Who designed that secret room?" "I did! All the mechanisms in there were my ideas, though my friends helped with some creative input," Wang Yang said proudly. "However, that store did make some changes. They altered how the mechanism is triggered. They made it very vulgar - you have to touch the skeleton bride''s chest to trigger the mechanism. Tsk tsk, doing such obscene things, it''s disgusting and lowbrow!" Fang Rui was speechless. No wonder the store manager''s face looked unnatural when Mu Mian mentioned the location of the mechanism. "Did you trigger that hidden level? Did you enter the ''Bride and Groom Collection Room''?" Fang Rui continued to ask. "I triggered it, but I didn''t go in. The password was too difficult; I couldn''t crack it," Wang Yang''s face reddened slightly. "The password in my store wasn''t nearly that hard." Having asked most of what he wanted to know, as they were about to leave, Fang Rui gave Zhang a look and then glanced at Wang Yang''s cup. Zhang understood immediately. He said to Wang Yang''s sister, "Sis, where''s the bathroom? I need to use it." "It''s over there." "Boss, I''ll go to the bathroom first. You guys wait for me outside." While Wang Yang went back to washing vegetables and his sister was preparing seasonings for the evening, Zhang put on gloves and, when they weren''t looking, slipped Wang Yang''s cup into an evidence bag. This cup had Wang Yang''s fingerprints on it, which could be compared with the fingerprints on the display screen. After leaving Wang Yang''s sister''s store, Fang Rui turned to Li Bin: "What do you think of the relationship between Wang Yang and Liu Xiaonian?" "What do you mean? You''re not suspecting Brother Wang, are you? That''s impossible! Brother Wang is exceptionally good to all of us. Every time he updates a scenario, he invites us to play for free and even treats us to snacks. You''ve probably noticed that Xiaonian doesn''t have friends. Among all of us, besides me, Brother Wang was the kindest to him." "Did Liu Xiaonian know about Wang Yang winning the lawsuit?" Fang Rui asked. "I don''t think so. I only found out about it today. This lawsuit was very difficult. Brother Wang was so poor he couldn''t even afford a lawyer. Later, he had to swear to his sister that he would never touch escape rooms again before she gave him some money. None of us thought he could win the case, let alone that the boss would be so generous and pay such a large amount without even haggling." After Li Bin left, Zhang speculated, "Boss, could it be that Wang Yang didn''t want to share the three million with Liu Xiaonian, so he killed him? It can''t be such a coincidence that both of them appeared in that store at the same time, right?" Fang Rui also found it too coincidental, and he couldn''t understand why Wang Yang insisted the room was his own design when the design drawings were clearly made by Liu Xiaonian. Fang Rui returned to the station. As he passed by Mu Mian''s office, he glanced in and saw the skeleton bride standing coldly next to Mu Mian. He found it oddly eye-catching and thought it looked very unaesthetic in that position. Mu Mian was writing a report. She would look up at the skeleton bride every few lines, then lower her head and continue writing happily. It was seriously affecting work efficiency! "Boss, look at you. Of all the things you could have given her, you had to choose this," Zhang commented from the side. "Mu Mian doesn''t even pay attention to us anymore. Chen Xue says Mu Mian doesn''t listen to her now, she''s too focused on choosing brushes for it." "Brushes?" "Are those the forensic doctor''s maintenance tools?" "..." Fang Rui then had Li pull up all the surveillance footage related to Wang Yang. The footage showed Wang Yang arriving at the store at 4:03 PM that day. He was wearing a baseball cap and a mask, looking around vigilantly. At 4:12 PM, he entered the scenario and didn''t come out until after 6 PM, sneaking out like a thief. It definitely looked suspicious. "Boss, look at him. He must have a guilty conscience. This guy''s acting skills are really good. We were almost fooled by him," Zhang exclaimed. When they were talking to Wang Yang at his sister''s store, Zhang had thought he was a good person. "Boss, the fingerprints on this cup match one of the fingerprints on the screen. That Wang Yang guy must have entered the password on the screen," Wang from the fingerprint comparison team quickly reported their results. He detected that one of the fingerprints matched Wang Yang''s. Fang Rui felt it was necessary to summon Wang Yang for a chat. But he remembered what Mu Mian had said: if the killer could crack that numerical password, they shouldn''t be too stupid, so why would they leave such obvious evidence as fingerprints? The next day, Fang Rui invited Wang Yang to the station to give a statement. When Wang Yang saw Fang Rui and Zhang, he spoke urgently: "Officer Fang, why did you call me here? I''ve told you everything I know. Did you call me here because you have more questions?" "Can you help us crack these passwords?" Fang Rui handed him a piece of paper with all the numerical reasoning questions that would appear in that hidden level. Wang Yang glanced at it and frowned, "So many? Let me see." "No rush, take your time." Wang Yang found it strange why they asked him to do math problems at the police station. He wasn''t a math student. Nevertheless, he worked on them seriously, only to find that he seemed quite poor at math. He was sweating profusely with anxiety. After half an hour, he had only solved two problems. Zhang quietly graded his answers against the correct ones and whispered to Fang Rui, "He worked for an hour and only did two problems, both wrong." Wang Yang''s face was bright red. He defended himself, "I''ve never been good at math since I was young. If it were other types of reasoning problems, like graphical reasoning or logical reasoning, I''d be much better..." Fang Rui frowned. If Wang Yang couldn''t solve a single problem, could it be that he really hadn''t entered that hidden room? Fang Rui took out the stack of design drawings made by Liu Xiaonian. "Mr. Wang, you said all the rooms in your store were designed by you. How do you explain these design drawings?" Chapter 65 Wang Yang took the design drawings and slowly examined them, frowning. "Who drew these designs? Why do they look so similar to the ones in my shop? These scenes are all from escape rooms we''ve launched before."0"Look at this ''Newlyweds'' Collection Room'' design. I remember your shop launched it on April 5th, but this drawing is dated February 21st, earlier than your shop. How do you explain that?" Fang Rui asked.0 "What''s there to explain? Are you accusing me of plagiarism? Tell me who drew this, and I''ll confront them face-to-face. All the mechanisms and prop placements in this scene were designed by me. I hired a professional designer to draw the plans, and he can testify. I couldn''t have plagiarized!"0 Fang Rui said, "That person can''t confront you because he''s already dead, hanged in that escape room."0 "Are you saying Liu Xiaonian drew this design?" Wang Yang''s face instantly turned pale. "No, I didn''t copy his design. I don''t know how he got this drawing. The date must be fake, it has to be!"0 "This design was drawn with a pen. Our technicians can roughly determine when it was drawn through technical analysis."0 Fang Rui suddenly found it odd. Usually, design drawings need revisions, so they''re drawn in pencil. Why was this one done in pen?0 Was Liu Xiaonian a genius who could perfect a design drawing in one go?0 "I... I don''t know how to explain it," Wang Yang stammered, then quickly added, "I described all my ideas in the group chat. Could he have recreated my escape room design from that?"0 "What would be his purpose in doing that?" Zhang countered, "Was he just bored?"0 "How would I know?" Wang Yang shrank back, looking wronged.0 "Why would Liu Xiaonian tell you about the plagiarism? Was it because he was also a creator, and you killed him to avoid sharing the three million with him?" Zhang questioned.0 "No! Xiaonian and I were friends, that''s why he told me about this. And I''ve said, this design was my idea, it has nothing to do with Xiaonian! Nothing!" Wang Yang grew increasingly angry. "I didn''t kill anyone! You can''t wrongly accuse me!"0 "Did you enter that hidden escape room?"0 "No! I told you, I couldn''t crack the password, so I couldn''t get in," Wang Yang explained. "But I did try entering a password once."0 "Why were you so flustered when you came out of the escape room?" Fang Rui asked.0 "Oh, I saw the shop owner when I came out. You know I''m in a lawsuit with them, and it''s very unpleasant. If he knew I snuck into his shop to play, wouldn''t he laugh at me? So I was hiding from him!"0 Without evidence to prove Wang Yang was the killer, Fang Rui let him go.0 "Boss, this Wang Yang is such a good liar. Even with evidence right in front of him, he won''t admit to plagiarism," Zhang complained. "People like him are the worst, taking credit for others'' work and then killing the original creator. Hey, how can we find evidence to convict him?"0 Fang Rui thought of the suit on the victim''s body and said, "Check his shopping records to see if he bought a similar suit. Also check on the party poppers."0 "Ah, boss, you''re so smart!"0 The suit had no particular style and was made of poor-quality fabric, the kind you could buy for a hundred yuan. A white label was sewn onto the collar, showing the fabric composition and brand.0 Although the brand wasn''t famous, it wasn''t a knockoff. It had its own online store and fixed offline sales channels - in the commercial street next to Jiangzhou City''s farmers'' market.0 Seeing Fang Rui and his team investigating the suit, Mu Mian shared her observation: "Fang Rui, that suit fit the victim well. And the clothes underneath weren''t very wrinkled. Usually, if you forcibly dress someone, the clothes underneath would be all crumpled."0 "You suspect it was someone he knew?" Fang Rui asked. This increased the suspicion on Wang Yang, who knew Liu Xiaonian so well.0 Fang Rui first obtained the past six months'' sales records from the online store''s salesperson, focusing on orders shipped to Jiangzhou City. However, Wang Yang''s name wasn''t on the list.0 He and Zhang then took the label and went from store to store looking for the same suit. They finally found a shop that sold it, close to both Wang Yang''s escape room and his sister''s fried noodle shop.0 "Boss, do you sell many of these suits?"0 "This one? Not many. Usually, there aren''t many buyers. We have to wait until graduation season when college students need to find jobs. Those who can''t afford expensive suits come here. They''re very cheap but look smart."0 Fang Rui showed her Wang Yang''s photo. "Boss, do you know this man?"0 "Yes, that''s Boss Wang. He''s been quite unlucky lately. His shop closed down, and he''s in a lot of debt."0 "Has he bought a suit from you?"0 "No. Although he''s a boss, he''s not particular about his appearance. He wouldn''t buy a suit. And don''t be fooled by him owning a shop, he''s always been broke. He kept his shop running by borrowing money!"0 Fang Rui thought for a moment and asked, "What about his family? Has anyone bought this suit? Like his brother-in-law?"0 "Ah! Come to think of it, his brother-in-law might have bought one. He''s in sales and bought a suit here before. It was this brand."0 Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged glances, thinking Wang Yang might have stolen his brother-in-law''s suit.0 To be thorough, Fang Rui asked another question, "What size suit did his brother-in-law buy?"0 "XL, the largest size. His brother-in-law is a big guy, he can only fit that size."0 "..."0 Fang Rui and Zhang visited a few more stores, all confirming that Wang Yang hadn''t bought that suit.0 "Boss, this lead seems to be a dead end," Zhang sighed. "How can we find evidence to catch Wang Yang?"0 "Zhang, there''s no evidence proving Wang Yang is the killer yet. Don''t jump to conclusions," Fang Rui reminded him.0 Two more days passed without progress on the case.0 Meanwhile, "Edgar Allan Poe''s Cottage" escape room was facing backlash. Online rumors spread about someone being hanged there, with conspiracy theories suggesting the victim died by accidentally triggering a mechanism. The shop received many negative reviews, damaging its reputation and leaving it deserted.0 Early in the morning, Mu Mian arrived at the office carrying several parcels. She opened one to reveal a delicate small brush. Another contained a wizard''s robe and a wand made from a radius bone.0 Mu Mian thought the skeleton bride''s outfit wasn''t very attractive and wanted to change its clothes.0 The skeleton bride''s dress was laced up and difficult to remove. Mu Mian tried for a while but got tired, so she asked Fang Rui for help.0 "Fang Rui, quick, help me take off its clothes."0 "Okay." Fang Rui found a pair of scissors and cut the dress to pieces. Freed from the bulky bridal gown, the skeleton soon revealed its thin, slender frame.0 "Fang Rui, you''re so violent!" Mu Mian complained, but quickly praised him, "Your method is brilliant, solving the problem instantly. Fang Rui, you''re so smart!"0 At that moment, Mu Mian and Fang Rui simultaneously noticed a black fabric object inside the skeleton''s ribcage.0 "What''s this?"0 S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 66 The black object was lodged firmly in the skeleton''s chest cavity. Fang Rui had to exert some effort to remove it from the ribcage."Fang Rui, be careful! Don''t break it," Mu Mian watched nervously. "Fang Rui, you''re being too careless! You''ve broken one of its ribs. Oh no, you''ve broken another one!" "I''m sorry, Mu Mian. I didn''t mean to. Since it''s damaged now, why don''t we just throw it away?" Fang Rui felt that the skeleton''s presence was seriously affecting Mu Mian''s work efficiency, and he needed to set things right. "It''s okay, I''ll glue it back together later. I''m going to dress it up anyway, so the damage won''t be visible." But Mu Mian still felt heartbroken. After all, this was the first gift Fang Rui had given her! Fang Rui extracted the black object, and they discovered it was a black backpack. A hexagram pendant hung from the zipper. The bag was flat, containing only a book and a pen, with nothing else inside. "This looks like the bag Liu Xiaonian had when he disappeared," Mu Mian said. "Look, it has the same hexagram pendant. So it was hidden here all along. But in the video, it looked full. Why is it so flat now?" "Someone must have taken the contents out." Earlier, Fang Rui and his team had searched the skeleton bride, but they had only looked at the lower half. They hadn''t imagined that the victim''s backpack would be hidden in the skeleton''s chest cavity. Fang Rui found it strange. Why would the killer hide the bag inside this skeleton bride? Wouldn''t it have been safer to take it out and dispose of it? Or was he afraid of being caught on camera carrying the bag? But the bag wasn''t very thick; it could have been easily concealed under clothing to avoid detection. Fang Rui suddenly had a very outlandish theory. He wanted to share it with Mu Mian, but she was sadly stroking the broken rib of the skeleton, completely ignoring him. Mu Mian found some glue in the cabinet and carefully glued the rib back. She even considered buying paint to cover up the crack, but it was work hours, and she couldn''t leave. Mu Mian dressed the skeleton in a black wizard''s robe and put a wizard''s hat on it. The skeleton''s joints were movable, so Mu Mian adjusted the angle of its hand to hold a magic wand made from a radius bone. In an instant, it transformed from a beautiful bride into a cold, evil wizard. Mu Mian was very satisfied with its new appearance. "Mu Mian, what are you doing... Wow, it looks so cool now!" Chen Xue couldn''t help but exclaim. "Is it an evil wizard now?" "Yes, it''s a necromancer. It can turn corpses and bones into minions to fight for it. When I was little, my dream was to become a necromancer so I could summon many undead to be my friends. Ah, it''s a pity there''s no magic in this world." As a child, Mu Mian wasn''t so scientifically minded and was even obsessed with studying magic. It was only after her magical worldview collapsed that she became passionately in love with science. Because, in a sense, science is modern-day magic. "So that''s why you became a forensic scientist?" Chen Xue asked. Mu Mian didn''t answer her because she noticed that her necromancer''s wand-holding pose looked unnatural, so she adjusted the position of its fingers again. Chen Xue was exasperated. Ever since Mu Mian got this thing, she had lost interest in socializing and barely talked to her anymore. Chen Xue suddenly had a wicked thought. She desperately wanted to steal this skeleton wizard and throw it in the trash! Fang Rui examined the black backpack. It wasn''t damaged and contained only a book and a pen. The book was a recently popular detective novel, "The Home Where I Died Before." Fang Rui flipped through it casually and found two blank envelopes inside. The envelopes had no writing on them and seemed to have been used as bookmarks. But the envelopes were thick, as if they contained something. Fang Rui opened one of the envelopes and found only a folded white paper inside. He opened the other envelope and found the same thing - a folded white paper. It was strange. Why put a blank piece of paper in an empty envelope? Fang Rui put the paper back in the envelope and placed it in an evidence bag. Fang Rui checked the compartments of the backpack and found nothing. But suddenly, he noticed some red substance stuck to the inner lining of the bag, which looked like paint or lipstick marks. It seemed his guess was correct. Fang Rui went to find Wang Yang again and asked him to send him the design sketches drawn by the designer. After comparing the two sketches, Fang Rui noticed some differences. The most obvious difference was that in the designer''s sketch, the bride and groom appeared as a pair, while in Liu Xiaonian''s sketch, there was an additional lone groom, just like at the crime scene. "Zhang, take this bag to the Technical Department and have them analyze what this red substance is," Fang Rui said to Zhang. "Alright." Zhang looked at the red marks that resembled bloodstains. "This looks like makeup, probably lipstick or eyeshadow or something like that." At that moment, Fang Rui saw that Lin Sen had come to work. "Consultant Lin, weren''t you borrowed by the neighboring city to solve a case?" Zhang was a bit surprised to see him. "Did the case end so quickly? That''s incredibly efficient!" A serial killing case had occurred in the neighboring city, where the killer had abducted young girls and cruelly steamed them. The case had remained unsolved, so the bureau chief had generously lent Lin Sen to help solve it. "Mm-hmm." Fang Rui looked at Lin Sen for a moment. "Has your heartbreak healed as well?" "..." "What heartbreak?" Zhang immediately became curious. "Consultant Lin was dumped? My goodness, who would dump Consultant Lin? They must have no taste!" "Zhang, quickly take this bag for analysis. Let me know the results as soon as they''re out," Fang Rui sent Zhang away. "Alright." Fang Rui told Lin Sen the details of the case and then shared his speculations. "Do you think my deduction is reasonable?" "Very reasonable." Fang Rui asked, "But don''t you think it''s far-fetched? I can''t figure out what his motive could be for doing this." "Could it be that you''re overthinking it?" Fang Rui took out the two blank envelopes again: "These two letters couldn''t be meant for us, could they? But there''s not a single word on them. What was his purpose in leaving these two letters?" Although Lin Sen didn''t know Liu Xiaonian very well, he had a general idea of his personality. Lin Sen said, "This is probably a puzzle that we need to solve." "How do we solve it?" "I''m sorry, but I''m currently suffering from severe heartbreak and don''t have the energy to help you solve puzzles." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "... Lin Sen, do you have to be so petty? I was just teasing you earlier, I didn''t mean to mock you." Lin Sen gave him a cold glance, "I''m sorry, but right now I''m just a petty, heartbroken person." "Fine, I''ll go find Mu Mian later. She''s much smarter than you!" "Are you sure she has time to pay attention to you right now?" "..." Chapter 67 Fang Rui found the shipping record of that suit from the online store. He discovered that a user named "Year After Year Abundance" had bought a size L suit, and this person''s delivery address was the same residential compound where Liu Xiaonian lived."Boss, do you think this ''Year After Year Abundance'' could be Liu Xiaonian?" Zhang asked in shock. "Did he buy the suit himself? Could he be into Cosplay in escape rooms?" During the case analysis meeting, Fang Rui presented his deduction: "I suspect there''s no murderer in this case. The victim hanged himself." Wang objected, "Wait, boss, you''re saying he committed suicide by hanging? How is that possible? Dr. Mu detected sleeping pills in his system. No one would drug themselves before hanging, right?" "Exactly. And he was wearing a blood-stained suit. He couldn''t have put that on himself, could he?" "Even if he wanted to commit suicide, why would he go to such a creepy place? What was the point?" However, Mu Mian eagerly raised her hand, "I support Fang Rui''s theory. If this were truly a murder case, the killer wouldn''t have dressed the victim as a horror groom because that would automatically make us suspect murder. It''s completely unnecessary. But if we think about it in reverse, if the victim committed suicide, this setup would easily disguise it as a murder." Mu Mian had always felt that whoever killed the victim must have been very intelligent and wouldn''t make such a foolish mistake. Unless they deliberately wanted the case to be treated as a murder. Fang Rui turned to Mu Mian: "Mu Mian, when did you start suspecting it was suicide?" "When I first saw the body. I felt then that the mechanism was very suitable for suicide. After activating it, the noose rises very slowly. He would have had plenty of time to walk over and put his neck in it. Of course, if he wanted to change his mind, he would have had a few seconds to do so." "Why didn''t you tell me this at the time?" Fang Rui asked, somewhat exasperated. "I didn''t have any evidence. I was afraid of misleading you." "Boss, we still don''t have any concrete evidence now! These are just our speculations," Wang pointed out. Fang Rui said, "Do you remember the bag Liu Xiaonian was carrying in the surveillance video?" "Yes, it was black." "We found that black bag inside the chest cavity of the skeleton bride, and it only contained a book. It looked quite flat," Fang Rui replayed the video on the screen. "But in the surveillance footage, that bag was bulging, full of things. I suspect that when Liu Xiaonian went in, the bag he was carrying contained that suit." Fang Rui continued, "We found red substances in the bag. The tech team has already tested it, and it''s a type of theatrical makeup pigment, the same as the one on the suit. Moreover, Liu Xiaonian had purchased this suit online. All of this suggests that Liu Xiaonian made the bloody suit himself and brought it in." "And he put it on himself," Mu Mian added. "His inner clothes weren''t wrinkled, which indirectly proves that he most likely put on the clothes himself. Because even if he were unconscious, it would be very difficult for someone else to dress him without wrinkling his inner clothes." "But how do we explain the sleeping pills?" Chen Xue asked. "Why were sleeping pills detected in the victim''s system?" "Liu Xiaonian had sleep issues. His parents confirmed that he had seen a doctor at the hospital, and the doctor had prescribed him sleeping pills," Fang Rui added. All the evidence pieced together almost conclusively proved that Liu Xiaonian had hanged himself. "But what about the motive?" Zhang asked. "What could be his motive for going to that escape room to commit suicide?" Everyone fell silent for a moment. "Maybe to give the store a bad review," Lin Sen said quietly. "Lin, consultant, that''s too far-fetched. Who would hang themselves in a store just to give it a bad review?" Chen Xue found this guess too outlandish. Lin Sen continued, "Giving the store a bad review is just the surface reason. The deeper reason is that escape rooms were the most important thing in his life, the meaning that kept him going. But that store tarnished the most sacred thing in his heart, so he was willing to use his life to take revenge on that store." The current physical evidence was almost enough to prove that Liu Xiaonian had committed suicide. Fang Rui then remembered the two blank envelopes. He took them and went to find Mu Mian. Mu Mian was seriously brushing non-existent dust off the skeleton. Fang Rui felt that this skeleton was seriously interfering with Mu Mian''s work. She had never slacked off at work before! It seemed necessary to make this skeleton disappear. "Fang Rui, were you looking for me?" "Mu Mian, is there any way to make words disappear from paper?" Fang Rui asked. His instinct told him that there should be words on those two envelopes, words that would tell them the reason for the victim''s suicide. "There are many ways! We can write with colorless phenolphthalein, and once it dries, the words will disappear. We can also use lemon juice or vinegar..." Mu Mian listed many methods. "But to make the words appear again, we''d have to try many different methods." "Can you see if there are any words on these two envelopes?" Fang Rui handed the envelopes to Mu Mian. "No problem." Mu Mian had been very lucky recently. She only tried one method before making the words on the envelopes appear. Mu Mian discovered that the words on the envelopes were written with colorless phenolphthalein. They just needed to apply an alkaline solution to make the words visible. The words on the first envelope read: Congratulations on solving my suicide puzzle. Please read the letter inside for answers. The other envelope read: To Dad. Using the same method, Mu Mian revealed the words on the white paper inside the first envelope. [To the clever police officer (sir or madam): Congratulations, you have successfully solved my suicide puzzle. Your prize is that you will now know the whole truth about my suicide. I''ve wanted to commit suicide since high school. But I didn''t. Because suicide is a cowardly way to die, not only does it not garner sympathy, but it also invites criticism. I didn''t want to become a topic of gossip. So, I thought about disguising my death as a murder. This way, people would sympathize with me, mourn for me, rather than mock me for being weak. I considered many ways to kill myself but never went through with any of them. Maybe I was still afraid of death. I had initially planned to commit suicide at the "Lost Island" escape room. I even drew up the blueprints. But Eldest Brother Wang was too kind to me. He never mocked my hobbies or called me useless. So I didn''t want to die anymore. I felt that life was still pretty good. Unexpectedly, just when I wanted to live on, "Poe''s Cabin" ruined my life! Now, I suppose no one dares to patronize that store anymore? Is it about to go out of business? Haha, that''s the effect I wanted to achieve. Before entering the escape room that day, I put on a suit similar to the prop corpse outside. Then I stuffed the bag containing my clothes into the chest cavity of the skeleton bride. I figured you wouldn''t search there immediately. I couldn''t let you find this bag easily, otherwise you would quickly determine the case as a suicide, and then it wouldn''t have the devastating impact on that store. I took sleeping pills before I died. This way, you definitely wouldn''t classify this case as a suicide. I even deliberately left the blueprints in the drawer. Based on the dates on the blueprints, you would think that the store owner or Eldest Brother Wang killed me to cover up their plagiarism. This would provide a motive for the murderer. But in fact, those blueprints were what I used to design my death. The dates are real, but the content of the blueprints was drawn based on Eldest Brother Wang''s descriptions in the group chat. If you observe carefully, you''ll notice that there''s the same little figure in each design sketch - that''s me. At that time, I wanted to commit suicide in that escape room. I never thought I would eventually fulfill my wish. I learned from Eldest Brother Wang''s Weibo account post that he had deliberately injured his hand that morning, in order to ask for leave from his sister in the afternoon to play an escape room at that store. So I chose to commit suicide that day, adding another suspect and making the case more complex. Of course, if you investigate further, you''ll find that Eldest Brother Wang couldn''t be the murderer. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the end, you can only come to one conclusion: I committed suicide. By then, you''ll surely find various pieces of evidence proving that I took my own life. But that store will have its reputation ruined because of this murder case, and no one will dare to play there anymore. You might not understand what escape rooms mean to me. They are the most important thing in my life, my spiritual pillar, my only joy in living. But that store destroyed it; it shattered the crystal of my life. I can''t go on living. So I want to destroy it. Even at the cost of my own life. You might laugh at me, thinking that I don''t value my life at all. But it doesn''t matter, I''m just a useless person who''s ridiculed and wastes food while alive anyway. Please help me deliver another letter to my father. It''s fine if you don''t give it to him, just throw it away then. He probably wouldn''t read it anyway. That''s all. This worthless person is leaving this world now. I''m going to explore another world, if it exists.¡¿ Everyone was speechless after reading this letter. So Liu Xiaonian really did hang himself in the escape room to take revenge on that store. However, this Liu Xiaonian was quite clever, designing such a complex case that led the police investigation in the direction he wanted. Mu Mian asked, "Do we need to reveal the contents of the letter for his father?" Chapter 68 Fang Rui and Zhang visited Liu Xiaonian''s home again.0Upon learning the true reason for Liu Xiaonian''s death, Liu Xiaonian''s Mother wasn''t surprised, as if she had guessed it all along.0 Liu Xiaonian''s Mother sighed, "Poor Xiaonian, he lived such a hard life! Ah, it''s our fault. We were too concerned about saving face back then, always pushing him to study, never giving him a happy childhood. It''s all our fault."0 Liu''s father, however, was shocked: "How could he commit suicide? He had such thick skin. No matter how much I scolded him, he never reacted. How could someone like him commit suicide?"0 "Old man, are you still refusing to admit your mistakes? If we hadn''t always used oppressive education methods, would Xiaonian have ended up like this? He suffered from depression, do you know that? He had no energy to go out and work, no ability to socialize. This isn''t his fault, it''s ours. We killed him!"0 Liu''s father was left speechless by this rebuke.0 Fang Rui handed the letter to his parents, "This is what Liu Xiaonian asked us to give you."0 "Is this Xiaonian''s suicide note?"0 "It should be."0 Liu Xiaonian''s Mother''s eyes welled up with tears again as she tremblingly took the letter.0 At first, Liu''s father stubbornly refused to look at the letter, but when Liu Xiaonian''s Mother took out the paper, he turned to look.0 "Oh my, why are there no words?"0 Just as Fang Rui was about to tell them how to make the words appear, Liu''s father said, "These words were written with colorless phenolphthalein. When it dries, the words disappear. To make them reappear, you need to apply an alkaline solution. I taught this to Xiaonian when he was little. We used to do small experiments together back then."0 Liu''s father broke down in tears.0 [Dear Dad,0 By the time you see this letter, I will have been gone for many days. I don''t know if you''ll be sad for me. I both hope you will be and hope you won''t be. See, I''ve always been such a contradictory person.0 I wonder if you thought of my childhood when you saw this blank paper. You must have remembered, otherwise you might not have been able to see these words.0 When I was little, you always did various small experiments with me, telling me all sorts of interesting facts. It was then that I fell in love with solving mysteries and exploring the unknown.0 But as I grew up, your expectations for me became higher and higher. I had to work very, very hard to meet your demands. In others'' eyes, I was both a top student and a dull, uninteresting study machine. I had no dreams of my own, no hobbies, and wasn''t even allowed to have happiness.0 I know you love me, but your love was too heavy. Dad, I''m not your appendage. I hope you can understand that my glory won''t become your glory, and likewise, my shame won''t be your shame. We are separate individuals.0 Later, I finally found my own hobby. You might think I was wasting my life on trivial pursuits, but I was truly happy when playing escape rooms. It took me back to my childhood, when we used to explore various problems together. I loved that feeling of excitement when finding the answer.0 S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Dad, I''m leaving this letter not to make you understand me, nor to make you feel guilty. I just want to tell you that the time you saw as a period of degradation was actually the happiest time of my life. During that time, I was truly alive.0 Dad, please apologize to Mom for me. She really is the best mother in the world. If there''s a next life, I hope I can still be her child. In the next life, I''ll work hard to become her pride. There''s no chance in this life anymore.0 Dad, Mom, you don''t need to miss me. Just forget about me. Please scatter my ashes in the sea. I hope the waves can take me to far, far away places. I want to see more unknown worlds.]0 Tears kept falling onto the paper, slowly blurring it. But no matter how much they regretted, time couldn''t be turned back, and the dead could never return.0 "Edgar Allan Poe''s Cabin" reopened after a few days, launching a brand new scenario. They invited some local internet celebrities for free experiences.0 They even used the "someone hanged themselves here" incident as a selling point to upgrade the horror factor of the escape room. It quickly became popular again.0 The young people who went there to play didn''t care much whether someone had died there or not. They even felt it made the experience more thrilling.0 After learning the truth about Liu Xiaonian''s suicide, Wang Yang and Li Bin both cried their hearts out. Only they could understand why Liu Xiaonian would take his own life.0 Wang Yang decided not to open an escape room business anymore. After paying off his debts, he used the remaining money for a down payment on a house and decided to join his brother-in-law in sales. He felt he should live a more practical life now.0 Chapter 69 Ever since she got that skeleton, Mu Mian stopped clinging to Fang Rui. The first thing she did every day before work was to take out her maintenance equipment: a delicate brush, and carefully clean the non-existent dust on the skeleton.0"Mian Mian, there''s no dust up there, what are you brushing?" Chen Xue looked at Mu Mian in disbelief.0 "I''m taking good care of it."0 Seeing her like this, Chen Xue suddenly envisioned the noble treatment Fang Rui''s remains would receive. She even wondered if Mu Mian was treating it as a substitute for Fang Rui''s body?0 Every time Fang Rui entered Mu Mian''s office, he would see that skeleton. Although it had changed into a new set of clothes, Fang Rui still found it an eyesore. The thing was too ugly.0 Whenever he saw Mu Mian brushing that skeleton, he had a strong urge to tear it apart.0 Fang Rui somewhat regretted giving Mu Mian this gift. The skeleton was seriously affecting Mu Mian''s work state.0 This couldn''t go on, he had to nip Mu Mian''s bad habit of slacking off at work in the bud!0 "Boss, look at you, you could have given anything, but you gave her this. Now Mu Mian doesn''t even pay attention to you anymore," Zhang was making snarky comments on the side, "Hey, now you''re not even as good as a skeleton."0 Fang Rui glared at him, "Zhang Xiaoqiang, are you very free?"0 "Boss, if you and that skeleton fell into the water at the same time, who do you think Comrade Mu Mian would save?" Zhang asked that classic question.0 "Mu Mian can''t swim," Fang Rui thought Mu Mian might save the skeleton. But Mu Mian couldn''t swim. The result would be that he''d still have to fish out Mu Mian and her precious skeleton, which was annoying just to think about.0 "But don''t worry, Boss. The clever Zhang has a good idea." Zhang had a "go on, ask me, ask me" smug little expression.0 "If you want to say it, just say it quickly."0 Zhang eagerly shared his great plan.0 He didn''t like that skeleton either. Every time he went in to find Chen Xue, he felt like that skeleton was staring at him, giving him the creeps.0 He had wanted to do something about that skeleton for a long time.0 The next day, when Mu Mian opened her office door and took out her little brush from the cabinet as usual, she was surprised to find that the skeleton was gone.0 The magic wand made from the radius bone lay lonely on the ground.0 Damn it, how dare a thief steal something from a police station! He''s too brazen!0 Mu Mian was both sad and angry. She quickly sent a message in the large group chat.0 Mu Mian: Something terrible happened, a thief broke into my office and stole the gift Fang Rui gave me, a very beautiful resin skeleton. It was wearing a lich wizard''s clothes, it was so cool. I need help, everyone please help me catch the thief quickly.0 Zhang: Maybe it really turned into a lich wizard and burrowed into the ground?0 Mu Mian: Officer Zhang, there''s no magic in this world. Besides, lich wizards can only summon corpses and skeleton minions from the ground, they can''t burrow into the soil themselves. They would suffocate. Only earth mages can burrow around in the soil.0 Zhang: ......0 Director Wang Yong: Little Mu, I confiscated your skeleton. The higher-ups are coming for an inspection soon, and having such a thing in your office would seriously affect our city bureau''s image.0 Mu Mian: Director, but it''s not ugly.0 Wang of Technical Department: My money tree isn''t ugly either, it''s beautifully green, but it was also confiscated, saying I was engaging in feudal superstition. It''s just called a money tree, it''s not like it can actually make me rich.0 Old Zhang: My little pixiu was confiscated too, it''s just gold-colored, not made of real gold, but they had to say I was flaunting my wealth. I''m so poor I''m jingling, what wealth could I possibly flaunt!0 Director Wang Yong: ......0 Director Wang Yong: You two have a lot of grievances, huh? Do you need me to do some ideological work with you?0 Mu Mian was dumbfounded, so she wasn''t the only unlucky one! But that was the first gift Fang Rui had given her! Mu Mian decided to try one more time.0 Mu Mian: Director, can you please give it back to me? I promise I won''t bring it to the bureau. [Pitiful.jpg]0 Director Wang Yong: Little Mu, I''m sorry, if you had said something earlier it would have been fine. It''s already been taken away by the garbage collectors. It''s probably been buried in the landfill by now, I can''t give it back to you.0 In the corridor, Wang and Old Zhang looked helplessly at Zhang as he returned their phones to them. "Thanks for the help, brothers."0 Wang felt a bit guilty: "Don''t you think this is going too far? Forensic Mu looks really upset, she genuinely liked that creepy thing."0 "Didn''t you find that creepy thing scary?" Zhang asked in return.0 "Uh... a bit. One night when I was working overtime, I passed by Forensic Mu''s office and accidentally glanced inside. My god, it scared me to death. Zhang, you did very well! I didn''t expect you to be so useful this time."0 "Haven''t I always been useful? It''s just that the boss and others are too smart, overshadowing my brilliance."0 "Hmm... you''re very funny."0 When Fang Rui entered Mu Mian''s office, he saw her hugging the magic wand made from the radius bone, looking very dejected.0 Fang Rui held his head, damn it, he forgot to take away that bone!0 "Fang Rui, the first gift you gave me was confiscated by the director. It was taken to the garbage station, and can never be found again." Mu Mian''s voice was tearful.0 Seeing her like this, Fang Rui somewhat regretted listening to Zhang''s bad idea. He thought, if worst comes to worst, he could just go down to the storage room and bring that skeleton back to Mu Mian.0 "Fang Rui, I''m sorry, I didn''t protect the gift you gave me well." Mu Mian felt overwhelmed by immense sadness. Fang Rui had finally given her a gift, and it was confiscated.0 "You care about it because it was a gift from me?" Fang Rui was a bit surprised. He thought Mu Mian just liked that skeleton.0 "Of course, it was the first gift you gave me, I took very good care of it, maintaining it every day," Mu Mian said, "I used to have many resin skeleton models like that at home, my dad even gave me a real one, but all of them combined weren''t as good as the one you gave me."0 "I see... Then I''ll give you other gifts in the future." Fang Rui patted her head.0 Mu Mian''s eyes immediately lit up, "Really?"0 "Yes. But I can''t give you this anymore. That skeleton gift wasn''t good at all, because every time I saw it, I felt very scared. I think it''s quite good that it was confiscated."0 "But you weren''t afraid of those prop corpses in that escape room store."0 "They were just corpses, this was a skeleton, there''s a difference."0 "Okay. So you''re afraid of skeletons." Mu Mian felt regretful, bones were so beautiful, yet Fang Rui was afraid of them. She decided not to let Fang Rui see her carefully collected bone specimens in the future.0 She was afraid Fang Rui would be scared to death.0 "Fang Rui, next time you give me a gift, can you give me a body donation agreement?" Mu Mian carefully negotiated with him, "That would make me happy for many years."0 Fang Rui neither refused nor agreed, he asked, "You''re not sad anymore now?"0 "Not sad. If I had known you didn''t like it, I wouldn''t have taken such good care of it," Mu Mian cheered up again, "You don''t know, maintaining it every day was very tiring for me. I was so tired I had no energy for socializing."0 "...Do you care that much about the gifts I give you?"0 So Mu Mian liked that skeleton because it was a gift from him.0 "Of course. I cherish every gift I receive. Sister says every gift should be treated well." Mu Mian thought of Jiang Yun and quickly added, "Except for that pink little bag, it was too ugly, I couldn''t keep it."0 "Who gave it to you?"0 S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Miss Jiang gave it to me. She''s the worst gift-giver I''ve ever met." Mu Mian sighed, "You can''t even imagine how ugly that pink bag was."0 "......"0 Chen Xue noticed that Mu Mian, who had just looked like the sky was falling, had fully recovered after just a short conversation with Fang Rui.0 "Mu Mian, your lich wizard was confiscated, and you were only sad for such a short while?" Chen Xue felt a bit sorry for the skeleton lying in the storage room among a pile of miscellaneous items.0 Mu Mian''s love was too short-lived, it didn''t even need time to erode, it was gone in an instant.0 "Fang Rui has agreed to give me a different gift. I asked him to give me a body donation form, and he didn''t refuse," Mu Mian said with a slightly smug expression.0 "But he didn''t agree either!" Chen Xue had heard their entire conversation clearly, as they hadn''t paid any attention to her presence in the office.0 "That''s true, so I still need to work on it," Mu Mian replied.0 "Well, keep at it then," Chen Xue encouraged.0 Chapter 70 Recently, due to a typhoon making landfall, Jiangzhou City has been experiencing continuous rain and overcast weather. Since yesterday evening, a fine drizzle has been falling incessantly from the sky, making the streets wet and slippery after nightfall.At the end of a quiet residential area, in an empty abandoned warehouse: Light spills out from a window, and in the thick, damp air, someone is hiding in the shadows... "Hello, are you awake?" A harsh mechanical voice rings out, "Let''s play a game." "Who are you? No, no... don''t kill us... please..." The girl, realizing her surroundings, tries to shrink back in terror, but she''s firmly fixed to the chair, her hands and feet bound with rope, even her head immobilized by a cold metal frame, completely unable to move. Her suddenly dilated pupils reflect a young man in a white short-sleeved shirt - her boyfriend. His hands and feet are similarly bound with rope, sitting in a chair. He''s now slowly opening his eyes. "Jie, are you alright?" "Waa, Ah Chen, what''s going on, how did we end up here?" The young man named Ah Chen struggles violently, "Who are you? Do you want money? We''ll give it to you, if it''s not enough, I can call my parents and ask for more." "Don''t you want to play my game?" The constant buzzing of electricity makes the girl''s scalp tingle. "No, we''ll play! If... if we win, will you... will you let us go?" "Of course, if you win, I''ll let you go," a hint of amusement creeps into the distorted voice, "Now, let''s go over the rules of the game..." The wail of police sirens breaks the tranquility of Jiangzhou University. Soon, the small woods outside the north gate of Jiangzhou University are cordoned off with yellow police tape. Jiangzhou University is located in the suburbs and covers a large area. Outside the school gates is a large wooded area, planted with various vegetation, lush and green, with beautiful scenery. There''s also a beautiful artificial lake by the woods, so many people from outside the school often come there for leisure. At this moment, the edge of the woods is crowded with students, all discussing among themselves. "Did you hear? A young couple committed suicide together in these woods. The girl was apparently the beauty queen of the School of Literature." "From the School of Literature?" "Oh my god, weren''t they that famous lovey-dovey couple on campus? Why would they follow the ancients and die together?" "Don''t talk nonsense, this isn''t a suicide pact, they were robbed by criminals. Oh, it''s not right to gossip about the dead!" "That''s not right, what kind of robber kills people and then digs a hole to bury the bodies? It must be murder! Maybe the killer is a psychopath who specifically targets couples who like to show off their love." "All you couples out there should tone it down a bit recently. Be careful, or you might be the killer''s next target." "Come on, stop fear-mongering. I think you single dogs are just spreading rumors because you''re jealous of people in relationships." The onlooking students crowd against the police line, all standing on tiptoes to get a better view. Many have taken out their phones to take pictures. They can see two bodies lying side by side in the muddy pit. The mud obscures their features, but they''re wearing matching red hoodies. Their hands are tightly clasped together, each holding a vibrant red rose in their other hand. The bodies were found in a grove of golden rain trees. The trees are covered in clusters of light purple spherical fruits, looking like beautiful flowers adorning the branches. The ground is also covered in fallen flowers and fruits, giving the scene a romantic beauty. If one could ignore the pale faces of the deceased, the scene would almost be romantically tragic. The woods are dense, the ground covered in fallen flowers and fruits. With the heavy rain the night before, the ground is saturated, squelching underfoot. Mu Mian very much dislikes this sensation. Zhang points at the two bodies in the pit and says, "We have two victims, one male and one female. This morning, a sanitation worker passing through the woods slipped and noticed a tuft of hair sticking out from the fallen leaves. He felt something was off and quickly brushed away the soil layer, discovering a male corpse. He immediately called the police. During the excavation process, we found another female corpse next to the male..." Zhang continues to brief on the case, "Student IDs found at the scene show that the girl is named Wang Jie, a sophomore from the School of Literature; the boy is Zhang Shuochen, a junior from the School of Law. They were a couple..." It''s been raining recently, with a particularly heavy downpour last night. The rain has washed away any traces around the dump site, and the police haven''t found any suspicious footprints or tire tracks in the vicinity. The wooded area covers several acres, with no surveillance at the entrances or exits. The victims'' clothes are intact, both wearing red couple hoodies, as if they had been carefully dressed. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The victims'' IDs, phones, and valuables haven''t been taken. It seems the killer wasn''t after money. Mu Mian conducts a preliminary examination of the external features of both bodies. Both victims show severe corneal clouding, obvious autolysis, and have developed putrefaction blisters. "Initial assessment suggests the victims have been dead for 2-3 days. The exact time of death will require further analysis," Mu Mian says. Both victims have slight abrasions on their wrists and ankles, likely caused by rope bindings; the male victim has a bruise on his jaw and back, possibly from resisting; both victims have an oval-shaped wound on their arms. However, Mu Mian doesn''t find any fatal injuries on their bodies. "Mu Mian, could they have died from suffocation?" Chen Xue looks at the pit and speculates, "The victims'' bodies don''t have severe external injuries, nor signs of poisoning. Could the killer have buried them alive?" The killer didn''t bury the bodies very deep, and the recent continuous heavy rain had washed away some of the soil, which is how the sanitation worker who came to clean the woods discovered them. "It doesn''t seem likely," Mu Mian looks at the oval-shaped wounds, a theory forming in her mind, "They might have died from electrocution." "Electrocution?" "The victims have an oval-shaped wound on their arms, 8mm in diameter, yellowish-brown in color, with a small opening and larger base, depressed center and raised edges, like a volcano crater. This is typical of an electrical burn mark," Mu Mian explains, "However, we''ll need to conduct a thorough autopsy on the victims to confirm the cause of death." "Why would the killer electrocute the victims?" Chen Xue finds it hard to comprehend. Usually, electrocution deaths are accidental, it''s rare for a killer to deliberately electrocute victims. Moreover, if the killer really did use electrocution to kill the victims, they could have easily disguised it as an accidental electrocution, which would be less likely to arouse police suspicion. Mu Mian doesn''t answer her question, as her attention is drawn to a gelatinous substance on the female victim''s scalp. She checks the male victim''s hair and finds the same substance on his scalp as well. Zhang speculates, "Could it be that the killer was jealous of the two victims, so they tortured them with electrocution? There used to be an interrogation method that used electric shocks to question suspects." Chen Xue thinks Zhang''s analysis makes sense: "That''s very possible! In any case, this killer must really hate people who show off their love!" Looking at the two victims, Fang Rui suddenly recalls an unsolved major case. Half a year ago, there were two couple murders in Linzhou City, but the killer was never caught. Chapter 71 Upon returning to the bureau, Fang Rui retrieved the case files for the Linzhou City incident from the archives room.The crime had occurred six months ago, with the victims'' bodies discovered in a wasteland near an industrial zone. At the time, someone had purchased the wasteland intending to build a warehouse. However, during excavation, bodies were suddenly unearthed from beneath the ground. Four corpses were found at once, shocking the entire Linzhou City. The four bodies were buried in two separate locations. Initially, the construction crew only uncovered one grave, but after the police conducted a thorough excavation of the entire wasteland, they discovered another pair of bodies in a corner of the area. In the first grave were two victims, a married couple - one male and one female. Victim 1: Chen Meiqin, female, 45 years old, seamstress at a furniture factory; Time of death: April-May 2018; Crime scene: Wasteland near the factory area on Changfeng Street, Baixi District, Linzhou City; Scene investigation: Body severely decomposed, no apparent wounds found upon examination, cause of death unknown. Victim 2: Zhang Mingqiang, male, 47 years old, carpenter at a furniture factory; Time of death: April-May 2018; Crime scene: Wasteland near the factory area on Changfeng Street, Baixi District, Linzhou City; Scene investigation: No apparent wounds found upon examination, body severely decomposed, no obvious injuries detected, cause of death unknown. The couple had been married for 25 years and had a good relationship. Both victims were known to be kind-hearted and had simple social connections. As a result, the police investigation into the victims'' social circles did not yield any suspects. Additionally, due to the severe decomposition of the bodies, it was impossible to determine the exact time of death, so the case remained unsolved. The second grave contained two female corpses, also severely decomposed but not to the extent of the first two victims. Subsequent investigation revealed that these two female victims were in a same-sex relationship and had been dating for two years with a stable relationship. Victim 3: Zhang Yawen, female, 28 years old, foreign trade representative; Time of death: September-late October 2018; Crime scene: Wasteland near the factory area on Changfeng Street, Baixi District, Linzhou City; Scene investigation: Victim''s hand clutched a withered flower stem, body severely decomposed, no apparent injuries found upon examination, cause of death unknown. Victim 4: Tian Xin, female, 24 years old, accountant; Time of death: September-late October 2018; Crime scene: Wasteland near the factory area on Changfeng Street, Baixi District, Linzhou City; Scene investigation: Victim''s hand clutched a withered flower stem, body severely decomposed, multiple stab wounds on chest and abdomen, suspected cause of death due to massive blood loss from aortic rupture. All four bodies were discovered at the same location, but the time of death for each couple differed. All four victims lived and worked in the vicinity of the industrial zone. However, upon investigation, the police found no connection between the two couples, nor did they have any mutual acquaintances. The case made no progress, and the killer remains at large to this day. "Boss, look at these two victims holding withered flower stems in their hands. Could they be roses too?" Zhang, having finished reviewing the case files, also felt that the Linzhou case bore similarities to the one they encountered today. "Could the perpetrator of these cases be the same person?" Fang Rui''s instincts told him that these cases were definitely connected. However, the Linzhou case was not under their jurisdiction. Reopening the investigation for the Linzhou case would require the bureau chief to negotiate with the Linzhou authorities. Therefore, Fang Rui decided not to merge the investigations for now and to focus on investigating the Jiangzhou University case independently. The victims'' identities were quickly confirmed through their student IDs: Wang Jie, a sophomore from the School of Literature, and Zhang Shuochen, a junior from the School of Law. Seven days ago, both victims had requested leave from school, claiming they needed to visit the hospital, and then completely lost contact. Fang Rui immediately sought out Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen''s roommates and teachers to inquire about the situation. He first questioned Wang Jie''s roommates. Wang Jie lived in a four-person dormitory, and her counselor had called all three of her roommates to the office. "Wang Jie was a very kind girl. She could be a bit of a princess sometimes, but she had a warm heart and often helped us," said Chen Linlin, Wang Jie''s roommate. "Last Wednesday, she told us she was going to attend an event with her boyfriend, and we haven''t been able to contact her since." Fang Rui noticed that when Wang Jie''s roommates learned of her death, their expressions showed only shock, not sadness. It seemed that Wang Jie might not have been as kind and friendly as Chen Linlin described, and their roommate relationship didn''t appear to be good. "Do you know what kind of event it was?" Fang Rui asked. "We''re not really sure. Jie said it was an event only couples could attend, and we single dogs could only envy them. But she didn''t say where the event was being held or what it was about," Chen Linlin said, pursing her lips. "Maybe there wasn''t any event at all. She might have just gone out to play with her boyfriend and didn''t want to tell us." "During the seven days she was on leave, she didn''t contact you at all?" "No. After she left the dorm, we never heard from her again. Last Friday, I even sent her a WeChat message asking her to pay the electricity bill, but she didn''t reply to us either." "Didn''t you find it strange that she was out of contact for so many days? Didn''t you try to reach out to her and ask about her situation?" Zhang asked, puzzled. Wang Jie''s roommates seemed too indifferent! "Don''t blame us!" Li Ran, another of Wang Jie''s roommates, retorted indignantly. "We didn''t dare to pry into her business. If we asked too much, she might have thought we were interested in her boyfriend and were using her to get information about him. It''s ridiculous, Wang Jie treated that garbage boyfriend of hers like a treasure!" "Li Ran, don''t talk about Wang Jie like that. She''s passed away," Jiang Yujue quietly reminded her. "Huh, look at you playing the good person!" Fang Rui asked, "How was Wang Jie''s relationship with her boyfriend?" "Very good! Jie''s boyfriend treated her extremely well, catering to her every whim," Chen Linlin''s tone was full of envy. "They were the model couple of our university, even featured in our school''s promotional video." "Always showing off their love online, it''s so fake. You guys still think it''s sweet. You''ve had too much artificial sweetener, everything looks sweet to you!" Li Ran chimed in sarcastically from the side. Fang Rui turned to Li Ran: "Li, do you think their relationship wasn''t good?" "I didn''t say that. What does their relationship have to do with me?" Li Ran awkwardly averted her gaze, impatiently running her fingers through her short hair. She turned to the counselor and said, "Counselor, I have some urgent business to attend to. Can I leave now?" The counselor looked at Fang Rui hesitantly, and Fang Rui nodded to indicate she could go. After Li Ran left, Fang Rui asked the remaining two, "Was Li''s relationship with Wang Jie particularly bad?" "Well, their personalities just didn''t mesh. Li Ran is more tomboyish, and she couldn''t stand Wang Jie''s princess attitude. Wang Jie also didn''t like Li Ran''s boyish ways, so they always rubbed each other the wrong way," Chen Linlin paused. "Also, Li Ran might have had feelings for Zhang Shuochen. They were high school classmates, both from Linzhou No.1 High School next door, and used to be quite close. So that made the conflict even worse." Zhang was speechless. How had this turned into a plot from a teen drama? "Did they know anyone outside of school?" Fang Rui asked. Chen Linlin thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don''t know. Wang Jie was hardly ever in the dorm, so we don''t know who she might have known." "Alright, thank you for your cooperation!" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 72 Fang Rui went to Zhang Shuochen''s dormitory again to question his roommates. Zhang Shuochen lived in a six-person dorm, and when his roommates heard about his death, they all appeared very upset. One roommate even broke down crying."Shuochen was fine when he took leave to attend an event. How did he suddenly pass away?" someone sighed. Fang Rui asked, "Do you know what event he went to participate in?" "Oh, it was because of that clingy girlfriend of his. She insisted on dragging him to some couples'' event. If Shuochen had just stayed at school, he wouldn''t have ended up dead." "Do you know what kind of event it was?" "Shuochen said the organizers wouldn''t let them reveal the event details. It was supposed to be kept secret. I felt it wasn''t some proper event, being all mysterious like that. Shouldn''t normal events try to get likes on social media to increase their influence? But this one told participants to keep quiet about it. I advised Shuochen not to go at the time, and he agreed at first, but then he went with his girlfriend anyway," Zhang Shuochen''s dorm leader explained. Fang Rui continued, "How was Zhang Shuochen''s relationship with Wang Jie?" "Pretty good. Shuochen had a very good temper and always went along with his drama queen girlfriend. They had their conflicts, but they''d make up within two days every time," Zhang Shuochen''s roommate said. "They even opened a joint account to show off their relationship, and it has quite a lot of followers." "Can you show us the account?" "Sure, just search for ''Little Wang and Little Zhang''s Happy Life'' in this app. Yes, that''s the one with their picture as the profile image. It''s all lovey-dovey content, nothing special." Fang Rui briefly looked at the video titles and could see that the two were very much in love. They posted videos of everything from eating meals to taking walks, just to show off. There were many comments under their videos. The comment section was very harmonious, with most people saying how sweet they were or expressing envy. "How long has it been since Zhang Shuochen last contacted you?" Fang Rui asked. "A week. We tried calling him during this time, but no one answered. He''s done this before; whenever he''s with Wang Jie, he often goes off the grid, so we didn''t think much of it. Ah, if only we had reported him missing to the police. Who could have imagined he''d be gone just like that..." "Alright, thank you for your cooperation." "Boss, they all mentioned that event. Could Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen''s deaths be related to it?" Zhang speculated. "But there haven''t been any major events specifically for couples in Jiangzhou City recently!" "It might have been privately organized. These kinds of events need to be reported in advance. Can we check if there are any related activities?" Fang Rui paused, then added, "However, I suspect the killer might have used this as an excuse to lure them out." "This killer seems to hate couples so much. Could they have just gone through a breakup and are now jealous of these lovey-dovey couples?" At this moment, Fang Rui suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Boss, what''s wrong?" Zhang followed his line of sight and saw Bai Jing approaching. Zhang greeted Bai Jing warmly, "Miss Bai, what are you doing here?" "Officer Zhang, Officer Fang, what a coincidence to meet you again," Bai Jing said, holding a few books in her arms. "I got into graduate school, so I''m back at the university to continue my studies." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That''s amazing! You managed to get into grad school in less than half a year?" Zhang marveled. He had felt sorry for Bai Jing before, thinking a graduate from a prestigious university ended up as a community worker in a residential area. He hadn''t expected she was just preparing for her graduate school entrance exams. "I took the exam at the end of last year and had an interview in April. I didn''t expect to actually get in," Bai Jing smiled happily. "And I''ve also found a part-time job as an assistant in a psychology clinic." Fang Rui looked at Bai Jing, "Miss Bai, what about those stray cats? Aren''t you taking care of them anymore?" "This place isn''t far from that residential area. I can still go feed the cats every day. I won''t forget my promise." Bai Jing glanced at her phone. "Teacher Shen is urging me to attend her group meeting. I have to go now. Goodbye, Officer Fang, Officer Zhang!" "Goodbye, Bai Jing!" Zhang waved at her. Fang Rui''s suspicions about Bai Jing deepened. The time she started working as a community worker in that residential area coincided with when Chen Hui began his episodes. And after Chen Hui''s case was closed, Bai Jing quickly resigned from that job. These coincidences seemed too convenient. But if Bai Jing only wanted to take revenge on her father, she should have had many other ways to do so. Why would she choose to cultivate Chen Hui into a serial killer, using such an unpredictable method for revenge? Fang Rui found himself unable to identify Bai Jing''s true motive for doing so. "Boss, what''s wrong? You seem to have some hostility towards Bai Jing," Zhang asked, confused. He had a good impression of Bai Jing and believed that girls who liked to feed stray cats were generally kind-hearted. "It''s nothing. Let''s head back!" Fang Rui said. Back at the station, Fang Rui examined Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen''s phones. Zhang Shuochen''s phone interface was very simple, with only daily-use apps installed. Opening his chat software, it was also straightforward. Apart from his roommates and parents, the person he contacted most frequently was Wang Jie. Moreover, in his friends list, besides his mother, Wang Jie was the only female contact. Fang Rui went through his chat history with Wang Jie, which was full of sickeningly sweet exchanges like "baby" and "I love you." Nothing out of the ordinary. Fang Rui also couldn''t find any chat records with the person in charge of the couples'' event. Fang Rui then checked Wang Jie''s phone. Her wallpaper was extremely gaudy, and she had downloaded many strange apps. Fang Rui opened her chat software to find a long list of conversations. Fang Rui''s eyes hurt from reading her chat records, and he couldn''t find the person who invited them to participate in the couples'' event. "Boss, this Wang Jie is a social media monster, a queen of small talk. Look at how many chat records she has," Zhang, who had been forced to take on the task of searching through the chat records, said as he went through them one by one. "How can she chat so much?" Li rolled his eyes at Zhang in exasperation: "Don''t you know there''s something called a search function? You just need to enter keywords in the chat records, and you can quickly find what you''re looking for." Zhang retorted, "What if they used code words? It''s not good to rely too much on technology. If you don''t carefully read every chat record, you might miss important clues!" Li felt a pang of guilt at Zhang''s words. It was his mistake for trying to take shortcuts. He was at fault! "Li, what was that thing you just mentioned?" Zhang mumbled. "How come when I enter the keyword ''couples event,'' it shows no results?" "...That''s the limitation of technology! You''ll have to slowly go through the chat records manually." Zhang went through all the chat records again but couldn''t find the mysterious person who invited Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen to participate in the couples'' event. Chapter 73 The autopsy report came out quickly, and Mu Mian reported at the morning meeting:"Based on the decomposition characteristics of the bodies, we estimate the time of death to be about 2-3 days ago, between October 27th and October 28th. We found electric current marks and skin metallization on the arms of both victims, indicating their deaths were related to electrocution, but the exact causes differ. The male victim died from cardiac arrest. The strong electric current passing through his heart disrupted its normal rhythm, leading to sudden cardiac arrest. The female victim died from organ failure. As the current passed through her body, it damaged her internal tissues and organs, resulting in pulmonary edema and pulmonary hemorrhage. We found abrasions on both victims'' wrists and ankles, likely caused by rope bindings. It''s reasonable to assume that the killer tied up the victims'' hands and feet before electrocuting them. The skin around the electric current marks is yellowish-brown, indicating that the electrodes in contact with the skin were made of copper." After hearing Mu Mian''s report, everyone fell into a brief silence. "My God, was this killer really torturing this couple? Electrocuting people to death, how deranged!" someone exclaimed. Fang Rui then briefed everyone on a case that occurred in Linzhou City: "A similar case happened in our neighboring city. The killer also specifically targeted couples, but was never caught." After reviewing the case files, everyone drew a sharp breath. "Captain Fang, the wasteland where the bodies were found is right on the edge of our city, very close. Could that killer have already fled to our Jiangzhou City?" an older officer asked. Mu Mian looked at the case file. Because the bodies were severely decomposed when discovered, the forensic pathologist at the time only left a vague autopsy report, and the cause of death wasn''t determined. Mu Mian noticed that the victim named Tian Xin was special, as her autopsy report mentioned her cause of death: multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, suspected to have died from massive bleeding due to aortic rupture; while the causes of death for the other three victims were unclear. "But this victim named Tian Xin has a different cause of death," Mu Mian raised her question, "She didn''t die from electrocution. She was stabbed multiple times and died from massive blood loss." "Could the killers in these two cases be different people?" Zhang questioned, "Otherwise, why would he change his killing method?" "It''s possible that something unexpected happened during the crime," Mu Mian added, "For example, he might have lost control of this victim, or some other reason." Fang Rui thought for a moment and said, "Let''s not combine these two cases for now. We''ll investigate the case of Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen independently." Mu Mian was very interested in the bodies from the Linzhou case. She kept pestering Fang Rui to take her to the neighboring city to examine those bodies. "Fang Rui, hurry up and drive me to Linzhou. I''ve checked the map, it only takes three hours to get there." "Mu Mian, you probably won''t be able to autopsy those bodies anymore." "Why not? The case hasn''t been solved, and the killer hasn''t been caught. Haven''t they kept the bodies frozen?" Mu Mian felt very disappointed, thinking there should have been many clues on those bodies. "The bodies have already been claimed by their families and cremated." "They''re so unprofessional!" Mu Mian was upset about this all day. At lunch, she ate with Chen Xue in the cafeteria, and Zhang also came over with his tray. "Dr. Mu, what''s wrong with you today? Why are you so unhappy?" Mu Mian kept her head down, eating. She didn''t want to socialize right now. "Someone cremated the bodies she wanted to examine, so she''s very upset!" Chen Xue shrugged and explained helplessly. "Oh, don''t worry, I''ve already come up with a great plan that will definitely make the killer turn himself in!" Zhang said mysteriously. Chen Xue interrupted him disapprovingly, "Zhang, although I don''t know what your plan is, I can already tell from your sleazy expression that it''s probably a bad idea." "Chen Xue..." Zhang looked at her pitifully, with an expression that said "let me speak quickly." Chen Xue sighed, "Fine, go ahead. I promise I won''t criticize you!" "This killer must be a psychopath who hates seeing couples show affection, right?" "Isn''t that obvious? Get to the point!" Zhang put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "We can find a very loving couple to show affection on TV, every day. This way, the killer will definitely be unable to resist coming out to kill that couple. We just need to wait for him to take the bait!" "This idea is actually not bad." "Right? I think it''s best to collaborate with internet celebrities. They can ride the wave of popularity, and we can catch the killer. It''s a win-win situation," Zhang added. Mu Mian thought they were too noisy. She couldn''t help but pour cold water on their idea: "What if they die?" "..." Zhang quickly modified his strategy: "What if people from our department pretend to be a couple? This way, if the killer targets us, we''ll have the ability to fight back." "But who should we choose?" Mu Mian looked at Chen Xue, then at Zhang. She felt that Chen Xue had been acting strange lately, like now, playing along with Zhang, and earlier when Chen Xue was smiling stupidly at the corpse for no reason¡ªChen Xue had been very abnormal recently! S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang saw Mu Mian looking at them with a deep expression and thought she was recommending him and Chen Xue. He said reluctantly, "You want me and Chen Xue to show affection?" Chen Xue blushed, "We might not be suitable, right? If we show affection, the killer probably won''t get angry, but might find it funny instead?" "We can use fewer words and more eye contact. Maybe we can really provoke the killer that way," Zhang said seriously, "We can learn from Wang Jie and see how she shows affection." "But how can we make sure the killer sees us showing affection?" "We can also open an account like Wang Jie and her boyfriend did. We''ll call it ''The Beautiful Life of the Little Forensic Pathologist and the Little Police Officer''." "Great idea!" Chen Xue nodded in agreement, and then they started enthusiastically discussing the details of their plan. Mu Mian suddenly realized she had been isolated by the two of them. She wanted to say something to increase her participation, but was interrupted each time. She could only stare blankly as they shamelessly planned their so-called killer-baiting scheme, which actually had no practical value. "Mu Mian, why did you stop eating?" Chen Xue noticed Mu Mian leaving glumly with her tray and asked. "I''m full!" Chen Xue wanted to say something more to Mu Mian, but was quickly pulled back into discussing their plan with Zhang. Mu Mian returned to her office, feeling dejected. She had lost the bodies she really wanted to examine, and Chen Xue not only didn''t comfort her but also isolated her along with Zhang. She was very unhappy now! "This is for you!" Fang Rui handed Mu Mian a USB drive, "It contains autopsy photos and videos of the four victims. I had a hard time getting it from our colleagues in the neighboring city." "Fang Rui, thank you!" Mu Mian suddenly cheered up and immediately opened her computer to look at the photos. "Where''s Chen Xue?" Fang Rui found it strange. Chen Xue used to stick close to Mu Mian, but lately she had been disappearing every day. "She''s with Zhang," Mu Mian answered distractedly, "They''re discussing the details of their killer-baiting plan. It''s boring. I didn''t want to listen, so I came back." "You mean you didn''t understand it, right?" Mu Mian turned to look at Fang Rui, her expression a bit unhappy, but she nodded: "Yes! They want to lure out the killer by showing affection. This plan is too impractical." "Why do you think it''s impractical?" Fang Rui also thought Zhang''s idea was quite far-fetched. "They''re not a real couple, how could they possibly fool the killer?" Mu Mian explained while watching the autopsy video, "The killer is after real couples, so he must be able to tell what kind of couple is genuine. Fake couples like Zhang and Chen Xue would be exposed immediately!" "Haven''t you noticed that Zhang and Chen Xue are secretly dating?" Mu Mian paused the video and looked at Fang Rui in confusion: "Impossible!" "Why?" "If they''re dating, why didn''t they tell me?" Mu Mian was a bit upset. "I can keep a secret, I wouldn''t tell anyone else." "Maybe they think some things don''t need to be said out loud because everyone can see it." "I didn''t see it!" "That''s a good thing. This way, you don''t have to endure their public displays of affection every day," Fang Rui consoled her. "I''m already fed up with Zhang. Last weekend, he called me in the middle of the night asking what clothes he should wear. How would I know about that? See, you don''t have to deal with these kinds of troubles." "Then I''ll just keep pretending I don''t know." Mu Mian''s words suddenly reminded Fang Rui of something. If the killer was indeed specifically targeting couples, what criteria did they use to select these couples? And how did they learn about these couples in the first place? "Fang Rui, look at the teeth of these three victims. They''re rose-colored." Chapter 74 "Rose-colored? Do you mean livor mortis? You suspect they died from asphyxiation?" Fang Rui asked in surprise.Mu Mian shook her head, her eyes filled with disappointment. Ah, Fang Rui lacked some basic forensic knowledge. "Mu Mian, I''m not a forensic expert. It''s normal that I don''t know certain things," Fang Rui felt that Mu Mian must be secretly criticizing him in her mind again. "Yes, it''s livor mortis, but it doesn''t only appear on bodies that died from asphyxiation," Mu Mian explained. "It can also occur in cases of death by electrocution, hypovolemic shock, and others. So, those three victims could have died from electrocution as well." Livor mortis can be used to determine the cause of death in highly decomposed bodies. Generally, bodies that died from asphyxiation are more likely to show livor mortis. Fang Rui decided to report this situation to the bureau chief, and if necessary, they could investigate the cases together. By checking the surveillance cameras around the school, the police discovered that Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen had left the school by taxi on the afternoon of October 24th, heading to a shopping mall. However, they didn''t enter the mall but instead walked towards the parking lot, eventually disappearing from the camera''s view. Fang Rui questioned the mall''s security guards and relevant personnel, who all stated that they hadn''t planned any activities recently. The mall''s surveillance videos also didn''t capture Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen. They couldn''t find the mysterious person who invited Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen to participate in the activity, nor could they find any information about the couple''s activity. "Boss, the tech department says that Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen''s chat records from the past few months haven''t been deleted, but strangely, we can''t find any record related to that couple''s activity," Zhang said after sifting through the chat records again, his eyes hurting from the effort. Chen Xue handed Zhang a bottle of eye drops, then took Wang Jie''s phone and started helping with the search. Mu Mian was studying the autopsy report from the Lin Zhou case when she heard Zhang''s complaint. She suggested, "Have you checked her computer? Maybe that person contacted them via email. Some email services don''t require real-name registration, making it convenient to hide one''s identity." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Mu Mian, you don''t understand our country''s situation. We rarely use email," Chen Xue said. After thinking for a moment, she added, "However, when I was in college, I often played games on my computer. Could it be that the killer met and contacted them through a game?" They went to ask Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen''s roommates for their computers. Li from the tech department checked Wang Jie''s computer usage records and browser history, quickly finding a website called "Love Museum." Upon entering the site, a pop-up appeared: Dear user, congratulations! You have been selected by our website. You will have the opportunity to participate in our website''s couple compatibility contest. If you make it to the finals, you''ll have a chance to win the grand prize of a seven-day European tour. Click here for details. After clicking the link, the page redirected to another interface asking users to leave their personal information, including the couple''s names, contact information, and email address. Fang Rui filled in the information as prompted, but after submitting, the page showed a 404 error, indicating that the submission failed. "Although this website''s design looks nice, its functionality is very chaotic. It''s easy to crash if you click around randomly," Li explained. "This is probably a phishing website." "Can we trace the personal information of the website creator?" Fang Rui asked. "The server for this website is overseas. It''s using a public server, so it''s difficult for us to trace the IP of the user who created this website." Fang Rui then had Li check Wang Jie''s email, and they quickly found an email in her inbox. The sender was called "Aphrodite," and the email content was: Miss Wang, congratulations to you and your boyfriend for being selected by our website to participate in the "Couple Compatibility Challenge." The top three couples will win a seven-day, five-day, and three-day European tour respectively, with accommodation and travel expenses covered by us. Fourth to tenth place will receive a 10,000 yuan cash prize. If you agree to participate, please come to the Guodu Building between 3 PM and 5:30 PM on October 24th for on-site registration. Please check the attachment for competition details. The attachment was a file that detailed the specifics of the competition. "This is obviously fake. How could Wang Jie fall for it?" Li couldn''t help but criticize. "Aren''t there plenty of college students who get scammed these days?" Zhang retorted. "The neighboring anti-fraud department receives calls from college students every day. These students are inexperienced and easy to deceive." Fang Rui asked, "Li, can you trace the user information of this email?" "No, this email hasn''t been verified with real-name authentication," Zhang shook his head. "We can''t trace the IP address either. This is an encrypted email service. They use nested addresses to prevent us from tracing the final IP address. It''s a common method for anonymizing information." Fang Rui opened the page requiring personal information again and entered Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen''s information, randomly filling in the email and contact details. Surprisingly, the information was submitted successfully. "Detective Fang, this must be intentionally designed. It only shows a successful submission if you enter specific names in the couple''s name field. If the information is incorrect, it will show a page error," Li analyzed. "Could this website have been specifically designed for Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen?" Although they hadn''t obtained the killer''s information, the fact that the killer could design a website and knew how to use encrypted email to evade police investigation suggested that they had a high IQ and education level. Fang Rui couldn''t help but wonder if the killer might be a teacher from the school. But then he thought about the Lin Zhou case. All four victims there worked in a factory. If the killer had a high level of education, how would they have come into contact with those working-class people? "Mu Mian, does your hacker friend have a way to help us trace the IP address of the website creator?" "I''m not sure, I''ll ask him." Fang Rui then asked, "Tell him to name his price, I''ll reimburse you later." Mu Mian''s hacker friend replied quickly. Mu Mian happily said, "He''s not charging me money this time." "No money? Then what does he want? It''s not a body donation form, is it?" "Of course not, he''s not interested in your body. He wants a photo of us together. I told him I made a really, really good friend, but he doesn''t believe me. He says he needs to see a photo to believe it." Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui, "So we need to take a photo that shows our friendship." Mu Mian took a photo with Fang Rui and sent it over. The other side quickly replied to Mu Mian. "He helped us trace it. The IP of the website creator is from Jiangzhou University. They used a computer in the school''s computer room, so we can''t pinpoint which specific computer it was," Mu Mian added. "And he complimented me, saying I made a very handsome friend." "Shouldn''t that be a compliment for me?" "You''re right! His language skills have improved. He can now compliment two people at once." Mu Mian felt gratified. Her friend used to speak in a way that no one could understand, except for Mu Mian who could comprehend his strange speaking logic. Fang Rui and Zhang went to question the faculty and students of Jiangzhou University again. Some people reported that a while ago, the link to this website frequently appeared in their student group chats. After it was reported, it stopped appearing. Chapter 75 As Fang Rui returned home from fieldwork, it was almost dark. He had just parked his car in the parking lot and was about to open the door when he saw a woman holding it shut, trapping him inside."Mom, why are you here again?" Fang Rui felt a headache coming on. As a slightly older unmarried young man, he faced the same intense pressure to get married as all single youth. His pressure mainly came from his mother, Mrs. Lu Jianhua. Fang Rui currently had no plans to marry, as he disliked complications. He felt that if he got married, he''d have to deal with a bunch of trivial family matters and wouldn''t be able to focus properly on his work. He was at the age where he should be concentrating on his career. "What do you mean ''again''? Do you dislike seeing me that much?" Lu Jianhua wore a fashionable coat, her hair permed into small curls. When she got angry, the curls seemed to quiver along with her. "How could I dare to dislike you? Come on, let''s go upstairs and sit. I''ll order some takeout for you." Fang Rui took the fruit from Lu Jianhua''s hands. "Mom, you know I don''t like fruit. Why did you buy so much? It must have been heavy to carry." Mrs. Lu glared at Fang Rui, "Who said this was for you? It''s for the female colleagues at your bureau!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Lu Jianhua scolded him, exasperated, "Just look at yourself! There are so many pretty girls at your bureau, how come you can''t find a girlfriend? What a waste of the good looks I gave you, all show and no substance! Look at young Zhang, he''s got a girlfriend at such a young age. And look at you, almost thirty and still single! I''m worried sick about you." Fang Rui had always been a worry-free child. When his classmates were having puppy love affairs and getting into fights, Fang Rui studied hard, only occasionally getting into fights, which he always managed to win. In high school, he suddenly decided he wanted to be a police officer and threw himself into physical training. After graduating from the police academy, he worked at a local police station for two years before quickly being transferred to the City Police Bureau. Lu Jianhua had always thought her son was quite outstanding, until Fang Rui was almost thirty and had never been in a relationship. In her circle of mothers, having a son without a girlfriend was something to be ashamed of. "Lin Sen is over thirty and doesn''t have a girlfriend either. Why don''t you pressure him to find one? You''re his godmother after all. Go find one for him first," Fang Rui decided to throw Lin Sen under the bus to divert the conflict. "What kind of job does Lin Sen have? He''s a criminal psychology expert, how impressive. What about your job? With your work intensity, it''s already not bad if you can find anyone at all. How can you compare yourself to Lin Sen? He''s single because he chooses to be, not because he can''t find anyone..." Fang Rui decided to remain silent. As they reached the elevator, he saw Mu Mian waiting there, holding a large stack of delivery boxes. The boxes were piled so high that they obscured her face. He wanted to help Mu Mian carry some, but she turned her head to look at the numbers on the elevator, pretending not to know him. "This weekend, you must go on a blind date! Don''t tell me you have an unsolved case. Even if it''s raining knives, you have to go." Mrs. Lu finally revealed her true purpose. Mu Mian heard this and was somewhat surprised. She glanced at Fang Rui, then averted her gaze and continued watching the changing numbers on the elevator. Suddenly, Mu Mian thought of a terrifying possibility: if Fang Rui got married, even if she had a body donation agreement, she might not be able to get his body. His spouse would certainly not want to give his body to her. "Mom, I''m really not lying to you. We''re dealing with a big case right now." Fang Rui took out his phone and showed Lu Jianhua the news. "See? The ''Couple Butcher,'' specifically targeting couples. I''m busy with the case, how could I have time for blind dates?" "That girl saw your photo and she''s quite satisfied with you. You just need to squeeze out a tiny bit of time. If it really doesn''t work, I''ll bring her to your office and you can have the date after you finish work." Fang Rui was speechless. He guessed that Zhang''s lovey-dovey posts on social media must have stimulated his mother. She had never been this forceful before. After they got into the elevator, seeing that Fang Rui didn''t respond, Lu Jianhua scolded again, "Fang Rui, did you hear me?" "I won''t go! Because¡ª" Fang Rui took most of the delivery boxes from Mu Mian''s hands. He gave Mu Mian a meaningful look, then said to Lu Jianhua, "I already have a girlfriend!" "Impossible, how could you possibly find a girlfriend on your own?" Lu Jianhua was shocked. Although she liked to pressure him about marriage, she was just following the usual routine. She wasn''t mentally prepared for Fang Rui to actually have a girlfriend. Fang Rui pointed at Mu Mian, "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Mu Mian." Mu Mian finally deciphered Fang Rui''s eye signal. Originally, she had no experience in pretending to be a couple, but recently Zhang and Chen Xue had been constantly displaying affection in front of her, so her knowledge in this area had improved dramatically. "Yes, I am Fang Rui''s girlfriend. Auntie, it''s nice to meet you for the first time," Mu Mian smiled at Lu Jianhua. "Hmm, hello." Lu Jianhua looked at Mu Mian, examining her closely. This girl looked quite young, with a silly and cute appearance, not very smart, probably obedient and well-behaved. But she felt that Mu Mian and her son didn''t look like a couple at all. What kind of girlfriend doesn''t greet her boyfriend? Mu Mian also realized this, so she patched up their lie, "Auntie, I had a fight with him. I don''t want to talk to him right now." "..." Then why were you two making eyes at each other in front of me? Lu Jianhua felt that these two didn''t seem like a couple, but more like secret agents meeting for a rendezvous. By this time, the elevator had reached their floor. Lu Jianhua belatedly realized that Mu Mian lived on the same floor as Fang Rui. "You two... you''re not living together, are you?" Mrs. Lu was shocked. Fang Rui had actually brought someone to live with him? Things were moving too fast! Mu Mian shook her head, "We''re not living together. I''m his neighbor." "Oh, then come over and chat with auntie for a bit. I happen to have some things I''d like to ask you." Mrs. Lu suspected that Fang Rui had colluded with this girl to pretend to be a couple to fool her, but she had no proof. No matter, if they wanted to put on an act, she would play along and see who slipped up first. Mu Mian had always been curious about Fang Rui''s home, so she excitedly agreed to the invitation: "Sure." Fang Rui''s home was different from what Mu Mian had imagined. The decor was very simple, with little furniture. It wasn''t particularly tidy, with instant noodles and biscuits piled on the table. Seeing Mu Mian curiously examining the room, Lu Jianhua asked, "Little Mu, is this your first time at Fang Rui''s place?" "Yes, my sister said I shouldn''t casually go to other people''s homes, not even Fang Rui''s." What strict upbringing! Lu Jianhua took out her car keys and handed them to Fang Rui, "Oh my, I think I left my phone in the car. Fang Rui, can you go get it for me?" "Mom, don''t give Mu Mian a hard time." Fang Rui could see the bulge of the phone in her pocket. But he couldn''t call her out on it, so he had to take the keys and leave. "How can you talk to me like that? You''re making me sound like an evil mother-in-law." Before leaving, Fang Rui gave Mu Mian a look, signaling her to act well and not give them away. But Fang Rui felt it was probably going to fall apart anyway. Mu Mian confidently gave him an OK sign. Her lying skills had improved greatly, and she could easily handle something as small as pretending to be Fang Rui''s girlfriend. Fang Rui sighed. It was definitely going to fall apart! He must have had a brain freeze earlier to ask Mu Mian to pretend to be his girlfriend. It must be because Zhang had been constantly talking about his killer-baiting plan in front of him, causing him to make this rash decision to have Mu Mian pose as his girlfriend. Lu Jianhua took two bottles of water from the fridge, handed one to Mu Mian, and asked, "How long have you been with Fang Rui?" "Not very long." Mu Mian hadn''t coordinated this answer with Fang Rui, so she kept it vague. "Why do you like him?" "Because I like his corpse, no, I mean his body." "...You mean his physique, right? Your Chinese isn''t very good, is it?" Lu Jianhua thought this girl''s academic performance probably wasn''t great. If they had children in the future, she as the grandmother would have to take charge of their studies. Mu Mian nodded, "Yes, I grew up abroad, so I never studied Chinese." "Little Mu, you might not know about our family situation. I don''t think you''re suitable for my son." Lu Jianhua put on a stern face, playing the role of the evil mother-in-law. Mrs. Lu had been semi-retired for several years, and with nothing to do each day, she became obsessed with watching Chinese TV dramas about mother-in-law conflicts. However, much to her dismay, Fang Rui had not yet found a partner, so she never had the chance to be a mother-in-law, let alone the villainous type often portrayed in those TV shows. Today, she was determined to interrogate Mu Mian, and decided to put on her best "evil mother-in-law" act to intimidate her. "Why aren''t you suitable?" Mu Mian looked at her, puzzled. "I''m a forensic pathologist, he''s a police officer, we make an excellent team. Besides, I''m highly accomplished. I have two doctoral degrees, a high IQ, and my sister says I''m a genius." Feeling these reasons weren''t compelling enough, Mu Mian added, "I''m also very wealthy. I have lots and lots of money. I''m not talking about my meager salary or my practically non-existent savings, but the substantial inheritance my adoptive parents left me." Lu Jianhua was stunned for a moment. Could Fang Rui and Mu Mian actually be dating? This young woman seemed to be quite fond of her son. She even appeared desperate enough to want to lavish money on Fang Rui. "It doesn''t matter why! I won''t allow you to marry my son!" Lu Jianhua, not yet satisfied with her evil mother-in-law act, continued her performance. She wanted to know just how much Mu Mian loved her son. "That''s fine, I don''t plan on getting married anyway," Mu Mian said nonchalantly. Her sister''s friend had once mentioned that people with autism shouldn''t get married. "Uh... aren''t you going to fight for it at all?" It seemed she didn''t love him that much after all. Chapter 76 Mu Mian looked at her sincerely, "Auntie, if I try hard, will you let me marry Fang Rui?"0"Of course not!"0 Mu Mian blinked, "Then I won''t try. You won''t agree anyway. Trying is exhausting."0 Mrs. Lu realized she had underestimated Mu Mian. She didn''t seem very smart, but her mind worked quite fast.0 "Mu Mian, I won''t beat around the bush with you. Name your price. How much money will it take for you to leave my son?"0 Mu Mian found her question strange and reminded her, "Auntie, have you forgotten? I have a lot of money myself. I don''t need money from others."0 "..."0 "Auntie, I can leave your son. But can you agree to one condition for me?" Mu Mian looked at her with bright eyes.0 "What condition?" Lu Jianhua asked and immediately regretted it, wondering how Mu Mian had turned the tables on her.0 "After Fang Rui dies, will you give me his remains? If so, I promise to leave him and never date him again." Mu Mian looked at her cautiously, "Can you agree to this condition?"0 Fang Rui''s mother had the right to dispose of his remains, so as long as his mother agreed, she could still get Fang Rui''s body. Even if Fang Rui married someone else, she could still obtain it. Chen Xue had said that a daughter-in-law could never defeat a mother-in-law.0 "You only want his remains, that''s enough?"0 "Yes. You won''t agree to anything else."0 "...Do you love him that much?" Lu Jianhua looked at Mu Mian in shock. Goodness, this young girl was completely love-brained! Unable to have her son in life, she wanted to possess his remains after death.0 Mu Mian didn''t understand how she had reached this conclusion, but she nodded anyway.0 "Mu Mian, don''t worry, Auntie won''t separate you two! Feel free to date Fang Rui. If anyone tries to stop you, I''ll fight them myself."0 Mrs. Lu muttered to herself, "Who would have thought, with Fang Rui''s aloof personality, he could make a young girl love him so desperately. It seems our ancestral graves must be emitting auspicious smoke."0 Mu Mian stared at her blankly, completely unaware of what had happened.0 Was it really so difficult to donate Fang Rui''s remains to her? Mrs. Lu would rather compromise and let her marry Fang Rui than give her his remains.0 Mu Mian sighed, wondering if Fang Rui''s marriage was less important than his remains.0 When Fang Rui returned with takeout, he saw them getting along harmoniously. Mrs. Lu was chatting enthusiastically with Mu Mian, who looked like a startled rabbit, unable to escape and tiredly responding.0 "Fang Rui, I need to go home for dinner," Mu Mian said upon seeing Fang Rui, as if she''d found a savior. Mrs. Lu was too enthusiastic, and Mu Mian had never met someone like her before, so she didn''t know how to interact.0 S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay."0 Mu Mian then said to Lu Jianhua, "Goodbye, Auntie!"0 "Let''s have dinner together another day. Oh, take these fruits with you."0 "Thank you, Auntie." Mu Mian took the fruits to the door, then turned back and said, "Auntie, although our communication wasn''t very smooth, I still like you very much."0 Mu Mian actually quite liked enthusiastic people, as it meant she didn''t have to work hard to socialize and could get along well with them. Of course, if they were too enthusiastic, she needed time to adjust.0 "Haha, everyone who meets me says that. Mu Mian, you''re very cute too, and Auntie enjoys chatting with you. It''s just that your Chinese isn''t very good, you need to work on it."0 "..." Fang Rui could probably guess why.0 After Mu Mian left, Lu Jianhua patted Fang Rui''s shoulder, "You and little Mu were just pretending to be a couple earlier, right? Don''t deny it, I know you too well."0 "Then I won''t go on blind dates! I''m very busy with work." Fang Rui knew they would be exposed.0 "No more blind dates, we won''t arrange any more! Just date Mu Mian, she''s absolutely in love with you. I think you''ll never find anyone who loves you more than her in your lifetime."0 Fang Rui frowned. Mu Mian was in love with him? That was impossible! Mu Mian only loved his remains.0 But seeing his mother''s expression of "shipping them," he couldn''t help but wonder if Mu Mian''s feelings for him had changed. Like Zhang and Chen Xue?0 Mu Mian''s acting was so poor, if it were fake, how could his sharp mother not see through it?0 At that moment, Fang Rui received a text message from Mu Mian:0 [Fang Rui, wasn''t my acting great? Did I manage to fool your mom? Congratulations, you don''t have to go on blind dates anymore. But I never want to pretend to be your girlfriend again, it''s so tiring! My brain almost short-circuited.]0 Fang Rui smiled helplessly.0 The next morning, Fang Rui was called to the Director''s office.0 Because the modus operandi of this case was extremely similar to a case in neighboring Linzhou City, the Director had communicated with the person in charge there and decided to investigate the two cases jointly.0 Linzhou City took this case very seriously and formed a special task force overnight, led by their Criminal Investigation Team Leader Sun Guangtian, to come and assist Fang Rui''s team in solving the case.0 "Fang Rui, they say they''re coming to assist us, but you know, Old Sun has more experience than you, and he''s been investigating that case for over half a year. He knows the killer better than you do, so the investigation will still be led by them, understand?" the Director advised earnestly.0 "I understand! Don''t worry, I promise to cooperate well with them to solve the case." Although Fang Rui was upset about losing the lead on the case, he wasn''t petty and would cooperate as needed.0 The Director observed Fang Rui for a moment, "Fang Rui, judging by your expression, you seem a bit unconvinced."0 "How could I be unconvinced! My bad mood is because my mom nagged me for half the day yesterday, so I didn''t sleep well." Fang Rui explained. He really hadn''t slept well last night, as he kept wondering if Mu Mian might have developed feelings for him as a person, beyond just his remains.0 "Old Sun has a bit of a temper, so don''t provoke him!" The Director was quite confident in Fang Rui but still couldn''t help reminding him.0 "I promise I won''t argue with him!" Fang Rui took the opportunity to ask for a favor, "Director, I''ve written an application to purchase a batch of insulated shoes and gloves. Could you approve it?"0 "What do you need those for? You''re not electricians, do you really need such things?"0 "Both victims were electrocuted. I suspect the killer might have a stun gun or similar dangerous items. I''m worried about risks during the arrest and want to take precautions."0 The Director nodded approvingly, "Alright, I''ll definitely approve this. Not bad, you''re thinking ahead now, much more steady than before."0 "That''s all thanks to your good teaching, Director."0 "Stop flattering me. If you want anything else, say it all at once."0 "Director, you promised to allocate funds to buy an imported autopsy electric saw for Mu Mian. You haven''t forgotten, have you?"0 "I haven''t forgotten, but isn''t that the Forensic Department''s business? Why are you concerned about it?"0 "Mu Mian is under my management now."0 "The process is underway. You won''t be shortchanged!" The Director found it strange. Fang Rui used to dislike Mu Mian, but now he was saying "she''s under my management"?0 "Please remember to follow up on it! The process is moving too slowly."0 "..."0 Upon learning that Linzhou City would send a special task force, Zhang and the others all looked dejected. This was originally their case, but with the task force coming, they would become mere assistants.0 "Everyone, don''t have negative emotions. When the expert team arrives, smile brightly and be enthusiastic. Also, make sure all the materials are organized to give to them," Fang Rui advised patiently.0 Mu Mian nodded and gave Fang Rui an OK gesture. The others weren''t so obedient.0 "Boss, this case is ours!" Li still felt resentful.0 "That''s right! We''ll have to take orders from them, it''s so unfair," Zhang grumbled.0 "The case is still ours, we''ll continue investigating. Now we just have some criminal investigation experts helping us, understand?"0 Chapter 77 When Sun Guangtian arrived with the special investigation team, Fang Rui also led his people to greet them at the entrance.The members of the special team were all renowned criminal investigation experts from Linzhou City, including the experienced Forensic Doctor Cheng, criminal psychology expert Professor Qi, and forensic trace expert Wang Qiang. Sun Guangtian was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a stern expression on his face. His deputy was Fang Rui''s classmate from the police academy, so as soon as he saw Fang Rui, he greeted him enthusiastically: "Fang Rui, long time no see!" "Song Haiyang, you''ve gotten fatter!" Fang Rui then greeted Sun Guangtian: "Captain Sun, I''ve heard so much about you. My mentor used to tell me about your exploits all the time. I''m finally meeting you today. I hope we can work well together." "Hmm." Sun Guangtian''s expression remained cold. "Our director said to invite the experts to the reception room to rest first," Zhang said, "Please, this way everyone." "We haven''t solved the case yet, what rest? Always focusing on these unnecessary formalities. Let''s have a meeting first to sync up on the progress of the investigation." Sun Guangtian interrupted Zhang. The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. The forensic experts also felt uncomfortable, knowing Sun Guangtian''s domineering personality, and didn''t dare to voice any objections. Wang, Li, and the others felt that Captain Sun was trying to assert his authority on their turf, and their expressions turned sour. Only Mu Mian kept forcing a bright smile. Zhang looked helplessly at Fang Rui, and seeing him nod, Zhang said, "Then let''s go directly to the conference room for the meeting." Sun Guangtian glanced at the people Fang Rui had brought, all looking quite young. Their faces all showed defiance, indicating they wouldn''t cooperate well. His piercing gaze fell on Mu Mian; this young girl was smiling brightly, but she didn''t look very intelligent. Mu Mian''s face was tired from smiling. Feeling Sun Guangtian''s gaze, she quickly forced her smile again. Song Haiyang pulled Fang Rui aside and explained quietly, "Fang Rui, don''t misunderstand. Captain Sun has a peculiar temper, but he''s actually a good person." "I know that. My mentor used to complain to me about his nasty temper all the time." Fang Rui shrugged helplessly. The conference room was packed. Fang Rui had Zhang distribute case files to each expert, including autopsy results and the clues they had gathered so far. "The cause of death for these two victims was actually electrocution?" Forensic Doctor Cheng frowned as he looked at the autopsy report. "How could it be electrocution? Where are the victims'' bodies? I need to perform a new autopsy." "I wrote that report. Do you think there''s a problem somewhere? I can explain it to you," Mu Mian, who happened to be sitting next to him, spoke up. Forensic Doctor Cheng, a kindly old man with a balding head, looked at Mu Mian in surprise. He had a strong impression of her because she was the one smiling most brightly among that group of young people earlier. He hadn''t expected her to be a forensic doctor. "Your report is very detailed. I don''t have any questions about it. But I''d like to examine the bodies again to see if there are any new clues," Forensic Doctor Cheng sighed. "You know, the bodies from the two previous cases were severely decomposed, and I couldn''t find any useful clues." "Yes, you were quite unlucky. Unlike me, I saw fresh bodies, so I found many useful clues," Mu Mian said with a hint of pride in her voice. "..." "After the meeting, I can take you to the autopsy room. I can be your assistant," Mu Mian remembered Fang Rui''s directive: cooperate well with these experts and smile brightly at them. "Thank you, young lady." "Please call me Dr. Mu," Mu Mian corrected him. "Alright, thank you, Dr. Mu." "You''re welcome!" While Mu Mian and Forensic Doctor Cheng were getting along well, the atmosphere between Fang Rui and Sun Guangtian was tense. "You didn''t find any clues at the crime scene? It was a forest, didn''t you find any footprints or similar traces?" Sun Guangtian looked at Fang Rui''s report, his tone very dissatisfied. "Why did you focus your investigation on the victims'' chat records? This is a serial killing case. How can you possibly track down the killer by investigating the victims'' social relationships?" "It had been raining heavily in Jiangzhou for days. All traces in the forest were washed away. The body was only discovered because the rain had washed away the top layer of soil," Zhang retorted. "Our investigation of the victims'' chat records wasn''t fruitless either. We at least know that the killer created a phishing website. He used that site to contact the two victims and lured them out under the pretense of participating in an activity," Li also argued. "So has your case made any progress?" "We were about to, but then you guys..." Fang Rui interrupted Zhang and the others, "Captain Sun, what do you think we should investigate first?" Sun Guangtian ignored Fang Rui and instead pointed at Mu Mian, his tone sharp: "And that young girl, how can you still smile with such a serious case? Can''t you be more serious during work hours?" Suddenly singled out, Mu Mian was stunned for a moment, then became flustered. She looked helplessly at Fang Rui, not knowing what she had done wrong or why Captain Sun was so angry with her. It was Fang Rui who had told her to smile brightly. Besides, people die tragically in this world every day. Does that mean she can never smile? "Mu Mian, it''s okay. He''s not talking about you." Fang Rui turned to Sun Guangtian, "Captain Sun, I''ve always respected you as a senior, but there''s no need for you to try to assert your authority over us like this. If you think our investigation approach is problematic, then you can investigate according to your own methods." "Of course we''ll investigate according to my arrangements." Fang Rui interrupted him: "We''ll also continue investigating according to our own approach. I think it''s better if we investigate separately. Mu Mian, Zhang, you guys come with me." Seeing the situation, Song Haiyang tried to ease the tension: "Fang Rui, don''t be rash. Let''s talk this through." "It''s fine. You investigate your way, and if you need any information or assistance from our personnel, we''ll be generous in sharing with you." Fang Rui knew that even if he was willing to cooperate with Captain Sun, Sun might not appreciate them anyway. It was better for them to investigate on their own. After all, everyone had different investigative approaches, and forcing them to work together might actually affect efficiency. As for the director, worst case scenario, he''d get a scolding. Outside the conference room, Mu Mian looked cautiously at Fang Rui: "Fang Rui, did I mess something up?" This was the first time Mu Mian had seen Fang Rui so angry. "He was targeting me, it has nothing to do with you," Fang Rui patted Mu Mian''s head. "I don''t think they need our cooperation anyway." Because of the confrontation with Sun Guangtian, Fang Rui was severely reprimanded by the director, but the director also felt that it wasn''t entirely Fang Rui''s fault. He knew this kid Fang Rui well; he was good at handling interpersonal relationships and generally wouldn''t fall out with others unless they went too far. "Since that''s the case, you just investigate according to your own approach. I''ll transfer people from other teams to assist them," the director was still protective of his own. "Thank you, Director." Director Wang then had a talk with Sun Guangtian. They were college classmates, and Sun Guangtian''s case-solving ability was much stronger than his. He had become the director, while Sun Guangtian hadn''t been promoted, largely due to his temperament. "Old Sun, why are you picking fights with a bunch of young people? It looks bad to create such a scene." "I was just worried I couldn''t keep them in line, so I wanted to show them who''s boss. Wasn''t Fang Rui supposed to be quite level-headed? His mentor used to praise him in front of me all the time. Why is his temper so bad now, exploding at the slightest provocation?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What did you say to him?" "Nothing much. I just said their investigation approach was problematic, and I scolded a young girl. Then Fang Rui blew up and started arguing with me. This kid''s mentality isn''t stable enough yet, he still needs more tempering." "I see why now. Haha, this kid, he''s hiding it deep." "Why? Don''t tell me that young girl is his girlfriend? Why didn''t you say so earlier? If I had known, I would have picked someone else to scold." "Old Sun, you need to control your temper. For this case, you might not be able to solve it without their help!" "That''s impossible! No one understands that killer better than I do. If I can''t catch him, there''s no way Fang Rui and his team can!" Sun Guangtian declared with unwavering confidence. Chapter 78 Stimulated by Sun Guangtian''s challenge, everyone''s enthusiasm for solving the case actually increased.Fang Rui called a new case analysis meeting and distributed the materials brought from Linzhou for everyone to review. The case files they had seen before lacked many details, but this material included a more thorough investigation process. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Boss, those two couples from Linzhou also had a social media account to show off their love," Zhang said in surprise. "But they had very few followers, and their videos didn''t get many views." "But the first pair of victims were quite old. The killer probably couldn''t have contacted them through the internet," Li pointed out. "Lin Sen, can you create a criminal profile of the killer now?" Fang Rui asked. Lin Sen closed the folder and looked at Mu Mian: "Dr. Mu, was there a difference in the intensity of electric shocks received by the two victims?" "Yes. The male victim likely only suffered one electric shock, but it was extremely strong, causing cardiac arrest. The female victim, on the contrary, endured multiple shocks. Each shock wasn''t very strong, but they still affected her organs, leading to organ failure," Mu Mian explained. "I suspect he''s conducting a test," Lin Sen analyzed. "He might be trying to test these victims'' love, and the electric shocks are punishment for failing the test." After Lin Sen finished speaking, everyone fell silent. "Is it similar to a lie detector test? Get shocked for lying, but no shock if you tell the truth?" Zhang speculated. "But that doesn''t make sense either. Why was the male victim only shocked once, but with the highest intensity?" "The shock intensity might be a variable. He might have set up a gradient for shock intensity, with different behavioral outcomes corresponding to different shock intensities," Mu Mian said. "It''s like conducting an experiment. For instance, Milgram''s obedience experiment used shock intensity as a variable. I suspect he''s copying the logic of this classic psychology experiment." Mu Mian''s words reminded Lin Sen, who frowned and said: "The common point among these three couples is that they were all very loving partners; but their ages, marital status, and education levels varied greatly. There was even a same-sex couple among them. He seems to be collecting different types of couples." Fang Rui asked, "So why is he testing their love? Is he trying to prove the existence of love, or prove that love doesn''t exist?" Lin Sen shrugged helplessly, "I can''t answer these questions yet." "Could the killer have designed a device similar to a lie detector? He uses this device to test those couples. All those couples failed his test, so they all died," Fang Rui guessed. "Not necessarily all of them failed. Do you remember the victim named Tian Xin? She was stabbed to death," Lin Sen analyzed. "I suspect she passed the killer''s test. But for some reason, the killer still didn''t spare her." Although they had initially analyzed the killer''s motive, they still had no leads on how to catch him. Fang Rui remembered that Mu Mian''s hacker friend had discovered that the computer used to set up the website was from the computer lab, so could the killer be from a computer-related major? Another case occurred in Linzhou, while this case happened in Jiangzhou City, which could suggest that the killer likely had a job transfer in the past two years. Job transfers among faculty at Jiangzhou University were relatively rare, and the school quickly provided a list that met Fang Rui''s requirements. There were more than a dozen people on the list, which wasn''t many, but still troublesome to investigate. Fang Rui soon focused on one person: Zhou Junwei. He was a lecturer in the Computer Science department who had resigned from the neighboring Linzhou Institute of Technology a year ago and joined Jiangzhou University. He was thirty-one years old this year and currently single and living alone. Coincidentally, he had taken extended leave from the university during the week of the incident, citing attendance at a friend''s wedding as the reason. Fang Rui and Zhang went to Jiangzhou University again. Zhou Junwei had a class in the morning, teaching VB programming to freshmen. Fang Rui and Zhang sat in the back row to listen to his lecture. Zhou Junwei wore a blue and black checkered shirt, his hair a bit long, half-covering his eyes, making him look lethargic. He lectured with a straight face, his voice monotonous, making people drowsy. The students in the classroom were either playing with their phones or chatting; almost no one was listening to his lecture. Zhou Junwei didn''t seem to care, continuing to recite dry knowledge like a robot. After class, Fang Rui called out to Zhou Junwei: "Professor Zhou." Zhou Junwei turned around. Seeing Fang Rui, some emotion flickered in his eyes as he asked, "You''re not one of my students, are you? Do you need something?" "We''re from the city police," Zhang showed his badge, "We have some questions for you." "Alright, go ahead and ask." "Professor Zhou, is it complicated to create a website?" "That depends on what kind of website you need. If it''s a simple website, even first-year students can create one. It''s quite easy." "Where were you last Wednesday, October 24th?" Fang Rui asked. "Why are you asking me this question? That''s my privacy, you don''t have the right to inquire about that, do you?" Zhou Junwei looked at Fang Rui warily. "We''ve discovered a fraudulent website, and I suspect it''s related to you because the IP was traced to your office computer. So please cooperate with our investigation," Fang Rui lied, not telling him the real reason. "I don''t have time for such things. From October 22nd to 30th, I was on leave. I went to a northern city to attend my friend''s wedding. The 24th was actually his wedding day," Zhou Junwei said. "If you don''t believe me, you can investigate. Someone must have used my office computer. There are surveillance cameras in my office, you can check those." Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged a glance. Could it be such a coincidence that he was away from Jiangzhou City during the exact time frame of the incident? Zhang scrutinized Zhou Junwei for a moment, then suddenly reached out towards him. Zhou Junwei seemed to be startled, quickly stepping back. If it weren''t for the podium behind him, he might have fallen. "Oh, Professor Zhou, there was an insect on your clothes," Zhang grabbed a small flying insect from his shoulder and crushed it. "I''ve caught it for you." "...Thank you." After leaving the classroom, Zhang muttered, "Boss, that Zhou Junwei is strange. He''s a grown man, but he has pierced ears." "Is that so strange? Aren''t there quite a few men with pierced ears these days? It''s nothing special, is it?" "He was also wearing perfume! When I tried to touch his shoulder, he reacted so strongly," Zhang thought for a moment, but still voiced his suspicion, "Could this Zhou Junwei be gay? I have a cousin who''s gay, and he''s a bit like him." "It''s possible. But what does that have to do with our case?" Fang Rui said, "Let''s investigate his alibi first." "Alright." Based on Zhou Junwei''s ID information, they found that Zhou Junwei had flown to Dongcheng in the north at 7 am on the 22nd, and then returned to Jiangzhou City on a flight at 10 pm on the 29th. During this period, his ID hadn''t been used to purchase any other tickets. Dongcheng is over two thousand kilometers away from Jiangzhou City, making it impractical for him to travel back and forth by car or taxi. Fang Rui also contacted Zhou Junwei''s friend, who said that Zhou Junwei had stayed in Dongcheng the entire time, never leaving in between. The hotel he stayed at could also confirm that he had been residing in Dongcheng for those days. "Boss, it looks like this lead has also hit a dead end," Zhang sighed. "His alibi is too solid." "It''s okay, we''ve at least eliminated one option," Fang Rui still felt that Zhou Junwei was very suspicious, but he had no evidence. So he decided to adjust the direction of the investigation. Chapter 79 Mu Mian got along very well with Forensic Doctor Cheng. With Mu Mian''s assistance, Forensic Doctor Cheng performed another autopsy on the body and reached the same conclusion as Mu Mian."Forensic Doctor Cheng, did you find this kind of dry, gelatinous substance on the four bodies you autopsied?" Mu Mian took a dandruff-like object from the deceased''s scalp, "Like this?" "What is this?" Forensic Doctor Cheng examined it carefully for a moment, then muttered, "This seems to be some kind of gel, in its dried state. When the bodies were discovered, there was sand and mud in their hair. We cleaned it, but my assistant did the cleaning work, so I''m not sure if there was any." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I see." Mu Mian was a bit disappointed. How she wished she could have autopsied those four decomposed bodies herself. She was certain she would have found some clues. "Why did you let them cremate those four bodies?" Mu Mian asked, displeased. "The families came to my office every day, crying and making a fuss, demanding to cremate the bodies. I had no choice!" Forensic Doctor Cheng held out his hand, showing several healed scars on the back, "Look, they even scratched my hand trying to snatch the bodies away." "What a coincidence, I''ve been scratched by a victim''s family member too," Mu Mian showed her own scar from Ye Zeling''s scratch, "But my scar isn''t as deep as yours. I only have three marks, you have four." Chen Xue, who was recording the autopsy, felt speechless. Why were they talking about such things? They were even comparing their scars. "Yes, being a forensic doctor can be quite dangerous." Once the conversation started, Forensic Doctor Cheng began sharing his experiences with Mu Mian, such as how to avoid occupational exposure when dealing with AIDS-infected bodies, the need to wear gas masks when autopsying highly decomposed bodies to avoid poisoning, and how to dodge attacks from victims'' family members... Mu Mian frequently showed expressions of "Wow, I learned something new again!" "Did you notice that three of the four bodies from Linzhou had rose-colored teeth?" Mu Mian asked. "Yes, I did. But that alone can''t determine the exact cause of death. We can only guess that the deceased went through a process of suffocation." "I suspect those three victims also died from electric shock." "Your guess is very reasonable. Indeed, there have been cases where electrocution victims showed rose-colored teeth," Forensic Doctor Cheng agreed. After the autopsy, Forensic Doctor Cheng left the autopsy room. Chen Xue whispered, "Mian Mian, you shouldn''t tell Forensic Doctor Cheng all the clues. He''s on Captain Sun''s side. We''re in competition now." "Why? I was just having an academic exchange with him. We had a very pleasant discussion," Mu Mian replied. Although she had a lot of theoretical knowledge, she didn''t have as much practical experience as Forensic Doctor Cheng. She felt she had learned a lot. For instance, she learned that if a victim''s family member tries to attack a forensic doctor, one should immediately crouch down, protect their head, and shout for help. This way, they''re less likely to get injured if they do get hit. "Um... never mind." Chen Xue decided it was better not to force those workplace rules on Mu Mian. After all, as long as the case gets solved, does it really matter who solves it? No, it actually does matter a lot! During lunch, Mu Mian noticed that Zhang looked dejected, and Chen Xue seemed down as well. Today''s lunch was Kung Pao Chicken. Mu Mian secretly transferred the carrots, cucumbers, and peanuts from her bowl to Fang Rui''s, then scooped all the chicken pieces Fang Rui didn''t like into her own bowl. Fang Rui was already used to her little maneuvers and waited patiently for her to finish before starting to eat. When Mu Mian began to use her chopsticks, Zhang and Chen Xue were still looking unhappy. Mu Mian finally realized she should say something. "Officer Zhang, Chen Xue, why are you unhappy?" "Ah, we''ve been working hard these past few days for nothing. We thought we had found a suspect, but it turns out he has an alibi." Zhang sighed heavily and lowered his voice, "What''s worse, I heard that Captain Sun''s team has made progress and seems to have found a suspect." "Don''t worry, I''ve found a clue too," Mu Mian said confidently, tilting her head up. Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian, "Did the autopsy reveal anything new?" "Let''s eat first. I''ll report to you when the results come out this afternoon. Today''s Kung Pao Chicken is delicious." Chen Xue glanced at the bowl full of chicken in front of Mu Mian, then at the vegetable medley in Fang Rui''s bowl, and couldn''t help but say, "Um... what''s in your bowl can only be called ''chicken pieces''." "..." At around 3 PM, the test results finally came out. Fang Rui called another case analysis meeting. "I suspect the killer is conducting an experiment," Mu Mian held up her drawing, "He''s likely doing an experiment about love." The drawing showed two people sitting opposite each other, with electrodes attached to their arms, connected to long wires. Most importantly, their heads were covered. They were wearing black caps with many holes, each hole connected to a black wire. "Are those black caps electrode caps?" Lin Sen was a bit surprised, "Are you saying that while testing these couples, he''s also collecting their brain wave data?" "Their hair shows signs of being washed, and the same shampoo was used. It was probably the killer who washed it," Mu Mian explained, "But I still found small amounts of a gelatinous substance on their scalps. After testing, it turned out to be dried conductive gel." "Conductive gel? What''s that?" Everyone looked confused. Only Lin Sen knew what Mu Mian was talking about. EEG equipment is the most common equipment in psychology labs. "When conducting EEG experiments, to reduce scalp resistance, a large amount of conductive gel is applied to the scalp where the electrodes are connected," Mu Mian explained, "That substance is very difficult to clean off. You have to wash your hair for a very long time, and even then, you can''t get it all off." Li asked curiously, "Dr. Mu, do you often do these experiments? You seem very experienced." "I''ve never been the experimenter for EEG tests. But I''ve often been a subject. My dad says I''m a genius and my brain is very valuable for research. So I''m often his research subject," Mu Mian said, sounding a bit proud. Everyone was speechless. No wonder Mu Mian was so fond of studying the human body - it was a family tradition. Lin Sen said, "Professional EEG equipment is very expensive. Usually, only university labs or hospitals would purchase them. We can start investigating through the purchasing channels for EEG equipment." "Based on the distribution of the conductive gel residue, I deduce that his electrode cap has 20 leads, meaning only 20 electrode pads. Such equipment is too outdated and should have been phased out. The latest equipment has 128 leads. So I suspect he''s using equipment discarded by labs," Mu Mian continued. Lin Sen frowned, "That makes it harder to trace." Mu Mian continued, "But fortunately, based on the component analysis, the conductive gel used on the victims should be an imported brand. Moreover, it''s not sold separately, only provided to customers who purchase their EEG equipment. The brand of that equipment is called NeurOne." "Does this equipment have a distributor in China?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes, it does. It only has one distributor in China, which belongs to the Jiangmiao Group." Chapter 80 Jiangmiao Group is the largest medical enterprise in Jiangzhou City, owning three private hospitals, a high-end nursing home, and a pharmaceutical company. It is also the authorized dealer for many imported brand-name medical equipment and holds numerous medical-related patents.Mu Mian voluntarily applied to investigate the sales situation of the brain wave equipment with Fang Rui, as she felt she was quite knowledgeable about these medical devices. To save time, Fang Rui and Mu Mian went directly to the headquarters of this group. The receptionist was very polite and immediately contacted the sales manager after learning of their intentions. "I''m sorry, but this involves customer privacy. We can''t provide our sales ledger to you," the sales manager said politely but firmly refused to provide the information. The sales ledger is a company''s core confidential information and isn''t directly related to the case investigation, so they have the right to refuse to provide it. "You can delete the prices and customer contact information," Fang Rui said. "This information will only be used for solving the case and won''t be leaked." "Sorry, we can''t provide that." Mu Mian asked, "The sales of the NeurOne brain wave equipment probably haven''t been good in recent years, especially the 20-lead ones, right? There shouldn''t be many buyers. Now schools doing research probably prefer near-infrared devices, as they collect data more stably and don''t require brain wave gel, which is more convenient." "Yes, you seem quite knowledgeable," the sales manager said. "We haven''t sold this equipment in the past two years." Mu Mian asked, "Is it only universities without much funding that buy it?" "That''s right." "Has anyone purchased it privately?" Fang Rui inquired. "No. Our users are mainly universities or hospitals in nearby provinces and cities. Who would buy this thing for personal use? One device costs over a hundred thousand yuan, and it takes up a lot of space." "Can you give me the sales records?" Mu Mian persisted, asking once more. "No!" As he refused to provide the sales information, Mu Mian and Fang Rui prepared to leave. Even if they forced them to provide it, they would probably only offer fake sales records. "Mu Mian, what are you doing here?" Jiang Yinian was surprised to see Mu Mian. Jiangmiao Group was established by his cousin, and after his cousin''s death, he inherited all of his assets. Jiang Yinian usually doesn''t manage the group''s affairs, preferring to focus on research in his laboratory. Today, he came because someone reported that a high-level executive in the group was embezzling and accepting bribes, so he had to come to deal with it. He didn''t expect to encounter Mu Mian. Mu Mian was stunned for a moment when she saw Jiang Yinian, then silently shrank behind Fang Rui, looking at him warily. Fang Rui sensed Mu Mian''s unusual behavior and turned to ask, "Mu Mian, do you know him? He didn''t bully you in school, did he?" Fang Rui didn''t like the way Jiang Yinian looked at Mu Mian. It wasn''t like looking at a familiar friend, but more like looking at a pet he had raised. "He was my father''s student. But he had a falling out with my father, and my sister said he might hurt me, so Fang Rui, you need to protect me!" Jiang Yinian overheard Mu Mian''s conversation with Fang Rui, and his expression seemed hurt. "Mu Mian, how could I ever hurt you? Don''t you remember? You said yourself that I was your best friend!" Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian, confused. Didn''t she say she had no friends? How did a best friend suddenly appear? "Senior Yinian, I never said that. I only said you were ranked first on my friend list, and at that time, you were my only friend," Mu Mian clarified. "My friend list is frequently adjusted. You''re no longer number one now." "Mu Mian, there''s some misunderstanding between your sister and me. I hope it doesn''t affect our relationship. I was once your only friend, wasn''t I? You should trust me." "My sister wouldn''t lie to me!" Mu Mian carefully considered. Even if her sister was wrong, it didn''t matter; she would only lose a friend. But if her sister was right and she didn''t listen to her, she might lose her life. She didn''t want to die right now, so she decided to stay away from Jiang Yinian. "That''s not necessarily true. Mu Mian, haven''t you noticed that you don''t know your sister at all? Your sister is hiding many things from you. She''s slandering me only because she''s afraid I''ll tell you the truth." "It''s not very ethical to drive a wedge between sisters like that," Fang Rui interrupted. "Who are you? What right do you have to interfere in my conversation with Mu Mian?" Mu Mian didn''t want to get entangled with Jiang Yinian anymore. She tugged on Fang Rui''s hand, "Fang Rui, let''s go back." "Alright." Jiang Yinian turned to the sales manager, "What did they want from you?" "They wanted to check the sales records of the NeurOne brain wave equipment. This is our company''s confidential information and involves customer privacy, so we can''t provide it to them." "Mu Mian, didn''t you want that sales record? I''ll have them give it to you." "Yes, thank you. Please have them give us the list quickly," Mu Mian didn''t hesitate, after all, it was Jiang Yinian who volunteered to help her. The sales manager looked troubled, "Mr. Jiang, but¡ª" "I don''t want to repeat myself." The sales manager immediately went to print those documents. "Mu Mian, would you like to work in my laboratory?" Jiang Yinian looked at Mu Mian. "I''ve moved Professor Shen''s lab to China. You can do any research you want there." "I really like my current job." Mu Mian didn''t like the current Jiang Yinian; she felt he was very unfamiliar. She suddenly realized that since her adoptive parents passed away, many people around her had changed. Senior ALisa said it was because everyone had grown up after experiencing the accident. Perhaps Senior ALisa was also lying to her. "Mu Mian, don''t you remember? We spent many happy times in the lab." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui felt that this Jiang Yinian''s words were strange. Mu Mian clearly didn''t want to engage with him, so why was he so eager to reminisce with her? "Yes, but back then, Dad was also in the lab, along with Senior Fabien, Senior Alisa, and my little squirrel... The squirrel died, and Dad died too. I don''t want to go back to that place. I prefer my current job." Mu Mian''s voice was a bit low. Jiang Yinian fell silent, his expression becoming serious, as if he too had sunk into great sorrow. He quickly composed himself, "Mu Mian, they''ll give you that sales list in a moment. I won''t stay here with you. Goodbye, Mu Mian!" Mu Mian didn''t say goodbye to him. After Jiang Yinian left, Fang Rui asked, "Did he also use you as a test subject before, to study your brain?" "Of course. Everyone in the lab liked to observe my brain. Who told me to be a genius? I always let them look for free. They were also willing to show me their brain scans, but I wasn''t interested in their brains. But Fang Rui, I''m very interested in your brain. Fang Rui, could you..." "Mu Mian, stay away from him in the future." Fang Rui finally understood why Jiang Yinian''s gaze was so strange. He looked at Mu Mian as if she were a little white mouse that had escaped his control. No wonder Shen Xiyin told Mu Mian to stay away from him. Fang Rui even suspected that Mu Mian had always been a little white mouse in that laboratory, being observed and studied by those people. They were likely conducting some kind of autism research, and Mu Mian, having been in that environment for a long time, couldn''t detect anything abnormal. She even enjoyed the feeling of being studied. "I understand. My sister said the same thing. I''ve already removed him from my friend list." Fang Rui and Mu Mian looked through the sales records and found that the buyers of this equipment were mostly schools, and all purchases were made seven or eight years ago. Fang Rui noticed that the Psychology Department of Jiangzhou University had bought two such devices ten years ago. "The psychology lab at Jiangzhou University doesn''t have these two devices," Mu Mian said. Chapter 81 "How do you know that?" Fang Rui asked.0"My sister is now a lecturer in the Psychology Department at Jiangzhou University. The department head told my sister that the school needed a teacher for psychotherapy, so my sister took on a part-time job there. She''s working hard to earn money to support me," Mu Mian explained. "A while ago, my sister took me to visit that school, and I secretly went to see their laboratory. Their lab is so shabby, they''re really poor."0 After lunch, Fang Rui and Mu Mian drove to Jiangzhou University again.0 With Shen Xiyin''s help, they quickly learned about the whereabouts of those two pieces of equipment. A couple of years ago, the department replaced a batch of psychological experiment equipment, and those two old devices were sold as scrap.0 Fang Rui then asked the lab manager about the conductive paste, "Since you''ve replaced the equipment, why is your lab still using the previous brand of conductive paste?"0 "Well... this one works well. The quality of domestic conductive paste is not good, its ability to reduce resistance is weak, and it can easily lead to invalid experimental data."0 Seeing the manager''s embarrassed expression, Fang Rui suspected there might be something fishy going on. Could it be that they were taking kickbacks from medical companies, so they kept purchasing expensive imported products?0 "Who''s in charge of purchasing equipment for your lab? We''d like to ask them some questions."0 "Director Zhou is responsible for procurement."0 "His surname is Zhou?" Fang Rui suddenly remembered the suspect Zhou Junwei he had investigated earlier. He asked, "Does this Director Zhou have a son named Zhou Junwei?"0 "Yes, he does. His son is also a lecturer at our school. If it weren''t for old Zhou''s connections, how could his son get a teaching job at our school?" The manager revealed a contemptuous expression. Although he himself was also there due to connections, he just couldn''t stand Director Zhou''s useless son.0 "Could you please take us to see Director Zhou? I have some questions for him."0 Director Zhou was in his fifties, wore glasses, and looked refined, but when he saw Fang Rui and the others, his expression was a bit impatient. "If you have any questions, ask quickly. I''m very busy!"0 "You purchased two NeurOne EEG devices ten years ago. Where are those two devices now?"0 "Sold. Those two devices were already scrapped, so we sold them as waste," Director Zhou replied impatiently.0 "Which recycling station did you sell them to?"0 "How would I remember that? Even if I told you, you might not be able to find that recycling station."0 "How do you know we can''t find it? Please tell us which recycling station you sold them to. The owner would surely remember purchasing such large equipment."0 Director Zhou had already lost his patience. He said to the manager, "Can''t you handle these trivial matters without bothering me? Deal with them, I''m leaving."0 "Director Zhou, I think it''s better if you tell me the truth. Otherwise, if we continue investigating, who knows what else we might uncover. Like the matter of you taking kickbacks," Fang Rui called out to stop him.0 Director Zhou''s face instantly turned pale. He asked the manager to leave first, then said to Fang Rui, "Those two devices were sold off by me. My son helped me sell them, for several thousand yuan. As for who the buyer was, I''m not sure."0 "Zhou Junwei helped you sell them?"0 "Yes. Do you know my son?"0 "Did he volunteer to help you sell them?"0 "Yes, he said his classmate''s school wanted to buy them. So I let him take the equipment away."0 "Alright. Thank you for your cooperation." Fang Rui felt that Zhou Junwei was likely the culprit. But strangely, he had an alibi.0 Just as they were leaving the Psychology Department office, Fang Rui saw Zhou Junwei staring intently at him and Mu Mian from the stairs not far away.0 Noticing Fang Rui looking at him, Zhou Junwei smiled at them, then went upstairs and left.0 S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhou Junwei''s smile made Fang Rui feel very uncomfortable. It seemed to be mocking, yet also challenging, his eyes seemed to say: You can''t catch me.0 Fang Rui investigated Zhou Junwei''s background further. He was a local from Jiangzhou City. In high school, he had sexually harassed male classmates and was persuaded to leave the school. He was then sent to study in Linzhou for high school and later attended university there as well.0 He originally studied medicine in university, but changed his major to computer science in the second semester of his freshman year.0 Fang Rui assigned the experienced Old Zhang to keep a 24-hour watch on him. Although there was no evidence yet to prove he was the killer, keeping a close eye on him could prevent him from committing another crime.0 Back at the police station, Fang Rui received a text message from Captain Li:0 "Fang Rui, save me! Why is this old geezer Sun Guangtian so difficult to deal with? It''s been three days, I haven''t been home for three whole days, my wife even suspects I''m having an affair. Find an excuse to get me out of this special task force, please."0 Fang Rui poured himself a glass of water, but before he could drink it, Zhang rushed over, "Boss, Captain Sun and his team have caught the killer!"0 "Who''s the suspect?" Fang Rui asked calmly, taking a sip of water. "Do they have evidence?"0 "The suspect is a sanitation worker in his fifties. Captain Sun reviewed a large amount of surveillance footage and finally discovered a vehicle suspected of transporting the victim''s body, which led them to identify the suspect."0 Fang Rui quickly got the details of their investigation from Song Haiyang. It was pretty much as Zhang had described.0 Captain Sun discovered through surveillance that the sanitation workers at the entrance of Jiangzhou University cleaned at fixed times: once a day, between 8 PM and 10 PM.0 There were surveillance cameras at the university entrance and at an intersection 2000 meters away from the school gate, but the area between these two cameras was a blind spot, and the entrance to that grove happened to be within this blind spot.0 On the evening of the 28th, an electric tricycle garbage truck appeared in the intersection camera at 6:11 PM, but it didn''t appear at the school gate until 8:43 PM. Then the sanitation worker got off to clean.0 Captain Sun keenly noticed that in the intersection camera footage, there were no dead leaves or light purple fruits stuck to the wheels of the vehicle, but in the school gate camera footage, these things were stuck to the wheels¡ªproving that the vehicle had been to that Chinese pistache grove during the time it was out of sight.0 The truck bed of the garbage vehicle was fully enclosed, so it wasn''t possible to see if anything was hidden inside.0 Captain Sun identified the suspect through that vehicle.0 Fang Rui thought Captain Sun''s analysis made sense, but how could a sanitation worker come up with such a complex method of murder?0 "Haiyang, can I join you in interrogating the suspect?" Fang Rui asked.0 "Well... I can''t make that decision. It''s up to Captain Sun."0 Fang Rui brought a bag of bubble tea and late-night snacks to the special task force''s office.0 The team members had dark circles under their eyes and messy hair, probably from not resting for many days. Sun Guangtian''s dark circles were even more severe; Fang Rui suspected he hadn''t closed his eyes for days.0 When Captain Li saw Fang Rui arrive, he instantly saw him as a savior. His eyes silently complained about Sun Guangtian''s torment.0 Captain Li thought Fang Rui was smart for having argued with Sun Guangtian early on and escaping his clutches. Unlike him, who was now firmly in Sun''s grasp, being twisted and turned at will.0 Fang Rui distributed the food to everyone. They all put down their work, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.0 Sun Guangtian gave Fang Rui a cool glance. This kid sure knows how to win people over.0 Fang Rui handed Sun Guangtian a cup of bubble tea, "Captain Sun, you should take care of your health too. It''s not good to stay up late so often."0 "I don''t drink this stuff! Are you implying I''m old, kid?"0 "Even young people can''t handle this kind of all-nighter."0 The young officers in the office nodded frantically. Captain Li was even more moved to tears, thinking Fang Rui was truly his good brother, daring to confront Sun Guangtian just to bail him out.0 Sun Guangtian pulled out a half-empty pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one out and offered another to Fang Rui, "Have one, it''ll help you stay alert."0 "Sorry, I don''t smoke."0 "That''s a good habit. Smoking should be kept to a minimum." Sun Guangtian put the cigarettes back in his pocket. "So, what do you want from me?"0 "Captain Sun, can I join you in interrogating the suspect?"0 Sun Guangtian smiled at Fang Rui, "Don''t tell me you''ve hit a dead end in your investigation and you''re here looking for inspiration?"0 "I suspect that this suspect isn''t the real killer," Fang Rui said.0 Sun Guangtian exhaled a smoke ring and said, "Alright, you can come with me to interrogate him."0 Chapter 82 In the interrogation room, sanitation worker Zhang Guofeng sat nervously on the chair, his eyes darting around, looking guilty as if he had done something wrong.Sun Guangtian frowned when he saw him. He exchanged a glance with Fang Rui, and they both had the same thought: this man couldn''t be the killer. A serial killer''s psychological fortitude couldn''t be this poor! "Where were you between 6 PM and 8 PM on the 28th?" Sun Guangtian asked. "I was resting at home that day." "Are you sure?" "Ah, no, I wasn''t off that day, I was on shift. I went to clean outside Jiangzhou University''s gate." "You''d better tell the truth." Sun Guangtian''s tone was a bit impatient. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Guofeng looked aggrieved: "I am telling the truth. I''m an honest person, why would I lie? I haven''t done anything wrong!" "Your vehicle arrived near the school just after 6 PM, but you didn''t start cleaning at the school gate until after 8 PM. What were you doing during that time?" "I..." Zhang Guofeng hemmed and hawed for a while, finally coming up with an excuse, "I went to the bathroom. I had an upset stomach that day, so I relieved myself in the woods." "Where exactly? Take us there now." "I... I forgot." Seeing his face turn red, Sun Guangtian said, "Just be honest. Were you gambling or visiting a prostitute?" Zhang Guofeng''s voice rose a few pitches: "What prostitute? How can it be called prostitution if I''m visiting my old flame?" "Old flame?" "My wife is extremely strict, so I can only meet my old flame under the pretense of going out to clean. Otherwise, she''d beat me to death." Zhang Guofeng shrank his neck, "I usually leave early with the garbage truck, then park it at the edge of the small forest. Then I cut through the woods and take a shortcut to my lover''s house. I don''t dare drive directly to her place, afraid someone might see my vehicle parked under her building and tell my wife. That day I went to her house, she can vouch for me." "Does anyone else have the keys to that three-wheeled vehicle?" Sun Guangtian asked. "I''m the only one with the keys." "Do you often go for these trysts?" "What do you mean trysts? I just go there for massages. I go about two or three times a month. Sometimes five or six times when it''s more frequent." "Does anyone know about this habit of yours?" "Nobody knows! Otherwise, my wife would beat me to death. I always sneak off to see her secretly." Sun Guangtian contacted Zhang Guofeng''s secret lover, who confirmed that during that time period, Zhang Guofeng was indeed with her. Surveillance cameras near her house also proved that Zhang Guofeng had jogged all the way to her place. So he didn''t have time to dig a hole and bury a body. His suspicion was temporarily cleared. After the interrogation, it was already past 11 PM. Song Haiyang and his team were frustrated that the suspect they had worked so hard to find turned out not to be the killer. They had been reviewing surveillance footage day and night, only to have it turn out to be a false lead. Someone complained, "I haven''t closed my eyes for days, I''m exhausted, and we didn''t find anything." "Exactly, we''re human, not machines. We need rest!" Sun Guangtian''s face turned ashen. He told everyone, "You all go home and rest." Everyone immediately packed up and left. Only Sun Guangtian and Fang Rui remained in the office. He leaned against the window and started smoking again. Fang Rui saw his state and wanted to comfort him, but was interrupted: "Fang Rui, you''re not staying behind to watch me make a fool of myself, are you?" "Of course not. This is how investigations go. Often you might investigate for half a month and find nothing. Then suddenly you might get a lead and catch the criminal." Fang Rui felt that Sun Guangtian was under a lot of pressure, possibly because the case had been unsolved for over half a year, so he was eager to catch the killer. "I don''t need your comfort!" Sun Guangtian cut off Fang Rui''s words, "You think this lead is dead? No, I think that vehicle is definitely suspicious. I suspect someone is using Zhang Guofeng to avoid surveillance cameras. They must know Zhang Guofeng. If we keep investigating, we''ll definitely find a clue!" "..." He discovered that after Zhang Guofeng left home, a man wearing a helmet followed him on an electric bike. The man was young, wearing sportswear, looking like a college student. Near the school, he took off his helmet, and the surveillance camera captured his face. There were often college students riding electric bikes around the school area, so initially, Sun Guangtian didn''t notice anything unusual about this person. This man was Zhang Guofeng''s son, Zhang Ming, 31 years old, working as an animal trainer at a nearby zoo. He originally worked at a zoo in Linzhou, but suddenly quit and returned to Jiangzhou City a year ago. The zoo where he worked in Linzhou was also close to the wasteland where the bodies were buried. Sun Guangtian felt that this person should be the killer. However, he currently had no evidence of Zhang Ming''s crimes, so he didn''t bring him to the police station for questioning. Instead, he assigned an experienced detective to follow him to prevent him from committing another crime. Sun Guangtian sent people to investigate the zoo in Linzhou to see if they could find any clues; he himself went to Zhang Guofeng''s home while Zhang Ming was at work to search their house. He examined Zhang Ming''s shoes one by one and found that one pair of sneakers had a faint purple stain on the white sole. The shoes had been washed very clean, with no visible dirt, which made the purple stain stand out. This could very likely be the color that stained his shoes when he stepped on purple fruits in that forest. "Boss, Sun Guangtian has found another suspect," Zhang updated with the latest information, "He''s the son of that sanitation worker, Zhang Ming. Sun Guangtian suspects that the son used his father to transport the bodies, then secretly took the vehicle to bury the bodies while his father was having his affair." Fang Rui inquired about the situation from Song Haiyang again. Fang Rui felt that although Zhang Ming was very suspicious, his education level was low. How could he design an experiment to collect brain wave data? And how did he obtain the brain wave equipment? "It seems Zhou Junwei might not be the killer after all!" Zhang sighed, "Could our investigation approach be wrong?" Mu Mian said, "Maybe the person who designed the experiment and the person who carried it out are not the same? When we conduct experiments, we need assistants. It''s very difficult for one person to complete a complex experiment." "Dr. Mu, since the killer targets couples, he should be single, right? Otherwise, how would he become psychologically twisted due to hating couples?" Zhang asked. Li chimed in, "That''s right, if he had a partner, he probably wouldn''t be psychologically disturbed." "Could we be trapped in a psychological blind spot? Zhang, do you remember you once said that Zhou Junwei might be gay? He and Zhang Ming left Linzhou and returned to Jiangzhou City almost at the same time. Could they be a couple?" If it was a couple committing the crimes together, everything would make sense. "Boss, but Zhang Ming works at a zoo, and Zhou Junwei is a university professor. How could these two completely different people be a couple? The gap in their social status is too big." Fang Rui thought for a moment and said, "They''re about the same age. Could they have been middle school or high school classmates?" Fang Rui and Zhang went to investigate at Zhou Junwei''s high school. Zhou Junwei was in Jiangzhou City Teacher Chen was a man in his fifties, looking very stern and serious. When mentioning Zhou Junwei, his face showed an expression of disgust. "I have a deep impression of Zhou Junwei as a student. His academic performance was good, but he had psychological problems, a bit perverted. He often harassed their class monitor Chen Yuan''an, and even tried to molest him once." Chapter 83 "Is Chen Yuan''an currently in Dongzhou, and did he recently get married?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes, how do you know?" Teacher Chen was a bit surprised. "He should be doing well now, right? He was my most promising student." "Zhou Junwei attended Chen Yuan''an''s wedding. If what you''re saying is true, how could he have been invited to the wedding?" Fang Rui noticed a hole in his story. "How would I know? I guess Zhou Junwei probably insisted on going, uninvited. That guy is very abnormal." Zhang couldn''t help but correct him: "Teacher Chen, you''re an educator after all. It''s not right to criticize your students like this. What era are we living in? Homosexuality has been declassified as a mental illness for over a decade. It''s not good to discriminate like this." Zhang''s cousin had been bullied by classmates and teachers for being gay. Fortunately, his cousin was mentally strong and wasn''t crushed by public opinion. Instead, he got into a good university and later studied abroad. "He also abused small animals," Teacher Chen retorted. "What normal student would dissect a live rabbit in the classroom? Someone like him will eventually harm society." Zhang fell silent. That was indeed a bit too abnormal. "At that time, wasn''t Zhou Junwei dating the class monitor?" Fang Rui asked. Teacher Chen raised his voice: "Of course not. Chen Yuan''an personally reported to me that Zhou Junwei had sexually harassed him. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have asked his parents to send him to a correction school for behavioral modification." Fang Rui suspected that it was probably the class monitor''s betrayal that twisted Zhou Junwei''s psychology. "Do you know Zhang Ming?" Fang Rui continued to ask. "Zhang Ming?" Teacher Chen squinted, thought for a moment, then said, "I think he was in the same grade as Zhou Junwei. He was also a problem student. He was addicted to online games, always skipping classes, with terrible grades. He had been asked to leave school several times, but his mother kept making a fuss at the school, so he wasn''t expelled. I heard that to get money for internet cafes, he chased his father with a knife for several blocks. The matter even ended up at the police station. This student will probably be a parasite on society too." "Did they later transfer to Linzhou City?" "I don''t know. In the second semester of their second year of high school, Zhang Ming and Zhou Junwei were sent to a behavioral correction school. Zhou Junwei needed to change his abnormal sexual orientation and his morbid behavior of killing small animals, while Zhang Ming needed to overcome his internet addiction. After the behavioral correction, Zhou Junwei seems to have transferred to a high school in Linzhou City. I don''t know about Zhang Ming, he might have dropped out. Zhang Ming''s parents didn''t care much about him." "What was the name of that behavioral correction school?" "Green Sprout Psychological Correction School. It''s been closed for many years now." After leaving the school, Fang Rui searched for information about this school online. "My God, boss, this is too cruel," Zhang was also reading related reports. "Was this a legitimate school? They actually shocked students with electricity and fed them disgusting things. They called this aversion therapy? Could it be that Zhang Ming and Zhou Junwei became psychologically disturbed because of the abuse at this school?" After reading those reports, Fang Rui also felt that this school was extremely cruel. The school was run like a military camp, with students only allowed in but not out, and parents were not allowed to visit. A large number of internet-addicted teenagers and students with behavioral problems were sent to this school for correction. Most of the teachers there had no professional qualifications. Under the guise of psychological treatment, they abused students through electric shocks and forcing them to eat disgusting food, forcibly trying to correct students'' bad behaviors. Although this method achieved some results, such as many internet-addicted teenagers never wanting to touch a computer again after being sent to this school, many of these students developed severe psychological disorders, and some even committed suicide. Later, a brave undercover journalist exposed the atrocities of this school, which led to its closure and legal punishment for the relevant personnel. Zhang said, "Boss, it seems the killers must be Zhang Ming and Zhou Junwei. Zhou Junwei comes up with the ideas, and Zhang Ming is responsible for kidnapping the victims and disposing of the bodies." Back at the bureau, Fang Rui immediately went to the task force''s office, intending to report his findings to Captain Sun. Sun Guangtian was arranging for Song Haiyang to bring Zhang Ming in for a thorough interrogation. "Captain Sun, we suspect there are two killers..." Sun Guangtian interrupted him: "Wait until I finish interrogating Zhang Ming, then you can report to me." At this moment, Fang Rui suddenly received a call from the dispatcher. "Captain Fang, it''s not good. Two students from Jiangzhou Institute of Technology have been missing for a day. Because they are also a couple, their counselor is worried they might have been taken by the ''Couple Killer'' that''s been spreading online, so they quickly reported it to the police." Sun Guangtian paused upon hearing the phone conversation. What''s going on? Zhang Ming was already under his surveillance, how could he kidnap a couple? Fang Rui contacted Old Zhang, who was tailing Zhou Junwei. Old Zhang reported that Zhou Junwei hadn''t shown any unusual behavior in the past few days, so it was impossible for him to have kidnapped a couple. Sun Guangtian also quickly contacted the officer tailing Zhang Ming, who stated that Zhang Ming had been going to and from work on time and returning home on time in the evenings. It seemed impossible for him to have kidnapped a couple right under their noses. Fang Rui, Sun Guangtian, Zhang, and the others went to Jiangzhou Institute of Technology to investigate. This school was very close to Jiangzhou University. The missing student couple was named Qin Lanlan and Li Dongguang. They had left in the morning yesterday and hadn''t returned since. They hadn''t asked for leave, nor had they told their roommates where they were going. Their phones were unreachable, and all their social media accounts were unresponsive. They were completely out of contact. Fang Rui checked the school''s surveillance footage. Like Wang Jie and Zhang Shuochen, they had also gotten into a taxi at the school gate. Based on the taxi''s license plate number, they found the driver. "I remember these two college students. They weren''t quite right in the head. They asked me to take them to the foot of a mountain, then they just walked off with their backpacks. It was in the middle of nowhere, I don''t know what they were going to do there." "Didn''t they say what they were going to do?" "No. They were on their phones the whole time. They didn''t talk. I even asked, but they ignored me, so I stopped trying to chat with them." Fang Rui felt a headache coming on. Both suspects were under their surveillance, so how did this couple go missing? Could there be a copycat killer? They had no choice but to allocate a large amount of police force to this missing persons case. The police even sent out a large number of personnel to search the mountains, determined to find this couple. They couldn''t allow any more victims! Otherwise, many people would be held accountable. After a busy day with no results, Fang Rui returned to the police station around 10 PM. He found that Mu Mian hadn''t left work yet and was having an academic discussion with Forensic Doctor Cheng. Fang Rui noticed that the two of them seemed to be getting along well. Seeing Fang Rui, Mu Mian yawned and said to Forensic Doctor Cheng, "Doctor Cheng, I''m tired. I''m going home to sleep." "Alright, goodbye." Forensic Doctor Cheng glanced at Fang Rui with an "I understand" expression. Fang Rui had originally planned to stay and work overtime, but seeing Mu Mian, he decided to send her home first and then come back to work. He wouldn''t be able to sleep anyway until they found that couple. Fang Rui drove Mu Mian home. As they were passing through a secluded stretch of road, his phone rang. He asked Mu Mian to answer it for him. On the other end was Captain Li. Usually calm in temperament, his tone was now angry: "Fang Rui, we found that couple. I''m about to explode with anger. Guess where they were? They were camping on the mountaintop! Think of how much police resources we wasted. We asked them why they didn''t answer their phones, and guess what they said? They said they wanted to quietly enjoy the beauty of nature, so they put their phones on airplane mode. My God, what a waste! They even had the audacity to say we were making a big deal out of nothing. If someone hadn''t held me back, I would have given them a good thrashing!" "It''s good that they''ve been found," Fang Rui sighed in relief. "Take everyone out for a late-night snack. Everyone must be tired and hungry after being so busy." "Absolutely!" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian hung up the phone for Fang Rui. At this moment, the right front tire suddenly blew out. Fang Rui pulled over to the side of the road and got out to check. The tire had been punctured by a broken bottle. As Fang Rui pulled out the shard of green glass, he found it strange. How could there be broken bottle pieces on a main road? Chapter 84 At that moment, Fang Rui sensed someone approaching from behind. He pretended to continue inspecting the tire, and when the person got close, Fang Rui grabbed their hand and twisted, executing a shoulder throw. The person landed heavily on the ground, struggling to get up. Fang Rui pinned him down, took out handcuffs from his waist, and cuffed him. "It''s you?" Fang Rui finally recognized the attacker as Zhou Junwei. "We were just about to arrest you, but I didn''t expect you to walk right into our trap." Mu Mian noticed the commotion and got out of the car, then she saw another man lunging at Fang Rui from behind. Fang Rui recognized him as Zhang Ming. Fang Rui and Zhang Ming engaged in close combat, but Zhang Ming was no match for Fang Rui. He was quickly kicked to the ground. Fang Rui grabbed Zhang Ming''s collar, intending to handcuff him together with Zhou Junwei. "Fang Rui, watch out!" Fang Rui suddenly felt something pierce his thigh, and an icy liquid entered his veins. His whole body became paralyzed, and he quickly lost consciousness. "Junwei, are you alright?" Zhang Ming found the handcuff key in Fang Rui''s pocket and unlocked the cuffs on Zhou Junwei''s wrists. "He''s quite a fighter, good thing we prepared the tranquilizer. It''s meant for animals, very potent. He won''t wake up for a while." An hour earlier, they had used the same tranquilizer to take down the police officer who was tailing them. "Why couldn''t you beat him? Now we have to wait for him to wake up. I don''t know if we have enough time." Mu Mian watched helplessly as Fang Rui collapsed. She couldn''t do anything. But she also couldn''t run away - if she did, they would surely kill Fang Rui. Besides, she wouldn''t be able to escape anyway. It had been raining for the past few days, leaving the ground covered with damp soil. Mu Mian secretly used her toe to write a few letters in the dirt. She also quietly dropped the bone pendant her sister had given her on the ground. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhou Junwei felt like his internal organs had been shattered. It took him a while to recover. He looked at Mu Mian and said to Zhang Ming, "Zhang Ming, grab that girl. Don''t let her run away." "She won''t run. The person she loves is still here," Zhang Ming''s voice was low. "She won''t leave him behind." Zhang Ming walked up to Fang Rui, glaring at him viciously. He raised his foot, intending to break Fang Rui''s ribs to avenge Zhou Junwei. "You can''t hurt Fang Rui. You want us to participate in that couple experiment, don''t you?" Mu Mian stepped forward. "If Fang Rui is injured now, he definitely won''t be able to cooperate with your experiment. The police are already onto you, you don''t have much time left to conduct this experiment." Zhang Ming lowered his foot. He looked at Mu Mian, seeing panic in her eyes. He thought Mu Mian must really love Officer Fang. Zhou Junwei said, "Do you think it''s an experiment? I prefer to call it a game." "Your game is very creative," Mu Mian complimented. "Do you want to play my game? I want to see what love is like for someone with autism," Zhou Junwei''s lips twisted into a sinister smile. "I''ve seen many people''s love stories, but none were interesting. I hope you won''t disappoint me." Zhou Junwei had seen Mu Mian at school before. She was Professor Shen''s sister, an autistic person with a brain defect like him. He felt it was unfair. Why could Mu Mian have love? "I don''t have love yet." "You don''t? Then you''ll be killed immediately!" Zhou Junwei said ominously. Behind him, Zhang Ming pulled out a sharp knife, seemingly ready to finish off Mu Mian. "I do have love. I love Fang Rui very much," Mu Mian quickly corrected herself. She asked, "If I win your game, will you let us go?" "Of course, if you win the game, I''ll let you go." "Your statement is problematic. It should be ''let you both go''. You need to release both me and Fang Rui at the same time." Mu Mian caught his verbal trap. Zhou Junwei''s smile froze. After a moment, he agreed, "Fine." "I think someone who can come up with such a creative game wouldn''t lie to an autistic person, right?" Mu Mian sought confirmation again. "You won''t deceive me, will you?" "If you win, I promise I''ll let Officer Fang leave with you." Mu Mian extended her hand towards them. "I''ll cooperate with your game, but you must not harm Fang Rui. I love him very much. If he gets hurt, I won''t play your game. Then you''ll never know what love is like for someone with autism." "You''ll be safe until the game begins," Zhou Junwei gave Zhang Ming a look. Zhang Ming took out the tranquilizer gun and injected Mu Mian''s arm. The cold liquid entered Mu Mian''s veins, making her feel drowsy. She slowly closed her eyes. But Mu Mian didn''t fall unconscious. She had a high tolerance for anesthetics. Zhang Ming brought over a silver van. They first carried Fang Rui to the back seat, then lifted Mu Mian in as well. Without even cleaning up the scene, they quickly drove away. "Junwei, do you really have to kill them? We''ve already killed so many people. Why don''t we turn ourselves in?" Zhang Ming suddenly said. "I''m so tired. Let''s run away, go abroad, or hide in some remote mountain where no one will find us for the rest of our lives." "Zhang Ming, we''ve already killed so many people. What difference does two more make?" Zhou Junwei''s expression was cold. "No matter how many more we kill, the punishment will be the same." "But they''re police officers. It''s different," Zhang Ming seemed hesitant. "Let''s let them go. We can still escape now. Or we could use them as hostages to bargain with the police to let us go." "It''s no different. If you don''t want to help me, then get out of the car. I can finish the rest by myself," Zhou Junwei coldly looked at Zhang Ming. He thought Zhang Ming was too useless. If he hadn''t been desperate for help, he wouldn''t have let Zhang Ming be the executor of his game. "Junwei, I''ll help you," Zhang Ming conceded. "Even if it means going to hell, I''ll go with you. Whatever it is, I''ll help you. You know I love you very much." "Zhang Ming, how can you prove your love for me?" "I''ve killed so many people for you. Isn''t that enough to prove my love?" Zhang Ming''s expression was crestfallen. "No, it''s not. I can''t see it. Unless you tell me what your love for me looks like," Zhou Junwei focused on driving, his expression somewhat cold. "I can''t feel love, so I only believe in what I can see." Chapter 85 It was past 11 PM, and Shen Xiyin hadn''t seen Mu Mian return home, nor had she received any text messages from her. She tried calling, but no one answered. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, she had an ominous feeling. Mu Mian always came home on time, and even if she worked late, she would be home before 11. If she couldn''t make it back in time, Mu Mian would always send a text to let her know. Shen Xiyin tried calling Fang Rui, but he didn''t answer either. Her instincts told her that something had happened to Mu Mian and the others. Shen Xiyin dialed a number she hadn''t called in a long time. "What is it?" The voice on the other end was cold. "Lin Sen, do you know where Mu Mian went?" "Forensic Pathologist Mu? Didn''t she leave work? I saw her get into Fang Rui''s car. Hasn''t she made it home yet?" "No." "Don''t worry, I''ll call Fang Rui." Even over the phone, Lin Sen could sense Shen Xiyin''s panic. "Captain Fang''s phone isn''t going through either." "Are you at home now? I''ll drive over to find you. We''ll talk when we meet." On his way to Shen Xiyin''s house, Lin Sen suddenly spotted Fang Rui''s car. He pulled over and found that Fang Rui''s car door was open, the right tire was flat, and there were glass shards scattered a few meters behind the car. He instantly realized that someone had deliberately used glass shards to force Fang Rui''s car to stop. Fang Rui and the others were likely in trouble. He immediately contacted Zhang and the team. Lin Sen found it strange. Given Fang Rui''s skills, he shouldn''t have been so easily captured by criminals. What exactly had happened? Fortunately, there was no blood at the scene, so Fang Rui and the others might not have been injured. Sun Guangtian and Captain Li, who had just finished a late-night snack, quickly rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. Shen Xiyin had also taken a taxi to arrive. She looked very flustered. Seeing Lin Sen, she anxiously asked, "Lin Sen, did the serial killer who murders couples kidnap Mu Mian and Fang Rui?" "It''s possible." "Lin Sen, you must help me rescue Mu Mian. I can''t lose her." Seeing her like this, Lin Sen suddenly felt a bit jealous of Mu Mian. When she had broken up with him, she had been so calm, but now she was in such a panic. Mu Mian must be much more important to her than he ever was. Lin Sen comforted her, "Shen Xiyin, I won''t let anything happen to them." "Lin Sen, I''ve already lost so many important things. I have almost nothing left. Mu Mian is the only important person I have. I really can''t lose her too." Shen Xiyin was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "Lin Sen, you must help me save Mu Mian." "The killer must have mistaken Mu Mian and Fang Rui for a couple. He won''t kill them so quickly." Lin Sen reassured her, "As long as we find the two culprits before he makes his move, they''ll be safe." Shen Xiyin controlled her emotions and began searching for clues around the car. Mu Mian was very clever; she must have left some clues. Soon, she found Mu Mian''s bone pendant on the ground. Shen Xiyin also saw three letters scrawled on the ground: SOS. "Lin Sen, this is my sister''s favorite pendant. She always keeps it in her pocket. She left us a distress signal. She must be in danger." Shen Xiyin began to panic again, "Will Mu Mian die?" Lin Sen embraced her, "No, they''re very smart. They''ll surely find a way to save themselves. We need to stay calm now and find the killer as quickly as possible." Shen Xiyin tried hard to control her emotions, but she still couldn''t overcome the fear. She was too afraid of losing Mu Mian. Since losing her parents, Mu Mian had become her biggest reason to keep living. She couldn''t imagine what her life would be like if Mu Mian died. "Shen Xiyin, you still have me. No matter what happens, I''ll always be by your side." Lin Sen''s words gave Shen Xiyin courage. Perhaps she could still have Lin Sen, no matter what she became. Lin Sen addressed the group, "Given Fang Rui''s skills, he wouldn''t be easily subdued. Unless the perpetrator used special methods, like an electric shock or a tranquilizer dart. In that case, Fang Rui would certainly need some time to regain consciousness. The killer abducted them to test their love, so he''ll wait until Fang Rui wakes up before conducting his test. The time Fang Rui is unconscious is our window for rescue." Zhang said, "It''s unlikely to be an electric shock. The boss has been prepared for that. He wears insulated shoes on missions, so ordinary electric shocks shouldn''t affect him." Shen Xiyin said, "Then the killer must have used a fast-acting sedative to control them. Mu Mian has a high tolerance for sedatives. She must have taken the opportunity to leave us clues." Lin Sen held Shen Xiyin''s hand, offering support. Shen Xiyin squeezed his hand back. Sun Guangtian also assigned tasks to the team. "Li and Old Zhang, quickly check the nearby surveillance cameras to see if you can find any suspicious vehicles. Song Haiyang and Zhang, each of you take a team to search the areas around Zhang Ming and Zhou Junwei''s homes. We must be quick; we need to find them as soon as possible." Everyone sprang into action. Li and his team quickly found an unusual vehicle from the surveillance footage¡ªa silver van. The intersection camera caught this van passing through a few minutes before Fang Rui''s car, but it only appeared in another surveillance video about thirteen minutes later. At normal driving speed, the journey between the two cameras should only take three minutes. This van kept taking small roads and constantly changing direction, trying to prevent the police from tracking its route. Later, it entered a section of road without surveillance cameras and never reappeared in the traffic monitoring system. Time ticked by minute by minute, and as the sun rose, it was already daylight. But they still hadn''t tracked down where the van had gone. They didn''t have much time left. Lin Sen said, "I have a way that might buy us some more time. But we''ll need the bureau chief''s help." Chapter 86 When Fang Rui woke up, he saw Mu Mian sitting across from him, her hands and feet bound, with a black electrode cap on her head. As his consciousness gradually cleared, he realized he was similarly restrained, likely wearing the same strange device on his head. Those black wires were connected to electroencephalogram equipment. They were confined in a warehouse made of sheet metal, dimly lit, with sunlight filtering through high windows indicating it was now morning. Fang Rui noticed a table to his left with a laptop on it, the screen displaying Zhou Junwei''s cold face. "Detective Fang, you''re finally awake?" Zhou Junwei revealed an eerie smile, "I''ve been waiting for you for quite a while." "What do you want?" "Isn''t it obvious? I want you to play a game. Because I want to know what love is like for people with autism. I hope you can satisfy my curiosity, otherwise your fate might be rather tragic." Fang Rui understood that Zhou Junwei must have mistakenly assumed he and Mu Mian were a couple. "Dr. Mu, are you still pretending to be asleep?" Zhou Junwei looked at Mu Mian, "We gave you a much smaller dose of anesthetic compared to Detective Fang. He''s already awake, so you must have been awake for a while, right? Or do you need me to wake you up with an electric shock?" "That won''t be necessary. I''m already awake," Mu Mian quickly replied. She had originally intended to feign sleep to buy some time, but her ruse had been discovered. "You already know the purpose of your invitation here. Now, let me explain the rules of the game. It''s a very simple game. There''s a red button beside each of you. The game consists of four rounds. In each round, the person who presses the button first gets to make a choice: shock yourself or shock your lover. If neither of you presses the button or if you press it simultaneously, both of you will receive the shock for that round. The voltage intensity for each round is randomly determined. I''ve set up six voltage levels: 30V, 36V, 40V, 220V, 300V, and 450V. They will appear randomly in each round of the game." After hearing the rules, Fang Rui suddenly realized that this game could only end with one person surviving or both dying. "You should understand the rules now. Let''s start the game," Zhou Junwei announced. "This is the first round. You have one minute to press the button and make your choice. You have plenty of time, so think it through." As soon as Zhou Junwei finished speaking, Fang Rui resolutely pressed the button. "Detective Fang, you didn''t even take a moment to think?" Zhou Junwei was a bit surprised. "In this game, other participants usually hesitate and struggle for a while before the cold-hearted one makes the selfish choice first." Mu Mian stared at Fang Rui in shock. She knew what the optimal solution to this game was, and she also knew what Fang Rui intended to do. Fang Rui said, "I choose to shock myself." The countdown on the screen disappeared, replaced by the voltage value: 30V. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Detective Fang, you''re very lucky. In the first round, you''ve drawn the lowest voltage. You won''t be harmed this time." The second round began, with the countdown for pressing the button and making a choice reduced to 20 seconds. Fang Rui had his hand practically on the button, so he was again quicker to press it. "I still choose to shock myself." This time, the screen displayed a voltage of 40V. Simultaneously, Fang Rui''s body began to tremble slightly, his face contorting in pain, which he struggled to suppress. "Detective Fang, did you feel the pain of the electric shock? I hope you won''t make such a hasty decision in the next round." "Fang Rui, why do you keep choosing to shock yourself?" Mu Mian asked. "Mu Mian, if only one of us can survive, I want it to be you," Fang Rui smiled at her. "But why? Fang Rui, you''re so young, you surely don''t want to die. Why are you giving me the chance to live?" Mu Mian couldn''t understand. Why indeed? Fang Rui thought it might be because he had fallen in love with Mu Mian. When did he fall for her? Fang Rui wasn''t sure. At first, he thought Mu Mian was a genius, and he was kind to her to help solve cases more effectively. But later, his feelings changed. Perhaps it was when he repeatedly saw Mu Mian carefully disguising herself, thinking she was doing a good job, that he found her both amusing and pitiful, unable to resist the urge to indulge her true self. Maybe it was when Mu Mian was racking her brains trying to obtain his corpse. Sometimes he couldn''t help but think, why not just agree? But then he felt he couldn''t, because if he did, he would no longer be important to her. Or perhaps it was when he gave her that skeleton bride. That day, Mu Mian said she liked him very, very, very much. At that moment, he felt an uncontrollable happiness, even though he knew Mu Mian''s "like" was no different from her fondness for the skeleton bride. "The third round is starting," Zhou Junwei reminded them. "Mu Mian, don''t press that button," Fang Rui said to her. "I promised I would protect you." "No!" But Fang Rui was still faster in pressing the button. This round''s voltage was 300V. Fang Rui convulsed violently for a while, nearly losing consciousness. Zhou Junwei''s tone became a bit excited: "The fourth round is about to begin. This time you only have five seconds to make your choice." Before the game even started, Mu Mian had her hand pressed firmly on the button. The optimal solution to this game was for only one person to survive, and now the best outcome would be for Fang Rui to endure the last shock, with Mu Mian being the one to live. But Mu Mian couldn''t think rationally now. She felt she had to do something, even if it meant she would die. Mu Mian silently apologized to her sister. She had promised her sister she would always be there for her, but now she might not be able to keep that promise. The screen displayed the voltage: 30V. The expected shock didn''t come. "Dr. Mu, congratulations on winning this game. You''ve survived," Zhou Junwei said, sighing as he looked at the unconscious Fang Rui. "Unfortunately, you''ve lost your lover." Mu Mian didn''t respond to Zhou Junwei. She stared blankly at the motionless Fang Rui. Rationally, Mu Mian knew she should be happy because she had finally obtained Fang Rui''s body¡ªhe had died in a homicide, and as a forensic pathologist, she could follow the procedure to autopsy his corpse. But grief washed over her like a tidal wave, drowning her. She felt as if she were suffocating, unable to breathe. Mu Mian''s mind went blank, feeling detached from reality, with one message screaming in her ears: Fang Rui was dead. There would be no one to tell her she could be her true self anymore; no one who happened to like the foods she disliked and was willing to eat them; no one to give her rides to and from work... Without Fang Rui, a large part of her life was missing. She had obtained Fang Rui''s body, but lost a piece of her life''s puzzle that could never be replaced. With a clang, the iron door opened from the outside. Bright sunlight shone into Mu Mian''s eyes, giving her a sense of disorientation. Zhou Junwei and Zhang Ming walked in. Chapter 87 Zhou Junwei looked at Mu Mian''s blank expression and suddenly felt a strange sense of satisfaction. They were the same kind of people after all. They couldn''t have emotions. Now that Mu Mian had lost the person she loved most, she would never be able to experience the most passionate love again. This was fair. Zhou Junwei excitedly said, "Dr. Mu, you''ve won. I promised you that if you won my game, I would let you go. Now you can leave with Police Officer Fang''s body. I''ll keep my promise and let you both go." Mu Mian stared at them expressionlessly. In her mind, she imagined a scene of torture. She would lock Zhou Junwei in a specially made cage, where every part could potentially deliver an electric shock. The shocks wouldn''t be fatal, but they would cause extreme pain. Zhou Junwei would live in constant fear and agony. As for Zhang Ming, he would be forced to watch Zhou Junwei''s torment from outside the cage. He wouldn''t even be able to close his eyes, forced to witness this cruelty and endure mental torture. Mu Mian regained some of her rationality. She became clearly aware again that Fang Rui was dead. "Dr. Mu, you were very clever to find the ''optimal solution'' logically. But you didn''t love each other enough. If neither of you had pressed the button, the voltage would have remained at 30V. Both of you enduring the shock together would have been the best solution to this game. Unfortunately, I''ve tested so many couples, and not one has found the right method." Zhou Junwei continued, "But Dr. Mu, you should thank me. Look, I helped you test how much Police Officer Fang loved you." Zhang Ming walked over to Fang Rui''s side, intending to untie the ropes on his body to return his corpse to Mu Mian. He had just bent down to undo the ropes when he realized they were already loose. Before he could be surprised, he felt a punch to his abdomen. Zhang Ming felt as if his internal organs had been shattered, and he let out a painful groan. A rope tightened around his hands, and in no time, his hands were tied behind his back, and he was thrown heavily to the ground. Everything happened so quickly that Zhou Junwei and Mu Mian just stared in shock. Mu Mian felt as if fireworks were exploding in her brain. Fang Rui... had somehow come back to life. But dead people can''t come back to life. Had something gone wrong? Was it her mind? "You... why didn''t you die from electrocution?" Zhou Junwei asked in astonishment. "Were you pretending to be dead earlier? How did you escape the electric shock..." Fang Rui didn''t answer his questions. Instead, he beat Zhou Junwei up and then tied him together with Zhang Ming. Zhou Junwei looked at the strange shoes on Fang Rui''s feet and finally found the answer - Fang Rui was wearing insulated shoes. Then he noticed that the indicator light on the device that should have been on was actually off - there had been a power outage in the warehouse. "You were lying to me! You weren''t sacrificing yourself for love at all. What I saw wasn''t love. You''re a fraud!" Zhou Junwei flew into a rage, struggling violently to break free from the ropes. Fang Rui walked over to Mu Mian, untied her ropes, and removed the black electrode cap from her head. Mu Mian stared at him blankly. Was this a hallucination? Had she started having visions of Fang Rui so soon after his death because she missed him so much? "Mu Mian, is this really the time to be spacing out?" Mu Mian thought she must be seriously ill if this imaginary figure had started talking to her. Fang Rui sighed and pulled Mu Mian into an embrace. "Mu Mian, it''s all over now. We''re safe." The warm touch made Mu Mian''s mind a little clearer. She thought her hallucination must be very advanced to have both tactile sensation and temperature. Mu Mian couldn''t help but speak to this imaginary figure: "Fang Rui, don''t be afraid. I won''t seek treatment, so you can stay with me forever as a hallucination." Fang Rui finally realized something was wrong with Mu Mian. He patted her face gently. "Mu Mian, I''m not dead. I was just pretending earlier to trick them. You haven''t gone into shock, have you? You can touch me to see if I''m real." Mu Mian rested her head against Fang Rui''s chest, feeling his strong heartbeat - a sign that Fang Rui was still alive. "You''re... still alive?" "Dr. Mu, you''re being very unprofessional. Can''t you tell the difference between a dead person and a living one?" "Fang Rui, my brain short-circuited earlier. It was thinking so slowly. I was so scared. I thought you had died, and that I would never see you again." "But I''m alive now, aren''t I? Come on, don''t be sad. How about this - I''ll give you my body donation agreement later. That should make you feel better, right?" "Fang Rui, stop talking. You''re being noisy." For some reason, Mu Mian felt irritated. She had always wanted to have Fang Rui''s body, but now that she was finally going to get it, why didn''t she want it anymore? Perhaps it was because she now wanted Fang Rui to live, to live for a very long time. She didn''t want Fang Rui to die. Mu Mian suddenly realized she didn''t want Fang Rui''s body as much as she thought she did. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At that moment, the sound of vehicles and faint footsteps came from outside the warehouse. Fang Rui let go of Mu Mian. When everyone rushed into the warehouse, expecting to see a tense and thrilling scene, they were surprised to find that Fang Rui and Mu Mian had already successfully escaped and were waiting for their support. Zhang burst into tears of joy. "Boss, Dr. Mu, I knew you''d be alright." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Mian," Shen Xiyin ran over and hugged Mu Mian, "I''m so glad you''re okay. You scared your big sister to death." Mu Mian hugged Shen Xiyin back. "Sister, I''m sorry. I didn''t want to be kidnapped by the criminals either, it was just really bad luck. Fang Rui could have protected me, but these two were too despicable. They ambushed Fang Rui, otherwise they wouldn''t have been able to overpower him. They almost killed Fang Rui and nearly drove me insane. If Fang Rui had died, I would have had to imagine a Fang Rui to keep me company." Shen Xiyin was stunned. She hadn''t realized how important Fang Rui was to Mu Mian. The others who heard Mu Mian''s words were also shocked. They all looked at Fang Rui with knowing glances. Mu Mian noticed her sister''s complex expression and thought Shen Xiyin was unhappy. So she tried to comfort her: "Sister, if you died, I would imagine a version of you to keep me company too. No, I''d have to imagine two of you - one to deal with all my problems and work hard to make money to support me." Everyone was speechless. So for every person who died, Mu Mian would imagine a replacement. They really couldn''t keep up with Mu Mian''s train of thought. Chapter 88 On the way back, Zhang vividly described to Mu Mian and Fang Rui the process of rescuing them. "At first, we spotted the suspicious vehicle, a silver van, but it disappeared into a blind spot in the surveillance. When we tracked it down again, the driver had been switched. You have no idea how cunning Zhou Junwei and his accomplices were. They called for a substitute driver and had him drive the car to the suburbs. We spent half a day investigating and almost came up empty-handed. Fortunately, Captain Sun had assigned very detailed tasks, so when one lead went cold, we had others to follow up on." "We finally managed to pinpoint an abandoned, unfinished warehouse area. It was full of makeshift shelters made of sheet metal. We were dumbfounded ¨C if we had to search them one by one, you would have surely perished by then. Luckily, Miss Shen and Lin Consultant found a small crumpled paper on the ground. When we unfolded it, it had the words ''corpse'' written on it." Zhang paused for a moment, "We knew this must be a clue left by Forensic Pathologist Mu. We followed the path and found several more small paper balls, with the words ''Fang Rui'', ''I voluntarily'', ''donate'' written on them in sequence. Following these paper clues, we finally found you, but¡ª" Mu Mian looked at the ground sheepishly, pretending not to hear Zhang''s teasing. She urged, "Officer Zhang, please go tell Chen Xue that I''m alright now." "I''ve already told her," Zhang continued, "Forensic Pathologist Mu, I can''t believe you carry a body donation agreement with you... Who carries that kind of thing around? But it''s a good thing you did, otherwise we wouldn''t have had props to leave clues for us." Zhang imagined Mu Mian secretly crumpling paper balls and found it a bit amusing. Fang Rui, who was driving, warned Zhang, "Zhang Qiang, I''m the victim here and I have no complaints, so what are you grumbling about?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Boss, please don''t use my full name!" Zhang felt something was off. The boss used to favor Mu Mian before, but not so blatantly. Could it be that after being tormented by that psycho Zhou Junwei, Fang Rui finally realized he had fallen for Forensic Pathologist Mu? "Boss, you guys managed to escape successfully this time, thanks to Lin Consultant and the Bureau Chief. You should really thank them properly." Zhang waited for Fang Rui to ask why, but Fang Rui ignored his words and instead said to Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, my heart is fine, you don''t need to check it every ten minutes." "It''s safer to check. Although you were wearing insulating shoes, what if some electric current still passed through your body?" Mu Mian felt Fang Rui''s heart area, and only withdrew her hand after confirming its beating frequency was normal. Zhang couldn''t help but try to make his presence known: "Zhou Junwei couldn''t possibly have electrocuted you guys. Lin Consultant asked the Bureau Chief for help, who in turn asked the power company for assistance, and they cut off electricity to the entire North City District for half an hour. So, Boss, you''ll be fine, you weren''t actually electrocuted at all." Fang Rui had a sudden realization. He had wondered how these hundred-yuan insulating shoes could be of such good quality that they could protect him from such high voltage without any discomfort. It turned out there was no electricity at all. Fang Rui suddenly remembered that when he regained consciousness, he noticed the equipment didn''t have any red lights on. He had found it strange at the time, but now he realized they simply hadn''t been activated. Zhou Junwei''s laptop and that button didn''t need to be connected to a power source, and at the time, Zhou Junwei''s attention was focused on Mu Mian and him, which is why he didn''t notice the power was already cut. It seems they owe Lin Sen a big thank you. However, he had just seen Lin Sen and Shen Xiyin leave in the same car. If he wasn''t mistaken, Lin Sen should be the one thanking them instead. If Mu Mian hadn''t been kidnapped, their relationship would probably have remained stagnant forever¡ªlike throwing something into a still pond, causing a slight ripple, but ultimately returning to calmness. "Forensic Pathologist Mu, you almost got the Boss''s corpse. How did that feel? More excited or more sad?" "Officer Zhang, please be quiet, you''re very noisy!" Mu Mian complained, "Don''t mention the word ''corpse'' in front of me anymore. Chen Xue says it''s very unlucky." "Didn''t Chen Xue tell you that a long, long time ago?" Goodness, is this still the same Forensic Pathologist Mu? Shouldn''t she be excited at the mention of corpses? Could Zhou Junwei''s electric shock experiment have altered her thinking? Did he somehow remove Mu Mian''s love for corpses? Fang Rui was also a bit surprised. He felt that Mu Mian finally cared a bit about him as a person, rather than just his potential corpse. After returning to the bureau, Fang Rui and Sun Guangtian took statements from Zhou Junwei and Zhang Ming. Although there was already evidence proving that Zhang Ming had committed murder and disposed of bodies, they weren''t very clear on some details of the case. They also needed to determine who was the main culprit and who was the accomplice. They interrogated Zhang Ming first. "I did everything. I liked Zhou Junwei, so I dragged him into this and forced him to help me." Zhang Ming voluntarily took all the blame upon himself. "You''re saying you''re the mastermind?" Sun Guangtian asked. "Yes. I planned all the cases. I came up with the killing methods too. Zhou Junwei is gay, and he currently has a respectable job. His parents are both university professors and wouldn''t allow their son to be gay, so I used this to manipulate him, make him have a relationship with me, and help me do things." Zhang Ming began to confess his crimes voluntarily. "When I was in Linzhou, I met Zhou Junwei and fell in love with him. But he didn''t like me, so I kept pestering him. Later, I discovered that it wasn''t that Zhou Junwei didn''t like me, he just didn''t dare admit he was gay. To prove the falsity of heterosexual love, I kidnapped the first couple. They worked in the factory area next to the zoo where I worked, and they were a particularly loving married couple. But I knew their love was just a facade. So I made them play that game, watching them reveal their ugly sides as they tried to avoid electric shocks, blaming and cursing each other. I successfully made Zhou Junwei despise heterosexuality." Zhang Ming licked his dry lips and continued his confession, "I kidnapped the second couple to prove the beauty of homosexual love. The second couple loved each other very much and had overcome societal obstacles to be together. I thought they would pass the game. Zhang Yawen loved Tian Xin so much that she never pressed the button, passively waiting for Tian Xin to make a choice. Tian Xin chose to shock Zhang Yawen all four times." Zhang Ming showed a disdainful smile: "A traitor like Tian Xin who betrayed her lover doesn''t deserve to live. So I took out a sharp knife and stabbed her to death, one stab at a time. Each stab avoided vital areas; I wanted her to die slowly, to avenge the devoted Zhang Yawen." "Kidnapping the third couple was to prove to Zhou Junwei that love during student years is the most childish and laughable. Because Zhou Junwei''s first love got married and invited him, Zhou Junwei was upset and started reminiscing about his youth. I felt I needed to stop him from continuing to reminisce. I wanted to kill that immature feeling. So I kidnapped a couple known for their public displays of affection at Jiangzhou University. They were the most ridiculous when playing this game, they seemed to truly treat it as a game, competing with each other for the chance to choose. In the end, they died by each other''s choices. Zhou Junwei finally let go of his nostalgia for youth." Zhang Ming continued to confess: "As for how I disposed of the bodies, you should be quite clear about that already. Although my game revealed the hypocrisy and ridiculousness of their love, I still dressed them in couple outfits and placed roses symbolizing love in their hands, continuing to maintain the illusion of their love. I suppose this was my reward to them for playing my game." Fang Rui asked, "Was the game your idea too?" "Of course it was. Why do you look so surprised? You think someone like me, who dropped out of high school, couldn''t come up with such a sophisticated game?" Zhang Ming''s face showed a mocking smile, "The internet is so advanced now, you can learn anything by yourself. You don''t need to be so shocked." Fang Rui caught his slip: "Why did you use brain-computer interface equipment to collect the victims'' brain wave data?" Chapter 89 Zhang Ming was taken aback, then explained, "I''m collecting love, all kinds of love. The brain is the source of all human emotions, so the brain will present the most authentic state of our emotions. Those brain wave data are their love." "Since you say the game was designed by you," Fang Rui placed a laptop in front of Zhang Ming, "then write out the program for your game, the one where clicking a button randomly generates voltages. That should be simple, right?" Zhang Ming''s face changed dramatically, and fine sweat began to form on his forehead. He tried hard to suppress the strong feeling of nausea. But when he put his hands on the keyboard, he suddenly vomited, ruining Zhang''s newly acquired laptop. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang looked crestfallen: "Boss, my computer..." "Look on the bright side, you''ll soon get a new computer," Fang Rui consoled him. "..." He wasn''t really someone who always craved new things. After Zhang Ming''s nausea subsided, he quickly tried to cover up: "I was previously treated for internet addiction at a Behavioral Correction School. Aversion therapy made me physiologically averse to computers, so I can''t use them now. That''s why I forced Zhou Junwei to design the program for me. He''s studied this and is very professional." Fang Rui and Sun Guangtian took another statement from Zhou Junwei. "Everything was done under Zhang Ming''s coercion," Zhou Junwei accused. "I''m gay, but I don''t like Zhang Ming, yet he kept pestering me relentlessly. Later he threatened me, saying if I didn''t help him, he''d reveal that I''m gay. This would not only cost me my job but also ruin my reputation. I had no choice but to help him." "But murder is a crime, far more serious than a ruined reputation, isn''t it?" "At first, he didn''t intend to kill. Later, when he didn''t get the results he wanted, he started killing. After killing one couple, he couldn''t stop. Targeting Dr. Mu and Officer Fang was also Zhang Ming''s idea. That day he came to the school to find me and happened to meet Dr. Mu, and he became interested in autism. Later, when he saw that Officer Fang and Dr. Mu were a couple, he became curious about what love is like for people with autism." Zhang Ming took responsibility for all the crimes, while Zhou Junwei insisted that Zhang Ming had coerced him into committing the crimes and that he wasn''t the main culprit. Currently, there was sufficient evidence, and although the case could be closed without confessions, the distinction between principal and accessory offenders was always a complex issue. In this situation, the judge might not necessarily agree that Zhou Junwei was the principal offender. Fang Rui held a brief meeting to report this situation to everyone and asked Lin Sen if there was any way to drive a wedge between them, make them turn on each other, and clarify who the real mastermind was. Mu Mian pulled a small bone from her pocket: "This is a voice recorder. I secretly recorded their conversation in the car." After everyone listened, they were certain that Zhou Junwei was the principal offender. Zhou Junwei seemed to have an emotional disorder, unable to feel emotions. Zhang Ming, on the other hand, was his loyal follower, willing to do anything for Zhou Junwei. "It''s a pity that the recording can''t be used as evidence," Mu Mian sighed. "I originally wanted to record video, but they would have seen me. I could only record audio." Lin Sen looked at Mu Mian, his voice softer than usual: "Dr. Mu, do you want to get revenge on Zhou Junwei?" "Very much so, but murder is illegal. Keeping someone in a cage and electrocuting them is also illegal," Mu Mian sighed. "But attacking someone psychologically isn''t illegal." Mu Mian''s eyes lit up: "Consultant Lin, please elaborate." Fang Rui looked at Lin Sen, thinking that in the future, he shouldn''t casually tease him. Those who study psychology are not to be trifled with. Zhou Junwei was once again brought to the interrogation room. This time, Mu Mian and Lin Sen were interrogating him. Seeing Mu Mian, Zhou Junwei''s face darkened. He felt that Mu Mian and Fang Rui had acted together to fool him. Mu Mian smiled slightly at him, then launched into a merciless critique of Zhou Junwei. "Mr. Zhou, your game lacks any creativity. The electric shock test part plagiarizes the experimental logic of Milgram''s experiment. Although you made your own innovations, I''m sorry to say that the part you innovated destroyed the essence of the experimental logic. The EEG part is even worse. You even put the electrode cap on me crooked. I even doubt if you understand what EEG equipment is for. You certainly can''t interpret EEG data." Zhou Junwei looked at Mu Mian angrily and shouted, "Shut up! I won''t allow you to insult this game." "See, you only dare to call it a game. Because you know yourself that your design has no scientific basis, no logic. If you want to study love, you need to first define love, then propose your experimental hypothesis, choose the variables you want to study, control for irrelevant variables..." "Get her out of here! Get her out!" Zhou Junwei became extremely agitated. "I won''t allow you to insult my design." "Hmph, I haven''t even started insulting you yet, I''m just telling the truth." Lin Sen looked at Mu Mian, a bit helpless. Mu Mian''s words had no aggression, just pure sincerity. But this was precisely what broke Zhou Junwei''s defenses, probably because what Mu Mian said was true. "Mr. Zhou, why are you so agitated? Are you the designer of this game?" Lin Sen asked. Zhou Junwei knew they were using reverse psychology to provoke him and gradually regained his composure. "Zhang Ming''s things are mine. Can''t I defend him?" Lin Sen looked at Zhou Junwei, "Mr. Zhou, do you think this case will go down in history?" "Of course it will. Such a creative method and motive for murder will definitely make it into criminology textbooks." Zhou Junwei was very satisfied with the case he had committed. "Yes. But the protagonist of this case will become Zhang Ming. The perverted one people will curse will be him, and the one called a crime artist will also be him. And you, I estimate, will only be recorded as Zhang Ming''s accomplice. Are you content with that?" Zhou Junwei''s face changed dramatically. He wouldn''t allow his most proud design to become Zhang Ming''s, even if it would reduce his crime. Lin Sen said, "All of this is clearly your achievement, why give the chance for fame to Zhang Ming?" "I want to see Officer Fang. I confess." Zhou Junwei didn''t want to see Lin Sen anymore. Although he knew Lin Sen was deliberately provoking him, he couldn''t help but fall for it. Facing Fang Rui and Sun Guangtian again, Zhou Junwei confessed the truth. "I am the mastermind behind this series of cases. Zhang Ming was just my assistant," Zhou Junwei stated. "I wanted to know what love is, so I captured those people and made them play my game. Their results were very unsatisfactory to me, so I had Zhang Ming kill them." Zhou Junwei said, "I can''t feel emotions, so I needed to observe their love through their EEG data. I didn''t intend to kill at first, but they didn''t take my game seriously. Later, I started to incorporate the electric shock element, which could both create a dangerous situation to amplify their love and punish those who didn''t respect love." Zhou Junwei described the process of the crime, which was similar to Zhang Ming''s description. Only the motive for the crime was different. With this, the case finally came to a close, and Zhou Junwei and Zhang Ming would soon face legal punishment. Chapter 90 Zhang Ming had once wondered if he would have become a normal person, living a normal life, if he hadn''t met Zhou Junwei. But he realized there was no such possibility. It was precisely because he was abnormal that he met Zhou Junwei in that hellish Behavior Correction Room.0 After Zhang Ming chased his father with a knife for several blocks, he was labeled with many tags: "internet-addicted youth", "antisocial personality", "unfilial son", "social outcast". Then he was sent to that Behavioral Correction School.0 That''s where he met Zhou Junwei.0 Zhou Junwei was so different from the others. While everyone else was sent there to overcome internet addiction, gambling addiction, or violent behavior - having harmed their families and society to some degree - Zhou Junwei was the only one sent there to correct his sexual orientation. He seemed completely harmless.0 In that era, people had a very low acceptance of homosexuality. So Zhou Junwei was isolated. Everyone was afraid of being liked by Zhou Junwei and becoming another homosexual.0 Zhou Junwei was a very unlikable person, even the therapists didn''t like him. Because the treatment on him yielded no results - no matter how much they electrocuted Zhou Junwei, there was no correction effect.0 Zhang Ming was puzzled. If Zhou Junwei just said he wouldn''t like men anymore, or showed disgust at those male photos, those people would stop electrocuting him. But Zhou Junwei refused to give in.0 One day, Zhang Ming was assigned to clean the treatment room. He saw Zhou Junwei on the floor, his lips pale, his muscles still trembling even though the electrocution had stopped long ago. He was in great pain.0 Zhang Ming couldn''t help but ask, "Zhou Junwei, why don''t you pretend you''ve been cured?"0 "Because my brain is free. I''m free to love anyone, anything," Zhou Junwei gave a weak smile, "No one can deprive me of my right to love. I can''t surrender to them."0 Zhang Ming found Zhou Junwei interesting. He looked so thin and small, yet his willpower was so strong.0 "This isn''t surrendering, it''s strategy. We pretend to be cured, so we can get out. We''ll be labeled as ''normal people''," Zhang Ming reminded him.0 "And then what after we get out? Do we keep pretending? For how long? If we keep pretending forever, doesn''t that mean we''ve actually been cured by them? Are we still ourselves then?"0 Zhang Ming was stunned by the series of questions. He wasn''t that smart and never thought about such complex issues.0 "Zhou Junwei, I don''t know either. Sometimes I wonder if I''m just pretending, or if I''ve really been cured," Zhang Ming suddenly realized he hadn''t touched a computer for many days. He felt sick just looking at computers.0 Zhou Junwei recognized Zhang Ming. He was a notorious problem student in the school, rumored to have chased his father with a knife all over the street for money to go online. Zhou Junwei was a bit scared of him.0 "Zhou Junwei, you dissected a rabbit in the classroom, you must be very brave. Why are you afraid of me?"0 "I didn''t dissect that rabbit. It was Chen Yuan''an who did it. He was curious if a rabbit''s internal organs looked the same as in the biology textbook. I didn''t want him to be seen as a psychopath, so I took the blame. I love small animals, I wouldn''t hurt them. Actually, I''d like to work in a zoo. I think the animal world would be simpler. But my dad wouldn''t agree. He wants me to become a doctor."0 "Eh, rumors are terrifying. You must have heard rumors about me too. But they''re also false. I chased my dad with a knife because I saw him bringing a woman home, having an affair in our house. I was furious, so I chased him with a knife. Sometimes I really wanted to kill him.0 Later, my dad felt the truth would make him lose face, so he spread the rumor that I was chasing him for internet cafe money. I tried hard to clarify, but no one believed me, including my mom. They all thought I was a loser addicted to online games. Funny, isn''t it?"0 Zhang Ming continued, "My internet addiction is also fake. I didn''t go to internet cafes to play games, I went to learn computer skills. I want to become a hacker when I grow up. But I can''t get into college, so I can only learn by myself in internet cafes. I want to live in the virtual world in the future. The real world is too complicated and boring."0 Zhou Junwei looked at Zhang Ming with surprise. He suddenly felt they were of the same kind. Because of their introverted personalities, everyone assumed the worst about them. When in fact, they had done nothing wrong.0 "Zhou Junwei, be my friend. I don''t seem to have any friends."0 S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay. Zhang Ming, you''re my friend from now on. You''re my only friend."0 Zhang Ming was quite comfortable in this correction school. He didn''t have internet addiction to begin with, and he was good at pretending. Whenever those psychologists treated him, he would vomit or show pain, so they would quickly end the treatment.0 They were very satisfied with Zhang Ming''s treatment results.0 Zhou Junwei wasn''t so lucky. The therapists had tried almost every method, but they still couldn''t change Zhou Junwei''s cognition. Zhou Junwei would still be interested in male photos, and he would still say he liked men.0 Zhou Junwei didn''t want to pretend he was cured. He wasn''t sick, he didn''t need to be cured.0 "Looks like we need to bring out our trump card," Zhang Ming overheard those therapists say viciously, "No behavior is beyond correction once they enter our place."0 Zhang Ming made a plan to escape from the correction school. He even drew a map and stole the principal''s gold watch and all the cash in the drawer from the office. He planned to escape with Zhou Junwei that night.0 But he was one step too late.0 That night, Zhou Junwei was taken away. Zhang Ming didn''t know what those people did to Zhou Junwei, and Zhou Junwei wouldn''t say. Zhou Junwei had a new scar on his forehead, and from that day on, Zhou Junwei changed. He no longer liked men, but he didn''t like women either. He wouldn''t like anyone or anything.0 Zhou Junwei was finally cured, but he seemed to have lost his emotions.0 He remembered everything, remembered Zhang Ming was his friend, remembered his parents, even remembered he once loved Chen Yuan''an, but he didn''t know what love felt like. He couldn''t experience emotions, he couldn''t even recall emotions.0 Later, Zhang Ming recovered and left the correction school. His parents didn''t want to take care of him, so he went to do odd jobs, living day by day. But he never touched computers again, and forgot about his dream of becoming a hacker.0 After drifting for a few years, he went to work at a zoo. He remembered Zhou Junwei liked animals, but now Zhou Junwei couldn''t like anything anymore. Zhang Ming felt he could like animals on Zhou Junwei''s behalf.0 Shortly after Zhang Ming left, Zhou Junwei also recovered. His parents were relieved that their son had finally become normal, and much more likable than before. Zhou Junwei could face anything calmly and would say things that adults liked to hear. He had finally learned to pretend, as Zhang Ming had said.0 He studied in a new school, got good grades, and was admitted to a decent university. At first, he followed his father''s arrangement and chose clinical medicine as his major, but he would vomit uncontrollably at the sight of bloody scenes and couldn''t complete the anatomy course.0 So he chose to change his major. He didn''t know what major he should study because he didn''t like anything. But he thought of Zhang Ming, his only friend. He remembered Zhang Ming wanted to be a hacker, but Zhang Ming didn''t like to touch computers anymore. Zhou Junwei thought, well, let''s study computer science then.0 Zhou Junwei couldn''t like anything, but he still remembered he once liked animals. One day he went to the zoo to see animals, recalling the feelings he had for animals in his memory, and then he met Zhang Ming again.0 Zhang Ming had changed a lot. He had become an animal trainer at the zoo, got along well with his colleagues, and looked nothing like the gloomy teenager he once was. Zhou Junwei thought it was good that Zhang Ming had become a normal person in everyone''s eyes.0 Zhang Ming was very happy to see him. Even though Zhang Ming now had many friends, he still cared about Zhou Junwei the most.0 After reconnecting, Zhang Ming frequently sought him out. They would do many things together.0 Later, Zhang Ming told him that he had fallen in love with him.0 Zhou Junwei was perplexed; he didn''t know what love felt like. He used to not care about whether he could feel emotions, but now he suddenly wanted to know what it felt like.0 He began watching a lot of romantic movies, reading love stories, and would go out to the streets to observe couples on dates. He even started spying on couples during intimate moments. He desperately wanted to understand what love was.0 But the more he observed, the more confused he became. He still couldn''t grasp what love looked like - people''s expressions, body language, accelerated heartbeats... all these things related to love were unstable.0 Later, he finally found an answer. The human brain is the source of all emotions, so if he wanted to see what love looked like, he could only do so by observing people''s brains.0 So he designed a game. He set up dangerous situations to induce and amplify couples'' love, then observed what changes occurred in their brains.0 At first, he recruited a large number of couples to participate in this game under the guise of a sociological experiment. He collected a lot of brain wave data from the couples. However, during the game, those couples were not serious at all. They didn''t respect his game and instead engaged in various mockeries and jokes.0 He decided he needed to enhance the immersive experience of this game.0 He chose...0 They loved each other so much, but during the game, in order to fight for the chance to survive, they attacked each other, venting years of resentment towards their partners. This wasn''t the result he wanted, so he directly used the highest level of voltage he had set up to electrocute them to death.0 Later, Zhou Junwei became curious about what same-sex love would look like.0 Zhou Junwei originally wanted to find a gay male couple. But after observing for a long time, he found that most gay men didn''t have fixed partners, and they seemed to care more about physical needs than emotional ones.0 Later, on his way to the zoo, Zhou Junwei encountered a lesbian couple. They looked very much in love. But that was only how it appeared.0 Zhang Yawen was willing to sacrifice herself for her partner, giving her the choice; Tian Xin, however, chose to electrocute her partner to death in order to seize the chance to survive.0 It turned out that love could also be one-sided.0 Just like how Zhang Ming felt about him.0 Zhou Junwei stabbed Tian Xin to death with a knife. After killing them, Zhou Junwei stopped his frenzied actions. He felt that the love he had seen wasn''t beautiful, and he didn''t want to see any more. Perhaps, not being able to feel love wasn''t such a regrettable thing after all.0 Later, Chen Yuan''an was getting married. He apologized to Zhou Junwei, saying he had hurt him when they were younger and hoped he could forgive him.0 Zhou Junwei remembered that he had once liked Chen Yuan''an.0 He wanted to play that game again.0 Zhang Ming loved him very much and was willing to do anything for him.0 This time, their luck was very bad. The bodies were buried too shallow, and with the heavy rain washing over them, the police quickly discovered the corpses.0 Zhou Junwei wasn''t actually afraid of being caught by the police. When he saw Mu Mian at school again, he felt that he wanted to play that game one more time.0 He had seen Mu Mian at school before; she was Teacher Shen''s sister, an autistic person. He knew she was also someone with a deficient brain, and he thought she would be like him, unable to feel any emotions.0 When he saw Mu Mian again, he realized he was wrong. She came to the school with Police Officer Fang. Their interactions reminded him of the love movies he had watched.0 So even autistic people could have love.0 He really wanted to see what Mu Mian''s love would look like.0 When he saw that Police Officer Fang was willing to exchange his own death for Mu Mian''s life, he felt a bit envious of Mu Mian. Why could she have love?0 At this moment, he heard Zhang Ming say to him: "Zhou Junwei, I would also die for you without hesitation."0 Zhou Junwei remembered that he seemed to have love too, but he just couldn''t feel it. If he could like anything, he thought, he would love Zhang Ming.0 But he could never love anyone.0 So, Zhang Ming was just a tool he used to kill people.0 On the day he was sent to prison, Zhang Ming saw Zhou Junwei for the last time.0 If he could, Zhang Ming would want to go back to the day before Zhou Junwei was taken away. He would take Zhou Junwei and escape from that Behavioral Correction School, go anywhere they wanted. Zhou Junwei could like anyone or anything.0 At that time, Zhou Junwei would have liked Zhang Ming, and they would have walked hand in hand on the streets.0 Chapter 91 After Fang Rui realized he liked Mu Mian, he decided to confess directly. He didn''t want to play games with hints and ambiguity, because Mu Mian might not pick up on his signals at all. The next day, Fang Rui waited outside Mu Mian''s door as usual to go to work together. Mu Mian opened the door, carrying a huge luggage bag, stumbling as she walked out. She nearly fell over. Fang Rui steadied her. "Mu Mian, I like you," he said, his voice a bit nervous. "Fang Rui, thank you for liking me. I like you too. I''m so tired right now. If you could help me get this bag into the car, I''d like you even more." Mu Mian put the bag on the ground and took a few deep breaths to recover. The bag was so heavy! Fang Rui felt a bit helpless. His first confession had failed so miserably; Mu Mian might not have even realized he was confessing. "Why are you bringing so much stuff? Mu Mian, you''re going to work, not on vacation." Fang Rui picked up the bag. It was quite heavy, and from the bulging shape, it seemed to contain a variety of items. "Self-defense tools. Better safe than sorry." Self-defense tools? Fang Rui paused. He opened the bag to find various restricted items: a stun gun, hammer, machete, chainsaw, electric drill, anti-wolf spray, several bottles of unknown substances... Seeing Fang Rui open her emergency kit, Mu Mian looked a bit embarrassed. She had originally thought Fang Rui could protect her, but she realized that as a bodyguard, he had significant limitations. So she had to rely on herself. Fang Rui read the disdain in Mu Mian''s expression and quickly clarified, "Mu Mian, that time was an accident. They ambushed me. Otherwise, even if there were ten of them, I could have taken them on." "Fang Rui, I believe you would protect me, and I know you''re great at fighting. But sorry, I''m afraid there might be more... accidents in the future," Mu Mian tried to phrase it delicately. "Fighting isn''t just about brute force; sometimes you need to use your brain too." "Mu Mian, you think I don''t have a brain?" "No, I''m just worried the bad guys are too cunning," Mu Mian consoled Fang Rui. "Chen Xue says nowadays criminals are very clever. Their brains work exceptionally well when it comes to committing crimes, making them hard to guard against." Fang Rui was irritated by her lack of trust. He reached out and messed up Mu Mian''s hair. "Fang Rui, I want to be able to protect you too." Fang Rui was stunned. Had he become so important to Mu Mian that she wanted to protect him? "Protect my sister, Chen Xue, Zhang..." Mu Mian looked at him earnestly with her disheveled hair. "I don''t want to helplessly watch bad guys take you away and not be able to do anything. That feeling is awful." Fang Rui smiled wryly. He was important enough to be listed alongside Zhang. But he quickly let it go, because he was also listed alongside Shen Xiyin, and even came before her. Mu Mian clenched her fists and said passionately, "Fang Rui, I want to become strong!" "That''s a good idea. How about I teach you some self-defense techniques?" "No." Mu Mian instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. "Fang Rui, I''m not physically coordinated. I can''t learn those things. You''ll laugh at me if I can''t learn. Besides, learning self-defense is so tiring. I don''t want to learn; I just want to take shortcuts. Can I use physical power-ups to get stronger?" Fang Rui was speechless. Mu Mian had the desire to get stronger but lacked the motivation to act on it. However, given Mu Mian''s small frame, not resisting would probably be safer than resisting if she encountered criminals. "But you can''t have so many power-ups," Fang Rui pointed at the bag full of dangerous tools. "You have decision paralysis. Criminals won''t give you time to choose a suitable weapon." In the end, Mu Mian only brought one self-defense item - the anti-wolf spray. Her reasoning was sound: it was small, cute, easy to carry, discreet, and required no physical effort to use. After the couple murder case was closed, it was time for the special task force to return home. The Director held a farewell party for them. The party was held in a small auditorium with a few tables set up, offering barbecue, snacks, and milk tea. It was simple, but thanks to the social butterflies Zhang and Wang, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively. The Director had intended to say a few words, but he was interrupted by Sun Guangtian after just two sentences. "Old Wang, stop speaking so pompously and wasting time. Just get to the point." Zhang and the others were stunned. Captain Sun... dared to interrupt the Director? The Director hated being interrupted the most. It turned out that when Sun Guangtian first arrived, he wasn''t targeting them specifically; he just liked to challenge people. Surprisingly, the Director didn''t seem upset. After all, he had gotten used to Sun Guangtian''s provocations during their college years. The Director simply announced the start of the farewell party. Everyone ate, drank, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Forensic Doctor Cheng handed Mu Mian a simple, elegant notebook. "Little Forensic Doctor Mu, I didn''t have much to do these past few days, so I wrote down my years of experience in this notebook. I''m giving it to you now, hoping it will be helpful." "Thank you for the gift. I love it. I promise I''ll read it carefully." Mu Mian was delighted to receive the gift. She really liked Forensic Doctor Cheng because he reminded her of her father. Her father had also patiently taught her knowledge, even when she didn''t need such detailed instruction. She could understand most things after reading them once, but she still liked hearing her father explain them again. Occasionally, when it came to topics her father excelled in, she would pretend not to understand, so her father would first frown, then happily explain it to her again. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian hadn''t thought about her father for a long time, but Forensic Doctor Cheng''s presence awakened that part of her memory. "Little Forensic Doctor Mu, you''re an excellent forensic doctor. I have high hopes for your career development." "Thank you for the compliment. I''ll become even better." Forensic Doctor Cheng glanced at Fang Rui, who was talking to Sun Guangtian not far away, and whispered to Mu Mian, "Captain Fang is very outstanding. If you like him, you should act quickly. A young lady from our task force has taken a liking to him and even asked your Director to help introduce them." Mu Mian didn''t quite understand his meaning. She agreed that Fang Rui was outstanding, and she liked him very much, but she didn''t understand why she needed to chase after Fang Rui - he wasn''t going to run away. And why did it matter to her if someone else liked Fang Rui? Why tell her this? Did they want her to help persuade Fang Rui to go on a blind date? Aliali: 6720f54c2bffb2b7bc4c0e56 Mu Mian''s expression turned serious. "I''m sorry, I can''t help. Fang Rui doesn''t like blind dates. I can''t force him." "Little Forensic Doctor Mu, let me have that notebook back for a moment. I just remembered I left out some things." Forensic Doctor Cheng realized he had written too little about social skills and relationships. He should expand the section on dating experience. Sun Guangtian stood by the window smoking, out of place in the lively, harmonious atmosphere. "Captain Sun, you should smoke less. It''s bad for your health," Fang Rui reminded him. "I know, but I''m too old to quit now," Sun Guangtian extinguished his cigarette. "Don''t learn from me, kid." Looking at Fang Rui, Sun Guangtian was reminded of his younger self - motivated and full of a sense of justice. "Old Wang kept praising you to me before. I thought he was exaggerating. Your investigative skills are indeed quite good." Sun Guangtian patted Fang Rui''s shoulder. "Apologize to your girlfriend for me. I didn''t mean to be harsh to her that day." "Mm." Sun Guangtian was a bit surprised. "So Forensic Doctor Mu really is your girlfriend? I thought they were just spreading rumors." Fang Rui smiled at him. "Not yet. But I think she will be soon." Chapter 92 Perhaps due to the approaching New Year, the crime rate had recently plummeted, and the Special Crime Unit hadn''t received a case in over half a month. On this day, the bureau chief called Fang Rui and Captain Li from the neighboring Criminal Investigation Unit Two into his office, assigning them a special task with a grave tone. The chief''s expression was very serious: "I have a case for you two to investigate, but the investigation must be kept completely confidential from outsiders, understand? Not even our internal staff can know about it." Captain Li frowned and asked, "Chief, has something happened to some big shot?" Fang Rui thought this was unlikely, because if a VIP was involved, they would surely set up a special task force for the investigation. The fact that the chief hadn''t asked Mu Mian to investigate with him proved there was no deceased victim. Seeing the chief still beating around the bush without getting to the point, it probably wasn''t an urgent case either. "Do you know Su Momo?" the chief asked. Captain Li replied, "No... Is she some female leader?" Fang Rui thought for a moment, there shouldn''t be any such big shot in Jiangzhou City. "She''s not a leader, she''s our city''s big money-maker," the chief said, slapping a newspaper down in front of Fang Rui and Captain Li. The newspaper headline read: Su Momo Boosts Jiangzhou City''s Tourism Revenue by 1.7 Billion in Half a Month. Fang Rui thought she must be some female entrepreneur. Only after carefully reading the news did he realize that Su Momo was a famous actress who had starred in many hit dramas. She had recently filmed a popular idol drama called "Secrets of the Deep Sea," which was a massive hit. The drama''s real locations were shot in Jiangzhou City, consequently causing the city''s tourism industry to explode, raking in countless profits. "Our city is about to host a large-scale tourism festival, and the tourism bureau has invited Su Momo to shoot a promotional video. However, during the filming process, a cursed doll was suddenly discovered in her hotel room. Your task is to find out who placed that cursed doll there. Before finding that person, you also need to ensure her safety." Su Momo was staying at the Jiangzhou International Hotel. This was the largest five-star hotel in Jiangzhou City, with excellent security measures and strong privacy, making it a favorite among many celebrities. She originally stayed in suite 808 on the eighth floor, but after discovering the terrifying cursed doll, she was frightened and moved to suite 606. The hotel manager first took Fang Rui and Captain Li to the eighth floor, explaining the situation: "Last night around 10 PM, Miss Su returned from work and was about to go to bed. When she lifted the blanket, she saw that horrifying doll, and the blanket was covered in blood." Seeing the room number, Captain Li couldn''t help but comment, "Su Momo seems very superstitious about numerology, look at this room number, how auspicious." "Miss Su is actually very nice, she never acts like a diva and doesn''t have many demands for her living conditions. It''s her assistant who''s troublesome, always having a bunch of requirements when booking hotels, insisting that room numbers must include 8 or 6, and can''t have 1, 4, or 7. What right does a mere assistant have to act so high and mighty? Once, she even gave Miss Su attitude. Well, it''s only because Miss Su is so kind that she wasn''t fired..." The hotel suite was very spacious, with three rooms and a kitchen. Su Momo stayed in the room with windows facing south. Her room had a large floor-to-ceiling window, and standing by it, one could see the blue ocean. "After discovering the cursed doll, we immediately sealed off this room to preserve the scene as much as possible." Fang Rui saw that the middle of the bed sheet had been dyed dark red with blood, and a blood-stained cotton doll lay on it. The doll was about the size of a palm, not looking particularly scary. It had delicate features and smooth hair, wearing pretty clothes. At first glance, the doll looked very much like Su Momo. It was covered in needle holes, with a red thread sewn into a scar on its hand. It looked exactly like a scar left after a wrist-cutting suicide attempt. On its chest, the name "Su Momo" was embroidered crookedly. The doll seemed to have been soaked in blood, becoming stiff after drying, with a strong stench. However, the blood didn''t look like human blood, appearing darker in color. Fang Rui put on gloves and felt the doll. Besides the clumped cotton inside, there seemed to be something else. He put the doll in an evidence bag, planning to ask Mu Mian to help examine whether the blood on it was human. Fang Rui also checked the doors and windows but found no signs of forced entry. The room was carpeted with white plush, and no suspicious footprints were found on it. Fang Rui and Captain Li then went to the sixth floor to take Su Momo''s statement. The door was opened by a very beautiful girl. Seeing her wearing the latest designer coat worth over a hundred thousand yuan, Captain Li almost thought she was Su Momo. But her face didn''t quite match. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Fang Rui and his colleague, she frowned slightly, looking at them warily, "Who are you?" Fang Rui and Captain Li showed their badges and explained why they were there. Her expression remained impatient, "You can tell me whatever it is. Momo isn''t available to see visitors." "Yaying, I called them here," Su Momo said from inside. "Please let them in." Fang Rui and Captain Li entered the room to see Su Momo half-lying on the sofa. She was wearing thick, fluffy pajamas, no makeup, with her hair casually tied up. Her looks could only be described as pretty in a girl-next-door way, not stunning, and not even as beautiful as the girl who had opened the door. She was watching TV with her legs crossed, holding a large bag of chips, not looking at all like someone who had just experienced a fright. "Hello, officers. I''m Su Momo," she said, pointing to the beautiful girl. "This is my assistant, Liu Yaying." Captain Li thought that if their identities were swapped, it would look more reasonable. Obviously, Liu Yaying''s attire and appearance were more like a celebrity''s, while Su Momo looked more like a small-time assistant. "Officers, please, you must help me catch the person who cursed me!" Su Momo excitedly threw the chip bag onto the coffee table, rubbing her fingers to get rid of the chip crumbs stuck to them. "Of all the curses they could choose, they cursed me to commit suicide by cutting my wrists. Me, Su Momo, with my money and career, how could I possibly commit suicide! So you must help me find that person. I want to ask the one who cursed me, why be so vicious!" Fang Rui asked, "When you were staying in 808, besides the hotel staff, who else had a keycard to your room?" "Myself, Yaying, and my life assistant Qi Fang, the three of us all had keycards," Su Momo said, then added after thinking, "They''re both my own people, they couldn''t possibly do such a thing. I suspect that one of the hotel staff is my anti-fan, and they took advantage of their work to sneak into my room and deliberately place this doll to upset me." "Did you stay in that room the night before last?" Su Momo nodded, "Yes, I stayed in that room the night before last, but I didn''t notice anything unusual." There was a surveillance camera in the hallway outside room 808, facing directly at the room door. Fang Rui retrieved the surveillance video from the day of the incident. That morning around 7:30, Su Momo, assistant Liu Yaying, and life assistant Qi Fang all left the hotel suite together. At 10:43 PM, Su Momo and Qi Fang returned to the hotel. Shortly after, Qi Fang ran out of the suite screaming, then the hotel manager appeared in the surveillance footage. Due to Su Momo''s special status, her room was not cleaned by hotel staff, but by her life assistant Qi Fang. In other words, that day, apart from the three of them, no outsiders had entered the room. Chapter 93 Fang Rui returned to the police station with the cursed doll and the hotel corridor surveillance footage. Meanwhile, Captain Li stayed at the hotel to protect Su Momo''s safety. Fang Rui first went to Mu Mian''s office to find her. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian was studying the forensic manual given to her by Forensic Doctor Cheng. Mu Mian found the technical parts easy to understand, but she struggled with the sections on interpersonal relationships. She still couldn''t comprehend complex human interactions. "Fang Rui, where did you go today? I haven''t seen you all day. Did you secretly go investigate a case?" Mu Mian leaned in and sniffed around Fang Rui, "It''s the smell of blood, some kind of animal blood, not very fresh." "You have quite the keen nose." Fang Rui handed the evidence bag containing the cursed doll to Mu Mian, "I also don''t think it''s human blood. Mu Mian, can you help examine what kind of blood is on this doll?" "Fang Rui, you really did go investigate a case. Was there no victim? Why didn''t you take me along?" Mu Mian was a bit displeased. "It''s a small case. But the chief said it needs to be kept confidential." "Alright then." Mu Mian put on gloves and carefully examined the blood stains on the cursed doll. She used an anti-human hemoglobin colloidal test paper, which came back negative, confirming that the blood on the doll was indeed not human. "This is some kind of animal blood. Based on its smell, color, and consistency, we can rule out pig blood, duck blood, sheep blood, and chicken blood, but to determine exactly what kind of blood it is, we''ll need to analyze its components. I suspect it might be dog blood." Mu Mian squeezed the doll, feeling that the cotton inside had clumped together, becoming hard. She also felt something strange inside, long and slightly elastic when squeezed. Curious about what was inside, Mu Mian turned to Fang Rui and asked, "Can I open up this doll to examine it? I feel there''s something unusual inside." "Go ahead, I was planning to open it up and see what''s inside anyway." Mu Mian carefully cut open the doll along its seams and removed the clumped cotton inside. There was a yellowish-brown, elongated piece of flesh, wrinkled, about 10cm long and three fingers wide. Mu Mian picked it up with tweezers for closer inspection, "This looks like a fetus, judging by its size, it''s probably about three months old." "Are you sure it''s a human fetus?" Fang Rui thought of Chen Hui''s case, wondering if there could be a connection between the two cases. "Yes, and it''s been dried." Mu Mian also found a yellow paper ball wedged in the cotton, soaked in blood and crumpled. Strange characters were outlined in gold on the paper. "These characters are very odd, I''ve never seen them before. They don''t seem to follow any pattern, so they''re probably not a code. They might be some kind of mystical symbols, possibly related to religion." Mu Mian felt these weren''t letters, but more like some kind of symbols. Mu Mian wasn''t interested in mystical things and rarely read about such topics, so she couldn''t identify what the symbols were. Fang Rui guessed, "This must be a talisman with spells written on it." The combination of a talisman and a dried fetus strongly resembled some kind of black magic. Fang Rui suspected that whoever made this cursed doll wasn''t just trying to scare Su Momo, but actually believed the curse could work. So the question was, why would the perpetrator want to curse Su Momo to commit suicide by slitting her wrists? Fang Rui thought of Su Momo''s assistant, who seemed very superstitious. Could she be involved in this? Fang Rui watched all the video footage of Su Momo since she checked into the hotel. Su Momo was often out early and back late, rarely staying in the hotel during the day. Her life assistant, Qi Fang, was always by her side, while Liu Yaying''s schedule was more flexible, allowing her to move about freely most of the time. Fang Rui noticed some suspicious points. Su Momo and her assistant Liu Yaying had a strange relationship. When they talked, they seemed to get along very well. But whenever Su Momo turned her back, Liu Yaying''s expression would instantly change, glaring at Su Momo with intense hatred. Liu Yaying seemed to despise Su Momo. Yet Su Momo treated Liu Yaying extremely well, even giving her expensive gifts from brand sponsors, nearly offending the sponsors in the process. On the first day Su Momo checked in, she was carrying a spotted dog. The dog could be seen walking in the corridor on the second and third days. But after the fourth day, the dog was never seen again in the surveillance footage. Fang Rui focused his investigation on the relationship between Su Momo and Liu Yaying. They were both students in the acting department at Film University, in the same year but different classes. They had been close friends since their freshman year. During their university years, Liu Yaying far surpassed Su Momo in both looks and acting ability. In every performance showcase, Liu Yaying always played the lead role, while Su Momo could only get minor roles with few lines. In their senior year, Liu Yaying started dating a rich second-generation heir and lost interest in acting, turning down many roles. She passed on a TV drama script she didn''t think much of to Su Momo, and recommended Su Momo to the director for the unpopular lead role. Unexpectedly, the low-budget TV drama became a hit, and Su Momo rose from being an extra to instant stardom. Liu Yaying''s fortunes, however, took a sharp downturn. Her wealthy boyfriend quickly tired of her and abandoned her while she was pregnant. She also offended industry insiders by breaking contracts and was essentially blacklisted. These consecutive blows left Liu Yaying physically and mentally exhausted, nearly driving her to attempt suicide by slitting her wrists. Later, Su Momo, grateful for Liu Yaying''s help in the past, hired the destitute Liu Yaying as her assistant and provided her with various forms of financial support. This gradually helped Liu Yaying emerge from the shadows of her past and regain her spirit. Fang Rui found Liu Yaying very suspicious. She had a strong motive for the crime. Fang Rui reviewed all surveillance footage featuring Liu Yaying. He noticed that the day before the cursed doll appeared, Liu Yaying was carrying an LV bag that was bulging oddly, as if concealing some living creature. Fang Rui went back to Jiangzhou International Hotel. He first questioned Su Momo: "Miss Su, do you know where your spotted dog is?" "You mean Bugu? Its hind legs were injured, so it was sent to the pet hospital for surgery." Mentioning her beloved dog, Su Momo''s expression turned sad, "It ran out and got cut by some glass, so I had Yaying take it to the hospital." "Can we inquire about your dog''s condition at the hospital?" "You''ll have to ask Yaying about that. She''s the one who contacted the pet hospital, only she has their information." Fang Rui and Captain Li found Liu Yaying for questioning. "Miss Liu, how would you describe your relationship with Su Momo?" Fang Rui asked. "Momo and I are best friends. We''ve known each other since freshman year and are very close." "Are you sure your relationship is that good?" Fang Rui produced a stack of photos showing Liu Yaying rolling her eyes at Su Momo, glaring at her fiercely, and even making a choking gesture behind her back... The numerous photos all pointed to one conclusion: Liu Yaying harbored intense hatred towards Su Momo. Chapter 94 "No, that''s not it. The expression on my face wasn''t because I hated Momo, but because I was angry. I didn''t want her to follow in my..." Liu Yaying thought of something and swallowed the words she was about to say. "Miss Liu, where is the spotted dog?" Fang Rui asked. "It''s receiving treatment at the pet hospital." "Could you please contact the doctor? We have some questions for him." Liu Yaying stammered, "Well... the vet is very busy. I''ll contact him after he gets off work." Captain Li saw through her lie and exposed her, "You''ve already killed that dog, haven''t you? You used its blood to soak that cursed doll. The dog isn''t at the pet hospital at all, so you can''t make that call." "No, Bugu isn''t dead. I gave it away. That person left Jiangzhou City, and I can''t contact her anymore." Fang Rui asked, "You made that cursed doll, didn''t you?" Liu Yaying immediately shook her head in denial, "That''s not a cursed doll, it''s... I didn''t put it on Momo''s bed. I don''t know how it ended up there." "There was a dried fetus corpse inside that doll," Fang Rui looked at Liu Yaying, deciding to bluff her, "Is that fetus from your abortion?" "No, it''s not," Liu Yaying''s face instantly turned pale, "That doll has nothing to do with me." She was obviously lying. Fang Rui said, "Then please cooperate with us for a DNA test. If that fetal corpse matches your DNA, then you can''t deny your connection to this cursed doll." "I didn''t make it, I really didn''t put it on Momo''s bed." Fang Rui caught the loophole in her words, "Are you admitting that you made this doll?" "I admit it, I had a master make it for me, but it''s not a cursed doll, it''s... it''s for holding my child''s soul. I don''t know why it appeared in Momo''s room." "If it''s for holding your child''s soul, why was the doll made to look like Su Momo?" Fang Rui felt her story was full of holes. "I..." Captain Li didn''t want to hear Liu Yaying lie anymore, he interrupted her defense, "Miss Liu, intimidating others with a cursed doll is also against the law. We need to detain you first." "Can you not tell Momo about this..." Liu Yaying looked at them pitifully, "I don''t want to lose Momo as a friend." "Of course not. Whether you go to jail or not depends on whether Miss Su will pursue legal action against you. We must inform her of this. Besides, if you consider Su Momo a friend, why would you do something to hurt her? Is this what friends do?" Captain Li said angrily. Liu Yaying''s face turned even paler. She tried to defend herself but ultimately gave up. Fang Rui conducted a DNA test between the fetal corpse and Liu Yaying, and the results showed a blood relation. This basically confirmed that Liu Yaying had made the cursed doll. When Su Momo heard that the person who cursed her had been found, she wrapped herself up tightly, wore sunglasses, and secretly came to the police station. Her life assistant, Qi Fang, also came with her. "Why is it you?" The moment she saw Liu Yaying, Su Momo was stunned as if struck by lightning, "Yaying, why did it have to be you? I''ve been so good to you, why would you do this?" Liu Yaying''s lips quivered, her face full of struggle. She seemed to want to explain, but perhaps feeling she couldn''t, she remained silent. "Liu Yaying, explain yourself! Give me a reason why you did this." "Momo, I have no explanation. I can''t explain." Su Momo''s tears kept flowing, ruining her makeup. "Liu Yaying, tell me why you did that. Why did you curse me to commit suicide by cutting my wrists? You know my mother died by cutting her wrists, you know how much of a shock this is to me, why would you curse me like this?" Su Momo became increasingly hysterical, "Liu Yaying, we were best friends, we accompanied each other through the toughest times. You took care of me when I was sick. Now that we''ve finally started living good lives, why did you betray me?" "I didn''t curse you to commit suicide, that doll was..." "Enough, Liu Yaying, I''ve had enough of you! Let''s end our friendship here. I won''t pursue legal action against you this time, I''ll bail you out. But you''re fired, you''re no longer my employee, and no longer my friend. Take care of yourself from now on." "Momo..." Su Momo left without looking back. Qi Fang glanced at Liu Yaying, who was also in tears, and smiled at her, "Sister Yaying, don''t worry, I''ll take good care of Momo from now on." "Qi Fang, Momo''s health isn''t good. Remember to have her checked regularly, please take extra care of her." "I will. You don''t need to worry about her anymore. Sister Yaying, you need to worry about yourself now." Su Momo practically ran out, and at the corner of the corridor, she bumped into Chen Xue. Chen Xue rubbed her sore shoulder, and when she realized who had bumped into her, her face lit up with joy, "Are you... Su Momo?" Su Momo stopped crying and denied it, "I''m not." "But... you... oh, I understand. I''m sorry, I must have mistaken you for someone else." Seeing that Chen Xue was so understanding, Su Momo said, "Give me your notebook and pen." "What?" "You recognized me even though I''m all wrapped up like this, you must be a die-hard fan. You want an autograph, right? I''ll sign for you." "Mian, quick, get the pen and notebook!" Mu Mian thought Chen Xue needed to record an autopsy for another forensic scientist. They hadn''t had any cases recently and were often borrowed by other departments. When they had nothing to do, they occasionally helped the neighboring traffic police department with autopsies ¡ª of course, these were all voluntarily requested by Mu Mian. She even begged others to let her examine their corpses. Mu Mian brought Chen Xue her autopsy record book. Chen Xue was stunned. How could she let her favorite idol sign on this? But then she thought, why not? "You''re female forensic scientists? That''s amazing," Su Momo praised them after learning their profession, "I happen to have a role where I play a forensic scientist, could you give me some pointers?" Su Momo looked at Chen Xue, "Little fan, let''s add each other on WeChat." Chen Xue nodded frantically, her hands shaking throughout the entire process of adding contacts. "Um, little fan, are you sure you want me to sign here?" Su Momo looked at the notebook, somewhat hesitant. Chen Xue nodded vigorously. "Alright then." Su Momo thought for a moment, then signed her name in the victim''s name column. Su Momo''s handwriting was beautiful, each stroke powerful, unlike the flamboyant signatures of other celebrities. Mu Mian noticed a long scar on the inside of her right wrist, seemingly a knife wound. The scar was covered by her diamond watch, but it was visible when she raised her hand. Mu Mian was surprised. Had she attempted suicide by cutting her wrists? Chen Xue, having obtained the autograph, was overjoyed. As expected of her favorite idol, she was so unique. Su Momo noticed Mu Mian staring at her and thought Mu Mian was also a fan, "Would you like an autograph too?" Mu Mian nodded excitedly. Just as Su Momo was about to ask Mu Mian where she wanted the signature, Mu Mian took Chen Xue''s record book, flipped to a blank page, found the victim column, and quickly signed her own name. "..." Mu Mian praised her, "This is the first time I''ve seen someone sign their own name in the victim column. I couldn''t resist signing one too." "...I just randomly picked a spot to sign." Long after Su Momo had left, Chen Xue was still standing there, clutching her autograph in a daze. Mu Mian stood with her. Recently, there had been no corpses for Mu Mian to examine, so she was very bored. Sometimes she would join Chen Xue in doing boring and meaningless things that made Chen Xue happy, like watching "Secrets of the Deep Sea" together. "Mu Mian, what are you doing?" Fang Rui saw the two in the corridor and asked, puzzled. "Fang Rui, I want to know what Chen Xue is looking at," Mu Mian rubbed her eyes, "But I can''t see anything. Do you know what she''s looking at?" "No idea." It seems they''ve been too idle lately, to the point of developing problems. Fang Rui reported the investigation results of the cursed doll to the bureau chief. This matter was considered satisfactorily resolved. However, the chief was still uneasy and assigned Captain Li and Fang Rui to protect Su Momo until she finished filming that promotional video. "Fang Rui, you look quite displeased with my arrangement!" Captain Li tried to ease the tension: "Fang Rui, this task is too simple. We just need to follow her around. It''s not like anyone''s going to assassinate her." The bureau chief and Fang Rui simultaneously turned to look at Captain Li. "What''s wrong?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Nothing. Let''s just hope your jinxing words don''t come true this time." Chapter 95 Fang Rui and Captain Li had been following Su Momo on set for three days, and finally, the promotional video was finished, marking the end of their bodyguard duty. Before leaving, Su Momo insisted on giving each of them a signed poster. They weren''t interested in such things and were about to refuse, but Su Momo forced them to accept, threatening to complain to the Director if they didn''t. "Officers, I am a big star after all. You don''t have to be so disrespectful," she said. Fang Rui initially wanted to throw it away but felt it would be disrespectful. He decided to take it back, thinking he could use it to cover a patch of peeling paint on the wall in the forensics office, adding a touch of decoration. Back at the station, Mu Mian approached Fang Rui and sniffed him carefully. "No smell of blood. But there''s a faint scent of perfume. I''ve smelled this on Chen Xue''s idol before. Fang Rui, is your case related to her?" Fang Rui sniffed his own clothes but couldn''t smell any perfume. He had no idea how Mu Mian could detect it. He figured it must have rubbed off on him from being on set for so long. "Yes, you''re right, but that case is over now. We caught the person who made the curse doll," Fang Rui said, handing the poster to Mu Mian. "Doesn''t Chen Xue like Su Momo? Why don''t you give her this autograph?" "Your gift is too late. Chen Xue already has her autograph," Mu Mian said, taking the poster and glancing at it. She still thought the signature in her autopsy record book looked better. "..." So, did Su Momo give out autographs to everyone she met? "Fang Rui, you shouldn''t keep secrets from me next time. See, I always find out in the end," Mu Mian said smugly. "Your ability to keep secrets is a bit lacking." "The Director insisted I keep it confidential. I don''t even know why it needed to be a secret," Fang Rui noticed Mu Mian''s heavy dark circles and asked, "Mu Mian, there haven''t been any cases lately. Why are you still staying up late? You''re not lying awake thinking about corpses, are you?" "That was a few days ago. I''m not thinking about corpses now. I''ve been studying the occult lately. I realized I lack common knowledge in that area and need to learn. I''ve read many books, but I can''t understand their logic, so I''ve been losing sleep. You can''t imagine how many strange black magic practices exist in this world, and how many people believe in them." "Any results?" Fang Rui thought of the talisman paper. Mu Mian must have felt frustrated about not being able to decipher its secret, which sparked her interest in the subject. "Of course. That talisman is a type of Thai black magic, usually used with fetal mummies. It absorbs the good luck of people around it through the fetus''s yin energy, allowing the user to reach peak luck in a short time." Fang Rui frowned, "You mean that doll isn''t a curse doll, but instead brings good luck to its owner?" "Yes. But the doll had extra needle holes and dog blood on it. Proper black magic practices don''t include these things, nor do they embroider names on the dolls. It needs to be nourished with its owner''s blood. After multiple tests, I detected human blood in the fabric of the doll''s head. It must have been nourished for some time." Fang Rui suddenly realized something. Could the person who made the doll and the one who placed it in the room be different people? "So, we shouldn''t call it a curse doll," Mu Mian corrected Fang Rui. Mu Mian gave the poster Fang Rui had given her to Chen Xue. "Mian Mian, this poster is a limited edition, very hard to buy, and it even has an autograph! How much did you spend on this? Mian Mian, I love you so much. I''ve decided to keep you company during overtime every day from now on." "Don''t forget, okay? I''ve already recorded it," Mu Mian took out her bone-shaped voice recorder. She decided to hide the truth so Chen Xue would voluntarily keep her company during overtime. Just as Fang Rui was debating whether to reinvestigate the curse doll case, his phone rang. "Captain Fang, we''ve received a report of a suspected homicide in a dressing room at Jiangzhou TV Station..." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui and his team immediately rushed to the crime scene. Jiangzhou TV Station was holding its first rehearsal for the New Year''s Eve concert. The station had spent a fortune inviting a large number of popular stars and veteran artists to boost ratings and advertising revenue. The entrance of the TV station was crowded with fans of various celebrities, and Fang Rui''s team had to struggle a bit to squeeze through. The waiting area and various corridors were also packed with people. To speed up the makeup process and avoid disturbing the artists, the TV station provided independent dressing rooms for high-profile celebrities. The entire makeup area had no surveillance cameras. The outermost area was a public makeup room where extras crowded to apply their makeup. Further in, there were several rooms side by side, assigned as dressing rooms for higher-status artists. The dressing room where the incident occurred was the innermost one. As soon as they entered the dressing room, they were hit by a strong smell of blood. The scene was chaotic. The makeup table had been shifted, various cosmetics were scattered on the floor, and the clothes rack had fallen over, with expensive gowns on it stained with blood. There was a large amount of blood in the room. Near the dressing table, there was a pool of blood on the floor, with darker edges and a lighter center. There were also small splatter patterns of blood on the floor and walls. "Preliminary judgment suggests this is human blood," Mu Mian said, collecting blood samples from various parts of the blood pool, as well as from the splatter patterns on the walls and floor, planning to conduct DNA tests back at the lab. Mu Mian searched for a long time but couldn''t find a body. However, if all the blood on the floor belonged to one person, that person would be in grave danger. "There''s at least 500-600 milliliters of blood on the floor. We must find the injured person, or they''ll likely be in critical condition," Chen Xue said. "Boss, it''s strange. If someone was injured, where could they have gone? If they''re already dead, why did the killer remove the body? Wouldn''t it be easy to get caught transporting a body in such a crowded place?" Zhang asked, puzzled. Zhang had voiced everyone''s confusion. The person who reported the case was Zhang Dawei, the program''s director. He described how he discovered the crime scene. "Around 4 PM, I came to the dressing room to discuss program details with Su Momo. I knocked on the door for a long time and called Su Momo many times, but there was no answer. I called her assistant, who had gone out to buy her milk tea and didn''t know the situation either. I felt something was wrong and quickly tried to break down the door. It turned out the door wasn''t locked, and I fell to the ground. My hand felt something wet, and when I looked closely, I saw a large bloodstain on the floor. So I immediately called the police." Fang Rui asked, "Is this dressing room assigned to Su Momo?" "Yes. This dressing room was specifically for her use." Fang Rui remembered the curse doll, which was also covered in blood. Could the killer have left that doll as a murder announcement? If the killer intended to commit murder, where had Su Momo''s body gone? Fang Rui turned to Zhang Dawei, "Has anyone been able to contact Su Momo?" "No one can reach her. Her manager has called her many times, but the calls still don''t go through. We fear she might be dead. We don''t know where the killer might have hidden her body." Just then, a phone rang in the room, playing a Japanese song. Fang Rui and his team followed the sound and found a phone under the leg of the makeup table. The phone was vibrating, with the caller ID showing: "Heartless Manager Sister Sun." "This Sister Sun is Su Momo''s manager," Zhang Dawei said. "This should be Su Momo''s phone. I remember her phone case was also red with the words ''Get Rich'' written on it, very similar to this one." Chapter 96 Fang Rui answered the phone, and the person on the other end said angrily, "Su Momo, you finally picked up. It''s just singing a song at the New Year''s Eve gala, why are you hiding and not answering your phone? Can you stop being so childish? Do you remember how you became famous? Without me, you''re nothing!" The voice on the phone belonged to Su Momo''s agent, Sun Qin, who was extremely frustrated at the moment. Su Momo was at the peak of her popularity, and any negative news would undoubtedly affect her career. "Hello, we''re the police. We suspect that Su Momo has gone missing. Please come down to assist with our investigation." "She''s missing? Don''t worry, she''s probably just hiding to avoid performing at the event. She''s done this before. She''ll come back on her own in a few days." Sun Qin paused, then added, "Officers, I''m sorry you''ve wasted a trip. I hope you can keep this confidential and not let this information leak out." Fang Rui reminded her, "We found a large amount of blood in her dressing room. I think it would be better if you came down." "Blood? What''s going on? She hasn''t really come to harm, has she?" "We''re still investigating." "I''m sorry, I''m out of town and can''t get there right away. But I''m booking a flight now and will fly over as soon as possible." At that moment, Su Momo''s assistant Qi Fang returned with bubble tea. When she saw the blood all over the floor, the drink fell from her hands with a splat. "What happened?" Qi Fang asked quietly, her lips trembling as she looked at the blood on the floor. "Who''s hurt? It''s not Momo, is it?" Fang Rui turned to Qi Fang, "We''re not sure yet. Miss Qi, we have some questions for you." Fang Rui suspected that Qi Fang might be the one who placed the cursed doll, as only three people had entered that room. If it wasn''t Liu Yaying, then Qi Fang was the most suspicious. By getting rid of Liu Yaying, Qi Fang would have a chance to be favored, otherwise she would always be overshadowed by Liu Yaying. "Alright, go ahead and ask," Qi Fang replied cooperatively. Qi Fang was average-looking with many freckles on her face, but she had a pleasant voice and seemed very gentle. "What time did you arrive at this dressing room?" "A little after three. We were worried about traffic, so we left half an hour early, but there was no traffic jam, so we arrived more than an hour ahead of schedule. The makeup artist we booked wasn''t due until 4:30, so Momo was bored and asked me to go out and buy her some bubble tea. I could have come back quickly, but then I received a message from Momo. She asked me to go to I-PINK to buy her a brownie. That store is far from the TV station, so I had to take a taxi there." "What time did you receive the message?" "Just a moment, let me check the chat history," Qi Fang hurriedly opened her phone and looked. "4:16 PM." "Do you know Su Momo''s phone password?" "Well..." Qi Fang hesitated for a moment, "Yes. Sometimes when Momo is filming, she asks me to keep her phone for her." Qi Fang helped unlock Su Momo''s phone. It had many game and video apps downloaded, and the wallpaper was an anime cartoon. The chat history on her social media apps had been cleared, with the most recent message being from her agent at 4:45 PM. The earliest message was around 4:31 PM, when Qi Fang sent her a photo asking if she could substitute another cake since the brownie was sold out. But Su Momo hadn''t replied. Fang Rui also checked her call log, which had also been deleted. The list only showed dozens of missed calls from Zhang Dawei, Qi Fang, and Sun Qin. The earliest missed call was at 4:35 PM. After taking Qi Fang''s statement, Fang Rui questioned people in the public dressing area if they had noticed anything unusual. As Zhang was leaving, he accidentally stepped on the spilled bubble tea. While wiping his shoe with a tissue, he noticed the tea was ice cold. "Boss, that Qi Fang might be lying. The bubble tea in her hand was freezing cold. Chen Xue often drinks that brand, and it can only be made hot. The tea being so cold doesn''t seem like it was just bought," Zhang muttered. "Go ask her where she bought the bubble tea and verify the information." "Got it." Fang Rui questioned the performers in the public dressing area. One dancer said, "I''m a fan of Su Momo. I was planning to ask for her autograph, but when I got to her dressing room door, I heard people arguing inside. It sounded like Su Momo and another woman." Another backup dancer added, "That woman might have been Su Momo''s former assistant Liu Yaying. I saw her go into that dressing room. At first, Su Momo didn''t want to let her in, but she kept begging, so Su Momo let her in." Fang Rui asked, "Are you sure the person you saw was Su Momo?" Fang Rui suspected this might be a prank. Su Momo might have deliberately set up this scene to confuse everyone and make them think she had been harmed. The motive could be to scare her agent or to avoid performing at the New Year''s Eve gala. "Of course it was. I''m Su Momo''s die-hard fan. Even if she was in disguise, I''d recognize her. I couldn''t possibly be mistaken." "Around what time did Liu Yaying go in?" "Close to 4 PM, because it was almost our turn to go on stage. We started rehearsing at 4:05 PM." An assistant from the dressing room next to Su Momo''s said, "When I first arrived, I saw a man lurking suspiciously outside Su Momo''s dressing room. As soon as I approached, he slipped away. I didn''t get a clear look at his face. He was wearing a black jacket and was rather short." "After Su Momo entered the dressing room, did any of you see her come out?" "No, I don''t think so. We didn''t see her leave." The police suppressed the news of Su Momo''s disappearance, but with so many people at the scene, many backup dancers and extras learned about it. Various rumors immediately spread like wildfire online. #SuMomoMysterious Death# #SuMomoMissing# #SuMomoMurderedByAssistant,BodyVanished# #SuMomoFilmWorksMontage# Several hashtags quickly topped the trending list, and several major media platforms focusing on celebrity gossip crashed. Some netizens speculated that Su Momo had committed suicide due to work pressure and frequent cyberbullying by anti-fans. Others guessed that she had been killed by her unscrupulous agent, who had also seized all her assets. Even more outlandishly, some said Su Momo wasn''t dead at all, but had faked her death to escape her company''s control... The current focus of the investigation was to first determine whose blood it was. Could the injured person be Su Momo? Mu Mian and Chen Xue went to Su Momo''s room to collect DNA samples. Chen Xue felt very heavy-hearted. Just the day before, she had been chatting with her idol, and now Su Momo''s fate was unknown. "Mian, do you think Su Momo is already dead?" Chen Xue sighed. "If that blood belongs to Su Momo and was shed in a short period of time, then she''s most likely dead," Mu Mian said, then realizing she might have been too blunt, added comfortingly, "Chen Xue, everyone dies eventually. Don''t be too sad. You can find another celebrity to follow." "If Captain Fang''s corpse disappeared, would you find another corpse to like?" Chen Xue suddenly realized that since being kidnapped, Mu Mian had never mentioned the word "corpse" again. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 97 "Chen Xue, don''t say such unlucky things! Fang Rui won''t be gone, I can protect him. Besides, I couldn''t find a more perfect corpse than him, he''s already the most perfect," Mu Mian said. Chen Xue thought that Fang Rui and Mu Mian''s relationship had made significant progress, but judging from Mu Mian''s attitude, she didn''t seem to have noticed this change in herself. Chen Xue said, "Mian Mian, I won''t like any other celebrities either." Mu Mian seemed to understand the irreplaceability of Su Momo as an idol for Chen Xue. Su Momo''s room had many traces of her life. There was fallen hair on the bed, which, judging from the color and texture, should be hers; there was also hair on the comb; minute oral epithelial tissue was detected on the toothbrush; and there were cut fingernails in the trash can. Mu Mian collected all of these as samples for DNA testing. The police also notified Su Momo''s father, informing him that Su Momo was missing. At first, Su''s Father appeared very indifferent, saying that Su Momo''s life or death had nothing to do with him. Later, when he learned that DNA testing was required and that Su Momo might already be dead, he immediately changed his tune, saying he would definitely cooperate with the police''s work. "Officers, you must find my daughter''s body as soon as possible!" Su''s Father choked out a few dry sobs, but his voice was still full of vigor and devoid of emotion. "My poor daughter, I want her to rest in peace quickly. Officers, you must notify me immediately if you have any news." Fang Rui corrected him, "Mr. Su, we haven''t confirmed whether your daughter is dead or not yet." "In any case, you must notify me first if there''s any news! By the way, how will my daughter''s assets be handled? I''m her biological father, I have the right to dispose of her inheritance, right? That manager of hers is very bad and extremely cunning, she hurt me terribly before. I''m worried she might swindle away all of my daughter''s inheritance..." Fang Rui was speechless. Su Momo''s father didn''t care about his daughter''s life at all, only her property. He specifically investigated Su Momo''s father. When Su Momo was in high school, Su''s Father had absconded with the family''s wealth and eloped with his mistress. Su Momo''s mother couldn''t handle the shock, developed mental problems, and soon after committed suicide by slitting her wrists at home. After Su Momo became famous, Su''s Father shamelessly came back asking for money. When he didn''t get it, he threatened to spread rumors and smear Su Momo as unfilial. Later, it was Su Momo''s manager who used tough measures to warn Su''s Father, and he never dared to trouble Su Momo again. Fang Rui somewhat regretted contacting Su''s Father. If something really happened to Su Momo, letting such a scumbag get the inheritance would be too infuriating. Fang Rui quickly found out that his worry was unnecessary. Su Momo''s lawyer said she had made a will. 60% of her estate would be donated to charity organizations, 20% would be given to Liu Yaying, 10% would be given to her manager Sun Qin''s daughter Sun Miaomiao, and the remaining 10% would be set up as a fund to regularly send money to the rural schools she had been supporting. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though Su Momo had fallen out with Liu Yaying, she still hadn''t told her lawyer to modify the will. Fang Rui asked Li to retrieve the surveillance footage from near the crime scene. To protect privacy and prevent unauthorized filming, there were no cameras installed in the entire makeup area. However, there was a camera installed at the entrance of the makeup area - a long corridor. The camera faced the corridor entrance, and anyone entering this corridor would have their face captured by the camera. Fang Rui and his team obtained the surveillance footage from the day of the incident. The footage showed that around 3:21 PM, a woman who was wrapped up tightly and suspected to be Su Momo appeared in the frame. She was accompanied by Qi Fang and two bodyguards wearing black jackets. The woman was wearing a gray coat, a mask, and a baseball cap, with her eyes hidden behind large sunglasses. If you only looked at her face, it was hard to tell who this person was. So Fang Rui asked Su Momo''s manager and assistant to help identify her. "This is Momo," Su Momo''s manager Sun Qin said confidently. "This coat is a limited edition from V brand, and in China, only Momo, as the brand ambassador, has this coat. The appearance and figure are very similar. And look at her wrist, that diamond watch is Momo''s favorite watch. Unless she''s filming, she never takes it off." Qi Fang also agreed: "Sister Momo was wearing these clothes when she went out. And there''s me and two bodyguards beside her, it must be her in the surveillance footage." The surveillance showed Su Momo entering the makeup area, but it didn''t capture her leaving. This meant that Su Momo was either still in the makeup area, or had already been taken out by the killer in some way. Fang Rui led a team to conduct a thorough search of the entire makeup area, but they didn''t find Su Momo or any suspicious traces. Logically, an injured person moving around would inevitably leave traces. It would also be difficult for the killer to move a corpse out without attracting attention from others. The next afternoon, the DNA test results came out. "The blood found at the scene belongs to the same person, and it''s highly likely to be Su Momo''s," Mu Mian said. The samples found from Su Momo''s home belonged to the same person, and those samples matched the blood samples collected from the scene, belonging to the same person. Moreover, Su Momo''s father''s DNA sample also matched the blood samples collected from the scene, showing a parent-child relationship. These could prove that the blood at the scene was very likely Su Momo''s. Mu Mian continued: "Based on the analysis of the blood pool area and blood viscosity, there was about 800-900 milliliters of blood at the scene." "This amount of blood loss is definitely life-threatening. It''s been a day now, if Su Momo didn''t receive treatment, she should be dead by now," Chen Xue analyzed, her expression a bit sad. "But where could Su Momo''s body be? Why would the killer go to such lengths to hide the body?" Mu Mian reconstructed the crime scene situation on the whiteboard: A person was lying flat on the ground, both of her wrists were cut, and blood flowed out forming a pool. Mu Mian reported: "Based on the blood situation at the scene, she was lying flat on the ground, the arteries on both wrists were cut open, and blood flowed out from the wounds on both hands." Looking at Mu Mian''s drawing, Fang Rui suddenly remembered that cursed doll. That cursed doll was also covered in blood, with a scar on each wrist. "Fang Rui, doesn''t this way of dying seem a bit similar to that doll?" Mu Mian reminded. Everyone looked at Fang Rui and Mu Mian. Chen Xue asked curiously, "What doll?" The matter of Su Momo definitely couldn''t be kept secret anymore, so Fang Rui decided to tell everyone: "Previously, someone placed a cursed doll covered in dog blood on Su Momo''s bed. The chief thought she might be in danger, so he sent Captain Li and me to investigate." Chapter 98 Mu Mian clicked on the screen, opening a folder filled with photos of that rag doll. She opened one of them, and when everyone saw it, they all gasped. The doll looked almost identical to Su Momo, with black and red bloodstains making it look eerie and terrifying. It was laid flat on the ground, very similar to the corpse Mu Mian had drawn. Zhang analyzed, "So did the killer murder based on this cursed doll? Or did they leave the cursed doll as a death notice, telling us that they would kill in this manner?" Fang Rui said, "Captain Li and I had already found the person who made this doll. She''s Su Momo''s assistant, Liu Yaying. But Mu Mian and I have uncovered some new leads, and we suspect that someone else placed the doll there." "But Liu Yaying also went to that makeup room yesterday afternoon. Could it be such a coincidence? What was she doing there?" Fang Rui decided to bring Liu Yaying in for questioning. However, they discovered that Liu Yaying had also disappeared. Her phone was unreachable, no one was at her home, and all her social media accounts were unresponsive. The makeup area''s surveillance footage showed her leaving at 4:15 PM yesterday. From her back view, she didn''t seem to be in good spirits, keeping her head down the entire time and occasionally wiping tears with her hand. Concerned for her safety, Fang Rui asked Old Zhang and his team to investigate Liu Yaying''s whereabouts. The most important task now was to find Su Momo or her body. Mu Mian found it strange that the killer tried to stage the crime scene as a wrist-cutting suicide, yet hid Su Momo''s body. These two actions seemed very contradictory. Mu Mian couldn''t figure out the killer''s motive for doing this. The technical department recovered Su Momo''s deleted chat history. "Boss, why didn''t the killer just take the phone away and destroy it? Doesn''t the killer know that deleted messages can be recovered?" Li thought this killer wasn''t very smart. Fang Rui had the same question. He even suspected that the killer intentionally left the phone behind, wanting them to investigate certain information. Fang Rui looked through Su Momo''s phone and found that she frequently chatted with someone saved as "Egg Melon Kid." From the chat content, it appeared they were a couple of over three years who were recently breaking up. The reason was that the man was cheating with several women simultaneously. Su Momo had even threatened him, saying she had evidence of his infidelity and wanted to expose him, ruining his reputation. The man initially begged her not to expose him, but later he started threatening Su Momo, saying if she dared to expose him, she wouldn''t have a good time either. The technical department also recovered a large number of photos and a deleted audio recording. The photos were of Su Momo and a man together. They looked very intimate. This person was likely Su Momo''s boyfriend. The content of the audio recording was as follows: [Su Momo: Liang Guangyu, what exactly is your relationship with Li Yushan? Why did she come to our home and sleep in our bed? Don''t you even have money for a hotel room? Liang Guangyu: Momo baby, I''m sorry, I, I was drunk that day, I don''t know what happened. Su Momo: Shut up, don''t call me that anymore, it makes me sick. What about that model? Was she also someone you brought back when you were drunk? You like drinking so much, why haven''t you drunk yourself to death! Liang Guangyu: Momo baby, I love you, I love you so, so much. What would you do if I drank myself to death? I don''t like those women, I was just playing around with them. You''re too busy, you don''t have time to accompany me. I was just too lonely, that''s why I made mistakes. I just made the mistake that all men in the world would make. Su Momo: Get lost! If you cheated, just admit it like a man. Don''t try to blame it on me, you''re so impressive. To be honest, I don''t care much about your cheating, I''ve wanted to dump a useless scumbag like you for a long time. But you actually slept with Liu Yaying, if I wasn''t curious about why Liu Yaying wanted to curse me, I wouldn''t even have known about this. You two, a scumbag man and a cheap woman, I must have been blind to be so good to you both. Liang Guangyu, I already have all the evidence of your cheating, just you wait, I''m going to ruin your reputation. Liang Guangyu: Momo baby, don''t be so impulsive! Please forgive me. Don''t expose me, what about my career? What about your career? We''ll both suffer reputation damage. Liang Guangyu: Su Momo, if you dare to expose me, I''ll drag you down with me! If you push me too far, I''m capable of anything! Liang Guangyu: Su Momo, you can''t afford to mess with my management company, you''d better keep your mouth shut!] After listening to the recording, Zhang said, "This Liang Guangyu used to be a top celebrity. He and Su Momo once starred in a popular xianxia drama together, and many people shipped them as a couple. Who would have thought they actually got together? And even more surprising that Liang Guangyu turned out to be such a scumbag." Li said, "This Liang Guangyu also cheated with Liu Yaying. What''s going on, why is Liu Yaying involved again?" They then looked through Su Momo''s chat history with Liu Yaying. Two days before Su Momo''s disappearance, she suddenly sent Liu Yaying this message: Su Momo: Liu Yaying, you''re something else, you''ve really done it! You could sleep with anyone, but you had to sleep with Liang Guangyu. You knew how much I loved him, yet you did this to me. I''ve been so good to you both, and this is how you repay me? Liu Yaying replied: Momo, he didn''t just sleep with me, you know. That bed in your house has seen plenty of other women. That''s what you get for falling in love with such a scumbag! Then Liu Yaying sent Su Momo many photos. The photos were very clear, mostly bedroom shots of Liang Guangyu with different women. She also sent Su Momo screenshots of some chat records, showing that Liang Guangyu not only hired escorts but also flirted with underage fans. If these pieces of evidence were exposed, Liang Guangyu''s entertainment career would likely be over. Zhang analyzed, "Liang Guangyu also went to Jiangzhou TV Station for rehearsal that day. Could this case be related to him? Did he do it together with Liu Yaying?" Fang Rui decided to find Liang Guangyu to understand the situation. Liang Guangyu was still in Jiangzhou City for the New Year''s Eve gala recording and was staying at the Jiangzhou International Hotel. His room number was 603, on the same floor as Su Momo. Fang Rui had already explained the situation to his manager in advance. His manager was initially uncooperative and refused to communicate, but quickly changed her tune after learning that Fang Rui and his team had obtained a large amount of evidence of Liang Guangyu''s infidelity. "Please come directly to the hotel for the record. Guangyu''s identity is quite special, going to a place like the police station would cause controversy. Please be accommodating and come to the hotel, we promise to cooperate with your investigation." As soon as Fang Rui arrived at the hotel, the hotel manager from last time was already waiting for them at the entrance. "Originally, Mr. Liang was staying on the 8th floor, but we found a fly in his room, so we changed his room to the 6th floor at his request," the hotel manager said, trying to ease the tense atmosphere with small talk. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "When did he change rooms?" "Six days ago, the same day the scary doll was found in Su Momo''s room. Our hotel was particularly unlucky that day, suddenly receiving complaints from two VIP guests." Chapter 99 When they arrived at room 603, Liang Guangyu''s agent Li Hui quickly ushered them in. Liang Guangyu was pacing restlessly around the room. Upon seeing Fang Rui and his team, he immediately said, "Officers, you absolutely must not release those photos to the public! You have to keep this confidential for me, otherwise my lawyer will sue you for defamation." "Liang Guangyu, shut up!" Li Hui was about to cry from this man''s stupidity. The police had so much evidence, and he still wanted to sue them for defamation? Was he trying to get the police to expose all his dirty laundry? Liang Guangyu''s brain seemed to have been squeezed by a door, as dull as a pig. If it weren''t for his handsome face, she would have stopped representing him long ago. "Mr. Liang, what is your relationship with Su Momo?" "Just friends..." Seeing Fang Rui frown, Liang Guangyu quickly confessed, "No, she''s my ex-girlfriend. We dated for two or three years, but she suddenly broke up with me a couple of days ago." Liang Guangyu irritably ran his fingers through his hair. "Officers, haven''t you already figured everything out? Is there really a need to keep asking?" "What is your relationship with Liu Yaying?" "You mean Su Momo''s assistant? I just slept with her once, but she kept pestering me and even tried to force me to break up with Momo. She''s mentally unstable, there''s something wrong with her head." "Where were you yesterday between 4 and 5 PM?" "I was in the makeup room. My makeup artist and assistant can confirm that. I have nothing to do with Momo''s death. I didn''t kill her." Zhang retorted, "We never said Su Momo was dead." "But with all that blood on the ground, how could she not be dead?" Upon hearing the news of Su Momo''s death, Liang Guangyu breathed a sigh of relief, but Li Hui poured cold water on him. If Su Momo was really dead, once the police investigated, their secrets would be exposed instead. Liang Guangyu instantly became as startled as a frightened bird. Zhang reminded him, "Mr. Liang, we''ve found that you may be involved in prostitution. My colleagues will contact you later, and we hope you''ll honestly confess to your crimes." Prostitution was a matter for the vice squad next door, so Fang Rui had already transferred the evidence to his colleagues. Liang Guangyu''s face instantly turned ashen. Li Hui also realized that Liang Guangyu probably couldn''t be saved. After questioning Liang Guangyu, Fang Rui and Zhang left. When they reached the hotel lobby, they found the entrance crowded with reporters. The hotel security was trying hard to maintain order, but many reporters were still pushing in with their cameras. "Is Liang Guangyu staying at this hotel?" "Is he really with Su Momo?" "Is Su Momo''s disappearance related to him?" Although Liang Guangyu himself wasn''t present, the reporters were still pestering the hotel staff for information. Fang Rui frowned. How did the reporters know about Liang Guangyu and Su Momo''s relationship? He opened his phone and received a notification: According to inside sources from the police, Su Momo''s disappearance is suspected to be related to Liang Guangyu. Su Momo had been dating Liang Guangyu for three years, but Liang Guangyu had cheated on her multiple times and was also suspected of hooking up and flirting with female fans... The article also included photos of Liang Guangyu''s infidelity. Fang Rui found that Liang Guangyu was dominating the trending topics on various platforms: sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. #Yu-Mo CP is actually real# #Yu-Mo CP video compilation# #Liang Guangyu Su Momo audio recording# #Momo baby I''m sorry# #Liang Guangyu juggling multiple women# #Liang Guangyu the big player# Multiple trending topics about Liang Guangyu quickly dominated the charts. At first, Liang Guangyu''s company hired a large number of internet trolls to try to suppress the negative news with dating rumors, and his fans also tried hard to clean up the comment sections. It worked well initially. However, due to the high interest in Su Momo''s disappearance, curious onlookers quickly pushed #Liang Guangyu scumbag# to the top of the trending list. Most netizens believed that Su Momo''s disappearance must be related to Liang Guangyu. They thought it was very likely that Liang Guangyu had killed her to cover up his misdeeds. Fang Rui looked at Zhang. Zhang immediately denied it, "Boss, it wasn''t me who leaked it. Although Chen Xue is Su Momo''s fan and she hates Liang Guangyu, we still separate our personal and professional lives. We would never leak case details to the public." "I didn''t say it was you. I''m asking you to investigate and see where the information source came from. You''re better at investigating gossip news." "Then don''t look at me like you''re interrogating a suspect." Zhang felt very wronged. Fang Rui felt that this situation wasn''t so simple. Although the news about Liang Guangyu was explosive, talent agencies usually monitor their artists'' public opinion. If it was a small-scale exposure, Liang Guangyu''s company would definitely be able to control the narrative. But for this situation to escalate so quickly, there must be someone pulling strings behind the scenes. As public opinion fermented, Liang Guangyu became a scumbag reviled by thousands. Dozens of Liang Guangyu''s female fans gathered at the police station entrance with signs, making a big fuss. They claimed the police were irresponsible and had released false information, damaging their brother''s reputation. They demanded that the case officers come out and make a statement to clear their brother''s name. The chief ordered people to disperse the fans. But they were a group of young girls who were very emotional, and not only were they not dispersed, but the people sent to disperse them were scratched. "The police officer who leaked the information must be fired! We want to file a complaint against the police for unfair law enforcement." "The public security organs should keep the investigation process strictly confidential. Why was evidence from the investigation leaked? We must be given an explanation." "Please have the relevant personnel clarify the rumors for Liang Guangyu and restore his innocence." Mu Mian went out to pick up a package and saw the large-scale protest at the entrance. She found it a bit noisy and thought about getting the package later, but the package contained her favorite medical journal. Mu Mian ultimately couldn''t resist the temptation. She carefully tried to avoid them, planning to slip through the edge of the crowd and the gap in the iron gate. But then someone said something, and the crowd became agitated. A girl pushed forward forcefully, and Mu Mian lost her balance, hitting her head on the iron gate. Fresh blood slowly trickled down Mu Mian''s forehead. Mu Mian was very angry. She said to the girl, "You pushed me. You need to apologize." The girl saw Mu Mian''s appearance and was startled. Blood kept flowing from Mu Mian''s wound, and her face was covered in blood. "You... you..." Others who saw Mu Mian in this state were also shocked and started to leave. After all, shouting a few words at the police station entrance was nothing, as the law doesn''t punish the masses, but if someone died, they could go to jail. The blood flowed into Mu Mian''s mouth. It tasted salty, and only then did she realize she had a wound on her head. It hurt a little. Fang Rui had just returned from outside and saw Mu Mian standing at the entrance, her face covered in blood. "Mu Mian, who hurt you like this?" Fang Rui quickly ran to Mu Mian''s side. "Are you okay? Why is there so much blood?" "I''m fine, the wound isn''t serious, it''s just a scrape. But I have a blood clotting disorder, so it takes longer to stop bleeding." Mu Mian''s expression was very calm. She pressed a tissue to her wound and was about to go back to put on a band-aid. Fang Rui picked up Mu Mian. "We''re going to the hospital." Mu Mian protested, "Fang Rui, I''m really fine. I don''t want to go to the hospital. The wound is so small, I can treat it myself." The hospital was nearby, and Fang Rui ignored Mu Mian''s protests, carrying her towards the hospital. "Fang Rui, I don''t want to go to the hospital. Look, the wound is already clotting." "Fang Rui, are you deaf? Can''t you hear me talking?" "Fang Rui, I''m afraid of heights. Don''t carry me so high." Fang Rui finally reacted and adjusted his hold on her. Mu Mian finally realized that Fang Rui was angry. But she didn''t know why he was angry. She was the one who got hurt, shouldn''t she be the one who''s angry? Zhang anxiously followed behind Fang Rui, thinking Mu Mian was seriously injured. "Officer Zhang, could you please help me pick up my package? I''ll send you the pickup code. Please bring my journal to the hospital, otherwise I''ll be very bored." "...Alright." Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. If Mu Mian still had the energy to read journals, her injury probably wasn''t too serious. Chapter 100 The nurse cleaned Mu Mian''s wound and found it was very small, just a minor abrasion. She glanced at the sweating Fang Rui, feeling a bit exasperated. Was it necessary to be so anxious over such a minor injury? "Can I choose a SpongeBob bandage?" Mu Mian asked with a frown. "No, only the pediatric department has cartoon bandages." "Fine. You should offer more choices. This white bandage is depressing." "We''ll take that into consideration. But no patient comes to the ER just to get a bandage." "Nurse, is that all you''re going to do for her?" Fang Rui looked at the bandage disapprovingly. "She''s badly hurt, and you''re just putting on a bandage?" "What else? It''s just a small scratch. If her blood clotting wasn''t slightly impaired, causing slower healing, this wound would have healed on its own without needing a bandage." Mu Mian paused while flipping through a medical journal, nodding in agreement. She quietly complained to the nurse, "That''s what I said too, but Fang Rui wouldn''t believe me. He really lacks basic medical knowledge." The nurse couldn''t help but smile, "It''s because your boyfriend cares about you so much. He''s afraid something might happen to you." Mu Mian, focused on the journal, forgot to correct the nurse''s assumption. She was at an interesting part and couldn''t multitask. The nurse turned to Fang Rui and asked, "How did your girlfriend get injured?" Fang Rui was busy searching "Can minor bumps cause concussions?" and didn''t respond to the nurse. Zhang, who was standing nearby, explained, "Liang Guangyu''s fans were causing trouble at our door and bumped into her." The nurse became angry upon hearing this. "That scumbag Liang Guangyu is bad enough, but his fans are just as disgusting. Su Momo is such a kind girl, how did she end up with such a jerk? I hope she wasn''t really kidnapped by that scumbag Liang Guangyu. I hope the police find her soon." Zhang excitedly asked, "Are you a fan of Su Momo too?" "Yes, I absolutely adore Su Momo. Her career is so inspiring. Can you imagine, before she became famous, she worked as an extra for three years, even playing corpses? When she was broke, she lived in a crowded room in an urban village. She''s actually from our Jiangzhou City, but her father ran off with the family''s money, leaving her mother with a huge debt. At such a young age, she had to pay off debts, yet she still pursued her dream of being an actress... Finally, she got a leading role and became famous overnight. Even after becoming famous, she remained dedicated to her craft and did a lot of charity work. She''s very down-to-earth... I saw her at the hospital not long ago, but unfortunately didn''t get her autograph. A nurse from another department did though..." "Su Momo really has had it tough!" Zhang exclaimed. "Yes, I''m surprised she has male fans too." "I''m not her fan, my girlfriend is. She loves Su Momo." "Your girlfriend has great taste." "Of course, that''s why she''s with me." "..." Fang Rui realized that Su Momo''s fans seemed to be everywhere. Was she really that famous? Fang Rui asked, "Did Su Momo come to the hospital for treatment?" "I think so, but I''m not sure what for exactly." "Which department did she go to?" "I believe it was Endocrinology." Fang Rui signaled Zhang to go find out exactly what illness Su Momo had. Still worried about Mu Mian''s injury, Fang Rui called for Dr. Li, the best neurosurgeon in the hospital and his uncle. Dr. Li was doing rounds and would need some time to arrive. While waiting for Dr. Li, Fang Rui discussed the case with Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, do you think Su Momo might still be alive?" "Anything is possible until we find a body! We only found blood at the scene. If someone had received a bone marrow transplant from Su Momo, their blood DNA could match hers; or if someone collected small amounts of her blood daily and saved it up... Even people who lose over 1000cc of blood can survive for 12 hours without treatment if they''re lucky." Mu Mian proposed several possibilities. "We can rule out that last possibility. The person who lost 1000cc of blood had drunk a large amount of water beforehand, diluting their blood. The blood found at the crime scene wasn''t diluted," Mu Mian added. "So Su Momo might have faked her death?" Fang Rui analyzed, "Her purpose might be to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend, to ruin his reputation." Mu Mian questioned, "But couldn''t she just expose her ex-boyfriend directly to ruin his reputation?" Fang Rui thought Mu Mian had a point. With Su Momo''s popularity, if she exposed him online, even Liang Guangyu''s powerful agency couldn''t suppress the news. So why did Su Momo or her body disappear? Where could she be? They waited a while before Dr. Li arrived. He was in his fifties with thick, fluffy hair reminiscent of Einstein. He smiled kindly at Mu Mian. Dr. Li turned to Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, your mother told me all about your girlfr-" Fang Rui interrupted him, "Dr. Li, please examine her wound quickly." Dr. Li glared at Fang Rui, "What''s with calling me Dr. Li? Can''t even greet your uncle properly? You''re being ridiculous!" "It''s common sense to use professional titles at work," Mu Mian whispered. "..." Dr. Li carefully examined Mu Mian''s wound, "Fang Rui, you can take her home now." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Doesn''t she need a brain CT and MRI?" "No need." "Let''s do them anyway," Fang Rui insisted. "Fang Rui, who''s the doctor here, you or me? I''ve been doing this for years. Can''t I even assess an injury properly?" Dr. Li felt irritated at having his professional ability questioned. Fang Rui finally relaxed. He asked the nurse for some medicine and bandages, and re-dressed Mu Mian''s wound himself. Mu Mian touched the thick bandage on her head and complained, "Fang Rui, this bandage makes me look stupid." "You bumped into a door while picking up a package. Aren''t you already stupid?" "I object! That just proves I''m unlucky. This year has been terrible. I keep getting caught by criminals, and now I''ve hit my head." "...You are quite unlucky." Mu Mian was soon discharged. Zhang had gathered information and was waiting for them at the hospital entrance. "Captain Fang, Su Momo did come to the hospital. She had some severe endocrine disorders causing skin inflammation. She was supposed to be hospitalized, but she didn''t have time, so the doctor just prescribed some medication," Zhang paused, "But she still needs to do blood tests every few days. Her assistant, Qi Fang, brings the blood samples." Zhang speculated, "Boss, could Qi Fang have secretly collected Su Momo''s blood and poured it at the crime scene to fake her death?" "If that''s the case, couldn''t Mu Mian detect it?" Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian. Mu Mian sighed, "If they just poured blood on the ground, we''d definitely spot the discrepancy. But if the perpetrator mimicked the blood flow pattern of a suicide, it would be much harder to distinguish. The blood spatter at the crime scene is consistent with what we''d expect from a wrist-cutting suicide." Mu Mian remembered the scars on Su Momo''s wrists. She didn''t seem like someone who would commit suicide. Why would she cut her wrists? When they returned to the station, Mu Mian heard a rumor. "Did you hear? Forensic Mu deliberately hit her head on the door to drive away those protesting fans. Her face was covered in blood." "Was it real blood? Not fake?" "Of course it was real! Why else would Captain Fang rush her to the hospital so anxiously?" "Not necessarily. Last time when Forensic Mu choked on water, Captain Fang was just as panicked..." Mu Mian wanted to clarify that she had just lost her balance and hit the door, not deliberately hurt herself to drive people away. Fang Rui stopped her, "Mu Mian, I think it''s better if you don''t clarify." "Why not?" "Because the truth makes you look more foolish than the rumors they''ve made up." "..." Since they had discovered that Su Momo might have faked her death, finding out how she left the makeup area became crucial. Fang Rui remembered that one of the backup dancers had mentioned that Liu Yaying had visited the makeup room around 4 o''clock. Liu Yaying would certainly know whether the person in the makeup room at that time was Su Momo or not. But Liu Yaying had disappeared. Just as Fang Rui was about to call Old Zhang and his team to ask if they had found Liu Yaying, Old Zhang called him. "Chief Fang, we''ve found Liu Yaying. She''s in a rented apartment. She attempted suicide by slitting her wrists and lost a lot of blood, but she''s still alive. We''re about to take her to the hospital for emergency treatment." Chapter 101 Fang Rui and his team immediately rushed to the rental apartment where Liu Yaying had attempted suicide. The apartment was in an urban village, with very poor conditions. It was an illegally converted room, containing a small kitchen, bathroom, and balcony all crammed into one space. Each area was extremely tiny, with very poor lighting. Given Liu Yaying''s current income, she shouldn''t have been living in such a place. "She rented this place a couple of days ago," Zhang said. "When she first graduated, she lived here with Su Momo for a while. After she became famous, she moved out, but Su Momo lived here for over three years." Liu Yaying had attempted suicide in the bathroom. There was a paper cutter on the floor, with bright red blood slowly flowing across the yellowed white tiles, eventually draining into the floor drain. Mu Mian examined the suicide scene and found nothing unusual. She collected blood samples from the floor, intending to compare them with Su Momo''s. Fang Rui discovered a stack of money and a bank card on the desk, with a suicide note underneath. The handwriting was messy, with many tear stains visible: [I don''t know who will find this note, but please hand it over to the police when you do. The cash on the table is your reward for helping. I committed suicide. My life was too painful. I caused the death of my best friend Su Momo. I''m guilty. I killed her, and I should pay for her life with mine. I have nothing left. There''s 100,000 yuan in this bank account. The PIN is the last six digits of Momo''s ID number. Please ask the police to donate this money to charity in Su Momo''s name, to accumulate some good karma for her. She was such a good person; she deserves good things in return. Don''t notify my family to claim my body. Even if you do, they won''t come for me. After I''m cremated, my ashes can be thrown anywhere, even in a trash can. I don''t care. A rotten person like me deserves to go to hell and die a miserable death.] After reading it, Zhang exclaimed, "Boss, Liu Yaying says Su Momo is dead. How does she know for sure? Does she know where Su Momo''s body is?" "I think she might have seen the news and assumed Su Momo died from slitting her wrists. Liu Yaying probably feels that Su Momo committed suicide because her affair with Liang Guangyu was exposed, which pushed Su Momo over the edge," Fang Rui analyzed. Fang Rui increasingly felt that Su Momo might not be dead. So what exactly was she trying to do? And could she have an accomplice? Fang Rui thought of Qi Fang. Zhang had previously suspected her because of the bubble tea incident, but surveillance footage near the tea shop showed her buying tea after 4 PM, and the cake shop''s cameras also showed her buying a cake there just before 4 PM. Although Fang Rui suspected Qi Fang was behind the cursed doll incident, he had no evidence. Fang Rui found Liu Yaying''s phone on the desk. Li cracked her phone''s lock screen password. Fang Rui went through her phone and found she didn''t seem to have many friends. Her contacts list was short, and there were only brief conversations in her chat history. Judging from the timestamps, she probably hadn''t cleared her chat history. A contact labeled "Bugu''s New Owner Miss Zhang" caught Fang Rui''s attention. Miss Zhang''s profile picture was a selfie of a young woman. Her last message to Liu Yaying read: Liar! You promised to give me the puppy, but then you took it back. You big liar! Liu Yaying had replied: What''s wrong? I didn''t take Bugu back! The other party had already deleted Liu Yaying, and a red exclamation mark appeared in the chat box. Fang Rui scrolled back through their chat history. The gist of their conversation was that Liu Yaying planned to give the spotted dog to Miss Zhang, explaining that the dog''s owner was allergic to dog hair. Miss Zhang expressed her love for the puppy and promised to take good care of it. They reached an agreement, and Liu Yaying gave the puppy to Miss Zhang. They continued to stay in touch, mostly discussing how to care for the dog. Miss Zhang often sent photos of the dog to Liu Yaying. The day before the scary doll was found in Su Momo''s room, Miss Zhang accused Liu Yaying of taking the puppy back. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After reading the chat logs, Li analyzed, "Could it be that Qi Fang took the dog back, killed it, and then made the cursed doll to frame Liu Yaying?" "It''s possible." In the chat history, Miss Zhang had mentioned her home address. Liu Yaying had personally delivered the puppy and its belongings to her home. Fang Rui and Zhang found the place, a middle-class residential complex. After learning of their purpose, Miss Zhang said, "A young woman came to take the dog back. She looked fierce and said she was the dog''s owner. She knew the dog''s name and all its information. I had no choice but to return the dog." "Did the woman have any distinguishing features?" "Features? Her appearance was quite ordinary... she had some freckles on her face," the girl recalled. "She was wearing a gray down jacket at the time, nothing special." "Was it her?" Fang Rui showed her a photo of Qi Fang. "Yes, that''s her! She was so fierce at the time, saying how could I steal someone else''s beloved dog. My goodness, I was so wronged. It was Miss Liu who told me the dog''s owner was allergic to dog hair and couldn''t keep it, so she gave it to me. But then she scolded me." "Alright, thank you for your cooperation!" After leaving Miss Zhang''s home, Zhang analyzed, "It seems Qi Fang is highly suspicious. She stole the dog, made the cursed doll, and pushed Liu Yaying out. Now Liu Yaying has attempted suicide ¨C could Qi Fang be behind this too? Maybe Liu Yaying found out something, so Qi Fang had to silence her." "If she were the culprit, shouldn''t she have waited until Liu Yaying was dead before leaving?" Fang Rui countered. "And she would have taken Liu Yaying''s phone with her." "That''s true!" Good news came from the hospital: after several hours of emergency treatment, Liu Yaying was out of danger, but she was still in a deep coma and unable to assist with the police investigation. Fang Rui decided to adjust the direction of the investigation. They had previously assumed that Su Momo was seriously injured and kidnapped, so when reviewing surveillance footage, they focused on people carrying heavy objects. But if Su Momo wasn''t injured and could move freely, she could easily evade detection by changing clothes and disguising herself as an extra or backup dancer. The camera at the exit only captured people''s backs, not their faces. "Zhang, go to the TV station and investigate if any costumes for extras or dancers went missing on the day of the incident. Find out what style of clothes were lost." "Got it." The police had opened a case to investigate Liang Guangyu''s involvement in prostitution. With relevant evidence in hand, they had detained him. #LiangGuangyuEarnsSilverHandcuffs# once again topped the trending list. Liang Guangyu''s reputation was thoroughly ruined. Chapter 102 The person in charge of the TV station investigated the costume situation of each program group and temporarily found no cases of missing costumes. The rehearsal started at 3 PM, so during the time period when Su Momo disappeared, most of the people who left the makeup area were wearing performance costumes. The remaining few in civilian clothes were artist assistants and makeup artists. The police have already found and verified the identities of all relevant personnel. There were many backup dancers wearing performance costumes, so it wasn''t possible to accurately verify their identities. However, they all left in an orderly manner by group and knew each other, and so far no suspicious individuals have been found. The makeup area is an enclosed space with only one entrance and exit, and everyone must pass through the corridor with surveillance cameras. According to the police investigation, the person who entered around 3:30 PM was indeed Su Momo, as confirmed by her bodyguard and assistant. After the incident, the police immediately searched the entire makeup area but did not find Su Momo or her body. She seemed to have vanished into thin air in that area. At this moment, Su Momo''s agent Sun Qin called to urge progress on the case: "Officer, what are your investigation results? You need to tell us whether Su Momo is dead or alive. Now many of our advertisers and business partners are coming to us wanting to terminate contracts. A TV drama that was already negotiated also wants to replace Su Momo. You must give me definitive information as soon as possible so I can carry out further work." "We will investigate as quickly as possible." "What do you mean ''as quickly as possible''? It''s been so many days, and you can''t even figure out if Su Momo is dead or alive. Your work efficiency is too poor! Please take this seriously and give us results quickly." "..." Clearly, Su Momo''s disappearance had already seriously impacted her career. "Boss, if Su Momo did this to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend, she''s already achieved her goal, so why hasn''t she reappeared? Could she really have been killed?" Zhang voiced everyone''s doubts. Fang Rui also found it strange. If Su Momo didn''t reappear soon, her entertainment career would truly be over. Could it be that she really didn''t care about her career anymore? Fang Rui reviewed the surveillance video again. He discovered that Liu Yaying entered the makeup area around 3:30 PM, almost following right behind Su Momo. Then she left that corridor at about 4:05 PM. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At around 4:10 PM, someone wearing Qi Fang''s clothes entered the makeup area carrying bubble tea, but in less than a minute, she ran out empty-handed, and her back was caught on the corridor''s surveillance camera. She was walking very hurriedly. Fang Rui watched it many times, and judging from the figure and attire, this person did indeed appear to be Qi Fang. Bored with nothing to do, Mu Mian came to keep Fang Rui company while watching the surveillance videos. "Fang Rui, I''m very good at spot-the-difference games. Let me help you look," said Mu Mian, with a SpongeBob SquarePants bandage on her head. Fang Rui looked up and saw the yellow sponge grinning stupidly at him. Fang Rui gave his seat to Mu Mian. Mu Mian first watched the video of Su Momo and Qi Fang entering the corridor, then watched the segment of Qi Fang leaving alone. At first, Mu Mian didn''t notice any differences between the two Qi Fangs. Their clothing, appearance, and even walking posture were almost identical. Even their unconscious small movements were the same, such as both instinctively avoiding stepping on the mandala patterns on the floor tiles. But suddenly Mu Mian noticed that the Qi Fang who was leaving had a scar on her right wrist. "Fang Rui, does Qi Fang also have a cut on her right wrist?" Fang Rui thought for a moment, not quite sure: "I don''t think so." "Su Momo has one on her right wrist, you know," Mu Mian reminded softly. Fang Rui opened the surveillance videos from the bubble tea shop and cake shop again. The bubble tea shop''s surveillance caught Qi Fang buying bubble tea there around 4:05 PM. The camera only captured her side profile and body, and her face wasn''t very clear, but at first glance, one would think it was Qi Fang. The cake shop''s surveillance also captured Qi Fang, from about the same angle. Neither shop''s surveillance ever captured Qi Fang''s full face. At the time, they didn''t suspect anything because they saw Qi Fang''s freckles in her side profile. Her height and body type also matched. Fang Rui analyzed: "Su Momo must have disguised herself as Qi Fang to leave the makeup area, while Qi Fang hid inside. No wonder Zhang said that cup of bubble tea was cold." Looking at it this way, Su Momo''s acting skills were really good. Her disguise was so convincing that even the detail-oriented Mu Mian almost couldn''t tell the difference. "If Qi Fang was hiding in the makeup area the whole time, why did the surveillance camera capture her entering the makeup area with bubble tea again around 5 PM?" Mu Mian asked, puzzled. Fang Rui also found it strange. Qi Fang first went out to buy bubble tea, then came back, and then Su Momo left disguised as her. Logically, Qi Fang shouldn''t have been able to enter from outside again. But the person captured on camera around 5 PM showed Qi Fang''s face, and it was indeed her. This was also an important reason why they didn''t notice anything unusual in the surveillance video at the time. That makeup area was an enclosed space with only one entrance and exit. It was impossible to enter or leave that place without passing by this surveillance camera. Fang Rui and Zhang went to Qi Fang''s home together. Like Su Momo, Qi Fang was a local. Because Su Momo had disappeared, Sun Qin felt that Qi Fang hadn''t taken good care of Su Momo, so she directly gave Qi Fang some money and fired her. Qi Fang''s home was in a residential compound near the hospital. Her parents had divorced when she was young, and neither wanted to raise her, so she was fostered by her grandmother from childhood. Her grandmother was a doctor with decent financial conditions, and after she passed away, she gave the house allocated by the hospital to Qi Fang. Since Su Momo''s disappearance, Fang Rui had been having someone secretly keep an eye on her. She stayed at home every day, hardly going out except to take out the trash, and even had groceries delivered directly to her door by the supermarket. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. From Qi Fang''s neighbors, they learned that Qi Fang had been odd in personality since childhood, not very sociable, but very filial to her grandmother. After she graduated and came back, she suddenly seemed like a different person. "Hey, that granddaughter of Dr. Qi''s was really spoiled rotten by her. Can you believe a Chinese literature master''s graduate with such good qualifications would quit such a good job because of celebrity worship, idling away her days doing nothing productive!" Fang Rui asked, "She likes Su Momo very much?" "Who''s Su Momo? I don''t know which celebrity she''s chasing after. I heard from others that when her grandmother was still around, she stole money from her grandmother to buy celebrity photos. Those tiny pictures cost thousands of yuan each, and she didn''t even blink an eye when buying them. Tsk, who knows where she learned such bad behavior from, she used to be such an obedient child." "Yes, she used to be so sensible, saying she would take good care of her grandmother. But when her grandmother was seriously ill in bed, she went to a fan meeting instead of seeing her grandmother for the last time. If it weren''t for the fact that this house doesn''t have a property certificate, she probably would have sold the house to chase after celebrities!" Fang Rui felt their description didn''t quite match Qi Fang. She seemed quiet and gentle, and quite responsible in her work, not like someone so fanatical. Zhang muttered softly, "Boss, could this Qi Fang be a crazy fan of Su Momo?" Fang Rui knocked on the door, and someone inside said: "Just a moment, I''m washing dishes in the kitchen. Give me a minute." After a while, Qi Fang opened the door. Her home was very messy, with things piled up all over the floor, seemingly not cleaned for a while. There was also a lot of dust on the sofa. Shoes were randomly placed on the shoe rack in the entryway. Fang Rui found it strange - she appeared to live alone, so why were there two styles of shoes on the rack? Some shoes were very colorful, while others were gray and black, with an old-fashioned style, like the pair Qi Fang was wearing. Fang Rui gave Zhang a look. Zhang had also noticed this oddity, and he immediately clutched his stomach and said to Qi Fang, "I''m sorry, my stomach suddenly hurts. May I use your bathroom?" Chapter 103 Qi Fang hesitated, but seeing that Zhang was about to burst, she pointed in a direction and said, "The restroom is on the right." Zhang dashed into the bathroom. Qi Fang looked at Fang Rui, emotion flashing in her eyes. "Officer Fang, have you found Momo?" "Not yet. We''re here because we have some questions for you." "What do you want to know? Go ahead and ask." "Where is Su Momo''s dog?" "Dog? You mean Bugu? You should ask Liu Yaying about that. She''s been taking care of Momo''s dog all along. I think she sent it to a pet hospital for treatment." "Miss Qi, we''ve already spoken to the lady who adopted the dog," Fang Rui stared at Qi Fang. "So you don''t need to keep making things up. Just tell us the truth." Qi Fang''s expression changed. She quickly defended herself, "I went to get Bugu back myself. Momo asked me to do it, and she told me not to tell Liu Yaying. Liu Yaying has a bad temper and is very strict with Momo. Momo just had a skin allergy, but Liu Yaying insisted it was caused by dog hair and sent the puppy away. I saw how unhappy Momo was, so I secretly checked Liu Yaying''s phone and found the dog." "Where is the dog now?" "I don''t know. Momo''s bodyguard took it away." "Which bodyguard? Take us to see him." Fang Rui noticed Qi Fang''s face turning pale as she seemed to be struggling to find an excuse. He asked, "You placed that cursed doll, didn''t you?" "Of course not. How could I curse Momo?" Qi Fang immediately defended herself, "Officer, you can''t accuse people without evidence!" "Then tell me where the dog went." "It died. I threw the body in the trash." "There are surveillance cameras near your home and the hotel. Let''s go check the footage to see if you threw away the dog''s body." "I..." Qi Fang stiffened her neck, stammering for a while before finally saying, "I''m sorry, I can''t tell you." "That day, Su Momo was wearing clothes identical to yours, pretending to be you when she left the makeup area, right?" Seeing Qi Fang about to quibble again, Fang Rui pointed at her right wrist, "The second ''Qi Fang'' who left that area had a scar on her wrist, but you don''t have that scar. Are you still going to lie?" "I..." "Miss Qi, where exactly is Su Momo?" Fang Rui was almost out of patience. "I don''t know where Momo went either. She forced me to do all this. If I didn''t help her, she threatened to report me to the police. Momo already knew that I was the one who placed the cursed doll! I was too jealous of Liu Yaying. I was so good to Momo, helping her manage everything perfectly, and I tried my best to make her happy. But what did I get in return? Momo couldn''t see my efforts at all. She was always so nice to Liu Yaying but ignored me. And Liu Yaying always ordered me around like a servant! I could have endured it. I thought that if I kept being so good to Momo, she would eventually see my dedication. But then I discovered that Liu Yaying was actually with Liang Guangyu, and they had slept together many times. I didn''t dare tell Momo the truth, so I could only use this method to drive Liu Yaying away. This way, Momo wouldn''t be so heartbroken, and that scum Liu Yaying could stay away from Momo. Someone as good as Momo shouldn''t be treated like this!" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qi Fang became more and more agitated as she spoke, finally covering her face and bursting into tears. Fang Rui asked, "Why did Su Momo fake her death?" Qi Fang wiped her tears and said, "Momo''s plan wasn''t to fake her death. She just wanted to escape from the New Year''s Eve performance. She''s done this often before. She doesn''t like singing, but her manager forces her to, so she asks me to help her escape. I don''t know why there was blood in the makeup room. Could it have been Liu Yaying? Maybe she wanted to ruin Momo''s career." "Liu Yaying attempted suicide by cutting her wrists." "Suicide? How could this happen? Who made that blood then?" Fang Rui asked, "Where did Su Momo go?" "I''m not sure. She might have gone to a small island in the south for a vacation, or to the north to see ice sculptures, or to the west to see the desert. She has many places she wants to visit, and I don''t know which one she chose. She hasn''t contacted me since leaving the makeup room. I''ve been trying to find her too." "Why didn''t you tell us the truth before?" "I was afraid it would affect Momo''s trip, so I didn''t dare tell you. Momo should be fine. She''s just hiding because she was deeply hurt by the betrayal of her best friend and boyfriend. She wants some quiet time. I didn''t want you to disturb her." Fang Rui looked at Qi Fang, "Come with us to the station to make a statement. We need to confirm a few things with you." For some reason, Fang Rui still didn''t quite believe Qi Fang. "Alright." "Why aren''t you moving?" "Officer Zhang is still in the bathroom. Let''s wait for him to come out before I go to the station with you." Qi Fang glanced towards the bathroom and quickly looked away. Zhang came out soon after. They let Qi Fang get in the car first, then Zhang pulled Fang Rui aside and whispered, "Boss, I made a big discovery. There are two pairs of slippers in her bathroom, both women''s. The towels and toothbrushes are also in pairs. Someone else is living in that apartment with Qi Fang." "Hmm." Fang Rui had already guessed that Su Momo might have been staying at Qi Fang''s place these past few days. "At first, I suspected Su Momo was living at Qi Fang''s. But I checked those slippers, they''re both old, and the towels don''t look new either. Su Momo wouldn''t wear old slippers or use old towels, would she?" Zhang analyzed. Fang Rui frowned. So where had Su Momo gone? She couldn''t use her own ID to buy tickets, so she shouldn''t be able to travel around freely. "Boss, I have another guess. Qi Fang seems to be a fan of Liang Guangyu. I saw a keychain hanging in her entryway, it''s merchandise from one of Liang Guangyu''s roles, worth over a thousand yuan. This merchandise is expensive and hard to get." Zhang continued, "There were also traces of posters on her wall, very fresh traces with poster fragments still left. She probably hurriedly tore them down and threw them in the trash just before we arrived. I saw the trash can was full of plastic paper. She must be Liang Guangyu''s fan! And a die-hard one at that!" Chen Xue had been obsessed with celebrity chasing recently, and Zhang had accompanied her, so he was very familiar with fan culture, including which celebrities were rivals, what kind of merchandise was available, and so on. Fang Rui applied for a search warrant to investigate Qi Fang''s home. Just as Zhang had said, the trash can was full of freshly torn posters of Liang Guangyu, some even bearing his autograph. Combined with what Qi Fang''s neighbors said, the celebrity she had been obsessively following was indeed Liang Guangyu. Qi Fang''s apartment had three bedrooms and one living room. One room was used for storage, while the other two were occupied. One of the rooms was very simply furnished, with just a bed and a quilt, and almost nothing else. The other room was covered in posters, all of Liang Guangyu. The desk was piled with magazines, all featuring Liang Guangyu''s recent photoshoots. There was even a special cabinet in the room, filled with various Liang Guangyu merchandise: plush dolls, badges, standees, photo books, and albums... All of this confirmed that Qi Fang was indeed a hardcore fan of Liang Guangyu. "Boss, do you think Qi Fang might have kidnapped or even killed Su Momo to cover up Liang Guangyu''s infidelity?" Zhang asked. Chapter 104 The interrogation of Qi Fang was not going well. No matter how they questioned her, she adamantly insisted that she didn''t know where Su Momo had gone. She also denied kidnapping Su Momo. "I didn''t kidnap Momo. She forced me to help her leave the TV station. After she left, I couldn''t contact her anymore. I haven''t committed any crime! You have no right to detain me. I want a lawyer!" Qi Fang protested. Su Momo''s manager, Sun Qin, also came to question Qi Fang: "Qi Fang, please, just tell me where Momo is. How much money do you want? I can give you anything. Is 200,000 yuan enough?" "Stop trying to insult people with money! Momo has gone to do what she wants to do. You''ve been forcing her to do things she doesn''t like, and she''s very unhappy!" Qi Fang shouted at Sun Qin. After shouting, she sat back down, smiling somewhat eerily, "Momo hates you all. She wants to be alone." Sun Qin was chilled by her smile. She felt that Qi Fang''s mental state was a bit unstable. Fang Rui and his team investigated Qi Fang''s properties, but she only owned this one apartment. They also investigated whether she had rented any houses. She had rented a house a year ago but moved out three months ago. Although there were personal items for two people in Qi Fang''s home, those items didn''t have Su Momo''s DNA on them. They also didn''t find any of Su Momo''s belongings during the search of Qi Fang''s home. Mu Mian discovered that the DNA from the two sets of personal items was different, belonging to two women, one of whom was Qi Fang. After some thought, she compared the two DNA samples and found that the two individuals were related by blood. "Fang Rui, does Qi Fang have any sisters?" Mu Mian asked. "Sisters?" Fang Rui had a sudden realization. If Qi Fang had a sister, it would explain how the Qi Fang hidden in the makeup area could have come in from outside. The person who came in might not have been Qi Fang, but someone who looked very similar to her. Fang Rui and Zhang went to question Qi Fang''s neighbors again. "Qi Fang has a younger sister named Qi Fen. They were born a year apart and were very close as children. When their parents divorced, Qi Fen went with their father. Their father was a lazy good-for-nothing with mental issues, so Qi Fen probably suffered a lot." "Where did Qi Fen go with her father?" "I think they went to Linzhou City. We''re not sure, she hasn''t come to see her sister in all these years." Fang Rui quickly investigated Qi Fen''s background. Qi Fen was from Linzhou. She dropped out of middle school and started working, initially in restaurants. Later, she grew tired of work and fell in love with cycling, traveling around on her bicycle. After meeting her boyfriend, she settled down for a while, living off him. A year ago, she assaulted her boyfriend and was kicked out. "The reason Qi Fen assaulted her ex-boyfriend was that he insulted Liang Guangyu," Zhang learned about the reason for Qi Fen''s detention from the local police station. "It seems that Qi Fen is the real obsessive fan of Liang Guangyu. Qi Fang might have helped her sister kidnap Su Momo." The most urgent matter now was to find Su Momo. According to Qi Fen''s ex-boyfriend, Qi Fen''s mental state was very unstable, and she had violent tendencies. If Su Momo had indeed been kidnapped by her, she could be in grave danger. The surveillance cameras near Qi Fang''s home hadn''t captured any sign of Su Momo, so she was likely not hidden in Qi Fang''s home. Fang Rui obtained Qi Fen''s phone number from her ex-boyfriend, and this number was still in use. The telecommunications company could roughly locate a user''s position based on their phone number. At the police''s request, the company helped locate Qi Fen''s current position¡ªin a cluster of abandoned buildings in the eastern suburbs. There were several buildings in that area, and it wasn''t possible to pinpoint the exact building based on the phone number. Fang Rui could only have everyone search quietly in different directions, trying not to alert Qi Fen. "Ah, boss, I stepped on something!" Zhang covered his mouth and pointed at his feet. He looked down and saw a pile of dog feces. Fang Rui glanced at it and quickly looked away. Judging from the shape, it should have been from a small animal, which reminded Fang Rui of the spotted dog called Bugu. Was that little dog still alive? Had it also been kidnapped by Qi Fen? Fang Rui and his team searched several buildings but couldn''t find any trace of Qi Fen. Just as they thought the location might be wrong, Qi Fen appeared, walking from a patch of wasteland with grass seeds stuck to her clothes. At that moment, she noticed the pile of dog feces that Zhang had stepped in, and seeing the footprint, she instantly realized that the police had tracked her here. She immediately ran towards the nearby wasteland. Fang Rui and Zhang chased after her right away. Qi Fen, being a long-time cyclist, had excellent stamina. Moreover, she was familiar with the terrain and deliberately headed into the deep grass. Fang Rui told Zhang to continue the chase while he took a shortcut to block Qi Fen''s path. Qi Fen found herself surrounded. "Qi Fen, if you keep running, you''ll be suspected of resisting arrest, which will aggravate your crimes!" Zhang warned. Qi Fen thought Zhang looked weaker, so she ran towards him, but unexpectedly, Zhang caught her by the collar and quickly subdued her. "I didn''t expect you to be such a good runner!" Zhang handcuffed Qi Fen and started escorting her back. After a few steps, Zhang let out a painful cry. "Ah, my leg!" Zhang had stepped into an animal trap, and his entire leg was covered in blood. "I''m really having a crappy day, just my rotten luck!" Zhang wailed as he was sent to the hospital. Qi Fen refused to tell the police where Su Momo was. No matter what the police asked, she remained silent. Fang Rui and his team searched the entire area of abandoned buildings but still couldn''t find Su Momo. "Woof, woof, woof..." Following the sound, they found a spotted dog in the gap between two abandoned buildings. It looked very similar to Su Momo''s dog. Its head was tied with a plastic rope, preventing it from leaving. Seeing people, it barked even more enthusiastically. Fang Rui and his team untied the rope for the little dog. The dog circled around them a few times, barked "woof woof" twice, and then ran forward on its short legs. "The dog might know where Su Momo is. Let''s follow it," Fang Rui said. The little dog would run a few steps and then look back, making sure Fang Rui and his team were following before continuing towards the wasteland. After walking for about twenty minutes, they reached a hillside. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Help... help..." A faint cry for help came from the hillside. They ran over and saw Su Momo tied to a large tree, her lips pale and her whole person looking very weak. "Wah... Finally, someone''s here. There were two Qi Fangs, they kidnapped me!" Su Momo cried, "They''re fans of Liang Guangyu and wanted to take revenge on me! They tied me here, wanting wild wolves to eat me alive. They''re so cruel! Wah..." Su Momo cried for a while and then fainted. Fang Rui and his team quickly carried her to the ambulance. In the interrogation room, Qi Fen initially refused to admit her crime. "Officer, I didn''t kidnap Su Momo. It was Su Momo who hired me to kidnap her. She gave me a pendant of Liang Guangyu, one that he had worn personally, very valuable. I couldn''t resist the temptation, that''s why I pretended to kidnap her." Chapter 105 "Where is that pendant now?" "In my pocket." Qi Fen felt her pocket, but only pulled out a crumpled tissue and a few coins. She explained embarrassedly, "I lost it." "You liked Liang Guangyu so much, how could you lose such a precious item?" Fang Rui caught the hole in her story. "I..." "Qi Fen, we already have evidence of your crime. Su Momo has also identified you as the kidnapper. You''d better tell the truth." Fang Rui pointed at the clock on the wall. "Liang Guangyu''s lawyer is working on his bail procedure. In ten minutes, he might pass by that corridor outside..." "Officer, the nature of kidnapping isn''t too serious, right? It''s at most one or two years in prison, isn''t it?" "Sentencing is up to the judge." Qi Fen kept glancing at the clock on the wall and began to ramble about what had happened: "My sister and I are both fans of Liang Guangyu. I really hated Su Momo. When I found out Su Momo was Liang Guangyu''s girlfriend, I wanted to get rid of her. But murder would get me the death penalty. So I thought about kidnapping her and having someone rape her to ruin her reputation. My sister didn''t agree with my plan because she thought Su Momo was a good person and we shouldn''t hurt her. I had no choice but to listen to my sister, otherwise she wouldn''t give me money or support me anymore. Later, my sister told me that Su Momo had evidence of Liang Guangyu''s infidelity and was going to expose him! We definitely couldn''t let her ruin Liang Guangyu. So my sister agreed to help me kidnap her. Before kidnapping her, we had to get rid of Liu Yaying, otherwise she would always be with Su Momo and we couldn''t make our move. My sister knew about her curse doll, so we used that doll to frame Liu Yaying and get her fired. Later, my sister deliberately hinted to Su Momo that she could help her skip the New Year''s Eve performance, and Su Momo fell for it. After Su Momo snuck out, I lured her to a secluded place, drugged her, and took her by car to that abandoned building to lock her up. I thought we''d keep her for a few days to teach her a lesson, so she wouldn''t leak the news about Liang Guangyu''s affair. Who knew the police would leak this information? You were so irresponsible! This morning, my sister told me that the police might have discovered what we did. I thought, since we''ve already committed a crime, why not kill Su Momo. Killing someone with my own hands seemed too cruel, so I tied her to a tree on a desolate mountain, leaving her to freeze to death or be eaten by wolves!" To fill the ten minutes, Qi Fen described the events in great detail. "Officer, can I go see Liang Guangyu now?" Qi Fen was escorted to the detention center. She passed by Liang Guangyu and excitedly said to him, "Liang Guangyu, I did something big for you. I kidnapped Su Momo for you. I almost killed her. See, I can do anything for you. Liang Guangyu, I love you..." Liang Guangyu felt disgusted. His face turned the color of pork liver as he hurriedly left with his lawyer. Upon learning that her sister had confessed, Qi Fang finally admitted to the crime as well. "I kidnapped Su Momo. My sister was just an accomplice. We both like Liang Guangyu very much, and we couldn''t watch Su Momo expose him, so we kidnapped her. We originally planned to keep her for a few days and then release her, but things developed beyond our expectations. Suddenly there was blood in that dressing room, which led you to believe it was a homicide, and the situation got out of hand. Later we panicked and didn''t know what to do. We didn''t dare to kill her, but we were afraid she''d report us to the police if we let her go, so we just kept her locked up." Qi Fang''s account of the incident was similar to her sister''s. "You didn''t put the blood in the dressing room?" "No, I didn''t. I was shocked when I discovered the blood. And when you said the blood was Su Momo''s, I was completely stunned, not knowing what had happened." "Could your sister have done it?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I don''t know. My sister and I acted separately." Fang Rui questioned Qi Fen again. "I put that blood there. I poured the blood on the floor to make it look like a suicide attempt by wrist-cutting. I wanted Liang Guangyu to think Su Momo was dead, so he wouldn''t have to worry about being exposed by her." "How did you obtain Su Momo''s blood?" "I won''t tell you." The two sisters, Qi Fang and Qi Fen, admitted to their crimes. The case was more or less solved. The news of Su Momo being found once again broke the internet. #SuMomoSuccessfullyRescued# #SuMomoKidnappedByAntiFan# #LiangGuangyusCrazyFansAreTerrible# #RationalFanBehavior# Su Momo nearly dominated the entire trending list. In the hospital, Su Momo was eating an apple with her legs crossed, reading a script. It was a script for a mystery film. Originally, she was cast as the third female lead, playing a forensic doctor, but after her kidnapping experience, the director changed his mind. He thought Su Momo would be perfect for the lead role, a character who also experiences a kidnapping. The director believed Su Momo''s real-life experience would enhance her performance, and they could use this angle to promote the film. Su Momo looked relaxed, not at all like someone who had just been through a life-threatening kidnapping. The doctor had given Su Momo a full body check-up. Apart from rope marks on her wrists and ankles from being tied up, she had no other external injuries. She was in good health overall. From the corner of her eye, Su Momo spotted Fang Rui and Mu Mian. She adjusted her posture and smiled at them, "Officer Fang, Dr. Mu, what brings you to the hospital?" Fang Rui and Mu Mian were there to visit Zhang, and had passed by Su Momo''s room. Seeing Su Momo act so nonchalant, Fang Rui became even more convinced that there was more to her than met the eye. "Miss Su, you weren''t actually kidnapped, were you? You planned all this, didn''t you?" Fang Rui analyzed, "You used the Qi sisters." "Officer Fang, I don''t know what you''re talking about." "Qi Fang said she didn''t pour the blood in the dressing room; Qi Fen admitted to it, but her story doesn''t match the facts. Did you make some kind of deal with Qi Fen, like giving her some of Liang Guangyu''s belongings, so she would willingly follow your plan?" "Officer Fang, you can''t solve cases based on guesses alone. You need evidence," Su Momo looked up at Fang Rui, "Even if there was evidence, it''s not illegal for someone to arrange their own kidnapping, is it?" Fang Rui indeed had no evidence. All the evidence showed that the Qi sisters had kidnapped Su Momo, and they had confessed to the crime. It was possible that they had initially planned to kidnap Su Momo, but Su Momo had turned the tables on them, using their kidnapping to achieve her own goals. "It''s the police''s job to solve cases. You don''t need to know the whole truth, and you won''t be able to anyway." Su Momo''s tone was smug, but she waved the script in her hand and said with a smile, "That''s a line from the script. Did I scare you just now? Looks like my acting skills aren''t bad." "Miss Su, that curse doll wasn''t placed by Liu Yaying. She didn''t curse you," Fang Rui said. "Liu Yaying attempted suicide by cutting her wrists recently. She''s in this hospital. She''s not in a good state right now. If you have time, maybe you could go talk to her. I think there''s been a big misunderstanding between you two." Su Momo took a bite of her apple, her eyes still fixed on the script. "Thank you for telling me. I''ll visit her when I have time." After Fang Rui and Mu Mian left, her new assistant, Little Chen, came in and asked, "Sister Momo, do you want..." Su Momo corrected her irritably, "Please call me Miss Su." "Alright, Miss Su, would you like some bubble tea now? Both Sister Yaying and Sister Qi Fang mentioned that you like to drink bubble tea when you''re in a bad mood." "What makes you think I''m in a bad mood?" "I..." Su Momo finished the apple and threw the core in the trash bin. "Little Chen, come with me to see Liu Yaying. I need your help with something." Chapter 106 Su Momo went to Liu Yaying''s hospital room. She saw Liu Yaying sitting up in bed, leaning against her pillow, her face pale and expressionless as she stared out the window. When she saw Su Momo, Liu Yaying''s expression became agitated. She wanted to rush forward and hug Su Momo, but remembering what she had done, she nervously sat back down on the edge of the bed. Liu Yaying cried out, "Momo, that doll wasn''t a curse doll, it was meant to bring you good fortune. The master said it would bless your career with brilliance. The bloody doll that appeared later was someone trying to frame me." Su Momo didn''t say anything. She no longer cared about the truth of those matters. "I didn''t mean to send Bugu away. The doctor said you were allergic to dog hair, but you didn''t believe it. I had no choice but to secretly send it away without telling you." Su Momo removed her large sunglasses. "Yaying, all of that is in the past now." "Momo, I never meant to be with Liang Guangyu. I only slept with him to get evidence of his cheating for you. But you loved him so much, I was worried that even if you knew he cheated, you still wouldn''t break up with him. After all, you had once considered giving up your career for him. So I had no choice but to let you find out that I had slept with him, to make you completely disillusioned with him..." Liu Yaying was crying messily. Tears also slowly rolled down from the corners of Su Momo''s eyes, but she couldn''t feel any sadness. She thought back to the times she had spent with Liu Yaying, difficult yet full of hope. None of it could be reclaimed now. Has anyone ever had a moment when they suddenly saw the true face of the world? Perhaps from watching too many idealistic TV dramas, people can become rather naive. The old Su Momo had always believed that if you were good to others, they would return that kindness to you. Though there were bad people in the world, she thought good people were still the majority. So even though she had suffered her father''s vicious betrayal, Su Momo still grew up to be a warm and kind person. Later, she read that suspense script. The female lead in the script also started out pure and kind, but everyone around her used and betrayed her. In the end, she had no choice but to grow up and take up a sharp knife to protect herself. Su Momo realized that she had been viewing the world through rose-colored glasses before. She was just like that female lead, and the people surrounding her were all deceiving, using, and betraying her. The man she loved most was a cheating scumbag, just like her father. Liang Guangyu said he loved her, that his dream was to have a family with her. For this, Su Momo had nearly given up her own career and dreams to marry him. But that man was still in love with many other women. Her most trusted best friend hated and betrayed her. They had once lived together in the cheapest, dirtiest apartment, helping each other through the darkest moments of their lives. But Liu Yaying had slept with her boyfriend, put a curse on her, and done various underhanded things behind her back to smear her reputation. Her assistant, whom she thought was kindhearted, was secretly her anti-fan, going to great lengths to collect negative information about her, wanting to destroy her career and even planning to kidnap her. Her manager, who had struggled alongside her to build her career, had forgotten their original dreams and only wanted to make money now, forcing her to do things she didn''t like and take roles she didn''t want, binding her with all kinds of cold contracts. Even the "Star Home" charity she had always donated to was just using charity as a way to make money. Su Momo found that the beautiful world she saw had collapsed. She wanted revenge on these bad people! She designed a perfect plan, deciding to go along with Qi Fang''s scheme and let her "kidnap" herself. First, she had to reasonably fire Liu Yaying. She deliberately instructed Qi Fang to go to Liu Yaying''s room to let her see the doll. She knew that if Qi Fang wanted to kidnap her, she would have to get rid of Liu Yaying first. To Su Momo''s surprise, Qi Fang created a bloody curse incident. Su Momo then enriched her plan. Su Momo deliberately complained to Qi Fang that she didn''t want to perform in the show, and Qi Fang immediately said she could help her leave the TV station¡ªQi Fang was implementing her kidnapping plan. Su Momo knew that she couldn''t just disappear, otherwise the police wouldn''t dig deeply into what had happened to her. That day, she infused her own blood into props, simulating the blood spatter pattern of a wrist-cutting suicide. Then she poured the blood she had extracted in advance onto the floor, and even lay down in the pool of blood herself, simulating the most realistic scene of a wrist-cutting suicide. Su Momo had seen what her mother looked like when she committed suicide, and that scene was deeply imprinted in her mind. The first time she learned of Liang Guangyu''s infidelity, she had cut her own wrist with a knife, but quickly bandaged the wound herself. She would not repeat her mother''s fate. So she knew exactly what a wrist-cutting suicide scene would look like. Later, she successfully disappeared from that makeup room. She knew it would immediately cause an uproar, and all those who had betrayed and hurt her would face retribution. Liang Guangyu would be ruined. Su Momo had already arranged for the press releases. The day after she disappeared, those self-media accounts would widely spread evidence of Liang Guangyu''s infidelity. With the massive attention from her disappearance, no one would be able to suppress this scandal. Liu Yaying would be seen as the other woman, cursed and condemned by everyone. She might worsen her depression out of guilt, and being so fragile, she might even commit suicide. Someone like her was a waste of life anyway, so let her die. Sun Qin would suffer heavy losses. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qi Fang would go to prison for kidnapping. Even her beast of a father would face a small punishment. When he learned of her death, that scumbag would surely be overjoyed, thinking he could get a large inheritance. But he would soon learn that he would get nothing. This feeling of disappointment, of thinking he could get something but ending up with nothing, would torment him for the rest of his life. As for Su Momo herself, she would gain the sympathy of countless netizens. She could shake off many jobs she didn''t want to do, and might even land the lead role in that suspense film she had been vying for, all because of this kidnapping experience. The plan was nearly perfect, with the only unexpected element being Qi Fang''s sister, Qi Fen. Her sister was also a crazed fan of that scumbag Liang Guangyu, and she actually kidnapped her for real. Qi Fen was mentally unstable and nearly killed her several times. But it wasn''t a big problem. Su Momo bribed Qi Fen with Liang Guangyu''s limited edition merchandise. Su Momo told her that the kidnapping charge would only mean one or two years in prison. After she got out, Su Momo would give her a large number of Liang Guangyu''s personal items, including clothes he had worn and things he had used. Qi Fen was as brainless as her sister and agreed to follow her arrangements. She also promised not to reveal anything about Su Momo. She even taught Qi Fen how to face interrogation. She told Qi Fen not to admit to the crime at first, to make up some lies that were easy to see through, and then to confess when the police put pressure on her. This would seem more realistic. To make the rescue more authentic, she even had Qi Fen tie up Bugu in the abandoned building, so it could lead the police to find her. The outcome was perfect. The bad people all received their punishment, while Su Momo remained the kind and beautiful person she had always been. "Momo, that''s wonderful, that''s wonderful, we''re still good friends." Liu Yaying''s voice brought Su Momo back to reality. Su Momo hugged her back, "Yaying, you''ll always be my good friend." Her face rested on Liu Yaying''s shoulder, wearing a sincere expression. Click, a camera flash went off outside the window. Su Momo released Liu Yaying and put on her sunglasses. "Miss Liu, I wish you a speedy recovery." "Momo, you..." "Please call me Miss Su from now on." Liu Yaying looked at Su Momo''s cold expression, at a loss. She didn''t understand why Su Momo had suddenly become so unfamiliar. "Liu Yaying, admit it, all these years you''ve been jealous and resentful of me. You felt I stole your life." "I..." Liu Yaying couldn''t deny it, because she had indeed thought that way. But friendship had overcome those malicious thoughts. Su Momo handed her a card, "There''s 100,000 yuan on this. The password is the last six digits of your ID number. Liu Yaying, you''re on your own from now on." Leaving the hospital room, Little Chen immediately came up to her, "Miss Su, the photos have been taken. I captured the most touching moment." "Mm, well done." Su Momo glanced at the photo, thinking her acting skills were quite exquisite. "Please call the lawyer for me, I want to modify my will." The next day, the hashtag #Heartbreaking, Su Momo visits critically ill best friend# once again topped the trending topics. From that point on, Su Momo''s career in the entertainment industry shone brightly, but no one ever called her Momo again. Chapter 107 Fang Rui and Mu Mian arrived at Zhang''s hospital room. "Everyone spread out a bit, don''t all crowd together. Zhang can barely breathe," Chen Xue waved away the heads clustered around the bed, complaining, "Who brought those yellow chrysanthemums? That''s so inauspicious, take them away! And those lilies too, get rid of them. Zhang is allergic to lilies!" Zhang was well-liked, and his room was packed with colleagues who had come to visit. Even the new female accountant from the finance department had brought a bouquet of lilies. Everyone gathered around to examine Zhang''s wounds. Those who knew the truth were stifling their laughter, while the uninformed were whispering amongst themselves. "Bro, your leg doesn''t look like it was just from a fall. Why are there all these holes in it? What on earth happened?" Wang poked Zhang''s leg, making him howl in pain. Chen Xue angrily swatted Wang''s hand away. "He''s already in this state, and you''re still bullying him? What kind of friend are you?" "Come on, Zhang''s a tough guy. This is nothing for him," Wang sheepishly withdrew his hand. "Oh no, I forgot to buy pork trotters to make soup for Zhang. He needs to build up his strength," the female accountant looked distraught. "Little Shen, why are you worrying? Chen Xue is right here. She''s studying medicine, don''t you think she knows how to take care of Zhang? You''re always fretting over nothing." "But Chen Xue is a forensic pathologist. She specializes in corpses." "..." Zhang''s face turned bright red. He hadn''t dared tell everyone that he''d stepped in an animal trap. It would ruin his image. Mu Mian looked at the room full of flowers and gifts, suddenly realizing she had come empty-handed. Oh no, she''d forgotten to buy a present. Her gaze moved from the pile of gifts to the enormous, elaborate fruit basket Fang Rui was holding. Would it be okay to sneak a fruit or two from it? "Mu Mian, can you carry this?" Fang Rui handed the fruit basket to her. Mu Mian reminded him, "Aren''t you giving it yourself? It''ll be awkward without a gift." "It''s fine. My friendship with Zhang doesn''t need gifts to prove it." "That''s great then. I could really use a gift." Mu Mian excitedly took the basket, nearly toppling over with it. It was so heavy! In the end, she opted to hug it as she entered the room. Everyone watched as Mu Mian stumbled in, hugging a fruit basket half her height. Zhang was moved to tears. "Mu Mian, I''m so touched! You didn''t have to come, let alone bring such a huge fruit basket. Why so formal?" Then Zhang glanced at Fang Rui''s empty hands, and his tears of gratitude dried up. The boss was so cold-hearted, not even bringing a small gift when he was bedridden. Seeing Zhang''s disappointed expression, Fang Rui was exasperated. Why did a grown man care so much about getting gifts? He wasn''t a child. The others also looked at Fang Rui''s empty hands and scolded him, "Captain Fang, you didn''t even help her carry it? How are you going to handle having a girlfriend in the future?" "I wanted to carry it myself," Mu Mian clarified, seeing that Fang Rui was being misunderstood. "Fang Rui bought the fruit basket at the fruit shop downstairs. He got the most expensive one. I forgot to buy a gift, so Fang Rui let me give his gift so I wouldn''t be embarrassed." Everyone exchanged knowing looks. "Well, what''s his is yours, right? No need to be so particular about it." "Exactly!" Zhang was touched again. He felt honored that Fang Rui had bought him the most expensive fruit basket. He must really value him! Mu Mian frowned, not understanding why Fang Rui''s fruit basket would be considered hers. Did that mean his corpse would be hers too? But Mu Mian had already promised Fang Rui she wouldn''t let him donate his body, so she didn''t voice her confusion. "Officer Zhang, I heard you were injured by the culprit, but these wounds look strange. Did they attack you with a rake?" Mu Mian examined Zhang''s injuries closely. Worried that others might not know what a rake was, she explained, "You know, like in Journey to the West? Zhu Bajie''s weapon is a rake." Everyone suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahaha, it really does look like Zhu Bajie took a swipe at him with his rake!" Mu Mian didn''t understand why everyone was laughing, so she just laughed along. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang grumbled dejectedly, "Man, I must have stepped in dog poop that day to have such bad luck." Mu Mian pointed to the bandage on her head. "Hey, I''ve been having bad luck lately too." Everyone remembered the rumors about Mu Mian and couldn''t help laughing again. Fang Rui glanced at Mu Mian, a bit helpless. Her wound had long since healed, but she loved SpongeBob SquarePants so much that she still wore that eye-catching bandage every day. Fang Rui had tried to remove it for her, but before long, Mu Mian would secretly put it back on. After making a ruckus in the room for a while longer, they were complained about by the elderly patient next door for being too noisy. Everyone had to leave, letting Chen Xue stay alone to look after Zhang. Before leaving, Mu Mian saw Chen Xue and Zhang chatting and laughing together in the room, looking very happy. Mu Mian was puzzled. Zhang''s injuries were so severe, why was he still so cheerful? Chen Xue''s boyfriend was lying in a hospital bed, how could she laugh? Their emotional states were strange and couldn''t be explained by normal logic. Mu Mian recalled the forensic guide Forensic Doctor Cheng had written for her. He said that people in love have illogical emotions - their tears might express joy, their laughter might mask sorrow. Overcoming hardships and setbacks might even deepen their love... Mu Mian thought love was so complicated! "What''s wrong, Mu Mian? Your eyebrows are all scrunched up like Crayon Shin-chan." "Fang Rui, I''m studying an emotion that normal humans possess - love," Mu Mian raised her chin, looking a bit proud. She thought Zhou Junwei''s experimental design lacked creativity. She wanted to design a perfect experiment to study love. But before that, she needed to understand what love was. "Why study love?" Fang Rui''s heart suddenly sped up. Had Mu Mian finally realized that their relationship was different from her other friendships? "Because normal people all have love. Zhang and Chen Xue have love, Forensic Doctor Cheng has love, even Wang found a nurse girlfriend. Even my hacker friend - a severe social phobic - has an adorable girlfriend..." Mu Mian listed the couples around her and sighed, "Except for me. I don''t have love. Because I''m not normal." Seeing Fang Rui''s complicated expression, she carefully reminded him, "Fang Rui, you don''t seem to have love either." "I do have love," Fang Rui corrected her. Mu Mian tilted her head, looking confused. "But you don''t have a girlfriend." "That''s true, but people without girlfriends can still have love." "Okay," Mu Mian remembered poor Lin Consultant and warned Fang Rui, "But love without a girlfriend means you can''t get married. You''ll be lonely forever. Like Lin Consultant. You''ll be pitiful." Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian very seriously. "That''s why I have to work hard to make her fall in love with me." "Fang Rui, it''s okay if she can''t fall in love with you. I won''t get married either. My sister will die before me, so I''ll definitely end up alone in my old age. I can keep you company then." Mu Mian smiled at Fang Rui. Fang Rui smiled too. It was okay if Mu Mian couldn''t fall in love with him, as long as she was willing to stay by his side forever. As they passed by the Jiangzhou Grand Hotel, Fang Rui saw police officers and security guards restraining a bruised and battered man. Fang Rui stopped the car and asked, "What happened?" "This guy snuck into the hotel to steal. He took a set of jewelry worth millions. We caught him red-handed." The man wailed, "I didn''t steal that jewelry! It was given to me by my daughter, Su Momo. I''m innocent! I''m not a thief! I can prove my identity. I really am the father of the famous star Su Momo. How can it be stealing if I''m taking my daughter''s things?" "The evidence is conclusive. We caught you in the act. No use denying it!" The police and security guards had already obtained proof of his theft and were taking him to the police car. Fang Rui suddenly realized that Su Momo had set up a perfect scheme. Everyone who had been unkind to Su Momo received their corresponding punishment. Su Momo wasn''t just seeking revenge on her boyfriend; she was exacting retribution on everyone. Chapter 108 After Su Momo recovered, she went to the police station to give her statement. She identified Qi Fang and Qi Fen sisters as her kidnappers, and her statement matched the sisters'' confessions. The case was considered closed. New Year''s Day was approaching quickly. This was Mu Mian''s first New Year in Jiangzhou City. Chen Xue and the others insisted on taking Mu Mian to the square for the New Year''s countdown. Even Zhang, who had a leg injury, came with his crutches. The square was very lively at night, with various colorful lights flashing and beautiful, grand fireworks exploding in the sky. There were far too many people in the square. Sounds came from all directions, making Mu Mian tense. She frantically tried to avoid people who were getting too close to her. Fang Rui loosely embraced Mu Mian, shielding her from the surging crowd. "Mu Mian, let''s leave this place." "But I promised Chen Xue and the others that we''d count down together." "Then come hide in my arms." "Okay." Mu Mian reached out and hugged Fang Rui''s waist, burying her head in his chest. Fang Rui was stunned for a moment. "Fang Rui, help cover my ears." "Alright." Nearby, Zhang winked at Chen Xue and whispered, "See? My method worked, didn''t it? They''re hugging now, aren''t they?" Zhang got cocky and nearly fell when he lost his balance on his crutches, but fortunately, Chen Xue caught him. "Chen Xue, I''m steady now. You don''t need to hold me so tight." "I know." Wang also hugged his girlfriend, "Shu, I have social anxiety. There are so many people, I''m scared." "..." After the New Year''s countdown event, Fang Rui drove Mu Mian home. Through the car window, Mu Mian saw Shen Xiyin and Lin Sen walking hand in hand on the sidewalk. Colorful fireworks occasionally exploded in the sky, illuminating the entire night and her sister''s radiant smile. It had been a long time since Mu Mian had seen her sister smile so happily. Her sister used to love smiling. When Mu Mian was still not very responsive to others, her sister would smile brightly at her every day. "Fang Rui," Mu Mian''s voice sounded a bit dejected. "What''s wrong?" "I might have to face a lonely old age sooner than expected," Mu Mian sighed. Her sister''s friends had warned her before that one day her sister would start a family with someone else, and there would be no place for her in that family. So she had to learn to be independent and take care of herself. Sigh, she might be all alone in the future. But Mu Mian didn''t like loneliness; she didn''t want to grow old alone. She thought that if worst came to worst, she could negotiate with her sister and Lin Sen to let her sleep on the floor in their new home. She would only take up a tiny bit of space and promised not to disturb them. Fang Rui also saw the couple outside the window. Not long ago, he had been mocking Lin Sen for his breakup, but unexpectedly, within just a few days, Lin Sen had won Shen Xiyin back. "Mu Mian, you won''t grow old alone. Didn''t you say you''d stay with me?" "Yes, but what if you get a girlfriend too? Normal people like you will all get married." "I can marry you in the future." Another huge firework exploded in the sky, illuminating the entire night. "That''s not possible. We autistic people can''t get married. My former therapist said so. This is what she told the parents of another autistic patient," Mu Mian imitated Ms. Mischel''s tone, "''If even you as parents can''t love her unconditionally, how can you expect another man to love her, take care of her, and not abandon her? You''re not fulfilling her love, you''re just trying to get rid of a burden.''" "She''s wrong." "Fang Rui, you should believe the therapist''s words. Ms. Mischel is the most authoritative autism therapist." When Mu Mian got home, she found that Shen Xiyin hadn''t returned yet. Mu Mian sat on the sofa, feeling a bit angry. Why didn''t her sister tell her she had a boyfriend? She was so tight-lipped, she wouldn''t have told anyone. Did her sister plan to elope with Lin Sen and abandon her? Mu Mian saw that everyone was sending New Year''s greetings in the WeChat group. She also sent a carefully edited greeting, then decided to share this gossip she had discovered herself. Mu Mian: [Shocked.jpg] Let me tell you all a little secret, it seems Lin Sen has a girlfriend now. He won''t be growing old alone. Guess who his girlfriend is? Chen Xue: Remove the "it seems." Mian Mian, you actually think this is a secret? [Face palm.jpg] Zhang corrected her: Mu Mian, why are you still calling him Lin Sen? You should call him brother-in-law now. Mu Mian: ... Why do you all know about this? Chen Xue: Comrade Mu Mian, you should reflect on why you didn''t know about this. Mu Mian: No one told me... Mu Mian: @Fang Rui Did you know too? S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui: Yes. Zhang: Did this need to be told? Couldn''t you see it with your own eyes? Haven''t you noticed that Lin Sen has been smiling radiantly every day for over a month now, which seriously contradicts his usual cold demeanor? Lin Sen: @Mu Mian Yes, you should call me brother-in-law from now on. @Zhang Please don''t excessively project yourself onto others. If you don''t know what this means, please open your browser and search for it. Mu Mian: Self-projection refers to the externalization of internal psychology, that is, judging others by oneself, projecting one''s own emotions, will, and characteristics onto others, imposing them on others, and believing that others are the same. So Officer Zhang''s strange smile over the past month can be described as radiant, huh? Wang: I think "licentious" might be a more fitting description. Hehe. Chen Xue: ... Zhang: ... Lin Sen sent several large red envelopes in the group chat, and then the word "Congratulations" flooded the screen. When Shen Xiyin returned home, she was carrying a huge gift box. The box was grass green, tied with beautiful ribbons and a bow. Mu Mian''s eyes lit up when she saw the gift, "Sister, is this a New Year''s gift for me? I see my name on the card on the box." "Yes. Mian, Happy New Year!" "Happy New Year." Mu Mian excitedly opened the box. Inside was a SpongeBob SquarePants themed Lego set, including SpongeBob and his pineapple house. "Sister, how did you know I wanted this gift?" Mu Mian liked SpongeBob because he always smiled sincerely at others, whether they were normal or not. Shen Xiyin glanced at the SpongeBob band-aid on Mu Mian''s forehead, just smiled, and didn''t answer. Receiving a gift she liked made Mu Mian feel less angry. Shen Xiyin sat down on the sofa and said, "Mian, your sister has a boyfriend now. You know him, it''s Lin Sen." "I already knew that." Mu Mian eagerly started assembling her Lego set and curiously asked, "Sister, didn''t you say you wouldn''t marry Lin Sen? Why are you with him now? Are you going to get married?" Her sister''s friends often told her sister that she should get married. Mu Mian thought that for normal people, marriage must be a very important thing. If her sister was going to get married, she would happily congratulate her, even if it meant she might be alone in the future. "Mian, I used to think the future was very important. If something was going to have a bad ending, it should be stopped in time and ended. But when you were kidnapped, I suddenly realized that the future is unpredictable and uncontrollable. We never know what will happen tomorrow. All we have is the present. I''ve always wanted to be with him, so I reconciled with him." "Will you marry him?" "I don''t know. The future is uncertain, anything could happen. But one thing is certain, your sister won''t abandon you. No matter what happens, I''ll be with you until you no longer need me," Shen Xiyin''s voice was very firm. "Then you can''t lie to me, okay? Deceiving autistic patients is unethical." Mu Mian breathed a sigh of relief. She had been very worried that if her sister married Lin Sen, she would be abandoned. Just like her hacker friend, whose mother got married and abandoned him. He was very lonely for a while and almost imagined another version of himself to talk to. Fortunately, he later had her as a friend. Mu Mian asked curiously, "Sister, so do you and Lin Sen have love now?" Shen Xiyin smiled, "Yes." Mu Mian''s face lit up with excitement, "Then can you and Lin Sen accompany me to the psychology lab at Jiangzhou University?" Shen Xiyin frowned and asked in confusion, "Why do you want to go there?" "Sister, I want to study love too. I want to know how the brain of someone in love differs from a normal person''s brain. That way, I''ll know if I have love or not. Can you and Consultant Lin be my test subjects?" Mu Mian thought Zhou Junwei''s idea of studying love was good, but his methods were too extreme. So Mu Mian designed her own experiment to study love. "Love is a very complex emotion. It can''t be accurately defined by science, nor can it be quantified and studied. It''s a combination of many emotional states. Xiao Mian, you can''t study love, you can only experience it." Mu Mian quickly finished assembling SpongeBob and started on the pineapple house. "But other emotions can be studied. Fear, happiness, sadness... these can all be researched. Love must be possible to study too! I think Zhou Junwei is right, all human emotions come from the brain, so by observing changes in the brain, we should be able to see love." "Xiao Mian, why are you suddenly so interested in love?" "You and Chen Xue both have love, and the forensic manual Forensic Doctor Cheng gave me has a large section describing love. It seems to be a very important thing. I think I should have it too. Zhou Junwei said that people with autism can have love," Mu Mian said. "But first, I need to know what the definition of love is, what standard needs to be met." "Xiao Mian, that''s not the right order. You need to experience love first, then you''ll know what it''s like," Shen Xiyin reminded her. "Before encountering love, no one can accurately describe what it is." "Alright!" Mu Mian finished assembling the Lego set and took a photo. She gave up on the idea of studying love. Mu Mian sent a message to Fang Rui: [Photo attached] This is the New Year''s gift my sister gave me. Isn''t it pretty? Fang Rui: It''s very pretty, but don''t you think something''s missing? Mu Mian: What''s missing? Fang Rui: Mu Mian, Happy New Year. Outside, huge fireworks were bursting again, filling the sky with brilliant and dazzling flowers of light. Chapter 109 The next day, when Mu Mian arrived at the office, she found several boxes piled on her desk. "Chen Xue, who put these things on my desk?" she asked. "I think it was Captain Fang. He brought them over early this morning," Chen Xue came over and glanced at the boxes, shaking her head. "Geez, he really doesn''t know how to give gifts. He didn''t even wrap them." Mu Mian picked one up and looked closely. She realized they were several Lego sets, all SpongeBob SquarePants themed: Patrick Star and his rock house, Squidward and his clarinet, the Krusty Krab and Mr. Krabs... Mu Mian finally understood what had been missing. The photo from yesterday was missing SpongeBob''s friends. Just like Mu Mian now, who was no longer the lonely Mu Mian she used to be. Besides her sister, she now had Fang Rui and many other friends. Mu Mian corrected Chen Xue, "Fang Rui is very good at giving gifts." After Su Momo''s disappearance case was closed, they had another quiet period. Before the Spring Festival, Zhang''s leg had finally recovered. Although the wound still hurt, he could basically walk now. In the past, Mu Mian didn''t celebrate the Spring Festival because it was just her and her sister at home, and they didn''t need to wait for anyone to reunite. But the Spring Festival atmosphere in China was very strong, so Shen Xiyin decided to bring their aunt Shen Min back from the nursing home to celebrate together. Mu Mian went to wait for Shen Xiyin at the psychology clinic where she worked, and then they would go pick up their aunt together. The receptionist recognized Mu Mian and told her to wait in the lounge area. "Chen, I''ve tidied up the sand tray room. Can I leave work early today? It''s my roommate''s birthday and we have a dinner party," Mu Mian heard Bai Jing say as she came out of the sand tray room. "You''re Xiyin''s assistant, you should ask her directly about these things." "Dr. Shen will definitely agree." "Then it''s fine." Feeling Mu Mian''s gaze, Bai Jing looked at her. "Mu Mian, what a coincidence. Are you here to see your sister?" Mu Mian found it strange that Bai Jing was her sister''s assistant. Wasn''t she a social worker in the community? Just then, Shen Xiyin finished her work and came to find Mu Mian. When Bai Jing saw Shen Xiyin, she immediately went up and linked arms with her, saying coyly, "Dr. Shen, are you really not coming to Qiao Wan''s birthday party? She really wants you to attend." Shen Xiyin calmly withdrew her arm. "I''m sorry, I don''t have time." "Alright, but you must come to my birthday party next time, okay?" "We''ll see when the time comes." Bai Jing left the clinic with her bag. Seeing Mu Mian staring at Bai Jing''s back, Shen Xiyin asked, "Mian, do you know Bai Jing?" "I do." Mu Mian thought for a moment and decided to warn her sister. "She''s a dangerous person. Sister, you need to be careful around her." "Most of the people I deal with at work are dangerous individuals. It''s nothing unusual. Her dysfunctional family background has made her personality somewhat twisted and dark, but if someone is willing to guide her with care, she can become a normal person." Shen Xiyin had also noticed that Bai Jing''s personality had flaws. She might have paranoid personality disorder, but Shen Xiyin was willing to give her a chance. The purpose of psychological therapy was to help those with defects to grow. Shen Xiyin drove Mu Mian to the high-end nursing home. "Mian, you go talk to Aunt first. I''ll go meet with her attending physician to understand her condition and see if we can bring her home for a while." Mu Mian nodded, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Okay." Shen Min was still sunbathing on the lawn. She held a book in her hand but wasn''t reading it. Her gaze was empty, but not like that of a dementia patient. She looked more like a sage, quietly contemplating something. "Aunt." "You''re blocking my sunlight." Feeling the sunlight being blocked, Shen Min''s gaze fell on Mu Mian, and she smiled. "Mu Mian, have you found my Momo?" Mu Mian was surprised that her aunt remembered her. But her aunt had forgotten that Momo was already dead. "I''m sorry, Aunt. I haven''t found Momo yet." "Momo is a police officer with strong counter-surveillance abilities. It''s normal that you can''t find her. Spring Festival is coming, and my Momo will definitely come to see me." Shen Min said to a nearby caregiver, "Nurse, can you help me get my photo album? I seem to have forgotten what Momo looks like. I need to refresh my memory." "Sure." Shen Min asked Mu Mian to sit down beside her. They sunbathed together for a while. Just when Mu Mian thought Shen Min wasn''t going to speak, she handed the book in her hand to Mu Mian. "This is for you." The book was titled "Flowers for Algernon." Mu Mian accepted the book. "Thank you for the gift. I''ve already read this book. It''s a soft science fiction novel. I think the premise is quite unrealistic. There''s no surgery that can increase intelligence yet." The novel described a brain surgery that could increase intelligence. Algernon was a white lab mouse that received the surgery and became as intelligent as a human. The male protagonist, Charlie Gordon, also underwent the surgery, gradually transforming from intellectually disabled to a genius. But this brought various troubles. He discovered how ugly and unbearable the real world was... He gained wisdom but also experienced various negative emotions. When Charlie''s intelligence peaked and began to decline, the experiment failed, and he eventually returned to his intellectually disabled state... Shen Min said to herself, "I can''t let Momo become smart." "Why can''t she become smart?" "Because she will die." Mu Mian was confused. She thought her aunt might be having an episode again. After saying this, Shen Min closed her eyes and continued sunbathing. Her expression was peaceful, as if she was quietly waiting for her Momo to come see her. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Xiyin watched Shen Min and Mu Mian from a distance. She didn''t dare to approach, fearing that if she did, her aunt would remember the cruel reality. Perhaps, letting her aunt live in a fantasy was a good thing. In the end, they didn''t bring Shen Min home. Her attending physician didn''t agree to let her leave the nursing home, worried that she might lose control of her behavior and do something destructive. On New Year''s Eve, Mu Mian thought the dinner would be like before, just her and her sister. But then the doorbell rang. Shen Xiyin was cutting vegetables and said to Mu Mian, "Mian, can you get the door?" Mu Mian opened the door to find Lin Sen standing there, holding a large bouquet of roses in one hand and a gift box in the other. Mu Mian was stunned. Why was Consultant Lin at their house on New Year''s Eve instead of staying at his own home? Lin Sen handed Mu Mian a gift box. "Mu Mian, this is for you." Mu Mian was delighted to receive the gift. She hugged it, smiling brightly. "Thank you, brother-in-law." "You''re welcome." Lin Sen saw Shen Xiyin in the kitchen and followed her in. "Xiyin, do you need any help?" "I think I do. You know I''m not very good at cooking," Shen Xiyin glanced at Mu Mian, who was playing with her phone, and lowered her voice, "Mian only cares about the shape of the food, not the taste. So my cooking skills haven''t improved much over the years." "Then let me cook." "Alright, but I still need to cut the vegetables. Mian has strict requirements for the shape of various ingredients." "Okay." Mu Mian was updating the latest gossip in the group chat. Mu Mian: Shocked.jpg Do you know where Consultant Lin is right now? Chen Xue: At your house! Let''s skip this topic. Wang, didn''t you say you were going to send red envelopes? Hurry up. Wang: Oh, the network is bad. I can''t send the red envelopes. Mu Mian: Aren''t you all surprised? Zhang: Wang, how come your network isn''t lagging when you''re grabbing red envelopes? Come on, send the red envelopes! Mu Mian private messaged Fang Rui: Fang Rui, why aren''t they interested in gossip anymore? Fang Rui: Maybe because they all have partners now... Mu Mian: You don''t have a partner. Why aren''t you curious about why Consultant Lin is spending New Year''s at my house? Fang Rui: After Lin Sen''s parents divorced, neither of them wanted him. He used to spend New Year''s alone, occasionally coming to my house. Now that he has a girlfriend, he''s definitely spending New Year''s at her place. Lin Sen came out with dishes and saw Mu Mian looking at him sympathetically. "Mu Mian, what''s wrong?" "Brother-in-law, you should come to our house for New Year''s from now on." Mu Mian thought for a moment, felt that this logic wasn''t rigorous, and added, "Or I''ll go to your and my sister''s new home for New Year''s." "Okay." Mu Mian thoroughly enjoyed this New Year''s Eve dinner. The presentation of the dishes perfectly matched her aesthetic taste, and the flavors were much better than usual. Mu Mian found it strange ¨C how could the taste change so dramatically with the same ingredients and cooking methods? If one could ignore the fact that Mr. Lin and her sister were constantly communicating through mind-reading, isolating her, this meal would have been perfect. Mu Mian thought that her sister''s friend might be wrong. Even if her sister had a new family, there would surely be a place for her in it. After their thirty-fifth exchange of meaningful glances without speaking, Mu Mian silently complained that it would be nice if this new family were a bit livelier. Mu Mian turned on the television to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Not long after, Mu Mian unplugged the TV. Good heavens, it was so noisy. The Spring Festival Gala... was just too awful to watch! Chapter 110 The Special Crime Unit had another quiet spell. They had been investigating only minor cases during this period. One morning, the police received a report of a homicide at "Star Home," a private welfare institution in the old town district. Fang Rui and his team followed the navigation for a while, turning onto a bumpy small road. After several twists and turns, they finally saw two small buildings. "Star Home" was located on the edge of the old town district, consisting of two three-story buildings and a large lawn. The entire complex was enclosed by high red brick walls, with the entrance being a black iron gate. The gate had colorful paint writing: Star Home. The outer walls were covered with moss and vines, giving it a vibrant appearance. Outside the walls was a large wasteland, unpaved with cement. It had rained the previous day, leaving the ground full of puddles. "Boss, there are footprints by the wall," Wang pointed to the muddy area not far away, which had many messy footprints. He estimated, "That shoe print is at least size 42, looks like an adult male''s footprint." Fang Rui looked over and noticed mud on the wall as well, suggesting someone might have climbed over during the heavy rain. Wang quickly went to collect footprint samples with his equipment. "Officers, you''re finally here," Acting Director Chen Xinran greeted them at the door. She wore a black long dress, had shoulder-length short hair, and a cross on her chest. She looked young, but was actually nearly fifty years old. "Where''s the deceased?" "The victim is our director Zhang Xuemei. She died in her office, stabbed multiple times in the chest," Chen Xinran said nervously. "There''s blood all over the floor, it''s terrifying." She steadied herself and continued, "Officers, I''ve locked that room and contained the news. I hope during your investigation, you won''t tell the other children about Director Zhang''s death. These children were very close to her, and they''ll need time to accept this. I plan to have the teachers give them a lesson on the meaning of life first. Once they understand what death means, we''ll break the news to them." "We understand. We''ll keep it confidential from them throughout." Director Chen led Fang Rui and his team into the welfare home. The exterior walls were colorful, painted with many dreamy scenes: colorful whales swimming through clouds and stars, various colorful mushrooms waving on the ground, a giant wooden house filled with adorable children... The interior walls were also covered in paintings, with childish brushstrokes lacking clear lines but bold in color use. The content was imaginative and full of creativity, likely drawn by the children. Mu Mian quietly explained to everyone, "That whale is called Alice, also known as the 52-hertz whale. Whales communicate with each other through sound frequencies, usually between 15 to 25 hertz. This one''s voice is always around 50 hertz, meaning it can never contact its companions. It''s the loneliest whale in the world." Mu Mian used to be like this lonely whale, unable to find the frequency to connect with the outside world. But her sister found her frequency and connected with her. She was no longer a lonely whale. Mu Mian once had someone create a 52-hertz sound. When her father took her to the beach, she put the recording in a drift bottle and secretly threw it into the sea. She hoped that the whale could hear this sound, so it wouldn''t be so lonely. "Yes, that''s why this whale can also represent autistic children," Chen Xinran observed Mu Mian for a moment and quickly realized that Mu Mian was also an autistic person. But Mu Mian was a fortunate autistic individual, at least able to work normally now. "Are all the residents here autistic?" Mu Mian asked. "Seven or eight years ago, yes. That''s why it''s called ''Star Home,'' because autistic individuals are also called star children. But now, with improved economic conditions and treatment options, it''s rare for parents to abandon autistic children. So we now accept all kinds of children, focusing on those with disabilities." At this moment, a handsome little boy came bouncing over. He said to Chen Xinran, "Mama Chen, why hasn''t Director Mama woken up yet? Woof, woof, blah blah blah," the little boy''s neck twitched, and he made some strange noises. Then he scratched his forehead and continued, "Didn''t Director Mama say to sleep early and rise early? Woof, how can she lie, woof, and secretly sleep in? Blah blah blah." While speaking, the boy made faces and occasionally let out strange noises, then continued talking. Chen Xinran crouched down and explained to the little boy, "Guoguo, Director Mama is sick. She needs to rest well, and you shouldn''t disturb her, okay?" "Okay. Mama Chen, I''ll tell the others not to disturb Director Mama''s rest," Guoguo nodded obediently. His neck twitched, but this time he tried hard to suppress his strange noises. Guoguo thought these uncles and aunties were here to donate money or goods, so he wanted to leave a good impression. Mu Mian looked at the little boy and asked, "Does he have Tourette''s syndrome?" Tourette''s syndrome (also known as Tic disorder) commonly includes symptoms such as muscle spasms, involuntary movements, repetitive muttering, distorted movements, and facial muscle spasms. Chen Xinran nodded, "Yes. It''s also because of this that his parents abandoned him at the train station. Later, the police contacted our director, and she, being very kind-hearted, took him in. He''s a very smart and sensible child, with no intellectual problems, but because of this condition, he can''t attend school. We tried sending him to school before, but he was bullied by classmates and teachers, so he had to drop out. The children here, for various reasons, can''t live normal children''s lives..." The institution housed over thirty children, ranging from three to twenty years old, all with various disabilities. At the moment, they were sitting on the lawn, drawing or playing with toys, with several staff members accompanying them. The murder case hadn''t affected their lives yet. "Sister Chen, it''s terrible, Yuanyuan is missing," volunteer teacher Li Min ran over, saying anxiously, "Could something have happened to him? He can''t speak, so he can''t call for help if he''s in danger..." Chen Xinran''s expression also became worried, "Yuanyuan likes to hide in closets, have you checked there?" "We have! We''ve searched the game room and rest area, but we can''t find Yuanyuan anywhere." "Don''t panic, go to the security room and check the surveillance footage to see where Yuanyuan is." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Okay." Fang Rui asked, "Director Chen, do you need our help to search?" "It''s alright, Yuanyuan is an autistic child, and he often hides like this. Our place isn''t that big, we''ll be able to find him quickly with the surveillance footage." Zhang Xuemei''s office was on the second floor of the first building. Chen Xinran unlocked the door with a key. As soon as it opened, Mu Mian smelled the scent of blood, then saw a woman lying in a pool of blood, with a knife stuck in her chest. The woman''s face was pale due to excessive blood loss, but her wrinkled face wore a kind smile, as if she hadn''t been murdered but had died naturally. Zhang exclaimed, "This is too bizarre, why did she die with a smile?" Chapter 111 The office was small but filled with various items: a large bookshelf packed with fairy tale books and several dolls; a wooden filing cabinet; a brown desk with books on autism intervention and files for all the children. The room was tidy, with no signs of a struggle. However, the window was open, allowing rain to drift in and wet the wooden floor, leaving a puddle. Fang Rui walked over. There were no security bars on the window; anyone could climb in once the glass was opened. There was a bit of mud and half a footprint on the windowsill. Under the desk was a red, deflated balloon. "Hmm, it might have been a burglar," Chen Xinran said. "I''ve been urging the director to install security bars, but she refused to save money. She said she was so poor that even if thieves came, they could only steal some books. I wish I had insisted on installing them for her." "Director Chen, what did you do before?" Fang Rui asked. "I was an autism intervention teacher. About seven or eight years ago, I was a volunteer here, but as I spent more time with these children and grew attached to them, I decided to stay. I had a child before, but he passed away in an accident. I thought I could share the love I had for him with these poor children, and perhaps it would bring blessings to my child as well." Fang Rui noticed something seemed to be missing from the desk. There were two circular marks, as if something had been there for a long time, but now those objects were gone. "Director Chen, what used to be in these two spots?" "Here... I think there were two little pig dolls. Maybe a child gave them to her," Chen Xinran thought for a moment, then opened her phone and found a photo. "Look, like this. This photo was taken when Director Zhang was interviewed by a reporter." Fang Rui looked at the photo. The two dolls were about 20 centimeters tall, pink, and pig-shaped. Nothing special about them. If there really was a thief, why would they steal such ordinary dolls? Mu Mian noticed that the victim''s eyes were wide open, staring at a particular spot. Mu Mian lay down beside her, following the victim''s gaze, and saw the cabinet. "Mu Mian, the floor is so cold. Why are you lying down? You''ll catch a cold." Mu Mian reached out to Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, give me a hand." Fang Rui pulled Mu Mian up. Mu Mian walked to the cabinet and, wearing gloves, gently pulled open the cabinet door. With a creak, the old door opened. "Ah, there''s another victim?" Zhang exclaimed. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A blood-covered little boy was revealed before them. The boy wore a sweatshirt with a rainbow horse print. He had pitch-black, hollow eyes and looked like a frozen statue, showing no expression or movement. Mu Mian checked his breathing, "He''s alive, not a corpse." She briefly examined his body with her eyes, "No stab wounds, the blood isn''t his." "Yuan Yuan." The boy showed no reaction. Chen Xinran rushed over and hugged the boy, "Yuan Yuan, why are you here? Su Laoshi and the others have been looking for you for so long, they couldn''t find you anywhere. She was worried sick. Yuan Yuan, what''s wrong?" Mu Mian looked at Chen Xinran with disapproval, "Acting Director Chen, you''re contaminating potential evidence." Fearing she might sound cold-hearted, she added, "If you want to hug him, at least put on a raincoat and gloves first." "Yuan Yuan is probably in shock. He used to be non-verbal, but he would react when he saw me. Now he''s completely unresponsive, likely traumatized from witnessing the murder. We need to provide crisis intervention for him. I''m sorry, but I need to handle his situation first." Without waiting for Fang Rui and the others to agree, Chen Xinran ran out carrying Yuan Yuan. Zhang looked at the bloodstains in the cabinet and came up with a shocking theory: "Do you think it''s possible that Yuan Yuan stabbed the director? The director, not wanting to scare Yuan Yuan, maintained a smile even as she was being stabbed. She didn''t want to frighten him." Although Zhang''s guess was far-fetched, Wang and Chen Xue found it somewhat plausible. How else could they explain why the victim died with a smile? "Following your logic, it''s also possible that the director knew Yuan Yuan was hiding in the cabinet, and she didn''t want to scare him, so she kept smiling even as the killer stabbed her, trying to reassure Yuan Yuan?" Fang Rui offered his own theory. "Ah, boss, your guess makes much more sense," Zhang said admiringly. Mu Mian sighed, "Eh." "Mu Mian, what''s wrong?" Fang Rui could tell from Mu Mian''s smug expression that she was silently critiquing something. "Your guesses are so heartwarming. Your kindness limits your thinking, preventing you from considering other possibilities." Fang Rui said resignedly, "Mu Mian, why don''t you just share your theory?" "I won''t. I only speak with evidence." "..." Mu Mian examined the body''s surface. The victim had been stabbed three times in the stomach and once in the chest. She also measured the body temperature, which was slightly higher than room temperature, about 25.2¡ãC. "The victim likely died between 10 and 11 PM last night," Mu Mian said. Fang Rui went to the security room to check the surveillance footage. Old Liu, the security guard, was in his fifties, wearing a black brand-name tracksuit and looking energetic. However, he walked with a noticeable limp. "Officer, was it Director Zhang who... ? I didn''t see her come in this morning. Unless she was sick, she would always be here to have breakfast with the children," Old Liu said, his face full of concern. Old Liu didn''t know how to operate the computer, so he let Fang Rui access the surveillance footage himself. As Fang Rui worked, he casually chatted with Old Liu, "Uncle Liu, what kind of person was your director?" "Our director was a top-notch good person. She used to be very wealthy, owning a KTV business. She was quite the female entrepreneur in the 90s. But her child was diagnosed with autism, and she nearly went bankrupt trying to cure him. Her husband was a useless freeloader who ran away when things got tough. She persisted in treating her child alone, but in the end, she couldn''t save him. She lost sight of him for a moment, and he ran onto the road and was hit by a truck. Sigh, why don''t good people get rewarded? Afterwards, she established this welfare home, specifically for autistic orphans. Even children with parents who couldn''t afford to raise them, she would take in. She even spent money to learn about autism intervention, just to better care for these children. Later, Star Home became famous, and many companies and kind-hearted individuals donated to us. The director used the extra money to set up a charitable foundation dedicated to helping autistic children with their treatment. She was even selected as a moral role model in Jiangzhou City a year ago..." Old Liu went on and on about Director Zhang''s achievements. "I was also taken in by her. I''ve had a deformed right foot since childhood and was abandoned by my parents. I grew up in an orphanage. As an adult, I couldn''t find stable work and could only wander around this area, doing odd jobs to scrape by. Director Zhang took pity on me and let me work as a security guard, paying me over a thousand yuan a month. It''s not much, but I get room and board here, so I hardly spend anything. She even bought me pension insurance, so when I retire, I can receive a few hundred yuan each month. She''s truly a great person. I hope heaven opens its eyes and rewards good people." Zhang listened with a moved expression and chimed in, "Indeed, why don''t good people get rewarded?" "Uncle Liu, why is the surveillance footage from 8:05 PM yesterday to 9:17 AM today missing?" Fang Rui interrupted their conversation. Chapter 112 "Officer, I forgot to tell you. Last night, due to heavy rain, there was a power outage. It started around 8 PM and power wasn''t restored until after 7 AM this morning. The surveillance cameras probably didn''t record anything last night." Old Liu looked at Fang Rui and Zhang guiltily. "But I guarantee, no one broke in last night. I didn''t sleep at all because I was worried someone might come to steal things during the blackout." The security room was clean and tidy, with a visitor log on the desk and neatly arranged folders. Earlier, when going downstairs, Fang Rui noticed that all the fire safety equipment in the building had inspection tags and had been regularly checked, with Old Liu as the inspector. It was clear that this security guard was very conscientious. Fang Rui noticed the dark circles under his eyes and felt he probably wasn''t lying. He was about to leave when he spotted a pair of brand-name sneakers under Old Liu''s bed, covered in mud. "Uncle Liu, did you go out after the rain?" Fang Rui asked. "No! My legs aren''t in good shape, so I don''t usually go outside." "Uncle Liu, what size shoes do you wear?" "Size 42. Why, do you have some shoes you don''t want to donate to me?" Old Liu asked excitedly. He rarely bought clothes, usually wearing discarded clothes from others to save money. Zhang said, "I also wear size 42. I have quite a few old shoes that aren''t worn out, just out of style. If you need them, I can bring them for you. It would be a shame to throw them away." "That would be great, thank you! I don''t mind. All my clothes and shoes are donated by kind people." Old Liu pointed to his tracksuit, boasting, "Some are even brand names, you know." Fang Rui pointed to the shoes under his bed and asked, "Can I borrow those shoes for a moment? One of my colleagues'' shoes broke." "Oh? Will they fit him?" Old Liu hesitated, but quickly added, "Sure, if your colleague doesn''t mind." Old Liu was about to grab the shoes, but Fang Rui beat him to it, picking them up. "Why is there so much mud on the soles? I don''t know when that got there. Let me clean them for you first," Old Liu said nervously, trying to grab the shoes. "No need, we don''t mind." Outside the security room, Fang Rui placed the shoes in an evidence bag. "Boss, do you think the footprints outside were made by these shoes?" Zhang asked. "Mm-hmm." Fang Rui took the shoes to find Wang outside the wall. There were many chaotic footprints near the wall, so Wang hadn''t finished collecting evidence. Judging from the size and pattern of the footprints, they seemed to belong to the same person. "Wang, what size are the footprints?" Fang Rui asked. "They appear to be size 42." Fang Rui carefully examined the right footprint, which was very even. He compared the pattern of the footprint on the ground with the pattern on the shoes in his hand; they were identical. The footprint in the mud was very even. If Old Liu had stepped in the mud wearing these shoes, the right footprint should have been uneven, as Old Liu limped and his right foot tilted to the side. The footprint should have been deeper on the right and shallower on the left. "Boss, these footprints are strange," Wang analyzed. "Even if a normal person walked in well-fitting shoes, the footprints shouldn''t be this even. Most people have their own walking habits, which should cause different depths in different parts of the shoe print. But here, all these footprints are very even, indicating that the person was applying equal pressure across the entire shoe while walking." Zhang said, "Does this mean the person has flat feet?" "...It''s not about whether the feet are flat or not," Wang pointed to the footprints. "Look at these prints that are closer together; the person was probably walking faster. Shouldn''t the prints in the mud be shallower? And those prints that are further apart, shouldn''t they be deeper? But the depth is all the same, which doesn''t make sense." Fang Rui summarized, "Like someone deliberately made these prints?" "Exactly that feeling!" Zhang also caught on, "Boss, could someone have stolen Old Liu''s shoes to frame him?" Fang Rui walked around the wall again. He examined the mud on top of the wall; its color matched the mud at the base. A large patch of moss at the wall''s base had been kicked off, exposing the bare wall. Nearby vines had also been trampled. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, the moss and vines higher up the wall were undisturbed. They also discovered an oval-shaped depression in the moss at calf height on the wall. There was a long skid mark on the ground. "Someone must have slipped and accidentally hit the wall, leaving that dent," Zhang said. "Judging by the size, it doesn''t look like it was made by an adult male''s knee," Wang analyzed. Fang Rui called the power company and learned that there had been no power outage in the area last night. Nearby residents also confirmed there had been no blackout. Fang Rui and Zhang went to check the electric meter again. It was normal, with no signs of tampering. "Who checked the electric meter at the time?" Fang Rui returned to the security room to ask Old Liu. "Sister Chen went to check. She said the power was out because of the heavy rain." "Which Sister Chen?" "Chen Xinran. Though the WeChat group just announced she''s now the acting director." Fang Rui went to examine the half shoe print on the windowsill again; its pattern matched Old Liu''s shoes. Chen Xinran was in the treatment room with some volunteers. Yuanyuan''s condition was terrible; he had no response other than blinking. But when Chen Xinran and the volunteers discussed his condition outside the door, Yuanyuan quickly crawled into the toy cabinet. "Yuanyuan, we''re Mama Chen and Teacher Li. Can you open the door, please?" Chen Xinran crouched down and patiently spoke to the little boy in the cabinet. Yuanyuan desperately held the cabinet door shut. They didn''t dare use too much force and could only call to Yuanyuan softly from outside. But Yuanyuan still held the cabinet tightly shut, not letting anyone open it. Chen Xinran stood up, supporting herself on her knees, and said to the volunteer Li Min, "Teacher Li, we can''t do anything about Yuanyuan''s condition. Please ask Teacher Jiang to come and see if she has any ideas." Li Min nodded, "I''ve already contacted her. She said she''d come as soon as possible." Chen Xinran then turned to Fang Rui and his team: "Officer Fang, I was dealing with an urgent situation earlier and couldn''t properly receive you. I''m free now, shall we talk in my office?" Chen Xinran''s office was also small but elegantly decorated, with calligraphy paintings on the walls and orchids on the windowsill. Her windows didn''t have security bars. Zhang thought to himself that if a thief really wanted to steal something, they should start with this office. Chen Xinran poured rose tea for everyone. Fang Rui specifically asked Chen Xue to come along. He gave Chen Xue a look, and she winked in response. Holding her cup of tea, she walked to Chen Xinran''s side and pretended to accidentally spill tea on her skirt. "Oh, I''m so sorry, my hand cramped. Are you alright? Let me help you clean up." Chen Xue took out a tissue, appearing flustered as she wiped the skirt, but actually pulled up the skirt slightly, revealing Chen Xinran''s knee. Her right knee was bruised black and blue, as if it had been hit. Chapter 113 "Director Chen, please come with us. There are some things you need to explain to us. For example, why did you try to disguise the crime scene as a burglary?" Fang Rui said. Chen Xinran''s face turned pale. She instinctively retorted, "Officer, what are you talking about? I called the police as soon as I saw the body. When would I have had time to stage the scene?" "How do you explain the injury on your knee?" "I fell when I was holding Yuanyuan earlier." "Where did you fall? Please show us. The surveillance cameras are working again now. We can easily check the footage and find out what really happened." Chen Xinran gave up her attempts at deception and left with Fang Rui and his team. Before leaving, she appointed the volunteer Li Min as the acting director. Li Min was in her early thirties and was one of the more experienced staff members. "Li Min, please take good care of the children." "Where are you going, Chen? I can''t handle this alone. You must come back as soon as possible." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Alright, I''ll be back soon." Back at the police station, Chen Xinran confessed to her crime. "Officers, I really didn''t kill anyone! I don''t know how Director Zhang died!" Chen Xinran wrung her hands nervously. "I needed a large sum of money. I asked Director Zhang to lend it to me, but she refused. So I had the evil idea of sneaking into her office to steal money. It was raining heavily last night, wasn''t it? When I was checking the electric meter, I suddenly thought, if I could trick them into a power outage, there would be no surveillance, and I could enter her office to steal the money." "How did you know there was money in her office?" Fang Rui asked. "She''s loaded! What kind of person do you think our director is? A saint?" Chen Xinran sneered. Zhang replied, "The newspapers say she''s a selfless moral model. Although she has no children of her own, she''s a good mother to many orphans..." "Haha, only you would believe that! Do you know how much money kind-hearted people donate to our orphanage every year? The Jiangmiao Group alone donates millions every year. Where do you think that money goes?" Chen Xinran wore a mocking smile, "It all goes into Zhang Xuemei''s own pocket. She always brainwashes us with grand, empty words about charity and accumulating good karma, while paying us only two or three thousand a month. Meanwhile, she''s raking in the cash. I just asked to borrow a few tens of thousands for an emergency, and not only did she refuse, she even lectured me." "Are you saying she''s been embezzling funds all along?" "You''ve seen our orphanage, just two small buildings. The children''s living expenses aren''t that high. How much money could it possibly cost? Where did the rest of the money go? Obviously into her own pocket." Zhang said, "But we didn''t find any assets under her name, and there were only a few thousand yuan in her bank account." "Young man, are you naive? If you embezzled millions, would you keep it in your own bank account? You''d obviously convert it to cash and hide it. At the time, I suspected the money was hidden in her bookcase. She treasured that bookcase and wouldn''t let anyone touch it." "So, did you manage to steal any money?" Fang Rui asked. "Of course not! I searched her study with a flashlight for over an hour. The bookcase was full of books, which I checked one by one, but I didn''t find a single cent. Her office was surprisingly bare, with nothing of value. I had searched her dormitory before, but found no money there either. I really can''t figure out where she hid all that money." Zhang said, "Could it be that she never embezzled any money at all?" Zhang had inspected Director Zhang''s dormitory. The clothes in her wardrobe were old, some even yellowed from washing, but clean and tidy. The quilt and bed sheets had several holes, which were covered with embroidered flowers. She even refused to throw away broken coat hangers. Would such a person embezzle public funds? Zhang thought of a corrupt official from a TV drama and realized it wasn''t impossible. "Was her office not locked at the time?" "No, her office was never locked. I thought she was very bold, not locking the office with so much illegal money inside. Now I think that money probably wasn''t in her office at all." "Please give us a full account of what happened." "The orphanage lost power after 8 PM last night. While Old Liu was on his rounds, I stole his shoes and made many footprints outside the wall. I even damaged some vines and moss to make it look like a thief had climbed over. I also left footprints on the windowsill. After doing all this, I searched the study with a flashlight for the illegal money. Around 10 PM, I heard movement downstairs, so I quickly slipped out of the office. Officers, I didn''t steal anything. My actions weren''t illegal, right?" Zhang reminded her, "There''s a charge called attempted theft. The specific sentence will be up to the judge." Chen Xinran''s face turned ashen. Fang Rui asked, "You said you heard something last night. What kind of sound was it?" "It sounded like Director Zhang''s footsteps, so I quickly left her office." "When did you discover she was dead?" "Around 7 AM this morning. She usually gets up very early, but this morning she hadn''t appeared for a long time, so I went to her office to look for her. That''s when I found her stabbed to death. I was completely shocked." Fang Rui remembered the two missing stuffed pigs and asked, "Did you steal the stuffed pigs from her office?" "Why would I steal children''s toys? Those two pigs were so ugly, with their paint peeling off. What would I do with them? Probably some kid snuck in and took them." Chen Xinran couldn''t help but ask, "I made so many preparations. How did you figure out I was involved?" "You left too many clues. For example, those unnecessary footprints..." Before ending the interrogation, Fang Rui asked, "Why didn''t you get rid of Old Liu''s shoes?" It was foolish to try to frame Old Liu with footprints, given that he had a limp. "I did throw them away. I put them in the trash can. He''s the only male in the orphanage, so I could only steal his shoes." Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged a puzzled look. Why, then, had those shoes reappeared under Old Liu''s bed? At the next morning''s meeting, Mu Mian reported the autopsy results. "The time of death was the night before last, between 10 PM and 11 PM on March 21st. The cause of death was excessive blood loss." "There was a hematoma with vital reaction on the occipital region of the victim''s head, which was likely caused by falling to the ground," Mu Mian displayed photos of the deceased on the screen. "There were four knife wounds on the victim''s body, all made by the same weapon - the fruit knife found in the victim''s chest. Based on the location of the stab wounds and the blood spatter pattern at the scene, we can deduce that when the killer stabbed the victim, she was lying flat on the ground and didn''t resist." "Several fingerprints were found on the knife, all belonging to the same person. Judging from the size of the prints, they appear to be from a child," Wang said. "I suspect they might belong to the little boy found at the crime scene. However, I haven''t been able to obtain his fingerprints yet. The orphanage staff won''t let us see him, saying they''re afraid it might traumatize him." "Could Yuanyuan have killed the victim?" "But Yuanyuan is only eight years old. How could he overpower Director Zhang and stab her to death?" "Could Director Zhang have fallen and been knocked unconscious?" "We also detected an overdose of nitrous oxide in her system," Mu Mian interrupted their discussion. "This gas has a slightly sweet smell, mild anesthetic effects, and can cause laughter. That''s why it''s also known as laughing gas." Chapter 114 "Mu Mian, are you saying that the reason the deceased maintained a smile was because she was inhaling laughing gas before she died?" Fang Rui asked. Nitrous oxide has many uses. It can be used as an anesthetic or as a propellant for whipped cream. Although its production is regulated, it''s not classified as a drug and is relatively easy to obtain. In recent years, there have been several cases in Jiangzhou City of disability and death caused by inhaling laughing gas, mainly among young people. "Yes. Her brain had already undergone pathological changes, so she had likely been addicted to it for some time," Mu Mian said. "This gas tricks the brain into producing a feeling of euphoria while causing the facial muscles to lose control, forming an eerie smile. The deceased maintained her smile because of this gas." Mu Mian continued, "The murder weapon was an ordinary fruit knife. These knives are very common and sold in many department stores." Fang Rui remembered Chen Xinran mentioning that the deceased had particularly treasured that bookshelf. Could that be where she hid the laughing gas? "Mu Mian, come with me to the deceased''s office. Let''s see if we can find where she hid the laughing gas," Fang Rui said. "Alright." Fang Rui and the others returned to Director Zhang''s office. Mu Mian searched the office, and her gaze was quickly drawn to the red balloon under the desk. The balloon was somewhat deflated and looked no different from an ordinary balloon. It had fallen under the desk. Mu Mian picked up the balloon and slowly brought it to her nose. Fang Rui, who had been searching the bookshelf, saw Mu Mian''s action and rushed over to cover her nose. "Fang Rui, I can''t breathe! I hate the feeling of suffocation." "Mu Mian, what were you trying to do?" Fang Rui was exasperated. Balloons are the main tool for inhaling laughing gas, and it likely contained toxic gas. Mu Mian was really a handful! "I wanted to smell if it was cream-scented. Just a quick sniff, it wouldn''t be a problem. It was originally used as an anesthetic..." Seeing Fang Rui''s darkening expression, Mu Mian quickly changed her tune, "Alright, I''ll take it back for testing." Zhang quickly took out an evidence bag, letting Mu Mian put the balloon inside, and stated that he would keep it in his custody. "Officer Zhang, you don''t trust me at all!" Mu Mian complained, "I''m a forensic expert, I wouldn''t put myself in danger!" Fang Rui began listing Mu Mian''s "glorious" deeds: "Last March, you were taken to the roof by Chen Hui; last June, you got your hand scratched by Ye Zeling; you were also kidnapped by Zhou Junwei..." Mu Mian sheepishly changed the subject: "Fang Rui, hurry up and collect evidence. Don''t slack off during work hours." Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian and said emphatically, "Mu Mian, you can''t do such dangerous things in the future, or I won''t bring you along on investigations next time!" "I didn''t do anything dangerous... Alright, I promise!" Mu Mian gave up arguing, "Fang Rui, don''t be angry anymore. When you''re angry, I feel like the air pressure here is so low, I can hardly breathe." "..." Zhang held his head in his hands. Mu Mian had even learned to make jokes, albeit cold ones! "Boss, there''s a fruit bowl over there," Zhang pointed to a bowl tucked away in the corner with several unpeeled apples. "Could the fruit knife used to kill the victim have been in that bowl before?" Fang Rui noticed that one of the apples had been half-peeled. The killer might have picked up the fruit knife from the bowl and stabbed the victim. It was likely a crime of passion. "Possible." The bookshelf was full of books, but Fang Rui''s attention was drawn to several angel figurines on the top shelf. The angels were made of plastic, about a palm high, with white wings inserted in the back. The craftsmanship was crude, with unevenly applied paint. Fang Rui picked up one of them, feeling that the weight was off. This type of plastic figurine shouldn''t be so heavy. He shook it and found that the figurine was hollow with an opening at the bottom. He pulled out the plastic plug and two small silver canisters fell out. "Found it," Mu Mian came over, picked up one of the canisters, and said, "Laughing gas is usually stored in steel canisters like these." There were seven angel figurines in total, each hiding small canisters inside. They also found two notebooks disguised as books. The covers were fairy tales, but inside were handwritten pages. One was a diary, and the other seemed to be an account book recording the orphanage''s income and expenses. Fang Rui briefly flipped through the diary. Director Zhang used delicate words to describe her guilt and longing for her deceased son. She seemed to have never emerged from the shadow of her son''s death. The latest diary entry was written on March 19th, two days before the incident. It read: "Today marks 9,495 days since my child passed away. I dreamed of him again last night, he was covered in blood and waving at me. He asked me why I didn''t save him. I didn''t know how to answer him. I killed him. I could have saved him, but I was tired of those days of endless giving without any emotional return, tired of having to watch over him every moment. I had lost my own life, I was on the verge of breakdown. If he had grown up and I couldn''t move him anymore, couldn''t change his diapers, what would I have done? A child like that, not normal, living would only be suffering... As I hesitated, that car killed my child. My poor child. It''s mommy''s fault, mommy didn''t protect you! If mommy had another chance, I would rush to protect you without hesitation, even at the cost of my own life. Child, if you really hate mommy so much, then take me away. Mommy is living in too much pain." She mentioned multiple times in her diary: "The devil, it was the devil who tempted me. She told me this thing could make me happy, but it doesn''t. I''m still in pain. But I can''t get rid of it anymore. I''ve already made a deal with the devil. If falling and sinking can let me see my child again, I''m willing to continue dealing with the devil." From Director Zhang''s diary, it seems she started inhaling this gas a year and a half ago, and someone deliberately lured her into depending on it. But her diary didn''t name that person. Who could it be? Fang Rui then flipped through the account book, which detailed every income and expense clearly. Star Home received millions in corporate donations each year, but most of this money was donated through the foundation to other families with autistic or disabled children in need. From the accounts, the income and expenses basically balanced out. Fang Rui speculated that the killer might have been trying to control Director Zhang through this method to gain benefits. "Zhang, take this account book and investigate to see if there are any issues with the accounts in it." "Alright." After leaving the director''s office, they passed by the treatment room. Several volunteers and an elderly woman with graying hair were standing in the treatment room, all looking very anxious. Seeing Fang Rui, Li Min came over and asked, "Officer Fang, where did Sister Chen go? Why hasn''t she come back yet? Yuan Yuan still refuses to come out of the cabinet. He hasn''t eaten or drunk anything for two days. If this continues, he''ll become dehydrated." They tried to open the cabinet, but as soon as they did, Yuan Yuan would burrow deeper inside, hitting the cabinet walls without stopping, constantly banging against the wooden boards. His resistance was very intense, and they couldn''t restrain him even with several people. "Hasn''t a therapist come?" Fang Rui asked. "Teacher Jiang is an experienced autism intervention specialist, but even she is at a loss now," Li Min sighed, pointing at the elderly woman. "Yuan Yuan''s condition was already quite severe, and now that he''s been traumatized, he''s completely out of control." Mu Mian recognized Teacher Jiang. She had dinner with her and her sister last time. "Little Mian, long time no see. What are you doing here?" Teacher Jiang also saw Mu Mian and greeted her warmly. "Work." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian looked at the tightly closed cabinet, seeming to see a lonely and helpless soul hiding inside. "Can I give it a try?" Mu Mian said, "The 52-hertz whale is unable to hear the sounds of other whales, unless it encounters another whale that can produce a 52-hertz sound." Chapter 115 Everyone had left, leaving only Mu Mian and Yuanyuan in the cabinet in the treatment room. Mu Mian tiptoed carefully to the cabinet and gently knocked on its door. There was no response from inside. Mu Mian patiently knocked again. Still no response. Mu Mian knocked for a long time until her hand grew tired. She thought that perhaps she and Yuanyuan were just not on the same wavelength. With a creak, the cabinet door opened. "Hello, may I come in and visit your home?" Mu Mian asked, tilting her head. Yuanyuan looked at Mu Mian for a long time before finally nodding. Mu Mian crawled into the cabinet and closed the door behind her. The two of them were squeezed into the cramped space. It was pitch black inside the cabinet, but for some people, a narrow, dark space is a source of security. Next to the treatment room was an observation room with a one-way mirror that allowed a view into the treatment room. Fang Rui watched as Mu Mian crawled into the cabinet, feeling a bit worried. He wasn''t sure if Yuanyuan was potentially aggressive, and if he were to harm Mu Mian, Fang Rui wouldn''t be able to rescue her in time. He also wasn''t certain if Mu Mian had claustrophobia. "No need to worry too much. I understand Yuanyuan''s condition; he has a very good temperament and isn''t aggressive," Teacher Jiang smiled at Fang Rui. "Are you Mu Mian''s boyfriend?" "Not yet, I''m just her colleague at the moment." "She relies on you a lot." Fang Rui asked, "Teacher Jiang, were you once Mu Mian''s therapist?" "Not exactly, although I did provide her with short-term treatment when she was very young. She had just been diagnosed with autism then, and she was like Yuanyuan is now ¨C unable to speak and rarely responding to external stimuli. But she was very fortunate; her condition improved significantly." Teacher Jiang took out his phone, searched for a while, and found a photo. "I have a picture of Mu Mian when she was little. Would you like to see it?" Fang Rui looked at the photo for a while. The young Mu Mian was a miniature version of her current self, but little Mu Mian''s eyes were very vacant. She was quietly staring at the patterns on the floor, like a lifeless puppet. "Teacher Jiang, do you know Ms. Mischel?" "Yes, she was also one of Mu Mian''s therapists." "Why did she tell Mu Mian that people with autism can''t get married?" "Did she say that? That''s impossible. People with autism can definitely get married. I have a patient who did. However, relatively speaking, fewer of them do get married." About ten minutes later, the cabinet door slowly opened, and Mu Mian came out holding Yuanyuan''s hand. Although Yuanyuan''s gaze was still blank and there were traces of tears at the corners of his eyes, he was no longer as resistant to people and things outside the cabinet. "Yuanyuan." Li Min ran over and hugged him. Yuanyuan reached out and hugged Li Min back. He rested his head on her shoulder and soon fell asleep. He had been in a highly tense state for the past two days, and now that he had relaxed, he felt very tired. "Mu Mian, thank you for your help," said Teacher Jiang. The other staff members also expressed their gratitude to Mu Mian. "Fang Rui, Yuanyuan told me through his drawings that the deceased was killed by a big red mushroom," Mu Mian walked up to Fang Rui and held up her palm, saying, "Yuanyuan wanted to use magic to save her, but his magic failed. He was very sad and afraid that others would blame him, so he hid in the cabinet out of fear." Fang Rui held Mu Mian''s hand and looked carefully, but there was nothing on it. "Fang Rui, you''re so silly! The drawing is in my brain, not on my palm," Mu Mian tilted her head and looked at him. "Do you want to see it? I can draw it out for you." "..." Mu Mian found some paper and a pen, and quickly drew a picture. There were many lines representing raindrops on the glass window, a woman lying on the floor, a huge mushroom above her head, and a little boy standing nearby holding a magic wand with a helpless expression. "I asked Yuanyuan what the mushroom was, but he didn''t know. He might have forgotten, or maybe he just doesn''t want to remember," Mu Mian sighed. Teacher Jiang looked at the drawing Mu Mian had made and furrowed his brow. "Yuanyuan must have witnessed the crime scene. The intense shock caused his memory to distort, and he reconstructed the scene in a fairy tale-like manner. It seems that only through hypnosis can we uncover the memory he has disguised." Yuanyuan''s emotions were still unstable, so they decided to wait until he recovered a bit before attempting hypnosis. Fang Rui took the mud-covered shoes and went to question Old Liu, the security guard, again. "Uncle Liu, you picked these shoes out of the trash can, didn''t you?" Fang Rui questioned. "You deliberately placed them in a conspicuous spot for us to find, right?" Old Liu didn''t try to hide it and frankly admitted, "Yes, I intentionally let you find them. This morning, I saw Chen Xinran go to pull the circuit breaker, and I felt something was wrong. I quickly checked around and found Director Zhang dead in her office. Director Zhang must have been killed by Chen Xinran! She has always coveted the director''s position and had been spreading rumors before, saying that Director Zhang was embezzling funds. How could Director Zhang, such a good person, embezzle money? Later, I found my shoes in the trash can, which further confirmed my belief that Chen Xinran killed the director and was trying to frame me!" "Why didn''t you tell us directly at the time?" "Who would believe the words of an old man like me? Chen Xinran is the acting director. If she found out I was tattling, she''d fire me immediately." Old Liu became more agitated as he spoke, spilling everything about Chen Xinran, "The reason Chen Xinran stayed here instead of leaving was to wait for Director Zhang to retire so she could take over this welfare institution and use it to make money. Chen Xinran even found a drunk boyfriend, and she had been borrowing money from everywhere to spend on that man. She must have killed Director Zhang to become the director." Old Liu''s tone was very certain. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What was the relationship between Director Zhang and Chen Xinran like?" "Pretty good." Fang Rui asked, "Didn''t Director Zhang know about Chen Xinran''s ambition to take over? Didn''t you tell her about Chen Xinran spreading rumors?" "I told Director Zhang, but she didn''t believe me! She thought I was stirring up trouble. I don''t know why, but Director Zhang trusted Chen Xinran completely. Even when I gave her recordings of Chen Xinran badmouthing her, she still refused to believe Chen Xinran was a bad person." Fang Rui suspected that the person who had been controlling Director Zhang with that gas was likely Chen Xinran. She hadn''t told the truth during the interrogation. "What''s Chen Xinran''s boyfriend''s name?" "Zhang Damin. He runs a mahjong parlor in the nearby town." Fang Rui noted down the information about this person. On the way back, Fang Rui curiously asked, "Mu Mian, what did you say to Yuanyuan in the cabinet?" "Nothing much. I thought he might feel lonely hiding in the cabinet alone, and if someone was willing to go in and keep him company, he might feel better." Mu Mian looked at the blue sky outside the car window, her voice very soft. "The day my parents died, I also hid in a cabinet. The narrow space made me feel safe. I hid in the dark cabinet for four hours and seven minutes, but no one found me. My sister and the others were busy with other things. I came out on my own because I was too hungry..." Fang Rui was stunned. Everyone had wanted to pull Yuanyuan out of the cabinet, but no one had thought of going into the cabinet to keep him company. Mu Mian continued, "Fang Rui, Yuanyuan has several needle marks on his arm. Those shouldn''t be from vaccine injections. I suspect someone has been abusing Yuanyuan. Yuanyuan also told me through his drawings that someone often pokes the children here with needles." Chapter 116 Back at the bureau, Mu Mian reproduced the other drawings that Yuanyuan had made. The first drawing depicted: A little boy curled up in a narrow oval cabinet lying on its side, with several eyeballs embedded in the side of the cabinet. Outside the cabinet stood two monsters in long robes, their faces fierce as they stared intently at the boy inside. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The second drawing showed: A naked little boy lying on the ground, with countless hands reaching out from the walls and floor. Long, thin fingers held needles, all poised to stab into his body. The third drawing portrayed: A huge room filled with many children, each with a bowl of beads in front of them. Behind them stood a hairy monster holding a spoon, seemingly forcing the children to swallow the beads. After seeing these drawings, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. "Good heavens, could this be a coffin?" Zhang pointed at the cabinet in the first drawing and said, "Who puts cabinets on their side like that? This orphanage must be incredibly dark to abuse children in such a way." The children at "Star Home" were closely monitored by the staff, making it difficult for Fang Rui and his team to interact with them alone, let alone investigate whether they were being abused. Child abuse cases were not easy to investigate openly. Firstly, there was no substantial evidence, and if it turned out to be false, the orphanage would likely file a complaint against them. Secondly, even if child abuse was occurring, it would need to be handled delicately. Star Home was not only home to over thirty children but also the hope for many families with disabled children. If a hasty investigation damaged Star Home''s reputation and they couldn''t raise charitable donations, many families would lose their support. Fang Rui made an agreement with Teacher Jiang to bring Yuanyuan to her autism intervention center for hypnotherapy in two days. They could use this opportunity to conduct a full body examination on Yuanyuan to check for signs of abuse. Zhang and Chen Xue were outside the classroom, secretly luring the mischievous Guoguo out with candy. Although Guoguo had coprolalia, he was clever. He slipped out while the teacher was playing music for them, using the chaotic sounds to mask his uncontrollable outbursts and avoid detection. "Pretty sister, are you, woof, woof, going to give me candy?" Guoguo struggled to control his tics but still made strange noises. He quickly covered his mouth, afraid of being disliked by Chen Xue and Zhang. "Yes, all these candies are for you," Chen Xue handed him a large handful of sweets. "Guoguo, sister has some questions to ask you, is that okay?" "Go ahead and ask, I''m honest Guoguo, I''ll definitely tell you," Guoguo unwrapped a piece of candy and eagerly started eating. Chen Xue first examined his arms. Apart from scars from vaccination shots, there were no needle marks or other scars. Chen Xue breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Guoguo, does anyone stick needles into you?" "When we get vaccines, they do. It hurts a lot. But Mommy Director says we have to get them, it''s for our own good, to prevent diseases." "What about other times?" Guoguo''s eye twitched, "No needles. Except for Mommy Director''s sewing needle, we don''t have any needles at home. Woof, woof. Mommy Director uses her needle to embroider pretty flowers and our names on our clothes. Pretty sister, where did Mommy Director go, woof? I haven''t seen her for many days." Looking into Guoguo''s sincere eyes, Chen Xue''s eyes also grew moist. She said, "Mommy Director went to a faraway place. She''ll be back a bit later." "Then she shouldn''t come back too late. I''m afraid I might fall asleep at night, woof, woof, and then I''d have to wait until tomorrow to see her. Woof, I''ll try hard not to fall asleep. I stayed awake all last night, I wanted to wait for Mommy Director, woof, to come back." "Guoguo, what I mean is, Mommy Director won''t be back for many days." "Pretty sister, how many days is ''many days''?" "Sister doesn''t know either." "Okay. Mommy Director must have her own things to take care of. We''ll be good and wait for her to come back here." Guoguo said understandingly. Chen Xue continued to ask, "Guoguo, does anyone lock you in cabinets?" "No. Mommy Director doesn''t let us climb into cabinets. She says it''s very dangerous, woof, if we get locked in, we might die if we can''t get out. There are monsters in the cabinets, woof, that eat naughty children. But Yuanyuan can climb into cabinets, the monsters don''t eat children like him." "Is Yuanyuan often locked in cabinets?" "Yuanyuan likes to climb in by himself. He doesn''t talk, so we don''t know what he''s thinking." Chen Xue asked, "Do they force you to eat strange things?" "Yes. We''re often forced to eat yucky carrot cubes and small green vegetables, and we''re not allowed to spit them out after eating." "Have you eaten anything round, like beads?" "You mean little tangyuan? They''re delicious. But Mommy Director says we can''t eat too many, glutinous rice is hard to digest." Chen Xue and Zhang discovered that there didn''t seem to be any child abuse occurring at the orphanage, and the deceased Director Zhang appeared to be a very loving person. Zhang asked, "Guoguo, have you always lived here? Do you go anywhere else to play?" "I''ve always lived here, but Yuanyuan, Xiao Bai, Zhu Zhu, and others go somewhere else with Mommy Director. I don''t know where." Zhang remembered that these children all had autism. "Alright, Guoguo, thank you. Please don''t tell anyone that we talked to you, okay?" Guoguo looked troubled at the large pile of candy in his hands, "Okay. Can I share the candy with the other kids?" "Of course you can." As Chen Xue and Zhang were about to leave, they found Guoguo tugging at their clothes. "Pretty sister." "What is it, Guoguo?" "They said my mom went to a faraway place. I kept waiting, waiting for many years, but she never came back to find me. Later they said my mom had died. Is Mommy Director also dead? Is that why she''s not coming back?" Chen Xue didn''t know how to answer this question. She gently hugged Guoguo. The results of the financial investigation into "Star Home" came out quickly. All donations to "Star Home" went through official accounts, and most of the outgoing funds were transferred to foundations under "Star Home''s" name. Director Zhang had previously been in business and kept very clear accounts. The destination of every transfer could be traced. She didn''t own any property, nor had she ever rented a house. She had always lived in the orphanage''s dormitory. No valuable items or cash were found in her office or living quarters. From the financial records, it appeared that Director Zhang had not embezzled any public funds. Director Zhang''s phone has not been found to this day. The police searched the entire orphanage but couldn''t find the missing phone. Director Zhang rarely used computers, and no suspicious clues were found on her computer. The diary found at the scene was confirmed through handwriting analysis to be written by Director Zhang, and based on ink analysis, the actual writing times mostly matched the dates written on the paper. The diary entries began ten years ago. She didn''t write frequently, sometimes writing one entry every month or two, and the entries were not long. After reading her diary, everyone felt that although Director Zhang couldn''t shake off the psychological shadow of her son''s death, she had redirected her attention to other autistic children. By taking care of them, she filled the void and found inner peace for a long time. Everything changed a year and a half ago. At that time, Director Zhang seemed to be facing some difficult choices. She began to frequently think about her deceased son, wrote in her diary more often, and her mental state deteriorated. Chapter 117 "Director Zhang was truly a selfless and devoted person," Zhang said with tears in his eyes after reading the diary. "To make up for the guilt she felt towards her son, she treated all the other autistic children as if they were her own. It''s so admirable." Chen Xue nodded in agreement: "Indeed. And she only used nitrous oxide to ease her own pain a little. Chen Xinran is just awful, spreading rumors everywhere that she embezzled funds. That woman is too much." Fang Rui and his team discovered that Chen Xinran''s boyfriend, Zhang Damin, had previously been in rehab for drug addiction. He had also served time in prison for fraud, having been caught by police selling alum disguised as drugs to addicts. Due to the large amount of money involved in the fraud, he was eventually sentenced. Fang Rui and Zhang went to Zhang Damin''s mahjong parlor to find him. As soon as they showed their badges, he took off running, but Zhang quickly tackled him to the ground. Zhang Damin tried to defend himself: "Officers, this is just a legitimate mahjong parlor." "If it''s legitimate, why did you run?" "Well, I''ve developed a conditioned response from being arrested before. I''d run with my tail between my legs even if I just heard a police siren on the street." Zhang Damin said glibly, rubbing his bald head. "You know Chen Xinran, don''t you?" "Yeah. That old woman won''t leave me alone. If she didn''t keep giving me money, I wouldn''t give her the time of day." "We''ve arrested her. During questioning, she revealed some things about you," Fang Rui said. "That old woman confessed? Is she trying to pin this on me?" Zhang Damin said angrily. "How dare she try to blame me for her own misdeeds!" "Yes, she confessed everything." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Well, you still can''t arrest me," Zhang Damin said smugly. "I didn''t ask her for money this time, so it doesn''t count as a sale. You can''t charge me with fraud!" "So, you admit to providing nitrous oxide to Chen Xinran?" "Officers, you already know everything, so why are you still asking?" "..." Fang Rui handcuffed Zhang Damin to the doorknob. He and Zhang searched the mahjong parlor but found no illegal items. They did, however, find several phones and motorcycle batteries. Seeing the pile of stolen goods, Zhang Damin''s face reddened slightly. He tried to explain: "Those... those were left here by people who lost at mahjong." "Lost? So you''re running an illegal gambling den here?" "No, no, they borrowed money from me and couldn''t pay it back, so they left these things as collateral." "Oh, so who exactly left these items? Give us a list of names." Zhang Damin''s face fell. "Officers, you already know everything, so why are you making me jump through hoops?" "We want to see how you''ll try to weasel out of this. It''s the same old excuses every time. I''m tired of hearing it," Zhang sighed, digging in his ear. "..." After bringing Zhang Damin back to the station, he confessed everything: "Six months ago, Chen Xinran came to me asking for drugs. I couldn''t get the real stuff. If I could, I wouldn''t have sold fake drugs before. At first, I thought about giving her some fake stuff to scam her for money. But an online friend told me he could get something legal, what you call nitrous oxide. So I had him get me some, and I gave it to Chen Xinran." Fang Rui asked, "Are you sure it was six months ago?" "Definitely. I had just been released from detention then." "Did she say what it was for?" "They often make cakes at their care home. She said it was for whipping cream." "You just said she asked you for drugs, now you''re talking about whipped cream?" Fang Rui interrupted his nonsense. "We''ve come this far, so stop wasting my time with your slick talk." Zhang Damin shrank back, frightened. "She wanted to frame the director of their care home. She used that stuff to ruin the director''s reputation so she could take over as director. She promised me a lot of money if it worked out. But then she went back on her word and didn''t give me a penny. Officer, since she didn''t pay me, it doesn''t count as an illegal transaction, right..." Fang Rui questioned Chen Xinran again. "Your boyfriend Zhang Damin has already confessed everything," Fang Rui said. "You bought nitrous oxide from him to frame Director Zhang, didn''t you?" "Zhang Damin is not my boyfriend. He''s the one spreading rumors to ruin my reputation. No, I never did anything like that! He tried to scam me and now he''s slandering me." "He''s in the next room. Do we need to bring him in for a face-to-face confrontation?" "I... What he sold me wasn''t nitrous oxide at all, just some empty bottles. He''s a fraudster! He''s framing me!" "Fake? Then why was Director Zhang inhaling nitrous oxide before she died?" "It wasn''t me. I never gave her that stuff. How could she have it?" "Director Zhang didn''t embezzle funds either, did she? You spread rumors to destroy her reputation, right?" "No! She really did embezzle money. She received a whole box of cash, at least several hundred thousand yuan, but it never went into the care home''s bank account. I saw it with my own eyes, it couldn''t have been fake!" Fang Rui noticed a hole in her story: "Are you saying someone donated a whole box of cash to your care home? Does that seem logical to you? Donations are tax-deductible, who would donate in cash? Or are you suggesting someone bribed your director with a box of cash?" Zhang chimed in: "Director Zhang is dead. Why are you still spreading rumors about her embezzling? Are you taking advantage of the fact that the dead can''t speak?" "I''m not lying this time!" Chen Xinran slammed her hand on the table in agitation. "Bring me my phone. I have evidence!" Zhang quickly brought Chen Xinran''s phone. Chen Xinran snatched the phone and found a video file in a hidden folder. She played it and held it up for Fang Rui and the others to see. "Look, isn''t she accepting money?" The video was shot from a low angle, as if hidden. In the video, there was a large box of 100 yuan bills in front of Director Zhang. She casually checked if the money was real, then closed the box. "Director Zhang, now that you''ve taken my money, you must arrange everything as we discussed," said a haughty voice. Fang Rui and Zhang both felt the voice was familiar. "I understand," Director Zhang said quietly. "I don''t have any other choice, do I?" "Pleasure doing business with you." The camera shook chaotically for a moment before finally settling on a cold face. "Isn''t that Lin Qianjie''s stepmother, Jiang Yun?" Zhang exclaimed. He had a strong impression of Jiang Yun because Chen Xue had said she was Mu Mian''s mother, but she had cruelly abandoned such an adorable child. Fang Rui found it strange. Jiang Yun was a typical businesswoman who put profit above all else. She wouldn''t give money away for no reason. Chen Xinran said, "Officers, I''m not lying to you, am I? She really did embezzle funds." "When did this happen?" "Six months ago. It was because of this that I saw through Zhang Xuemei''s hypocrisy. She brainwashes us every day with her sanctimonious face, while behind our backs she''s using these children to line her own pockets. If she can do it, why can''t I?" Chen Xinran had been blinded by jealousy. Originally, she had been happy working at the care home. Even though the salary was low, she was willing to care for these disadvantaged children. She had even genuinely admired Director Zhang. But when she discovered Zhang Xuemei''s true nature, she felt foolish for all her past efforts. The police contacted Jiang Yun again, but her secretary said she was very busy and that any questions could be directed to her. However, no matter what the police asked, the secretary politely replied that she was unaware of those matters. Fang Rui felt that Director Zhang''s death was likely connected to that money. Chapter 118 The next morning, according to plan, Yuanyuan was to be taken to the "Star Benefit Station Children''s Rehabilitation Center," an autism intervention institution founded by Teacher Jiang, to undergo hypnosis to awaken his deeper memories. Fang Rui, Mu Mian, and Zhang arrived at the institution early to wait for them. "Mu Mian, did you often visit places like this when you were young?" Zhang asked curiously while looking around. This was his first time seeing so many children with autism. Zhang had thought all autistic children were gentle and lovable like Mu Mian, but reality was different. Some autistic children could be aggressive, hitting others without reason, and forcefully throwing toys when angry. Mu Mian shook her head, "I didn''t like going out when I was little. My father would bring therapists to our home. I met many therapists. Most of them were noisy and boring. After I grew up, my sister would often take me to various therapy centers and support groups, saying I might make friends that way. But it didn''t work." Mu Mian''s tone was calm, but Fang Rui could hear the sadness in her voice. He remembered when he first met Mu Mian, she had said, "I''m troublesome, I don''t have any friends." The Mu Mian back then must have really wanted to have friends. "But now I have many friends," Mu Mian said with a hint of pride. "Yes, quite a few. Four of them, and I''m number four," Zhang teased. "..." After about ten minutes, two staff members from Star Home and the acting director Li Min arrived with Yuanyuan. They let Yuanyuan sit in the rest area to play with toys while he adjusted to the unfamiliar environment. Yuanyuan seemed very familiar with the surroundings and showed no signs of discomfort. He sat obediently on the stool and skillfully began playing with the Lego toys on the floor. Mu Mian pretended to build Legos with Yuanyuan while secretly examining his arms. Earlier in the cabinet, it had been too dark, and she had only felt unusual needle marks on his hands. Both of Yuanyuan''s hands had needle marks on the back, which appeared to be from blood drawing needles based on the wounds. There were also needle marks on the inside of his wrists, likely from arterial blood draws. There were many needle marks, and the wounds were fresh. Why were they collecting Yuanyuan''s blood? And judging from the number of needle marks, Yuanyuan must have been having blood drawn frequently. Otherwise, there would be no need to alternate between both hands. Mu Mian shared this discovery with Fang Rui and Zhang. Fang Rui analyzed: "In Yuanyuan''s drawings, there were many needles pointing at him. Could those be blood drawing needles? He''s had blood drawn so frequently that he exaggerated the blood drawing scenes in his drawings." "That explains the third drawing too. The round beads might be pills. Could Yuanyuan be forced to take medicine every day? He hates taking medicine, so he drew the people forcing him as monsters," Zhang analyzed. "But how do we explain the coffin? Why would Yuanyuan be locked in a coffin?" Mu Mian thought for a moment and said, "When getting an MRI, you need to be pushed into an oval-shaped enclosed chamber. Could that oval-shaped cabinet be the MRI chamber? So Yuanyuan wasn''t locked in a cabinet, but was getting an MRI scan." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If viewed in a medical context, all three drawings made sense. Yuanyuan hadn''t been abused; he just misinterpreted medical examinations and treatments as abuse. "But Yuanyuan doesn''t seem to have any physical illness, so why would he need injections and medicine?" Zhang wondered. Fang Rui asked one of the staff members. "Director Zhang said Yuanyuan was a bit anemic, so she took him to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor said the problem was serious, that Yuanyuan had anemia. Director Zhang was very concerned about this and often took Yuanyuan for follow-up visits..." "If Yuanyuan really has anemia, why would doctors draw his blood so frequently? Aren''t they worried about making his condition worse?" Zhang questioned. "And why would anemia require an MRI?" "That''s how hospitals are. They do all sorts of tests, necessary or not. Medical insurance doesn''t cover these examinations, so hospitals just make excuses to do as many tests as they can. They''re always trying to squeeze money out of common people." This staff member had lost a son to leukemia and had spent several years in hospitals with him, so she harbored resentment toward hospitals. Zhang nodded in agreement. He remembered when he was hospitalized for his leg injury, he had undergone numerous tests - blood work, CT scans, everything. He had wondered at the time why he needed CT scans of his leg and head when he hadn''t suffered any fall injuries. When the Star Home staff went to accompany Yuanyuan, Mu Mian whispered, "Yuanyuan''s complexion is very rosy. He doesn''t look like someone with anemia. They''re lying." Fang Rui thought about Jiang Yun again. She reportedly had a biological son who had never been seen in public. He had heard rumors that her son wasn''t quite normal, which was why Jiang Yun kept him hidden. Could her son be autistic like Mu Mian? The Jiang family owned many medical enterprises. Could she have made some deal with Director Zhang to use the children at Star Home for drug experiments? Teacher Jiang took Yuanyuan into the therapy room, while the others went to the observation room next door, watching through one-way glass. Yuanyuan''s case was special. He couldn''t express himself verbally, but fortunately, he was very good at drawing and could express his thoughts and emotional experiences through lines and colors. Teacher Jiang handed Yuanyuan a piece of white paper and a box of colored pencils. "Yuanyuan, I''m going to ask you some questions in a moment. Can you answer Teacher Jiang using the pencils?" she asked. Yuanyuan nodded obediently. "That day you saw Director Mom lying on the ground, right? Do you remember what she looked like?" Yuanyuan picked up a black pencil and first drew a person lying on the ground. The clothes and hair were simple sketches without detail, but the face was drawn very meticulously, down to individual eyelashes. The smiling face was instantly recognizable as the deceased Director Zhang. "What else did you see?" Yuanyuan took out a red pencil from the box and drew a large red mushroom above Director Zhang''s head. It was enormous, even bigger than Director Zhang herself. Using the black pencil again, he drew a window in the upper left corner with many rain streaks. "Where were you, Yuanyuan?" Yuanyuan used the black pencil to draw a little boy next to Director Zhang, then used a silver-gray pencil to draw a magic wand. "Yuanyuan, where did that mushroom come from?" Teacher Jiang asked gently. Yuanyuan pointed to the floor, indicating it grew from the ground. "Yuanyuan, where did your magic wand come from?" "Magic wand... do you want to see my magic wand?" Yuanyuan suddenly spoke, pronouncing each word slowly. Yuanyuan looked up at Teacher Jiang. His face was pale, his pupils very dark, and when he stared directly at someone, his appearance was frightening. "Yuanyuan, you can speak?" Teacher Jiang said joyfully. "It seems the treatment is working." Yuanyuan tilted his head and showed an eerie smile. The next moment, Teacher Jiang felt a sharp pain in her chest. She instinctively touched it and found her hand covered in blood. Looking down, she saw a small knife stuck in her chest. In that instant, Yuanyuan had somehow produced a sharp knife and forcefully stabbed it into her chest. Chapter 119 The people in the observation room were shocked, and Fang Rui immediately rushed into the treatment room. Teacher Jiang was lying on the floor covered in blood. Yuanyuan looked at his blood-stained hands, slowly extending his fingers to smear the blood over the painting, covering all the images on it. It was a folding knife with a short but sharp blade. Teacher Jiang''s wound wasn''t deep, but she had lost a lot of blood, and her condition was serious. Fang Rui asked Zhang to call an ambulance to take Teacher Jiang to the hospital for emergency treatment. "Yuanyuan, what''s wrong? Why did you stab Teacher Jiang?" Li Min hugged Yuanyuan and asked softly. Yuanyuan didn''t respond, reverting to his autistic state where he only blinked without any other reaction. They couldn''t hear any sound from the observation room, only see their movements. They didn''t know what Teacher Jiang had said to provoke Yuanyuan into attacking her. "Yuanyuan... he can speak..." Teacher Jiang mumbled. Everyone looked at Yuanyuan in shock. He still appeared quiet and well-behaved. "Yuanyuan, tell us, why did you stab Teacher Jiang?" Yuanyuan didn''t respond to her. Fang Rui turned to Li Min, "Why did Yuanyuan have a folding knife?" Li Min panicked, "I don''t know. We don''t have such dangerous items in our welfare institute. When he came, we changed Yuanyuan''s clothes. He couldn''t have had something like that on him." Teacher Jiang was sent to the hospital. The doctor said her injuries were severe, but currently not life-threatening. However, further observation was needed, and they couldn''t rule out the risk of her condition worsening to endanger her life. It was already afternoon when they returned to the bureau. Mu Mian analyzed, "When Yuanyuan stabbed Teacher Jiang, his lips moved slightly. Reading his lips, he seemed to be saying: ''Magic wand... Do you want to see my magic wand?''" "Teacher Jiang''s lip movements also seemed to be asking about a magic wand." Fang Rui suddenly had an absurd guess, "Could the ''magic wand'' Yuanyuan mentioned be referring to the knife?" Zhang was about to say it was impossible, but then realized this guess made sense. The magic wand Yuanyuan drew was silver-gray and relatively short, very likely his fairytale version of the knife. "So, could Yuanyuan be the one who killed the victim?" Zhang analyzed, "No wonder Yuanyuan was covered in blood at the time. But how could an autistic child suddenly use a knife to kill someone?" Fang Rui said, "So, it''s very likely that an adult was manipulating him to kill." "The mushroom in that painting was red," Mu Mian suddenly said, "We previously thought the mushroom represented the killer, but a red mushroom could also be that balloon. Yuanyuan saw Director Zhang inhaling laughing gas from the balloon. This time she might have overdosed and collapsed on the ground. Yuanyuan might have thought Director Zhang was poisoned by a toxic mushroom, so he picked up the fruit knife, wanting to save her. Someone might have told Yuanyuan that stabbing people with a fruit knife was magic, so Yuanyuan wanted to use this method to rescue her..." The blood spatter at the crime scene indicated that the person who stabbed Director Zhang was very short. They had suspected Yuanyuan before, but everyone still found it hard to believe that a quiet, well-behaved autistic child would kill someone. Zhang said, "Who could be the one who told Yuanyuan that stabbing people with a knife was casting magic? Could it be Chen Xinran? She seemed to have a good relationship with Yuanyuan, and she also had a motive for murder." Fang Rui and Zhang interrogated Chen Xinran again. "Officers, I''ve already confessed everything I should. I''ve admitted my guilt honestly. Why are you questioning me again?" Chen Xinran looked exasperated. She just wanted to face her legal judgment quickly and serve her sentence quietly. "What''s your relationship with Yuanyuan like?" "How is Yuanyuan now? He''s such a timid child. Encountering something like this must have scared him terribly. Officers, please ask Li Min and the others to take good care of him. That child is so pitiful." Chen Xinran said anxiously. "Did you tell Yuanyuan that the knife was a magic wand that could be used to save people?" "What knife? What magic wand?" Chen Xinran looked confused, "Why would I tell Yuanyuan such things? Yuanyuan can''t understand fairy tales, so I basically never tell him fairy tales." Chen Xinran''s expression didn''t seem like she was lying, but this woman was full of lies, and Fang Rui didn''t quite believe her. "But his painting style is very fairytale-like." "Then I don''t know about that. Yuanyuan was often taken out by Director Zhang to see therapists. His painting wasn''t taught by us, but by outside therapists." Fang Rui asked, "Do you know the names of those therapists?" "I don''t know. But they''re all from Teacher Jiang''s institution. You can ask Teacher Jiang." Teacher Jiang was currently lying unconscious in the hospital. After finishing the interrogation of Chen Xinran, Fang Rui went to Mu Mian''s office to find her. "Mu Mian, do you think Teacher Jiang might also have been a target of the killer?" Fang Rui quickly denied his own speculation, "No, that''s not right. How could the killer be sure that the one hypnotizing Yuanyuan would definitely be Teacher Jiang? If it was another therapist, wouldn''t the killer have targeted the wrong person?" "The killer might have set up a trigger word after knowing that Teacher Jiang would hypnotize Yuanyuan. Once Teacher Jiang triggered the keyword, Yuanyuan would stab her with the knife," Mu Mian speculated, "But I don''t understand why the killer would want to kill Teacher Jiang. She''s a good person. That day when she invited me and my sister for dinner, I ordered a double portion of seafood rice, and she didn''t say anything." Fang Rui looked at Mu Mian helplessly. "Fang Rui, why do I feel like you''re mocking me?" Mu Mian said, displeased. "It seems that every person you''ve certified as good turns out not to be so good." Mu Mian felt Fang Rui''s criticism was reasonable. She indeed couldn''t distinguish between good and bad people very well. But it wasn''t her fault; those bad people were all quite nice to her. "So, what bad things could Teacher Jiang have done?" Mu Mian wondered. Fang Rui felt that the key word connecting everything was autism. Director Zhang was taking care of several autistic patients, Teacher Jiang was an autism therapist, and the killer was the autistic child Yuanyuan. But what could be the motive for the killer to use Yuanyuan to harm them? Late at night, it started raining heavily again in Jiangzhou City. Mu Mian had a nightmare. She dreamed that she had turned into a little red mushroom with long mushroom tentacles holding a magic wand, lying in a dark coffin. Mu Mian hated this suffocating feeling. She struggled desperately, kicking open the coffin lid with her feet. She crawled out of the coffin and took a deep breath, but looking down, she realized the coffin was placed on a cliff, with a pitch-black abyss below. In the abyss, as dark as a black hole, there were many faces - her father and mother, Jiang Yun, and her sister. They were all waving at her, wanting her to jump down and join them. Mu Mian wanted to be with them, but the cliff was so high. Her fear of heights made her think that growing old alone might not be so bad after all. At that moment, a hand reached out from the abyss, grabbing her ankle and pulling her down forcefully. Mu Mian fell from the coffin. The sensation of falling was so real that Mu Mian could even feel the wind whistling past her ears. "Fang Rui, help! I''m so scared. Can you catch me?" Mu Mian suddenly woke up, finding herself drenched in cold sweat. It was raining outside, a soft pitter-patter. Perhaps it was the lingering fear from the dream, or perhaps the sound of rain irritated her, but Mu Mian felt inexplicably uneasy. It seemed as if something big was about to happen. Mu Mian couldn''t sleep, feeling restless. So she took out her phone and sent messages to all her friends. "Are you asleep? Come out and chat for five cents." This was what Zhang always said when he wanted to gossip. Mu Mian found it amusing and saved it. Today she finally got to use it. Maybe everyone was asleep, as no one replied except Fang Rui. "Mu Mian, are you having insomnia again?" Fang Rui was also having trouble sleeping. In the evening, Zhang''s takeout discount coupon was about to expire, so he insisted on treating everyone to milk tea, but ended up giving Fang Rui a cup of black coffee. After drinking the coffee Zhang gave him, he couldn''t sleep. "No, I woke up from a nightmare. It was so scary." "What nightmare?" Mu Mian briefly described the dream she just had. She said, "Hey, it''s all because of what Yuanyuan said. It made me have nightmares." "Mu Mian, since neither of us can sleep, do you want to come out... and watch the rain?" Fang Rui''s voice was a bit nervous. Watch the rain? What a strange activity, Mu Mian silently thought to herself. But she desperately needed to do something to distract herself, anything would do, so she said, "Sure." Mu Mian changed her clothes and went out. Fang Rui was already waiting for her in the hallway. They walked downstairs together, but the rain was pouring heavily, so they could only stand at the entrance of the building. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was pitch black outside, and they could only see the dense raindrops through the dim yellow streetlights. Fang Rui suddenly felt that watching the rain was a silly idea. There were so many more romantic things to do, like watching a movie, strolling in a park, going on a trip, or even just taking a walk on a nice day would be more romantic than watching the rain. The cold wind blowing on Mu Mian''s face made her feel of unease subside a little. At that moment, Fang Rui''s phone rang. It was the operator calling. "Detective Fang, there''s been a murder in the villa district downtown. The victim was stabbed multiple times. I''ve sent you the address. Please get there as soon as possible." "Alright." Fang Rui glanced at the address, his brow furrowing slightly. This address seemed to be Lin Qianjie''s villa. "Fang Rui, let''s go quickly. We should leave right away." Zhang also called: "Boss, you got the call, right? Whatever you do, don''t bring Mu Mian to the crime scene! Keep it from her!" Chapter 120 "Officer Zhang, why won''t you take me along?" Mu Mian leaned towards the phone, complaining, "I''m a forensic expert. How can you not bring me when a body has been discovered?" "Mu Mian, why are you eavesdropping on the boss''s phone call? Wait a minute, why are you two together in the middle of the night?" Officer Zhang seemed to have stumbled upon some juicy gossip. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui, not wanting to listen to Officer Zhang''s chatter, hung up the phone. He had a good guess as to why. The victim was most likely Jiang Yun. "Mu Mian, you''re very tired now. Why don''t you go back to sleep?" "No! I''ve figured it out. The victim is Ms. Jiang. It''s nothing special, everyone dies eventually," Mu Mian''s expression was calm. "Fang Rui, let''s hurry over there, or the body won''t be fresh anymore." "Mu Mian, if the deceased is your relative, you need to recuse yourself," Fang Rui reminded her. "But she''s not my relative, neither legally nor emotionally. I don''t need to recuse myself." "Mu Mian, are you really not upset?" "Of course not!" Fang Rui felt that Mu Mian was lying because her hand, tucked in her coat pocket, was clenched tightly. He sighed, realizing that Mu Mian had now mastered the skill of lying. The call to the police had been made by Sister Chen, the Lin Family''s housekeeper, and Uncle Zhang, the security guard. Sister Chen had discovered the body and was guarding the crime scene in the living room. The servants, chef, and family doctor were anxiously waiting at the main gate along with the security guard. The servants, chef, and family doctor usually lived in the staff quarters next to the villa. They only learned about the incident when the security guard informed them. Uncle Zhang approached them, "Officers, it''s terrible. Someone broke into the villa and killed Ms. Jiang. They''ve also kidnapped Yan Yan." Mu Mian asked, "Who is Yan Yan?" "Ms. Jiang''s son. Yan Yan has autism. We must find him quickly. If he''s traumatized, his condition could worsen," the family doctor said anxiously. Mu Mian''s hand clenched even tighter. So she had an autistic child. Why wasn''t Yan Yan abandoned? Was it because Yan Yan''s condition wasn''t as severe? Was Yan Yan a smarter, more lovable child? "Where''s the victim? Please take us there," Fang Rui said. They followed the security guard into the villa. Upon entering the living room, they saw a scene of chaos. The floor was covered in ceramic shards, and a woman lay in a pool of blood. Her chest had been stabbed multiple times and was a bloody mess. Her face, usually stern and cold, now wore a smile. She was smiling, her wide-open eyes fixed on a certain spot. Mu Mian saw clearly that the woman was indeed Jiang Yun. She had never smiled at her before, but now she was smiling so warmly, her eyes full of love. Fang Rui and his team were surprised. Jiang Yun''s manner of death was almost identical to that of Director Zhang. They followed Jiang Yun''s gaze to a bookshelf. The lower half of the bookshelf consisted of a row of cabinets. "Could there be another autistic child hidden in there?" Officer Zhang speculated. Mu Mian walked over, intending to open the cabinet, but Fang Rui grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. "Mu Mian, he might be aggressive," Fang Rui said. "Let me do it." Fang Rui slowly opened the cabinet. Inside, curled up, was a blood-covered boy about fifteen or sixteen years old. He had very small eyes and a vacant stare, and he was tightly gripping a fruit knife. Sensing the light, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at them. Mu Mian looked at Yan Yan. He wasn''t cute at all. His eyes were very small, his mouth was very large, and his face was covered in acne. He didn''t look intelligent either. "Yan Yan, why are you hiding in here?" Sister Chen immediately ran over, but when she saw the blood on Yan Yan, she quickly stepped back, mumbling in horror, "How could this happen? Yan Yan is such a good boy, how could he kill someone?" Seeing Sister Chen, Yan Yan raised the knife and obediently walked out of the cabinet. Sister Chen was startled by his movement. She quickly hid behind Officer Zhang, shouting, "Officer, help! Help! Is he going to kill again?" Yan Yan saw how scared she was of him and sadly lowered his head. Fang Rui carefully gripped Yan Yan''s hand and took the knife from him. Yan Yan was very obedient, offering no resistance as he handed the knife to Fang Rui. Seeing this, Sister Chen approached again, feeling guilty. She crouched down and softly asked Yan Yan, "Yan Yan, you didn''t hurt your mother, did you?" Yan Yan nodded. "Then why were you holding the knife?" "No... knife," Yan Yan struggled to squeeze out a few words. He pronounced each word with great effort, but his voice was muffled and unclear. Without careful attention, it was impossible to understand what he was saying. "Ma...gic... wand! Mom... dead, I save her!" "Who told you this was a magic wand?" Fang Rui asked. Yan Yan''s expression changed instantly. He suddenly lunged at Fang Rui, opening his mouth wide to bite Fang Rui''s arm. Fortunately, Fang Rui quickly grabbed his chin, and Officer Zhang swiftly moved to restrain him. Once he realized he was under control, Yan Yan returned to his docile state. "Yan Yan has likely been hypnotized. ''Magic wand'' seems to be the trigger word. When we mention it, they become aggressive," Fang Rui analyzed. "So it will be difficult to learn from the two children who is actually controlling them to kill." Sister Chen was terrified, frozen in place with shock. "Did Yan Yan''s mother love him very much?" Mu Mian suddenly asked. "Yes. Ms. Jiang was very busy, but she would set aside one day each week to come here, talk with Yan Yan, play with toys, and occasionally take him to the amusement park. However, due to Yan Yan''s special condition, he wasn''t well-suited to be exposed to many people, so Ms. Jiang never publicly acknowledged Yan Yan. She wanted Yan Yan to grow up happily. She was a good mother." Ms. Jiang was very generous to Sister Chen, paying her a monthly salary of 100,000 yuan, so naturally, Sister Chen had a good impression of her and only spoke of her virtues. In reality, Jiang Yun didn''t love Yan Yan that much. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have left Yan Yan in this villa, only seeing him once a week. During their meetings, she would only give him gifts, rarely helping him bathe, eating meals with him, or reading him bedtime stories. She might have truly loved Yan Yan, but her love was purely material. Yan Yan didn''t lack material things; what he lacked was companionship. "Why do you all call her Ms. Jiang? Shouldn''t it be Mrs. Lin?" Officer Zhang asked curiously. "Mr. Lin passed away five years ago. He left all his assets to Ms. Jiang and Yan Yan. After Mr. Lin''s death, Ms. Jiang told us not to call her Mrs. Lin anymore. She said she didn''t like that title and didn''t want to be seen as a man''s appendage. Ms. Jiang is a strong, independent woman. She has managed the company very well." Fang Rui noticed signs of a struggle in the living room. There were bloody ceramic shards on the floor. This crime scene was slightly different from the one at the orphanage. Mu Mian examined the body''s surface. The victim had been stabbed ten times, and each wound was very deep. The killer must have used all their strength to inflict these wounds. She discovered a wound on the back of the victim''s head where the scalp had been cut open. White ceramic fragments were stuck to the cut scalp. Chapter 121 "Based on the body temperature, the victim''s time of death was estimated to be between 11:30 PM last night and 12:30 AM today. Similar to Director Zhang''s case, analysis of the stab wound patterns indicates that the perpetrator stabbed the victim multiple times after she fell to the ground," Mu Mian explained, pausing briefly before continuing, "There''s also a wound on the victim''s head with signs of vital reaction, indicating it was inflicted while she was still alive." Zhang analyzed, "So the crime might have happened like this: the victim was first knocked unconscious with a vase, fell to the ground, and Yan Yan, thinking she was dead, tried to use the ''magic wand'' - which was actually the fruit knife - to save her, ultimately resulting in the victim being stabbed to death!" Chen Xue countered, "But if the killer had already struck the victim with a vase, why not just kill her directly? Why go through the trouble of manipulating Yan Yan to kill her? Doesn''t that seem unnecessary?" Fang Rui noticed vase fragments under the body as well. This suggested that either the vase broke first and then the victim fell, or someone had turned the body over. Fang Rui asked Sister Chen, "Were you in the villa tonight? Did you hear the sound of a vase breaking?" "Around 11 PM, Yan Yan suddenly wanted to eat strawberry cake. I was planning to buy it for him tomorrow, but he threw a tantrum, and Miss Jiang always spoils him. So she asked the driver to take me to buy some. It was late and raining, so it took a while to find a shop that sold strawberry cake. When I returned, around 1 AM, I found Miss Jiang lying on the floor covered in blood, and Yan Yan was nowhere to be seen, so I immediately called the police." "Did anyone come to the villa while Sister Chen was out?" Fang Rui asked the security guard. "I don''t think so. After Sister Chen left, no one came in. Only Miss Jiang and Yan Yan were in the villa. It''s possible a thief climbed over the wall to steal something. We have many cameras installed inside and outside the villa, you can check the surveillance footage." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Is it just you and Yan Yan in this big villa usually?" "Yes, Yan Yan is very averse to strangers. The chef, cleaning staff, and family doctor all live in the servants'' quarters next door. Yan Yan hates noise, so this villa has extra soundproofing. They probably couldn''t hear anything." Mu Mian found the smile on Jiang Yun''s face disturbing. She covered her face with a white cloth, hiding the smile. "Mu Mian, could she have inhaled laughing gas?" Fang Rui suggested. He wanted to tell Mu Mian that Jiang Yun''s expression was just due to the effects of drugs, not because she favored another autistic child. "There are no balloons here, no small steel cylinders for laughing gas, and her facial muscles aren''t stiff... It''s not due to drugs. The reason is quite touching, just as you guessed earlier. It''s because of love. She was afraid of scaring Yan Yan, so she smiled to comfort him, even though she was bleeding and in pain all over..." Mu Mian''s voice was calm, devoid of any emotion, but everyone somehow felt she was very sad. Mu Mian had thought Jiang Yun just disliked autistic children because they were too troublesome, as few people like them. But it turned out Jiang Yun was so kind to another autistic child. It wasn''t that she disliked autistic children; she just didn''t like Mu Mian. But why didn''t she like her? Her dad, mom, and sister all said she was a genius, the most adorable child in the world. Ms. Mischel also said she was the best-recovering autistic patient she had ever encountered. As Chen Xue and Zhang were about to comfort Mu Mian, she said, "Let''s hurry and get the body into the car. While it''s still fresh, I want to complete the autopsy before dawn." "..." Perhaps she wasn''t so sad after all. There were surveillance cameras at the villa''s main gate, entrance, and near the bookshelf on the first floor, but the spot where Jiang Yun was killed happened to be in a blind spot. Fang Rui and his team spent the whole night reviewing the footage, but it showed no one had broken into the villa. The camera facing the floor-to-ceiling window near the bookshelf showed Yan Yan taking a knife from the coffee table at 11:41 PM. About three minutes later, he reappeared in the frame holding a bloody knife, pacing anxiously before disappearing from view. "Could it be that Yan Yan first hit the victim with the vase, then stabbed her to death with the knife?" Zhang speculated, "With cameras at every entrance, this seems to be the only possibility left." "No, there are other possibilities," Fang Rui said. In the autopsy room, Mu Mian calmly used a scalpel to cut open the victim''s scalp, folding it back to reveal only a small subcutaneous tear with minor bleeding corresponding to the wound. "Mu Mian, this doesn''t seem to be caused by a vase strike," Chen Xue analyzed, "It doesn''t look like an impact injury." Mu Mian didn''t respond. She took out the most expensive imported electric saw from the tool cabinet, one that could cut through bone without producing debris and was sharp enough to quickly saw through even the hardest bones. "Mu Mian, let me do it," Chen Xue reached for the saw, but Mu Mian avoided her. "Chen Xue, everyone dies. It''s nothing special, just an inviolable law of nature. If her body must be autopsied, I want to be the one to do it." "But Mu Mian, you look..." "Chen Xue, I''m a professional forensic pathologist!" Mu Mian switched on the saw and began cutting through the victim''s skull. The blade spun rapidly, accompanied by a roaring sound. Wearing light blue safety goggles, Mu Mian''s expression was hidden from Chen Xue. But she remained professional, quickly and steadily sawing through the victim''s skull. Mu Mian removed the skull cap and cut open the dura mater, exposing the brain tissue. There was a small hematoma attached to the occipital lobe. A slight hematoma was also present in the corresponding frontal area. "It''s a contrecoup injury!" Chen Xue exclaimed, "This head wound was caused by a fall. She might have fallen onto the vase fragments, which cut her scalp, making us think she was hit with the vase. No wonder I thought it was strange at the scene. If the victim had been struck with a vase before falling, based on the force analysis, she should have fallen face down. Also, that vase was quite thick; it shouldn''t have shattered from just hitting someone." Contrecoup injuries typically occur in falls, trips, or incidents like hitting one''s head against a wall. It refers to bleeding and contusion in the brain tissue corresponding to the wound site, with similar injuries on the opposite side of the brain, but without scalp damage or skull fracture on that side. This happens because when the head is in rapid motion and suddenly stops, the skull stops first, but the brain continues moving due to inertia, hitting the inner wall of the skull and causing bleeding and contusion on the opposite side. Contrecoup injuries are generally diagnostic of deceleration injuries to the head. In the past, Mu Mian would have cut open the victim''s body and meticulously examined all the internal organs, dissecting everything possible. But today, she suddenly didn''t want to continue the autopsy. The cause of death was clear, and the origin of the head wound had been determined. Mu Mian carefully replaced the skull cap, returning all the tissues to their original positions. Finally, she took out a needle and thread and sutured the scalp back together. Her stitching was perfect. Jiang Yun''s once sleek black hair had been completely shaved off, leaving her bald and unsightly. Mu Mian thought she should buy a wig later to put on Jiang Yun, which would hide the ugly, worm-like suture line. But Mu Mian was exhausted. The wig would have to wait. "Mu Mian, are you very upset? Do you need a hug?" Chen Xue asked. Although Mu Mian had been pretending to be indifferent about Jiang Yun, Chen Xue knew she cared deeply about her birth mother. The reason Mu Mian had joined the Jiangzhou City Police Department in the first place was to use the internal ID system to find her mother''s address. How could she not care about the mother she had tried so hard to find? "Chen Xue, I''m very tired. I want to go home and sleep. Tell Fang Rui and the others that the cause of death was excessive blood loss. The victim fell; she wasn''t attacked with a vase." "Do you want me to drive you home?" "I''ve already called a car." "Alright, then get some rest!" Chen Xue said, still concerned. "Mu Mian, let me drive you home after all." But Mu Mian had already left the autopsy room. Chapter 122 The investigation of the case quickly made progress. Jiang Yun''s assistant told them that Jiang Yun had installed many hidden cameras in the villa to monitor the work of the servants and prevent Lin Qianyan from being abused. These cameras were installed covertly, known only to the assistant and Jiang Yun. The surveillance videos were uploaded to the cloud in real-time and could be viewed by logging into the account. Jiang Yun rarely watched these surveillance videos, and the assistant had almost forgotten the account password. One of the hidden cameras captured the entire incident: At 11:33, Jiang Yun walked over to the shelf. She wanted to pick up a toy from the floor but stepped on a glass marble and accidentally knocked over an antique vase on the shelf. After regaining her balance, she intended to call the servant from the neighboring room to clean up, but after a few steps, she slipped on another marble and fell to the ground, hitting the back of her head on the broken vase pieces. At this moment, Yan Yan saw Jiang Yun fall. He slowly walked over, ignoring her, and his first reaction was to pick up the glass marbles on the floor, about five or six of them, and put them in his pocket. He kicked Jiang Yun''s hand, and seeing no response, he took the fruit knife from the coffee table and violently stabbed it into Jiang Yun''s chest. Jiang Yun let out a painful cry. Hearing her scream, Yan Yan revealed an excited smile. He stabbed her many more times, with blood continuously splattering onto his face. Then he glanced at the camera on the bookshelf. He walked into the camera''s range and suddenly changed his demeanor. He put on a panicked expression and deliberately performed in front of the camera before hiding in the cabinet of the bookshelf. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jiang Yun looked in the direction he left, slowly losing consciousness, but she still managed to force a smile. This surveillance video could prove that Yan Yan was the one who killed Jiang Yun. After watching this, everyone felt chills down their spines. Yan Yan even had a smile on his face while killing his mother, and he deliberately performed in front of the camera. But he didn''t know there was a hidden camera. "Could Yan Yan have been in a hypnotized state when he killed?" Zhang speculated, "Otherwise, it''s hard to explain his bizarre behavior." Although they had found the killer, similar to the case at the welfare home, Yan Yan''s actions were likely instigated by someone behind the scenes. Otherwise, how could an autistic person suddenly stab someone? Fang Rui asked Sister Chen again, "Who has Yan Yan been in contact with recently?" "Yan Yan rarely goes out. He doesn''t have many friends. The only people he sees are just us." "Doesn''t he receive treatment?" "He does have regular intervention therapy. There''s a therapy room upstairs. Teacher Jiang comes every Monday and Thursday to give Yan Yan treatment." "Are there no other therapists?" "No! But Teacher Jiang occasionally brings assistants. The assistants are different each time, but they''re all staff from her institution." Fang Rui took away the surveillance videos from the villa. That person must have had close contact with Yan Yan, otherwise, they couldn''t have controlled Yan Yan to kill. And that person had also been in contact with Yuan Yuan from "Star Home". The most likely suspect was still a therapist from Teacher Jiang''s institution. The entire second floor, except for Yan Yan''s room, was therapy rooms. The decoration was almost a copy of Teacher Jiang''s institution''s setup. Fang Rui and Zhang entered Yan Yan''s room. The interior was very cozy, with stars and moons painted on the ceiling, light blue walls, and all furniture wrapped in foam to prevent Yan Yan from getting hurt. Many drawings were scattered on the floor. Unlike Yuan Yuan''s fairy tale style, Yan Yan''s drawings looked creepy, mostly depicting mutilated human and animal bodies, such as a teddy bear with its eyes gouged out or a doll with its left leg severed. He liked black and red colors, often using these two colors to fill the background. His drawings had no lines, composed of thick and chaotic color blocks, giving a strong sense of discomfort. "Has Yan Yan''s drawing style always been like this?" Zhang asked Sister Chen. "Yes, Yan Yan likes to draw, but I think his drawings are strange. Teacher Jiang said it''s normal, that it''s a post-modern art style. She even said Yan Yan has artistic talent and could become an artist in the future." Fang Rui collected all of Yan Yan''s drawings and put them in evidence bags. They also looked through Yan Yan''s drawers, which were also filled with drawings of the same dark style. "Why are there photos of Mu Mian in his drawer?" Zhang exclaimed, holding up a photo. The photo showed Mu Mian waiting for a car at the entrance, seemingly taken secretly. Two large red crosses were drawn heavily on the photo with an oil pastel, and on the back was scrawled in red: Kill her! "Could his next target be Mu Forensic Doctor? He seems to particularly hate her," others chimed in. Fang Rui put that photo into an evidence bag. He was a bit worried. Could the mastermind also hate Mu Mian? But Mu Mian didn''t know them, why would they have such malice towards her? Zhang found a cookie box under Yan Yan''s bed. They opened it to find it full of torn-up drawings. These drawings were completely different from Yan Yan''s style. They were in a fairy tale style, with bright lines and pleasant color schemes. Fang Rui casually flipped through the pieces of the drawings, his attention caught by a small whale. The shape and color of the whale were very similar to the one on the wall of "Star Home". "Isn''t this the whale from the welfare home?" Zhang asked, confused. "Has Lin Qianyan been to the welfare home? No, did he draw these? The style doesn''t match." At this moment, Chen Xue''s phone call came in: "It''s not good! Mu Mian is missing!" After Mu Mian left the autopsy room, Chen Xue was worried and, estimating that Mu Mian should have arrived home by now, called Shen Xiyin to ask if Mu Mian had returned home. Shen Xiyin said no. They waited another hour, but Mu Mian still hadn''t returned home. At this point, they realized something was wrong. Chen Xue tried calling Mu Mian, but she didn''t answer. Later, Chen Xue discovered that Mu Mian''s phone was left on her office desk. But Mu Mian was nowhere to be found. "Yan Yan is tied up with restraints downstairs, he couldn''t possibly harm Mu Mian. Could it be that the mastermind personally took action and kidnapped Mu Mian?" Zhang said anxiously, "Mu Mian is so unlucky!" However, Fang Rui felt that perhaps Mu Mian hadn''t gone missing at all. Although Chen Xue was panicked, her mind was clear. She first went to the security room to check the surveillance footage and found that Mu Mian hadn''t left the police station at all, not even this floor. The hallway surveillance showed that after Mu Mian entered the forensic office, she hadn''t come out. But Chen Xue had been in and out of the office many times, and she hadn''t seen Mu Mian inside. When Fang Rui returned, Chen Xue reported this to them. "Could Mu Mian have some way to become invisible on the surveillance?" Chen Xue speculated, "Otherwise, how could she vanish into thin air?" Fang Rui looked down at the file cabinet behind Mu Mian''s desk and said to Chen Xue and Zhang, "You all go out first. I know where Mu Mian is." Chapter 123 Chen Xue and Zhang exchanged a glance. Where could Mu Mian be? Surely she wouldn''t be childish enough to hide in a closet like Yuanyuan and the others? Then they realized their thinking was limited - Mu Mian very well could be in there. After Zhang and the others left, only Fang Rui remained in the room. He walked to the closet and noticed a bread bag on the floor. He smiled, realizing Mu Mian probably hadn''t gone hungry. Fang Rui knocked on the closet door. No response. He knocked again. "Fang Rui, you''re knocking on the wrong one. It''s the closet on this side," Mu Mian said softly. "That one''s full of files, I couldn''t fit. My legs were going numb so I switched sides." Fang Rui opened the closet to find Mu Mian curled up inside, clutching a small pink bag - a gift from Jiang Yun that she had thrown away in front of her sister, but later secretly retrieved from the garbage downstairs after much searching when her sister wasn''t looking. Feeling the harsh light, Mu Mian turned away from Fang Rui. Beside her were piles of small bread loaves and a bottle of water, as if she planned to live in the closet long-term. "Fang Rui, I don''t want to come out yet. I''m thinking things through," Mu Mian said. "You don''t have to come out. But Mu Mian, can you make some room for me to squeeze in and keep you company?" Mu Mian turned back, her eyes red-rimmed. She looked at Fang Rui in surprise, but he was already trying to get into the closet. Mu Mian shifted over and nodded, "Okay." Fang Rui was too tall and broad to fit easily. He struggled for a while but couldn''t get in. "Mu Mian, what should I do? I can''t fit," Fang Rui said sheepishly. Mu Mian found Fang Rui''s current state rather amusing - such a big guy desperately trying to squeeze into the closet, his head in but legs still out. The narrow closet simply couldn''t accommodate him. "Fang Rui, you don''t need to come in." Mu Mian shifted from inside the closet to its edge. Fang Rui sat on the floor, leaning against the closet. "I''ll have to keep you company from out here then." "Fang Rui, I feel so guilty. I shouldn''t be sad about Miss Jiang''s death. At my parents'' funeral, I didn''t cry. I even snuck behind the tombstone and ate some of the offerings. I was so hungry. My Eldest Aunt caught me and said I was a cold-blooded monster. I didn''t understand - she had wanted my father dead to take his inheritance, yet she cried so bitterly at his death. Meanwhile, I didn''t shed a single tear." Mu Mian recalled her first experience with a loved one''s death. "I told her everyone dies eventually, it''s no big deal. She would die someday too; it''s an unchangeable law of nature. She glared at me and ran away screaming. Everyone else looked at me strangely. That day, I realized I wasn''t normal." Jiang Yun''s death had awakened Mu Mian''s memories of that funeral. Her past memories were usually black, static, and colorless, but now they became more vivid, with color and movement. She even remembered her Eldest Aunt''s twitching facial muscles and unpleasant body odor. "Fang Rui, should I have acted more upset at the funeral?" Mu Mian asked guiltily. "My parents were much kinder to me than Miss Jiang, but I wasn''t sad for them. Now I''m grieving for Miss Jiang''s death." "You must have been sad then too, you just didn''t know how to express or understand your emotions," Fang Rui consoled her. "If you weren''t sad, why would you have hidden in a closet?" "Fang Rui, I prefer how I used to be. Even when I was sad then, my heart didn''t hurt. I could just hide in a closet, and my brain could control my emotions. But now I''m overwhelmed by this immense sorrow. I feel like I''m suffocating." Mu Mian felt panicked, not understanding what was happening to her. Logic told her she didn''t like Miss Jiang, yet she was devastated by her death to the point of losing control. Her logic and emotions were misaligned. Mu Mian handed Fang Rui a photo. It showed a young Jiang Yun holding a baby, smiling with a loving gaze at the infant. "Because of that photo, I thought she loved me a little. I made up so many excuses to explain why she abandoned me, even though all her actions were so illogical. I still had hope. I thought she must have had her reasons, but today I realized I can''t fool myself anymore." Tears streamed from Mu Mian''s eyes. "She really didn''t love me. It wasn''t that she disliked autistic children - she just disliked Mu Mian. Even so, I still don''t want her to be dead." Fang Rui held Mu Mian tightly. "Fang Rui, why didn''t she like me?" Mu Mian choked out. "Some mothers just don''t love their children. But it''s not your fault, and it doesn''t mean you''re not good enough." "Mm, I''m a genius. Many people love me. It doesn''t matter if she''s not one of them," Mu Mian said lightly. Shen Xiyin arrived after receiving Chen Xue''s call. Standing outside the door, she watched Fang Rui embracing Mu Mian and suddenly realized that Mu Mian might have developed the ability to feel and express emotions like a typical person. Everything changed when she started looking for her mother. Perhaps from that moment, Mu Mian had already begun to change. Her self-awareness had qualitatively developed, and she became curious about her origins, leading her to search for her mother. Later, through a series of events, Mu Mian learned to lie and became curious about love. Today, she finally experienced a substantial emotional response to death. Mu Mian was gradually becoming more like a typical person. This was good! "Sister, don''t misunderstand. This is just a normal comforting gesture," Zhang quickly explained. "Zhang, you''re calling her ''sister'' too!" Chen Xue nudged Zhang, then promoted Fang Rui to Shen Xiyin, "Sister Xiyin, are you satisfied with Captain Fang as a brother-in-law? He''s a great person and takes good care of Mian Mian... Most importantly, Mian Mian really likes him." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I can see that." Mu Mian was starting to not need her anymore. Shen Xiyin felt both gratified and a little sad. "So you support them being together?" "I support all of Little Mian''s choices." That''s why even knowing Mu Mian would certainly be disappointed after finding Jiang Yun, she still didn''t stop her. With Fang Rui''s comfort, Mu Mian quickly composed herself. "Chen Xue, I''m sorry. I heard you calling me, but I was thinking things through and couldn''t respond." Zhang muttered quietly, "But you responded to the boss, and he didn''t even say anything, just knocked on the closet." "..." "It''s okay, I was mainly worried something had happened to you. Next time, let me know in advance." "Chen Xue, what could happen to me? I''m very cautious and won''t easily have accidents." "..." Zhang remembered the photo with the big X drawn on it. The accidents Mu Mian could have were far from ordinary! Learning that Shen Xiyin was skilled in art therapy, Zhang figured since she was already here, they should ask her to analyze Lin Qianyan''s paintings to see if there were any clues. Zhang handed Lin Qianyan''s paintings to Shen Xiyin. "Dr. Shen, can you see if there''s anything wrong with these paintings? We all felt very uncomfortable after looking at them." Shen Xiyin flipped through the large stack of paintings, her brow furrowing deeper as she examined them. She said, "If the artist of these paintings isn''t suffering from schizophrenia, then he''s very likely to have antisocial personality disorder." Chapter 124 "But he''s an autistic patient," Zhang said. Shen Xiyin asked, "Who is the artist of the painting?" "Lin Qianyan, Jiang Yun''s son," Chen Xue replied. Shen Xiyin paused as she was flipping through the paintings. She looked closely at that particular painting, then showed it to the others: "Doesn''t the person in this painting look like Mu Mian?" The content of the painting was: a girl lying in a pool of blood, her hands and feet had been cut off, the facial features were very clear, and it looked a bit like Mu Mian. Everyone fell silent because it really did look like Mu Mian, and a photo of Mu Mian had also been found in Lin Qianyan''s room. Lin Qianyan knew what Mu Mian looked like, so this certainly wasn''t a coincidence. But they didn''t understand why this autistic child would harbor such hostility towards Mu Mian. "Why would he paint me like this?" Mu Mian complained, "I''ve never offended him!" They reviewed surveillance footage for an entire day and finally discovered a suspicious person: Li Min, the acting director of "Star Home". Every few days, she would bring Yuanyuan along with Teacher Jiang to this villa. Sometimes Director Zhang would bring Yuanyuan over. But Yuanyuan came very frequently. Li Min used to be a therapist at Teacher Jiang''s institution. After resigning, she volunteered at "Star Home", helping autistic children with intervention therapy. She was very responsible in her work and was well-liked by the children. "Chen, what were they coming here to do?" Fang Rui pointed at Li Min and Yuanyuan in the surveillance footage, asking the Lin family''s housekeeper. "Yuanyuan came to keep Yanyan company. Miss Jiang was afraid he''d be lonely, so she occasionally invited children from the welfare home to come play. Yanyan didn''t like those children, but he quite liked Yuanyuan." Li Min was one of the few people besides Teacher Jiang who had contact with both children. Now that Teacher Jiang had been attacked, Li Min was the prime suspect. "But how can we prove that she induced Yuanyuan and Yanyan to kill? It''s hard to leave evidence of verbal manipulation," Zhang sighed. "Indeed, and given Yuanyuan and Yanyan''s special circumstances, and the fact that they''re both children, even if they pointed out that Li Min told them the knife was a magic wand, this testimony might not hold up in court. We need substantial evidence," Chen Xue said. Fang Rui first asked Zhang and Wang to go to the welfare home to get Li Min''s drawings and handwriting samples. He and Mu Mian stayed in the office to piece together the torn drawings. There was a thick stack of paper scraps in the cookie tin. The drawings had been torn into very small pieces, making it difficult to reassemble them, but fortunately, Mu Mian was skilled at puzzles. Fang Rui handed her the paper scraps, and Mu Mian matched their positions based on the shapes of the edges and the content on the scraps. As each drawing was completed, they sealed it with laminating paper to prevent it from being messed up. Working late into the night, Mu Mian and the others finally finished piecing together all the scraps, totaling thirty-nine drawings. "Finally finished. I don''t want to do any puzzles for a long time, except for corpses," Mu Mian took off her gloves and rubbed her sore eyes. "Judging by the painting styles, these drawings should be by two different people." The drawings had already been separated into two piles based on technique and style. One pile was very thick, with thirty-five drawings, while the other had only four. The thirty-five drawings were likely drawn by Yuanyuan, with an immature technique. The other four drawings had a style similar to Yuanyuan''s, both with a fairy tale style, fluid lines, and reasonable color combinations, but with mature drawing techniques. Fang Rui picked up one of the four drawings. It was very sparse, with only a fruit knife drawn on it. Another drawing depicted a hand holding a knife stabbing into a woman''s chest, with splashing blood drawn as red magical effects. Among the thirty-five drawings, there was also a similar one. The content of that drawing was: a boy holding a fruit knife, stabbing it into a woman''s chest, but without any blood drawn. The woman had a face they were familiar with. Fang Rui invited Li Min to the interrogation room. Li Min sat in the chair and asked in confusion, "Officer, I''m not a criminal, is it necessary to take my statement in a place like this?" Zhang didn''t answer her question, "Miss Li, do you know Lin Qianyan?" Li Min thought for a moment and asked, "You mean Yanyan? Yes, I know him. I occasionally bring Yuanyuan to play with him. His mother often donates to our welfare home." "Do you know what a magic wand is?" "Why do you ask? A magic wand is used to cast spells." "If we found a more professional hypnotist to hypnotize Yuanyuan, do you think he would remember who told him the knife was a magic wand?" Fang Rui said. "He probably would! But how can you be sure that what Yuanyuan says under hypnosis is the truth? Children love to lie, you know." "Miss Li, it was you who told Yuanyuan and Yanyan that the fruit knife was a magic wand, and that stabbing it into a person''s body could bring the dead back to life, right?" S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Min displayed an expression caught between laughter and tears, "Officer, your imagination is too rich. Those two children are autistic, but they''re not stupid. How could they believe such nonsense?" "What if someone made them see it with their own eyes?" Fang Rui placed a drawing in front of Li Min. "You personally demonstrated it for them, didn''t you?" The content of the drawing was Li Min lying on the ground, with a boy stabbing a knife into her chest, but there was no blood from the wound. This knife was probably a retractable one. "This is a child''s drawing. What can it prove?" Li Min glanced at the drawing and quickly looked away, defending herself. "How do you know this is a child''s drawing?" Fang Rui asked. "I''ve studied art therapy, so I''m familiar with these things. Analyzing the lines, composition, and technique, this should be drawn by a child." "If that''s the case, why didn''t you recognize this as Yuanyuan''s drawing? You spend a lot of time with Yuanyuan, couldn''t you tell this was his work?" Fang Rui continued to question. "Of course I can tell this is Yuanyuan''s drawing. Officer, there''s no need to dwell on these issues. Children''s drawings often mix reality with imagination, they can''t be used as evidence to deduce the truth of a case." Li Min''s tone was calm, as if she was certain Fang Rui and his team couldn''t find any evidence. "If children''s drawings don''t count, what about an adult''s?" Fang Rui took out the other four drawings and laid them in front of Li Min. Li Min''s pupils dilated instantly, looking at those drawings in disbelief. She had torn these drawings up and thrown them away, how could they appear here again? The garbage should have been disposed of long ago. Did the police dig these things out from the waste treatment plant? "The Technical Department has already compared them. The technique and the way the lines are drawn in these four drawings match your painting style. These four drawings were done by you." Li Min leaned back slightly, saying calmly, "Why couldn''t it be someone else imitating my painting style? Technique is easy to imitate. Even works by famous artists can be imitated so well it''s hard to distinguish the real from the fake. My drawings would be even easier to imitate. What can this prove?" "But your fingerprints are also on these drawings," Fang Rui said. Chapter 125 Li Min was shocked and dismayed. "You can deny it, but if Yan Yan and Yuanyuan both identify you as the person who told them the knife was a magic wand during questioning the day after tomorrow, combined with these drawings as evidence, I think it will be enough to prove you''re the murderer." Li Min fell silent, her mind wrestling with inner conflict. Finally, she made a decision. "Enough. There''s no need to torment these children anymore. I admit I did it. I wanted to kill Zhang Xuemei and Jiang Yun, those two devils. They were too cruel, using these autistic children for drug experiments!" Li Min stood up excitedly, accusing, "Yuanyuan was almost killed by them." "What drug experiments?" "Jiang Yun''s pharmaceutical company developed a drug to treat autism. The drug had passed animal trials, and the next step was clinical trials. That''s when they set their sights on the autistic children at Star Home and those supported by Zhang''s foundation. This drug''s side effects were still unknown. If used long-term, the consequences could be unimaginable." Fang Rui and Zhang fell silent. They had imagined many motives, but never thought Li Min killed to protect these children. "I can plead guilty and clearly explain the entire process of the crime, but as a deal, you must thoroughly investigate the drug trials conducted by the Star Benefit Station Children''s Health Center and Jiang Yun Pharmaceuticals. If you don''t agree, I won''t say a word, and you''ll never know the truth." "If there really were illegal drug trials, we''ll definitely investigate," Fang Rui promised. "I started working at Star Home because of Director Zhang''s inspiring story. I idolized her and wanted to be like her. I never imagined she would do such an evil thing for money. My spiritual pillar collapsed." Li Min''s brother was also autistic. When he was ten, he drowned in a pond due to her negligence. Li Min had always felt guilty about this, so she chose to major in special education in college. Director Zhang''s story resonated with her, so she chose to follow her. "At first, I wanted to kill them directly. But why should I sacrifice my life for these two devils? Later, I realized that minors who commit murder aren''t held criminally responsible, let alone autistic children like Yuanyuan and Yan Yan. So I told Yuanyuan and Yan Yan that the knife was a magic wand that could cast spells to save people. No hypnosis was needed, just simple psychological suggestion. To make them believe, I pretended to faint, and then Yan Yan stabbed me with the prop knife I had prepared. I immediately opened my eyes and ''came back to life.'' They believed what I said. But I didn''t expect Yuanyuan to draw that scene, which became evidence to convict me." Fang Rui looked at the torn drawing, frowning slightly, "Didn''t you tear up these drawings?" "I didn''t tear up this one that Yuanyuan drew. I know when he drew it. I tore up these four. At the time, drawing these pictures was to help them better understand how to use the magic wand. Later, I tore them up and threw them in the trash can in Yuanyuan''s room. I didn''t expect you to find them." Fang Rui realized that someone seemed to have deliberately led them to discover these clues to convict Li Min. Li Min described the details of the crime. "That rainy night, I found the power was out, which was the perfect opportunity for murder. I had Yuanyuan hide in Director Zhang''s closet beforehand, telling him we were playing hide-and-seek, and he could come out when he heard a bang. On the day Director Zhang''s son died, it rained heavily. Under my inducement, she indulged in nitrous oxide to numb herself. She would inhale nitrous oxide whenever it rained. I had replaced her cylinder earlier, and this time the concentration was higher than ever. She quickly passed out. The sound of her falling attracted Yuanyuan, who picked up the fruit knife I had left nearby and stabbed Director Zhang." "Good children pick up trash when they see it. Yuanyuan picked up the nitrous oxide cylinder on the ground, just like Yan Yan would conscientiously pick up marbles on the ground. Killing Jiang Yun was more troublesome because I couldn''t get close to her. Fortunately, when Yan Yan asked me how to keep his mother from leaving, I told him that if he scattered marbles on the ground and his mother broke her leg after falling, she wouldn''t be able to leave. He did exactly that, but after Jiang Yun fell unconscious, Yan Yan would use magic on her, killing this devil." Zhang listened, feeling his scalp tingle. Li Min had actually used the children''s innocence to commit murder. Li Min sincerely pleaded, "Officers, I''ve confessed my crimes in detail. Can you investigate those drug trials and arrest all those people?" "We''ll investigate this matter thoroughly. Do you have any more detailed information you can provide?" "No, I only know the drug was developed by Jiang Yun''s company, but I don''t know the company name. However, Teacher Jiang definitely knows. She would assess the children who had been given the drug to see if their condition improved." Li Min stood up and bowed deeply to Fang Rui and the others, "I thank you on behalf of those children." The media somehow got wind of the news and extensively reported on these two murder cases involving autistic children. They portrayed Yuanyuan and the others as evil children who killed their mothers, sparking online discussions about whether autistic individuals are prone to violence. After Li Min''s arrest, they changed their previous conclusions, defining Li Min as a devil and portraying Yuanyuan and Lin Qianyan as innocent youths who were induced to commit crimes. Netizens condemned Li Min en masse and sympathized with these two innocent young boys. Yuanyuan might have been induced, but was Lin Qianyan really innocent? Fang Rui recalled Lin Qianyan''s expression when he killed, the photos of Mu Mian in his room, and the drawings he made. Shen Xiyin said he might have antisocial personality disorder. Fang Rui suddenly had a bold idea. Lin Qianyan had been staying at the detention center for the past two days, not because he was being held, but because his nanny, Sister Chen, was too afraid to take care of him. To prevent him from suddenly becoming aggressive and harming himself or others, he was kept there. Jiang Yun had previously made a will stating that if she died, all her assets would go to Lin Qianyan. She also designated her nephew, Jiang Yinian, as Lin Qianyan''s sole guardian. Jiang Yinian had the right to manage all the assets, but he must ensure that he would take care of Lin Qianyan until his natural death. Jiang Yinian drove to the detention center to pick up Lin Qianyan. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The prison guard had seen the news and knew that the young man in front of him was about to inherit all of the Lin family''s assets. Seeing Jiang Yinian''s impatient and displeased expression, he joked, "You''ve suddenly come into a huge fortune, why aren''t you happy?" "So what? I''ve also inherited a lot of trouble. I don''t need that much money, and I don''t like having responsibilities forced upon me." "..." Too pretentious! The guard took him to see Lin Qianyan. "Cousin Yinian." As soon as he saw Jiang Yinian, Lin Qianyan excitedly rushed towards him. Jiang Yinian held his hand back, saying impatiently, "Lin Qianyan, I''ve told you many times, you can''t hug me." Lin Qianyan asked coldly, "Then can Mu Mian hug you?" "She wouldn''t hug me." Lin Qianyan said dissatisfied, "If it were Mu Mian, you''d definitely let her hug you, right? You and mom both like her. She has a sister and so many friends, while I only have a cold and empty villa. This world is too unfair." Chapter 126 "Lin Qianyan, you don''t need to compare yourself to Mu Mian. She was carefully raised by me and Xiyin. You''ll never measure up to her. Don''t you dare harm her," Jiang Yinian warned. "But your Xiyin doesn''t want you anymore. And the excellent Mu Mian doesn''t like you either. How pitiful you are," Lin Qianyan smiled coldly at Jiang Yinian. "Cousin Yinian, we''re the same kind of person. You have no right to look down on me." "Lin Qianyan, if you still want me to take you home, shut your mouth!" "The truth is always hard to hear. If you want me to say nice things, don''t provoke me! I don''t want you to take me. I want Captain Fang and Mu Mian to take me home." Jiang Yinian gritted his teeth and said, "Lin Qianyan, don''t cause trouble for me." "Cousin Yinian, whether you like me or not, you''ll have to put up with me in the future to get the Lin Family''s property. You''ll get used to it." Lin Qianyan turned to the prison guard, "Hurry up and contact Fang Rui and Mu Mian to come here. They must arrive within an hour, otherwise I won''t leave. I''ll also sue you for illegally detaining a minor with autism." The prison guard was dumbfounded. Was this really someone with autism? Fang Rui received a call from the prison guard, first listening to his complaints, "Captain Fang, you''re so inconsiderate, leaving this troublemaker with us. You and Mu Mian need to come pick him up quickly, or he''s threatening to sue us for illegal detention." "Didn''t his family come to pick him up?" "He says it must be you and Mu Mian, or he won''t leave." Fang Rui drove over with Mu Mian to the detention center entrance. Lin Qianyan was already waiting there. Seeing Fang Rui park the car, he said to Jiang Yinian, "Cousin Yinian, you can go now. I have something to say to Captain Fang and Mu Mian." "Suit yourself," Jiang Yinian glanced at Mu Mian, then looked away and drove off. Fang Rui was shocked. He had guessed Lin Qianyan wasn''t simple, but he didn''t expect him to speak so fluently, unlike someone with autism. Without waiting for their agreement, Lin Qianyan opened the car door and sat in the back seat. Before Fang Rui could ask anything, Lin Qianyan spoke first, "Drive. Take me back to that villa from before." "Won''t you have nightmares if you go back there?" Fang Rui mocked. "Of course not. You must be very curious why I can speak normally, right? I don''t have language problems. When I was little, to make that nasty woman Jiang Yun and that beast Lin Ye talk to me, I pretended I couldn''t speak. That way they would spend more time with me, teaching me to talk. As a result, the therapist assessed me as having delayed language development. They probably thought I was an idiot and stopped talking to me. Later, I just couldn''t be bothered to talk to them, so I stopped speaking." Lin Qianyan''s tone was flat, but Mu Mian could still hear the sadness in it. Mu Mian looked at Lin Qianyan with sympathy in her eyes. So Jiang Yun didn''t love Yanyan that much either. Yanyan had it even worse than her; she had foster parents and a sister, her upbringing wasn''t lacking in love. But Lin Qianyan only had himself; he could only pretend to be sick to get a little attention. The former Lin Qianyan must have been very eager for love. "I don''t have autism. I just developed much slower than other children, but those useless therapists diagnosed me with autism. But it doesn''t matter, I don''t like the outside world anyway. So I continued to pretend to be autistic. At first, it was to get their attention, later it was because I didn''t want to go out. Now I find that the identity of an autistic person is quite useful." "Why are you telling us all this?" Fang Rui asked, puzzled. "I want to prove that I''m more normal than Mu Mian," Lin Qianyan looked at Mu Mian, his eyes full of jealousy. "She doesn''t love me either," Mu Mian sighed. "No, she loves you. I saw the photo. She was holding a baby, that was you. She was smiling, her eyes full of love. But she never smiled at me. She only had perfunctory love for me." Lin Qianyan had always thought Jiang Yun was just cold by nature, but after finding this photo in her room, he completely broke down. It turned out his mother loved another child. His father also favored his useless brother. Even though Lin Qianjie argued with his father every day and was always causing trouble outside, his father still loved him. The nanny who took care of him only treated him well for money. Even Cousin Yinian liked Mu Mian more, even though he knew Lin Qianyan was normal while Mu Mian was autistic. No one was willing to favor him. That huge villa was like a tomb where he was buried in loneliness, with no one caring about him. When he learned of Mu Mian''s existence from Cousin Yinian, seeds of jealousy took root in his heart. For a while, he desperately wanted to kill Mu Mian. But he soon realized that the one he should kill was that nasty woman Jiang Yun; she was the source of all misfortune. Mu Mian comforted him, "That''s just an illusion. She said I was her nightmare; she didn''t want to see me. She hated me very much." Fang Rui felt that this woman Jiang Yun was truly sinful. She had never given love to either child, deeply hurting both of them. "She also said I was her nightmare," Lin Qianyan mumbled. "She needed a son, that''s why she had me." "You weren''t actually induced by Li Min. You deliberately killed your mother, didn''t you?" Mu Mian asked. Lin Qianyan''s face showed a smug smile: "Shouldn''t you thank me? If I hadn''t helped you preserve the evidence, you wouldn''t have been able to prove Li Min''s crime, right?" Fang Rui had already guessed that Lin Qianyan deliberately hid all the fragments of the paintings under the bed, waiting for the police to find them and ultimately prove that Li Min was the mastermind, which even Li Min herself believed. "That woman Li Min thought she was so clever. She thought I was autistic, so she tried to deceive me with those fake words. But autistic people aren''t idiots; even Yuanyuan wouldn''t fall for her lies. But Yuanyuan believed me. I made Yuanyuan believe that the knife was a magic wand that could save people. Yuanyuan said his orphanage mother loved him very much. I didn''t have such a mother, so Yuanyuan couldn''t have one either. His mother had to die." "Yes, I deliberately killed Jiang Yun. That woman was too annoying; she appeared once a week. I hated that woman very much. I had wanted to kill her for a long time. Li Min''s appearance made me feel I could kill her in a cruel way openly. Li Min thought she was manipulating me to kill, little did she know I was the one manipulating everything. Autistic children don''t actively commit crimes, so there must be an adult behind it. This way, even evil children can become innocent." Fang Rui remembered Shen Xiyin saying that Yanyan had antisocial personality disorder. Now it seemed her judgment was very accurate. Yanyan had strong aggression, extreme self-centeredness, and no empathy. Who knows what negative impact such a child would have on society when he grows up. But he was still a minor, and the law couldn''t judge him. Lin Qianyan glanced at Fang Rui''s face-down phone. He took out a device from his pocket and boasted, "This is an audio interference device. All the sound you just recorded has turned into noise. Did you think I said those things to leave evidence for you to catch me? I''m not that stupid. Besides, even if you had evidence, so what? The law can''t judge an underage autistic person." Fang Rui felt helpless; they really couldn''t do anything about him. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Mu Mian, I''m smarter than you. I designed a perfect crime, and you''ve all been fooled by me," Lin Qianyan said proudly. "Mu Mian, you''re so pitiful. You don''t have a mother anymore." "Lin Qianyan, that was your mother. The one who lost a mother is you," Mu Mian said softly. "You also made Yuanyuan lose the orphanage mother who loved him. Yuanyuan was your only friend, and you hurt him. You''ve also lost Yuanyuan as a friend." The smug smile on Lin Qianyan''s face froze. He glared at Mu Mian fiercely, "I don''t need a mother, I don''t need friends. I''m doing very well on my own." "Then why are you jealous of me?" Lin Qianyan didn''t answer this question. Fang Rui stopped the car, and Lin Qianyan got out angrily. "Lin Qianyan," Mu Mian called out to him, handing him a thick notebook. "This is my social guide. It''s for you." Lin Qianyan glanced at the notebook, then shifted his gaze away and said to Mu Mian, "I don''t need it. Mu Mian, goodbye." Lin Qianyan slowly walked into the villa. Chapter 127 Based on the clues provided by Li Min, the police quickly located Zhanhong Pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceutical company developing autism medication. However, Zhanhong Pharmaceuticals turned out to be a shell company. The legal representative wasn''t a mainland resident, and the research staff developing the drug had already fled overseas. The entire company had become an empty shell, with even the laboratory stripped bare. They had signed a drug trial contract with Star Home, which was properly formulated, and they had paid substantial fees for the trials. The parents of other autistic children participating in the trials had also signed contracts with the company, receiving generous trial fees and free autism intervention therapy. As a result, they had no intention of suing the company. One child''s mother said, "Even if there''s just a tiny hope of a cure, we''re willing to try! They didn''t force us; we volunteered for the trials! We would have done it even without payment, let alone with the substantial amount they gave us, allowing our children to receive free intervention therapy. They''re not committing a crime; they''re doing charity work." "Aren''t you worried about side effects?" Zhang asked. "He''s already in such a terrible state, how could it get any worse? None of you have an autistic child, so you can''t understand how we feel. Officer, please stop investigating. If that company really develops a drug to treat autism, I''d trade my life for it." Fang Rui had originally planned to visit Teacher Jiang in the hospital to see if he could get any clues from her, but bad news came from the hospital. Due to a lung infection, her condition had worsened, and she had passed away the night before. Her son and daughter had cremated her body early that morning and quickly divided her estate. All leads regarding the drug had been cut off. The murder cases at Star Home and the Lin family villa were officially closed. "There''s still one thing unresolved," Fang Rui said. "What''s that?" "The money Director Zhang received has disappeared. But we haven''t found it." "Could it be buried in the lawn?" Zhang speculated. "Should we go dig at the orphanage?" Since the murder, Star Home had been in a state of unrest, and Old Liu, the security guard, had become busier. After the murderer was caught, the orphanage got a new director, and Old Liu finally got a day off. He deliberately changed into shabby clothes, carried a worn-out cloth bag, and limped to a poorly decorated gold shop. He felt the pig in his bag, then looked around cautiously. Seeing no one paying attention to him, he slipped into the gold shop. "Boss, do you buy gold? Pure gold," Old Liu asked in a low voice, leaning in. The shop owner looked Old Liu up and down and said, "Yes, how much do you have?" Old Liu made a gesture for seven. "Seven grams?" "Seven hundred grams." The owner grinned, thinking this man must be bluffing. How could someone with 700 grams of gold dress so shabbily? Seeing his disbelief, Old Liu took out a pink pig from his bag. "Test it yourself, see if it''s pure gold. This is my family heirloom. I have another one at home. If the price is right, I''ll sell that one to you too." Upon seeing the pig, the owner''s expression changed. He said, "I believe you. I''ll test the purity of the gold right now. Please have a seat. Xiao Ye, what are you staring at? Serve tea to this gentleman." Old Liu was quite pleased with himself. He had calculated that 700 grams of gold could be exchanged for over 300,000 yuan. He was about to become a rich man. After Old Liu finished his fourth cup of tea, he finally realized something was wrong. Why did it take so long to verify the purity of the gold? "Boss, I''m in a hurry. I won''t exchange it now. Please return the gold pig to me." "Don''t rush, sir. We''ll have the price estimated soon. Please wait a bit longer." Old Liu sensed something was amiss. He decided to leave without the pig, but as he turned around, he saw Fang Rui and Zhang staring at him. "Uncle Liu, long time no see," Zhang said with a mischievous grin. "Officer Fang, Officer Zhang, are you here to buy something too?" Zhang replied, "We''re not buying anything. We''re here to arrest someone." Old Liu broke out in a cold sweat, nervously wiping his brow. "Arrest who?" "You, of course!" Zhang took out handcuffs and cuffed Old Liu. "I... What crime did I commit? I didn''t kill Director Zhang. Why are you arresting me?" Old Liu let out a pig-like squeal, shouting at passersby, "Help! The police are beating me! The police are arresting me illegally! I haven''t broken any laws. Why are you arresting me?" The shop owner handed the pig over to Fang Rui. "Captain Fang, your guess was spot on. Someone really did come to sell the gold pig." "Thank you for your help, sir." "It''s nothing. Fighting crime is everyone''s responsibility." Old Liu saw Fang Rui holding the gold pig and immediately turned ashen. "How... how did you know this pig was made of gold? How did you know I stole it?" Old Liu began to stammer. "I guessed. When you deliberately exposed Chen Xinran, I felt something was off about you, but I had no evidence, so I could only wait and see. I had informed every gold shop that if anyone came to sell a gold pig or part of one, they should tell me," Fang Rui explained. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Old Liu''s face turned ashen. He had thought the case was closed and this matter was over. No one would know that two pigs were missing, let alone that those two pigs contained gold. But he never expected the police had been watching him all along. Back at the station, Old Liu confessed to the course of events and admitted to the theft. "I occasionally helped Director Zhang clean. One day, I picked up one of the pigs to dust it off and found the weight was off. This small pig was very heavy! So I scraped off the paint on the surface and found it was gold underneath. Plus, Chen Xinran said Director Zhang had received several hundred thousand in bribes, but none of us had ever seen that money. I suddenly realized where the money was. The night Director Zhang died, after Chen Xinran left, I snuck in and stole the two pigs. Even if Director Zhang reported it, they would only arrest Chen Xinran. And it just so happened that Director Zhang died, so no one would know the truth." Zhang was furious after hearing this. "Director Zhang was so good to you, and this is how you repay her?" "Good to me? Paying me just over a thousand yuan a month, treating me like a beggar! She''s a great philanthropist, why should she expect us to be selfless like her? Besides, she was just pretending to be charitable, making money from charity." Zhang fell silent. He couldn''t understand how the staff at Star Home, a charitable organization, could have such dark hearts. "If I had known, I would have melted the gold and sold it bit by bit over time. I''d sell it out of town!" Old Liu cursed. "I never thought I''d be on edge for half a month and end up with nothing. What rotten luck!" The Star Home case was officially closed. Star Home soon had a new director, but the children still missed the director mom who had gone to a faraway place. Stars twinkled in the night sky as a group of children crouched at the entrance of the orphanage. "Guoguo, will Director Mom come back?" "No, Director Mom has gone to live her own life. Woof, we need to take care of ourselves, woof, and not, make Director Mom worry," Guoguo, who knew the truth, choked out. "Guoguo, you''re lying." "Director Mom loves us so much, she couldn''t possibly not come back." "Director Mom will come back tonight. I''m not going to sleep; I''ll wait for her to return." "I won''t sleep either." "Me neither." "Let''s all wait for Director Mom to come back together." "Director Mom, please come back soon. We all miss you so much," someone shouted at the starry sky. The stars twinkled, as if responding to the children. Chapter 128 Li Min grew up in a family that favored boys over girls. After having five daughters, her parents finally had a son. But fate seemed to play a cruel joke on them. This long-awaited son turned out to be mentally disabled. He couldn''t speak or understand others, and would throw things around when agitated. Despite this, because he was a son, he remained the center of the family, cherished by everyone. Li Min was only three years older than him but shouldered the burden of caring for her brother. Though her parents favored her brother, they were also exhausted by their disabled son and pushed all responsibility onto young Li Min. Li Min''s feelings toward her brother were conflicted. She loved him because she had raised him, and he depended on her. At the same time, she resented him because his existence robbed her of all free time. Her parents even considered pulling her out of school to care for him full-time. Only after her desperate pleas and her sisters'' intervention did they abandon this idea. Li Min''s love for her brother gradually faded, and hatred took over. So one day, when she saw some mischievous village boys teasing her brother, Li Min hid and let them humiliate him. She watched as they pushed him into a pond. Her brother screamed helplessly while the boys laughed. When they had their fun, they left, leaving her brother struggling in the water. Li Min panicked and ran to the pond''s edge to pull him out, but suddenly remembered her parents'' words: "We shouldn''t let Min continue school. Too much education makes girls willful, and she won''t want to care for her brother anymore. When she''s older, we''ll find her a live-in son-in-law, any man will do as long as he''s willing to look after Qiang Qiang. This way she can stay home and care for Qiang Qiang." Why should her life be tied to her disabled brother? It wasn''t fair. If her brother died, she would be free. Her brother deserved to die. With these thoughts, Li Min withdrew her outstretched hand. "Sister, I''m scared," her brother looked at her in bewilderment and despair, slowly sinking into the pond. Li Min became frightened again. She tried to reach for her brother but couldn''t find him. She ended up sinking into the pond herself. Adults passing by heard the commotion and jumped in, pulling them both out. She survived, but her brother died. When the soaking wet Li Min was brought home, her parents beat her viciously, nearly breaking the fire poker before they stopped. "Why did Qiang Qiang die? Why couldn''t it have been you, you worthless girl?" Li Min glared at them fiercely. "Go ahead, keep beating me. Beat me to death if you dare! Your only son is dead, and my sisters are all married. If you kill me, who will care for you in your old age?" Her parents were shocked, seeming to realize something. From then on, they changed their attitude and treated Li Min very well. They reasoned that since they had no son, when Li Min grew up, they could find her a live-in son-in-law who could serve as a half-son to them. The cause of her brother''s death was quickly determined. Those boys who had teased him had pushed him into the pond where he drowned. Li Min''s parents went to their homes and made a scene, receiving a substantial compensation. With the comfort of money, her parents weren''t as heartbroken over their son''s death. After all, he had been disabled. They soon forgot about him, but Li Min couldn''t. She kept remembering those desperate eyes and hearing a voice saying, "Sister, I''ll be good and wait at home for you to return from school." Li Min''s body was free, but her soul wasn''t. She had caused her brother''s death. She was guilty. Later, she studied special education and learned a lot of professional knowledge. She realized her brother wasn''t stupid, he had autism. After graduation, she worked as a teacher at an autism intervention center, hoping to make up for her guilt by caring for these children. Later, moved by Director Zhang''s story, she quit her job and became a volunteer at "Star Home". Director Zhang was the kindest person Li Min had ever met. She was incredibly patient, treating almost all the children as her own. She would patiently read them fairy tales and check on them in the middle of the night. The children all called her "Director Mom". One night, Li Min saw Director Zhang in the dormitory hallway. Seeing her, Director Zhang smiled and asked, "Min, are you having trouble sleeping again? Do you need someone to talk to?" Li Min''s nose stung with emotion. She sat down with Director Zhang on chairs in the play area and started talking. Li Min couldn''t help but tell Director Zhang about her and her brother. "Was that pond deep?" Director Zhang asked. "Very deep." "Min, memories can be deceptive. Even if you had grabbed your brother then, you might not have been able to save him. The pond was too deep. If you had tried to save him, he might have pulled you in too. It wasn''t your fault. It was those boys who pushed your brother into the pond. You feel guilty, so you''ve magnified your own responsibility. But protecting and caring for your brother wasn''t your responsibility, it was your parents''." "Everyone blamed me!" At that moment, Li Min burst into tears. Director Zhang hugged her, comforting her like a child. "Min, the ones who should feel guilty aren''t you, but your parents." Director Zhang then shared her own story with Li Min. "I once had an autistic son too. I loved him dearly. For him, I got divorced and sold all our property. But caring for him was so difficult. Sometimes he would lose control of his bowels, other times he would suddenly throw tantrums and break things. I had to watch him 24 hours a day. But I was so young, I wanted my own life too. One rainy night, he ran downstairs again. I followed him down, and then I saw bright lights coming towards us. It was a large truck. I knew what was about to happen, and I knew that if I grabbed my son right then, he could still live. But I hesitated. I was afraid of living like that for the rest of my life. In those few seconds that I hesitated, the truck hit and killed my son..." Li Min stared at Director Zhang in shock. "So you''re trying to make up for your guilt towards your son?" "Yes. I''m atoning for my sin." "But what if your memory is deceiving you too? What if you really couldn''t have grabbed your son in time?" Director Zhang fell silent. That late-night conversation brought them closer together. But Li Min never expected that Director Zhang''s true face would soon be revealed to her. Director Zhang had actually made a deal with a pharmaceutical company, allowing these autistic children to become test subjects. She even connected the company with more parents of autistic children. Li Min confronted Director Zhang. "We''re not sure if those drugs have side effects. What if something happens to the children after they take them?" Aliali: 673eb950c4f3f33ac4ee7f08 "Li Min, nothing will happen." "How can you be sure? Did you ask the children''s opinion? Are they willing to be guinea pigs? Autism can''t be cured! How could these drugs possibly work?" "How do we know they won''t work if we don''t try?" Director Zhang argued. "Li Min, if Yuanyuan and the others could choose, do you think they''d rather be idiots for life, or take a life-threatening gamble for that 1% chance of becoming normal? I''m telling you, they''d rather die than stay like this forever. They want to be normal, and I''m helping them." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That''s just what you think, not what they want! You''re a hypocrite. Back then, you watched your own son get hit by a car just to get rid of your burden. You could have saved him but chose not to. And now, you''re clearly doing this for money, but you''re using such an absurd excuse to justify yourself." Director Zhang fell silent. She didn''t defend herself. Li Min knew Director Zhang wasn''t doing it for money. If she wanted to embezzle funds, she had many ways to do so. But Li Min didn''t understand why Director Zhang would believe the pharmaceutical company''s lies. When Yuanyuan repeatedly sought her help, expressing his fear of the drugs and medical examinations through drawings, she finally made up her mind to kill Director Zhang and the mastermind behind it all, Jiang Yun. She had to protect these poor children! She successfully used those two children to kill them. However, she sank into deeper self-condemnation - how was she any different from Director Zhang and the others when she used Yuanyuan and Yan Yan to commit murder? She too had become a demon. Chapter 129 As Jiang Yun watched Lin Qianyan''s knife stab towards her, she thought of her childhood. Perhaps, it was she who had passed on the evil and coldness to Lin Qianyan. Jiang Yun was a love child. Her father was quite wealthy, but he was afraid of his wife and dared not acknowledge her as his daughter. Her mother was a beautiful but useless woman who drank every day and beat her when she couldn''t get money. The adults around her would curse her behind her back, calling her the daughter of a mistress and shameless. Jiang Yun never refuted them. At night, she would puncture their bicycle tires or throw caterpillars into their children''s backpacks. Later, they all said that Jiang Yun was a well-behaved and sensible child. Every time her mother got drunk at the bar, it was Jiang Yun who carried her home. When her father didn''t pay alimony, she even had to work part-time while studying to support the family. Jiang Yun studied hard, got into the best high school, and then the best university. She saved money and eventually went abroad for further studies with her own earnings. She finally escaped that nightmare place and her useless mother. Before meeting Mu Mian''s Father, Jiang Yun''s life was dark. She had done many bad things. For example, knowing she could only come second in exams, she secretly cut the brakes of the first place student''s bicycle, causing him to break his hand and miss the exam. That time, Jiang Yun got the highest scholarship... At that time, she participated in Mu Mian''s Father''s graduation experiment for a hundred dollars. That''s how they met. Mu Mian''s Father was a psychology student. He was very smart and saw through Jiang Yun''s selfish and cold soul at a glance. But he still fell hopelessly in love with her. At first, Jiang Yun hated this clingy person. She was busy, spending all her spare time working to earn a living. Jiang Yun told Mu Wenzhou all the bad things she had done and then said, "Mu Wenzhou, I''m like a scorpion. Anyone who gets close to me and tries to love me will be hurt by me. You''d better stay away from me." "Jiang Yun, you had no choice back then. You did what you had to do to survive. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have made it." Mu Wenzhou hugged her, embracing that wounded soul. In that moment, endless grievances welled up in her eyes. Yes, she had no choice. Just like a scorpion using its sting to protect itself, it was an instinct formed for survival. Later, they got married, bought a house, and Jiang Yun got pregnant. Jiang Yun eagerly awaited the birth of this child. At that time, she felt that no matter what the child was like, she would love her and give her the best. She wanted to make up for all the childhood she had missed with Mu Mian. When Mu Mian was a baby, she was very different from other children. She rarely cried or responded to adults'' actions. She seemed to live in her own world. When other children of the same age could speak fluently, Mu Mian couldn''t say a single word. No matter how hard Jiang Yun tried to talk to Mu Mian, she wouldn''t respond. She didn''t cry or make a fuss, like a doll. Later, Mu Mian was diagnosed with autism. The evaluator said Mu Mian had low intelligence, sensory integration disorder, and stalled language development. They had to prepare for the possibility that Mu Mian might be like this for life. Jiang Yun gradually fell apart. She didn''t want to be tied down by such a child. She had her dreams and career. She didn''t want to spend her life taking care of a fool, no, even worse than a fool. At least those mentally retarded children would give their parents emotional feedback, but Mu Mian was like a walking corpse. Mu Mian''s Father, however, thought differently. He was a psychotherapist and believed that as long as they kept expressing love to Mu Mian, she would eventually feel it. Mu Mian wasn''t devoid of emotions; she just hadn''t found the frequency to communicate with the outside world. As long as they kept sending her love signals, they would eventually connect. Even if they couldn''t connect, Mu Mian, no matter what she was like, would still be their most beloved child. Jiang Yun thought he was too naive. Of course, it wasn''t him who had to take care of Mu Mian at home, facing such a cold child. He could afford to say such grandiose words. To treat Mu Mian''s autism, they began to struggle financially, living in poverty. Later, Jiang Yun couldn''t take it anymore and proposed a divorce to Mu Mian''s Father. "Jiang Yun, you probably have postpartum depression. You need treatment, not a divorce." "No, Mu Wenzhou. I''ve always been a selfish and cold-hearted person. I''ve had enough of the hard life with you, and I''ve had enough of Mu Mian. I have my dreams. I don''t want to be trapped here." "Alright, let''s get a divorce. Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of Mu Mian." Mu Mian''s Father signed the papers without hesitation, even borrowing several thousand dollars from a friend for her. He smiled and said, "Jiang Yun, you don''t need to feel guilty. Everyone has the right to choose their own life. Go and achieve your dreams." In that moment, Jiang Yun felt utterly guilty. But what could she do? If she didn''t escape, she would go mad. After returning to China, Jiang Yun met Lin Ye. At that time, Lin Ye was an unloved son of the Lin Family, excluded from the inheritance. Jiang Yun used the power of the Jiang Family and her own schemes to help him rise to power and eventually inherit the Lin Family''s wealth. Jiang Yun had been a love child of the Jiang Family, suffering from contempt. So her dream was to climb to the top and become a powerful person. Meeting Mu Wenzhou was an accident. His love had briefly numbed her, but the trauma of childhood couldn''t be healed. She didn''t love Lin Ye; he had many women outside, and she didn''t care. Her love was buried abroad, in the small house with Mu Wenzhou and Mu Mian. So her only expectation for the unborn Lin Qianyan was that he must be a boy. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was indeed a boy, but unexpectedly, he was also abnormal. By the age of three, he still couldn''t speak. The therapist diagnosed him with autism. In that moment, she felt that fate was playing a cruel joke on her. Why did she have to give birth to another abnormal child? But this time, she accepted her fate. After all, she only needed a son; his condition didn''t matter. She hired the best nanny to take care of Lin Qianyan and occasionally played the role of a loving mother, playing with him. She didn''t love this child, but she had no choice; she needed a son. Lin Ye''s ex-wife also gave birth to a son, Lin Qianjie. That child was rebellious and didn''t like Jiang Yun. But Jiang Yun was good at manipulating people. She first showed weakness, softening Lin Qianjie''s attitude with sweet words, then sowing discord between him and his father, making Lin Qianjie completely side with her. She indulged all of Lin Qianjie''s bad behaviors, suppressing his occasional desire to improve, eventually turning him into a complete failure. Occasionally, she would think of Mu Mian and Mu Wenzhou. But she didn''t dare to find out about their current situation. Her cousin told her that Mu Mian''s Father had died, and she was adopted by the Shen family. Later, Jiang Yinian found her and said, "Auntie, I saw Mu Mian, she..." "Enough, don''t mention that name in front of me," Jiang Yun interrupted him. Jiang Yun put all her energy into her career. Aliali: 673eb950c4f3f33ac4ee7f08 Lin Ye''s women became more and more numerous, and one even got pregnant, wanting to take her place. At this point, Jiang Yun suddenly realized that Lin Ye was no longer useful. So she tampered with Lin Ye''s medicine, causing him to have a stroke and die in bed while having an affair with another woman. She went from being Mrs. Lin to Ms. Jiang, becoming the true power holder. She had thought about finding Mu Mian, but she realized that wouldn''t make Mu Mian''s life better, so she gave up. If Mu Mian had been raised by her, she would probably have become a selfish and cold-hearted person too. In the courtroom, it was the first time she saw the grown-up Mu Mian. She was lovely, cautiously testing her, but she disappointed Mu Mian. She had never been a good mother. Jiang Yun was surprised to find that Mu Mian had become a normal person. She could speak, she could draw, and she even became a forensic scientist. But all of Mu Mian''s changes had nothing to do with her. She thought, since Mu Mian could become a normal person, so could Lin Qianyan. She wanted those experts to study Mu Mian and find out the reason why she was cured of her autism, but Shen Xiyin protected her so well that she had no way to proceed. On her deathbed, Jiang Yun thought of the time when Mu Mian was just born. At that time, the man she loved was also by her side, and they dreamed of a beautiful future together. Her lips curved into a smile. But if time could flow backward, she would still choose to divorce and leave Mu Mian. Her life belonged only to herself. Chapter 130 After the case at Star Home was resolved, Mu Mian and her colleagues took a few days off. Jiang Yinian invited Mu Mian to attend Jiang Yun''s funeral, but she declined. No matter what expectations and emotions she had once harbored for Ms. Jiang, they no longer mattered on the day of her death. Mu Mian disliked funerals! The deceased were reduced to ashes, and crying loudly wouldn''t make them hear anything. Why bother? On the last day of their vacation, Zhang frantically called for help in the group chat. After a long time, only Mu Mian, full of excitement, and Fang Rui, looking sleepy and irritable, showed up. "Only you two came?" Zhang looked behind them, finding it empty. He had been shouting in the group chat for a while, but only Mu Mian and Fang Rui had come. And in such matters, they were the least helpful. "Where''s the body?" Mu Mian stood in the luxurious hotel lobby, bewildered. "There''s no body." "Then why did you call me here? I only know how to dissect bodies." Mu Mian sighed. Zhang had sent a location in the group chat earlier, saying, "Everyone, hurry up, someone''s going to die." Mu Mian quickly went to Fang Rui''s place, dragged him out of bed, and had him drive her over. "If you don''t help me, you might only see my corpse tomorrow." Zhang whined. "But Officer Zhang, I''m not interested in your remains." "Mu Mian, isn''t it time to stop bickering when things are this urgent?" Fang Rui impatiently interrupted him, "Then please get to the point." "The thing is, last night, I went to Chen Xue''s rented place for dinner, and unexpectedly, her mom showed up and caught me red-handed. She didn''t say much at the time, but if looks could kill, you''d be seeing a corpse right now. Before letting me go, her mom coldly said, ''Let''s have lunch together tomorrow.'' Chen Xue told me that all her aunts and uncles would be there, and she asked me to bring a few people to boost the numbers. That''s why I called you guys." Zhang''s parents were on a trip and wouldn''t be back soon. Also, calling relatives over seemed too formal, and Chen Xue mentioned that her mom hadn''t yet agreed to their relationship. Zhang had no choice but to ask his colleagues for help. Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui, "There will be about fifteen aunts and uncles, plus Chen Xue''s mom. Fang Rui, can you handle so many people? Maybe we should just leave. I''m scared!" "Okay." "Boss, please don''t leave! Mu Mian, ''aunts and uncles'' is just a term, not a specific number! And you''re not here to fight; you''re here to eat." Mu Mian asked, "So how many people are there exactly?" They soon found out. Chen Xue''s mom arrived with a large group of aunts, about fifteen or sixteen of them, bustling in. Chen Xue covered her face, looking helpless. Chen Xue''s mom owned a shop and had some money. She had already booked a large private room that could accommodate twenty people. On the way to the room, the aunts all looked at Fang Rui with satisfied smiles. Then they saw a young girl hiding behind Fang Rui, her hand tightly gripping his arm. Their smiles froze, and their gazes slowly shifted to Zhang, whose smile faded. Although Zhang was decent, his physique and build couldn''t compare to Fang Rui''s. Too bad Fang Rui already had a lovely girlfriend. Once seated, Zhang introduced himself confidently, "Hello, aunts. I''m Chen Xue''s boyfriend, Zhang Qiang. You can call me Little Zhang. It''s my first time meeting you all, so I''ll toast you with tea." Soon, the aunts changed their minds. Zhang was good at dealing with these aunts. He poured tea and chatted with them, making everyone laugh. He also didn''t neglect Chen Xue, often serving her food and handing her tissues, showing meticulous care. In contrast, Fang Rui was a mute. Not only did he not initiate conversations, but he also didn''t respond when the aunts tried to engage him. He even ordered a dish of Kung Pao Chicken and ate it alone, which was quite rude. The aunts shook their heads. Fang Rui picked out the chicken from the Kung Pao Chicken and placed it in Mu Mian''s bowl, who then ate it. "Young people these days are picky eaters," an aunt said sarcastically. "That''s right. With better conditions now, they can afford to be picky. Back in our day, having something to eat was good enough." The aunt next to Mu Mian directly addressed her, "Little Mu, even if your boyfriend spoils you, you can''t be so picky. It''s important to have a balanced diet and eat everything." Mu Mian whispered to the aunt, "Yes, being picky is bad, but I''m not picky. Fang Rui is very picky; he only likes the cucumbers and carrots in Kung Pao Chicken. I like the chicken, so I help him eat it." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." The aunts were even more dissatisfied with Fang Rui. He was so inconsiderate to put disliked food in his girlfriend''s bowl. In contrast, Zhang was incredibly considerate. Mu Mian ate while occasionally glancing at the table, ready to flee if they decided to attack Zhang. She chose a seat by the door for this purpose, though it meant she and Fang Rui had to move dishes every time the waiter served them. Fortunately, the atmosphere at the table was good, and Chen Xue''s relatives grew more satisfied with Zhang, especially in contrast to Fang Rui and Mu Mian. After finishing dessert, Chen Xue''s mom said to Zhang, "Little Zhang, I''m not a conservative person. If you want to be with Chen Xue, that''s fine, but you two need to settle down soon. Chen Xue is a good girl, and you mustn''t mistreat her." "Yes, Chen Xue is a wonderful person," Mu Mian chimed in. "Auntie, I''ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn''t bully Chen Xue." Chen Xue''s mom teased Mu Mian, "Little Mu, with your small frame, I doubt you can beat Little Zhang." "True. But I''m smarter than him. And I can have Fang Rui help me beat him." Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui, "You''ll help me, right? Even though you know Little Zhang longer, I feel like we''re closer." "Hahaha." Everyone laughed. Mu Mian didn''t understand why they were laughing, so she laughed along. Chen Xue''s mom looked at Fang Rui, "When do you plan to get married?" "Not that soon," Fang Rui replied. After the meal, Chen Xue''s mom and the aunts went to play mahjong, Chen Xue and Zhang went on a date, and Mu Mian and Fang Rui planned to go home and spend the rest of their vacation in bed. But Mu Mian received an email sent two hours ago. Dear Cherry, I''m flying back to Florida at four o''clock this afternoon. I want to have lunch with you before I leave. Would you like to come to a restaurant near the airport? The sender was Ms. Mischel. Mu Mian quickly replied to the email. She hadn''t seen Ms. Mischel in a long time. Although they couldn''t have lunch, Mu Mian thought they could meet at the airport. "Fang Rui, can you take me to the airport?" "Sure." Fang Rui saw the word "dear" and asked jealously, "Who are you going to see? Are you going to have another friend pop up?" "It''s Ms. Mischel." Fang Rui suddenly remembered that it was this lady who had told Mu Mian that people with autism shouldn''t get married. "Let''s hurry to see her then. We can''t let her leave." "Fang Rui, don''t walk so fast. It''s only two o''clock now, and it only takes half an hour to get to the airport. We have plenty of time." When they arrived at the airport, Fang Rui saw an elegant foreign woman sitting in the waiting area, reading a book. "Cherry," Ms. Mischel could speak Chinese, but not very fluently, "You seem to have grown up a lot." She wanted to reach out and hug Mu Mian, but she remembered that Mu Mian was resistant to physical contact, so she tried to pull her hand back. Mu Mian hugged her first, "It''s been two years since we last met, so a hug is okay." Ms. Mischel smiled, "Cherry, your sister was right, you''ve changed a lot." "Hello, Ms. Mischel," Fang Rui greeted her. "Hello," Ms. Mischel was a bit surprised, she looked at Mu Mian and exclaimed, "Cherry, is this your boyfriend? You''ve found love?" "I don''t have love yet," Mu Mian sighed, "People with autism find it hard to have love." "Who told you that? People with autism can have love. Do you remember Amy? She later got married and she''s very happy." Mu Mian asked confusedly, "But you said people with autism can''t get married. You told Linda''s parents not to let her get married, don''t you remember?" "That''s because Linda''s boyfriend didn''t love her, he was a liar, so they couldn''t get married." Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui excitedly and said, "Fang Rui, I can get married, I don''t have to live alone forever." "Mm-hmm." Ms. Mischel looked at Mu Mian affectionately and asked, "So, Cherry, do you have someone you want to marry?" "Ms. Mischel, your plane is about to take off, you should hurry to board," Mu Mian pointed at Ms. Mischel''s watch, reminding her of the time. Aliali: 673eb950c4f3f33ac4ee7f08 "Cherry, I hope the next time I come back to China, it''s for your wedding," Ms. Mischel glanced at Fang Rui, smiled at him, and then took her handbag to board the plane. "Cherry, goodbye." "Ms. Mischel, goodbye!" After Ms. Mischel walked away, Fang Rui curiously asked, "Mu Mian, why didn''t you answer Ms. Mischel''s question directly just now?" "Fang Rui, I''m hungry." "You ate a big bowl of rice and half a plate of chicken at lunch." Fang Rui felt Mu Mian''s ability to change the subject was getting stronger. Mu Mian pleaded, "I want seafood paella." "Alright." Mu Mian happily followed behind Fang Rui. She had thought about marrying Fang Rui, so she could legally obtain his body, but she had promised never to mention those two words in front of Fang Rui again, so she didn''t want to answer that question. But how could she get Fang Rui to willingly marry her? Chapter 131 After the vacation, Mu Mian just arrived at the office when she found it crowded with people, both familiar and unfamiliar female colleagues. Each of them held a cup of milk tea, with Chen Xue in the middle. "Little Mu, the forensic scientist, Chen Xue is getting married, you know that, right? Here, have some milk tea. Chen Xue said you like this." Wen from the finance department handed Mu Mian a cup of milk tea. Seeing Mu Mian''s surprised expression, she continued, "Okay, you didn''t know! You share an office with Chen Xue, and you didn''t know anything?" "Yes, I''m not very well-informed." "Then next time there''s gossip, I''ll share it with you on WeChat. Ah, we haven''t added each other on WeChat yet. Let''s do it now. I''ll scan your code." Chen Xue quickly explained, "Mu Mian, I only found out about this recently." "Zhang''s friend circle said his mother-in-law is very satisfied with him. They''ve met the family, so they must be getting married!" "Zhang is so lucky to marry such a good girl like Chen Xue." "Alright, alright, when Zhang and I get married, we''ll definitely invite everyone to the wedding. It''s time to get back to work, everyone should return to their offices." Chen Xue quickly ushered the gossiping colleagues out, "Everyone, disperse, don''t disturb Mian." "I wasn''t disturbed," Mu Mian clarified softly. "You were!" "Ah, it''s so noisy! There are too many people, the oxygen is so thin, I''m going to suffocate!" "¡­¡­" The gossip was over, and the milk tea was almost finished. Everyone returned to their offices. Chen Xue turned around and saw Mu Mian looking at her with envy. "Mu Mian, what''s wrong?" "How did you get Zhang to agree to marry you?" Chen Xue blushed and said in a high-pitched voice, "We''re not getting married, it''s all just rumors. What do you mean ''get Zhang to agree to marry me''? He proposed to me, and I might not even agree, let alone me proposing to him. He''s dreaming!" "You don''t plan to get married?" "Of course, we will, but not now. We''ve just started dating, we don''t want to rush into marriage. Marriage and dating are two different things." Chen Xue felt something was off with Mu Mian. Mu Mian usually didn''t gossip about such things, "Mu Mian, why are you so interested in the topic of marriage?" "I used to think that people with autism couldn''t get married, but yesterday, Ms. Michell told me that I can get married." "So?" Chen Xue took a sip of milk tea and casually asked, "You''re not thinking of getting married, are you?" Mu Mian nodded seriously, "Yes. I want to marry Fang Rui." Chen Xue spat out her milk tea onto her desk, "Mian, are you still thinking about Fang Rui''s body?" Chen Xue could only think of this reason. Otherwise, why would Mu Mian suddenly want to get married? She hasn''t even dated, what marriage? The process isn''t right. Mu Mian felt Chen Xue was wrong. If it were a year ago, Mu Mian wanted to marry Fang Rui to get his body, but now it seemed to be more than that. Love movies say that getting married means you can be with that person forever. She wants to be with Fang Rui forever. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian didn''t answer Chen Xue''s question, "Chen Xue, what should I do to get Fang Rui to agree to marry me?" "Go find Fang Rui now and ask him if he''ll marry you." "Now?" "Yes." "Do I need to use sophisticated language skills? Like quoting poetry or other rhetorical devices." Mu Mian asked. "Can you?" "No!" "So no need, just ask directly." Mu Mian left the office. Chen Xue finished a bun and was about to start on the second when Mu Mian walked in. "Did he agree?" "There''s a case, someone came to confess to a murder, Fang Rui is currently understanding the details. Chen Xue, what do you think the body will look like this time? The murderer confessed themselves, so the victim''s family probably won''t let me dissect the body. This murderer is too honest." Chen Xue bit the straw, perhaps, in Mu Mian''s heart, bodies are still more important. In the interrogation room, a beautiful young woman sat nervously on a chair. Her eyes were dark and bloodshot, her hair was messy, and she looked like she hadn''t slept for days, very haggard. "What''s your name?" "Zhang Mingli." "Your age and occupation?" "Twenty-five years old, freelance, I''m an architectural designer, usually taking commissions to draw interior design plans." "Why are you here to confess?" She licked her cracked lips and said in a trembling voice, "Comrade police, I think I accidentally killed someone!" "Think? Are you not sure if you killed someone?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes, I''m not sure if I killed someone, but my mind has an extra memory, I pushed a man down the stairs with my own hands, he rolled down and bled a lot. He''s dead!" "When did this happen?" "I don''t remember." "What was the scene like?" "I can''t remember. I only remember that day the sun was very good, but the house was very cold." "Where is the crime scene? Take us there." Fang Rui said. "It''s my new home... Comrade police, but the body is missing. I don''t know where that body went." Zhang Mingli said in terror, "I clearly remember the body was on the floor, but it''s gone!" "Do you know the deceased?" Zhang Mingli shook her head, "No. I can''t remember his face. He has no face. But I seem to be very afraid of him!" "Then why was he in your house?" "I don''t know. I don''t know why he came to my house, and I don''t know why I killed him. But I''m very sure, I killed him." Zhang Mingli held her head, saying in terror, "Comrade police, what should I do, I killed someone, am I going to jail?" Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged glances, they felt this woman''s mental state might be problematic. "Comrade police, I''m not crazy, what I said is true! You have to believe me!" Zhang Mingli pitifully looked at Fang Rui and Zhang, "I admit my crime, and I accept the judgment of the law. But you can''t think I''m crazy!" "How about this, Miss Zhang, can you take us to the crime scene?" Fang Rui said. Hearing Fang Rui believed her, she calmed down a bit and asked, "Okay. Can I take you there now?" "Can you give me the contact information of your relatives?" Fang Rui said, "If you really are the murderer, your relatives need to sign some documents, so it''s better to inform me in advance." "My mother just passed away, my aunt is out of town, there''s only my uncle in Jiangzhou City, his name is Zhang Taotao, you can contact him." Zhang Mingli wrote her uncle''s phone number on a piece of paper. "You rest here for a while, we''ll go to your house with you later to see if we can find the body." "Okay, Comrade police, thank you so much!" Aliali: 673eb950c4f3f33ac4ee7f08 After leaving the interrogation room, Fang Rui contacted Zhang Mingli''s uncle. "Hello, we are the police station, are you Mr. Zhang, Zhang Mingli''s uncle?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes, what happened to Mingli? This child usually behaves well, how did she end up at the police station?" The person on the other end of the phone asked anxiously. "What is Zhang Mingli''s usual mental state like, does she have any mental illness?" "This child is quite normal! Just a bit introverted, not very talkative. Ah, she grew up in a single-parent family, her mother was like that, it''s normal for her to have a strange personality." "What was wrong with her mother?" Fang Rui asked. "Her mother was a mental patient. She recently passed away from stomach cancer. Mingli moved back to Jiangzhou because of this." "Okay, thank you!" After hanging up the phone, Zhang said, "Boss, Zhang Mingli might be mentally ill too. Look, she can''t remember anything when we ask her." "It''s possible. But we still need to go to the crime scene to see if there really was a murder." Chapter 132 Zhang Mingli took Fang Rui and the others to Beiyuan Garden Residential Area. It was an old residential complex built in the 1990s. The buildings were closely spaced, resulting in poor natural lighting. Upon entering the stairwell, there was an immediate sense of darkness and gloom. Zhang Mingli lived on the fourth floor. Her apartment was a duplex with two levels, so despite being on a lower floor, the ceiling felt low upon entering, making the space feel somewhat cramped. There was a bagua mirror hanging on the door, covered in dust, appearing to have been there for years. "It was right here. He was lying here, covered in blood," Zhang Mingli pointed at the floor near the stairway entrance, speaking frantically. "I was standing upstairs at the time. I watched him roll down and fall here, where he slowly closed his eyes. He died." Zhang opened the curtains and turned on the lights, but found nothing on the floor. The floor tiles were grayish-white and worn, with some even cracked, but there were no traces of blood. Mu Mian sprayed luminol reagent on the floor, but no fluorescence appeared. There were no signs of chemical corrosion on the floor, ruling out the possibility that the perpetrator had used bleach or similar substances to clean up blood, indicating that there had never been any blood on the tiles. "No blood," Mu Mian whispered to Fang Rui and the others. "No traces of bleach detected on the floor either, so we can rule out blood being cleaned with bleach. It seems there was never any blood on these tiles." "The tiles look old, with lots of dust in the gaps. They don''t appear to have been replaced recently," Wang said. "We can basically rule out tile replacement." Mu Mian sprayed luminol reagent in every corner of the house, but found no fluorescent reactions except for some small spots on the white walls, which were from mosquitoes that had been killed. As Mu Mian walked out of the room, she hesitated, feeling something unsettling about the house. "Mu Mian, what''s wrong?" Fang Rui asked. "I think my OCD is acting up. Something''s not right about this house!" "Is it because of the tiles?" Fang Rui noticed that the tiles in the bedrooms were different from those in the living room, with different patterns. Except for the bathroom, all other rooms had matching tiles. Normally during renovation, the living room and bedrooms would use the same tiles, but this house was different. However, the living room tiles didn''t look newly replaced either. They felt loose underfoot, with several cracked pieces, and the style and pattern weren''t contemporary ¨C they appeared to be from over a decade ago. The building itself was quite old. "Yes. The bedroom tiles are different from the living room. That''s why this house feels so uncomfortable to me," Mu Mian complained, then pointed to the large bay window in the second bedroom. "And why build such a platform in the house? It''s difficult to close the windows, it''s so high I can''t even climb up there. The design of this house is so impractical!" "I feel the same way. This house feels very gloomy!" Zhang commented. "It''s so eerie, no wonder Ms. Zhang developed mental issues living here." Zhang Mingli stood in the living room, visibly anxious. The murder scene seemed to replay constantly before her eyes, but she couldn''t remember why she killed someone or who the victim was. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Zhang Mingli jumped in fright. "Ms. Zhang, don''t be afraid. We''re still here," Zhang reassured her. Zhang opened the door to find Zhang Mingli''s uncle, Zhang Taotao, a man in his fifties wearing black-framed glasses and having a scholarly appearance. He addressed Zhang Mingli: "Mingli, what''s wrong? How did you end up at the police station?" Zhang Taotao was a high school chemistry teacher nearing retirement. He barely needed to work anymore, so when he heard about Zhang Mingli''s situation, he rushed over immediately. "Uncle, I killed someone! I pushed someone down the stairs, they fell to their death, but the body is gone," Zhang Mingli''s eyes darted around wildly as she spoke in terror. "There''s a ghost! Uncle, this house is haunted. I can''t stay here anymore. I don''t want to live here." "Alright, you don''t have to stay. Come live with your uncle," Zhang Taotao embraced her. "I told you before to come live with me, but you insisted on staying here. Now look what''s happened ¨C you ended up in a haunted house, and look how frightened you''ve become." After Zhang Mingli calmed down, Zhang Taotao addressed Fang Rui and the others: "Officers, I apologize for my niece''s behavior in making a false report. She told me earlier that this house was haunted. I told her not to stay here, but she insisted, and now she''s been frightened out of her wits. How could a young woman like her possibly kill someone?" "No, Uncle, I did kill someone!" Zhang Mingli insisted. "Mingli, child, you say you killed someone, but who did you kill?" Zhang Taotao interrupted. "Haven''t the police officers searched the entire house? Did they find any body?" Zhang Mingli began to doubt herself, looking at her hands while mumbling, "Did I really not kill anyone? Uncle, am I going crazy like Mom?" "Mingli, didn''t you get checked at the psychiatric hospital last time? The doctor said you''re fine, just under too much stress, which is why you''re thinking too much." Zhang Taotao turned to Fang Rui and the others, saying, "Officers, I''ll take my niece home now. She''s been under too much stress lately and might be having some mental health issues. She needs proper rest." "Alright, take her home." Fang Rui and the team thoroughly searched the house again but found nothing suspicious. The house''s decoration was old, apparently from many years ago, and the furnishings hadn''t changed much recently. There was a security camera in the corridor outside Zhang Mingli''s apartment. They went to the security office to retrieve the footage from the past two weeks. Back at the station, each person was assigned to watch several days of footage at 16x speed until around seven or eight in the evening. The surveillance footage showed that in the past two weeks, apart from Zhang Mingli''s uncle, delivery personnel, and utility workers, no other men had visited her home. Only two women had visited, and everyone who entered had also left ¨C no one had disappeared. "There haven''t been any missing persons reports recently either. It seems Ms. Zhang really is experiencing mental health issues," Zhang rubbed his tired eyes. "Still, it''s good that there wasn''t actually a murder." Everyone went home after work. Fang Rui drove Mu Mian home, and she remained silent throughout the journey. Seeing Mu Mian''s deep contemplation, Fang Rui asked, "What''s wrong?" "Nothing!" At 1:08 AM, Fang Rui was suddenly awakened by knocking at his door. He knew only Mu Mian would knock at this hour. He opened the door with messy hair, "Mu Mian, can''t this wait until tomorrow?" "Fang Rui, do you think the body could be hidden in the bay window?" Mu Mian asked with dark circles under her eyes, trying to keep them open. "Let''s go dig for the body with some tools." "Mu Mian, do you know what time it is?" Fang Rui could barely keep his eyes open. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "1:09 AM." "So, go back to sleep now, and we''ll talk about this tomorrow." Fang Rui grabbed Mu Mian''s shoulders and pushed her to her apartment door, then turned to go back to sleep. "Fang Rui, you can sleep tomorrow." "This case hasn''t been officially opened. If we go digging for a body now, we''d be illegally entering private property. That''s against the law, understand?" "I know. I understand the law. But..." "Then go back to sleep now, and tomorrow we''ll contact Ms. Zhang and check that bay window again, okay?" "Okay." Aliali: 67409081c4f3f33ac40a029f Fang Rui closed his door, returned to bed, and was about to sleep when something occurred to him. He quickly got up and opened the door, finding Mu Mian still standing outside, as he''d suspected. "Fang Rui, why aren''t you going back to sleep?" Mu Mian was happy to see Fang Rui come out again. She had been counting seconds, wanting to know how long it would take for him to return. The number would be her waiting time. It only took 18 seconds for Fang Rui to come back out. She felt lucky ¨C she only had to wait 18 seconds. "Mu Mian, shouldn''t I be asking you that question? Why aren''t you going back to sleep?" Fang Rui asked with resignation. "You said you''d only tell me the important thing tomorrow. But I can''t sleep, so I''ll just wait here." Mu Mian waved her hand at Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, you should go back to sleep. I''m not tired, so I''ll just keep waiting here." "Mu Mian, Miss Zhang is sleeping, we can''t reach her right now. Besides, there might not even be a body there. So, please be good and go back to sleep. We can check it out tomorrow, okay?" "That''s not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to say something else." "What is it?" Mu Mian looked at him with sincere eyes, "Fang Rui, would you marry me?" Chapter 133 Fang Rui''s drowsiness vanished completely. He felt as if he''d been struck by lightning, completely petrified. He had been waiting for Mu Mian to realize she liked him, but he never expected her to jump straight to a marriage proposal. This progression was far too chaotic. "What did you say?" Fang Rui asked nervously. "Fang Rui, will you marry me?" Mu Mian raised her voice, her words echoing through the entire hallway. "Did you hear me clearly this time?" "Is it because marrying me would give you legal rights to my corpse?" Fang Rui slowly regained his composure, knowing he couldn''t analyze Mu Mian''s behavior by normal standards. Now it was Mu Mian''s turn to fall silent. She didn''t know how to answer this question. Because that was indeed one of the reasons. But more than that, she wanted to be with Fang Rui forever. Besides her sister, no one understood her better than Fang Rui. Her sister was going to marry Mr. Lin, so she wouldn''t be able to stay with her forever. "Good night, Mu Mian." Fang Rui returned to his home and closed the door. He feared that if he stayed any longer, he would have agreed to marry her. But he couldn''t do that - Mu Mian didn''t understand what marriage meant, so he couldn''t agree to marry her. Otherwise, he would become exactly the kind of deceiver Mrs. Michelle had warned about. Mu Mian felt confused. Fang Rui hadn''t agreed, but he hadn''t refused either. Moreover, his expression had been strange; he had looked very unhappy. Mu Mian felt somewhat dejected, as Fang Rui didn''t seem to want to marry her. She waited outside his door for a while longer, but this time Fang Rui didn''t open it. She waited for 999 seconds, but he still didn''t appear. Mu Mian sighed - her life was so difficult. When she wanted Fang Rui''s corpse, he wouldn''t give it to her, and now when she wanted to marry him, he wouldn''t agree to that either. Never mind, she thought, she''d just stay single forever. If no one else wanted to be with Fang Rui, she could still stay with him. Mu Mian suddenly didn''t feel so sad anymore, because she believed Fang Rui would have a hard time finding a partner as excellent as her. Mu Mian went home and continued sleeping. She slept sweetly. Fang Rui, however, couldn''t sleep at all. The next day, Fang Rui waited outside with dark circles under his eyes, looking completely exhausted, for Mu Mian to go to work. Mu Mian emerged energetically with her bag. Seeing Fang Rui''s condition, she asked curiously, "Fang Rui, did you have insomnia? Why couldn''t you sleep? Did you drink Zhang''s coffee again?" Why... it was all because Mu Mian had proposed to him in the middle of the night! Why was she, the culprit, so energetic while he was the one who couldn''t sleep? Looking at Mu Mian''s innocent face, Fang Rui replied, "I suppose so." "Next time, let me drink it instead. I often have insomnia, so I''m used to it." "Okay." After the morning meeting, Chen Xue cornered Mu Mian and asked curiously, "Mian Mian, did you do something to make Captain Fang look like that? What did you do?" "Chen Xue, we still haven''t checked everywhere yesterday. We should remove the tiles and check underneath them," Mu Mian said, changing the subject. "Did you propose to him yesterday?" "I think the body might be buried in that bay window. That huge bay window doesn''t match the room''s decoration style at all. It must have been renovated later," Mu Mian continued deflecting. "That bay window doesn''t look recently built; it appears to have been there for a long time. Besides, sealing a body in cement would be easily discovered. Hardened cement can''t mask the smell of decomposition, but there wasn''t any unusual odor in that room. It''s unlikely the body is hidden there," Chen Xue analyzed. She still believed that Zhang Mingli had mental health issues, which was why she thought she had killed someone. The victim probably didn''t exist at all. "But it''s really perfect for hiding a body." "Then let''s dig it up and see." "Chen Xue, I did propose to Fang Rui last night, and he rejected me," Mu Mian suddenly said. "He rejected you? Did he say why?" "No, he just looked unhappy. I don''t understand why. I''m so excellent, and we''re so compatible. Why wouldn''t he want to marry me?" Chen Xue thought she understood why. Among all of Mu Mian''s reasons for marriage, love wasn''t one of them. If Chen Xue were Fang Rui, she would have been frustrated by Mu Mian''s denseness too. Fang Rui had called Zhang Mingli, who said they could inspect the house however they wanted, even if it meant damaging the furniture and structure, as she was planning to renovate the house soon anyway. They returned to Zhang Mingli''s house. Mu Mian first asked Fang Rui and the others to remove the tiles near the stairway. After removing the tiles, the floor was uneven and dirty. Mu Mian sprayed luminol reagent on the exposed surface. Soon, the reagent that had seeped into the cement joints began to emit tiny spots of fluorescence. Everyone was surprised - there were indeed bloodstains under the tiles. "There really are bloodstains," Mu Mian said. "It seems there might actually be a body hidden in the house." They all went to the second bedroom, where they had previously thought nothing of the bay window, but now the rectangular platform looked increasingly like a coffin. The window seat was covered with a carpet. They lifted it to reveal tiles underneath, the same color and pattern as those in the living room but different from the room''s decor. They began breaking apart the cement platform. After working for a while, they discovered a layer of white substance under the cement. "This looks like dried latex," Zhang said after examining a piece. They found that the platform had first been coated with latex, then covered with a 2cm layer of cement. They also found several pieces of torn yellow paper in the latex layer. "These look like talismans, and there''s writing on them." Aliali: 67409081c4f3f33ac40a029f Soon after, they also found a bagua mirror and a peach wood sword. "There couldn''t be something sealed in here, could there?" Zhang exclaimed. "If a body were only sealed in cement, it would emit a strong decomposition odor because cement isn''t completely airtight and can''t contain the smell. But if you add a layer of latex, the seal becomes much stronger, and the odor would be trapped inside," Mu Mian explained. "That might be why they used latex." Initially, they had broken open the cement platform just to check, but now their spines were tingling - could there really be a body buried underneath? They continued breaking it apart and discovered thick wooden boards with intricate carvings. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After removing the outer cement, they found what appeared to be a wooden box, but the wood had already rotted. Zhang asked puzzled, "What''s this black stuff?" Chen Xue said, "It looks like charcoal." "It''s activated charcoal," Mu Mian said. "But it must have been here for many years. The body, if there is one, wouldn''t be fresh either." The wooden box was also filled with cement. As they gradually broke apart the cement chunks, they saw something that looked like a human-shaped sculpture within. Chapter 134 ¡°There''s a corpse inside. Be careful when digging,¡± Mu Mian pointed to the nail exposed in the concrete block and began directing them to excavate the body. ¡°Officer Zhang, don¡¯t dig here, dig over there. First, don¡¯t worry about the concrete on the surface of the body. We¡¯ll move the concrete-encased body back to the lab, and I¡¯ll clean off the surface concrete there.¡± Zhang and the others followed Mu Mian¡¯s instructions and unearthed an irregularly shaped concrete block. Mu Mian carefully used a shovel to chip away at the concrete covering the dead person¡¯s arm. She found that the skin was dark brown, dried out, and had turned leathery. There were also white substances on the concrete. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to determine the time of death right now,¡± Mu Mian said, ¡°but based on my experience, this body has been buried here for no less than ten years, most likely even longer.¡± ¡°No less than ten years? Then the victim couldn¡¯t possibly have been killed by Miss Zhang, could she? Miss Zhang was probably still a child ten years ago,¡± Zhang exclaimed in surprise. ¡°So why did she come to confess to murder?¡± Everyone was puzzled. ¡°Maybe Miss Zhang knows the inside story. She deliberately came to the police station to confess, hoping to draw our attention and make us discover this body,¡± Chen Xue speculated. Zhang and Wang thought it made sense. Mu Mian was puzzled. ¡°If Miss Zhang was already at the police station, why didn¡¯t she just tell us directly that there was a body here?¡± ¡°Maybe the murderer threatened her not to say anything.¡± ¡°But if she came to the police station to report the case, wouldn¡¯t that anger the murderer? She might as well have written us an anonymous letter and secretly revealed the truth to us. That way, the murderer wouldn¡¯t know who turned him in,¡± Mu Mian still couldn¡¯t understand her motives. Why make things so complicated? After Mu Mian¡¯s question, everyone was also confused about why Miss Zhang confessed. ¡°Could it be a coincidence? After moving into this place, the oppressive structure of the house caused Miss Zhang¡¯s mental state to deteriorate, leading her to report the case and confess. It just so happens that a murder occurred in this house more than ten years ago,¡± Fang Rui analyzed. ¡°But could it really be that much of a coincidence?¡± ¡°Once I dig out the body, we¡¯ll definitely find more clues,¡± Mu Mian said. ¡°The person who buried the body handled it very professionally. We must catch them, and I¡¯d like to have a good chat with them!¡± Chen Xue agreed, ¡°Exactly. No wonder this platform didn¡¯t show any signs of collapse or cracking. There¡¯s a wooden box inside providing support. I guess the cement wasn¡¯t poured full, leaving some space, so the gas expansion wouldn¡¯t affect the surface of the platform. Otherwise, the gas produced by the decaying body would definitely cause the concrete platform to deform.¡± ¡°The cement burial scenes in TV dramas are all about pouring concrete directly. It turns out that this method of disposing of a body is not feasible!¡± Zhang exclaimed. ¡°Those TV dramas are so unprofessional.¡± Chen Xue said, ¡°Of course. Not only do you need to consider the issue of the stench, but also the gas produced by the decaying body that can cause cracks and deformation in the concrete. So burying a body in concrete is not a clever way to dispose of a body; the concrete actually accelerates the decay of the body.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I know many clever ways to dispose of a body!¡± Mu Mian said excitedly. ¡°Do you want me to share them with you? Theoretically, they should be able to perfectly dispose of a body, but I haven¡¯t practiced them, so I don¡¯t know if there would be any issues during execution.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop there. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to eat,¡± Zhang quickly interrupted Mu Mian. ¡°Alright,¡± Mu Mian reluctantly suppressed her desire to share her knowledge and continued to take photos of the concrete block, documenting the scene. Chen Xue continued, ¡°The person who buried the body was very smart. They considered both problems. First, they used activated carbon to absorb the odor, and then reinforced the sealing of the platform with latex to prevent the odor from escaping. Most people who bury a body in concrete would just pour concrete on top without thinking so much.¡± ¡°It seems this murderer is quite intelligent. If it weren¡¯t for Miss Zhang¡¯s actions, we probably would never have known that there was a body buried here,¡± they said as they placed the concrete-encased body into a body bag. This residential area is mainly for the elderly, with mostly older people and children living there, so elevators were installed. However, the elevators were small and run-down, dirty inside, and shook violently every time they reached a floor. With a body at their feet, Zhang and Wang felt a chill down their spines. Mu Mian thought of the various accident cases she had seen involving elevator malfunctions, where the victims had died horribly. She was a bit scared and clung tightly to Fang Rui¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mu, this elevator is old but definitely safe. It won¡¯t malfunction, you can rest assured!¡± Wang said. ¡°How can you be so sure? You don¡¯t know anything about elevators,¡± Mu Mian clung to Fang Rui¡¯s arm. She still felt the elevator was very unsafe. Zhang chimed in, ¡°We understand developers. The residents here are mostly elderly and children. If the elevator had any accidents, they could cause the developer to go bankrupt!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fang Rui comforted Mu Mian, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, we¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°Yeah. Even if something happens, we¡¯re all together, so we won¡¯t be alone,¡± Mu Mian thought, and she wasn¡¯t nervous anymore. ¡°¡­¡± As Zhang and Wang struggled to carry the body out of the building, a group of elderly men and women gathered around, pointing and whispering. ¡°Is there another thief in our community? Why are the police here?¡± ¡°Judging by the commotion, it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re catching a thief!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a girl living on the fourth floor? Could this be her body they¡¯re carrying? No, I saw her yesterday, how could she be gone today?¡± Sister Wang muttered. ¡°Tsk tsk, these two young men are so weak, they can¡¯t even carry a girl¡¯s body!¡± Aliali: 6743211ac4f3f33ac42e7315 ¡°I¡¯ve always said that the house on the fourth floor is unlucky. That girl didn¡¯t listen to my old woman¡¯s advice and insisted on living there. Look, now something has happened,¡± Sister Wang sighed. ¡°Yes, yes, that house hasn¡¯t been lived in for a long time.¡± Fang Rui asked an elderly woman who seemed knowledgeable, ¡°Auntie, who used to live in that house?¡± The woman glanced at Fang Rui but didn¡¯t speak. Zhang stepped forward and asked enthusiastically, ¡°Sister, who used to live in that house?¡± ¡°Just call me Sister Wang,¡± the woman began to pour out everything she knew to Zhang. ¡°A family of three lived there a couple of years ago. Later, they said the landlord was a pervert, secretly installing cameras in their house. They were scared to death and moved out overnight, not even taking their rent and deposit. The house hasn¡¯t been rented out since, and I suspect it¡¯s haunted.¡± ¡°Do you know Zhang Mingli from the fourth floor?¡± ¡°Yes, she bought that house about a month ago. I wanted to warn her that the house is haunted, but every time I tried to talk to her, she walked away and ignored me. I never got the chance to tell her,¡± Sister Wang complained. Seeing that Zhang Mingli didn¡¯t have a boyfriend, Sister Wang had originally planned to get close to her and then ask if she wanted to go on a blind date. She had many high-quality men to introduce, ensuring she could find a good match. But Zhang Mingli ignored her. ¡°How do you know that house is haunted?¡± Fang Rui asked. Chapter 135 Auntie vividly recounted the ghost story: "In the past, our neighborhood often had thieves coming to steal things. About two years ago, a thief saw that the house was always empty, so he pried open the burglar-proof window to steal. Who knew he heard a female ghost crying inside, and he even claimed to have seen a whole group of ghosts chasing him. He was so scared that he jumped out of the window, luckily landing on a rain canopy on the first floor, only suffering a minor injury. Since then, no thief has dared to come to our neighborhood to steal. And because of this, that house has been completely unrentable. Miss Zhang is from out of town, probably tricked by a real estate agent, to buy that house." "Do you know who the landlord of that house is?" Fang Rui asked. "I don''t know! I just moved here a few years ago. It''s strange, I don''t think I''ve ever seen the landlord of that house. Not to brag, but I know everyone in this neighborhood." Fang Rui and Zhang went to the security guard to inquire about the situation. The security guard said he also didn''t know the owner of that house. He often saw the previous tenants though. Fang Rui saved the contact information of that tenant. This residential area was built in the 1990s as resettlement housing, part of the demolition compensation, and the owners didn''t have property certificates, making the property rights very chaotic. About eight years ago, the local government introduced a policy, and only then did the owners of these resettlement houses start to get their property certificates. Fang Rui and his team then found the property manager, "Does the resident in the leftmost unit on the fourth floor of Building 7 pay the property fees on time? Do you have his contact information?" "Yes, we just collected the property fee not long ago. That family always doesn''t pay, and it was only after I called to urge them that they reluctantly paid. Let me find it." The manager flipped through the payment record book while chatting with Fang Rui, "Officer, did something happen to that house?" "Why do you ask?" Zhang inquired, "No, it''s just that the owner''s things were stolen, and we''re investigating." "You don''t have to hide it from me. What thief would dare to steal from that house? That house is inauspicious! It''s on the 4th floor, on the shady side, lacking in the five elements, and the feng shui is bad." The manager, an old man, was very superstitious about feng shui, muttering, "The orientation of that house is extremely inauspicious! It''s not suitable for living, light can lead to bankruptcy, heavy can lead to family breakdown." "Grandpa, don''t be too superstitious. You should believe in science." "You young people don''t understand, this isn''t feudal superstition, it''s the treasure our ancestors left us to help us avoid misfortune." "..." "Found it. He''s surnamed Wang, named Wang Dadong." The manager pointed to the handwritten number in the book, "This is his phone number. His phone is often unreachable, you have to call several times before he picks up." Zhang dialed the number, but after many attempts, no one answered. Sending him a text message also went unanswered. On the dissection table lay the cement block. Mu Mian and Chen Xue hammered and chiseled for a long time, only clearing out one leg of the deceased, and there was still a lot of cement left on it. "Chen Xue, aren''t we like archaeologists? We''re excavating a mummified corpse." Mu Mian''s arms were a bit sore, but she was still full of energy, "I often went to museums to see mummies before, but always through glass, I couldn''t touch them. I looked it up online, I couldn''t find a legal way to touch a mummy, even if I became an archaeologist, because mummies are all in museums now, there are no mummies in the pyramids anymore." "There''s also a very famous mummified corpse in China called ''Loulan Beauty,'' I''ll take you to see it next time we have a holiday." Chen Xue thought they could go on a trip together next time. Mu Mian hadn''t seen the great landscapes of the motherland yet, she could take her to see them. "Really take me? I''ll resist the temptation and make sure not to steal it." "Uh... although it''s called Loulan Beauty, it''s not pretty at all... okay, any corpse is irresistibly attractive to you." Chen Xue looked at the shriveled leg, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Wait, how could there be a mummified corpse in cement? Cement would corrode the body, accelerate decay, how could the body become a mummy?" "Chen Xue, I''ve already said it, the murderer is very professional in handling the body." Mu Mian reminded softly. This was a very arduous task. Mu Mian, though full of fighting spirit, had arms that were too sore to cooperate. She had to stop and rest. Chen Xue had long since given up. "Mianmian, I can''t stay late with you tonight." Chen Xue said regretfully, "Otherwise, let''s continue cleaning tomorrow? If your hands are sore, they''ll shake, and you might damage the body." "It''s okay, I''ve found someone to stay late with me." Mu Mian washed her hands and planned to go to the cafeteria with Fang Rui to eat. Chen Xue smiled, changed her clothes, picked up her bag, and said to Mu Mian, "Tonight, I''m going to meet Zhang''s parents. Mianmian, I''m a bit nervous." "Why nervous? Everyone likes you. You''re very excellent!" Mu Mian comforted her. Chen Xue had a good reputation in the bureau, people often came to the office to play with her, they also often brought delicious food, and Mu Mian also ate various local specialties, of course, junk food too. "Mianmian, you don''t understand, the hardest relationship in the world is the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, I''m afraid Zhang''s mom won''t like me." Chen Xue was a bit inferior in her feelings, growing up in a single-parent family, her profession being a forensic doctor, a slightly conservative family might find fault with her. "Chen Xue, you''re marrying Zhang, why do you care about his parents?" Mu Mian asked puzzled. "Marriage is a very complicated thing, it''s not just about two people, it''s about two families, no, three families, and then there will be our own little family. So you can''t get married lightly." Chen Xue sighed, "Mianmian, wish me luck!" "Chen Xue, good luck!" Chen Xue left the office with her bag. "Chen Xue, you are very, very, very excellent, if someone doesn''t like you, it must be that person''s problem." Mu Mian said behind her. "Thank you, Mianmian." Mu Mian took her lunch box and went to the cafeteria with Fang Rui to eat. Aliali: 6743211ac4f3f33ac42e7315 After getting the food, Mu Mian, as usual, put what she didn''t like to eat into Fang Rui''s bowl, and put what Fang Rui didn''t like to eat into her own bowl. After exchanging dishes, Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui and said seriously, "Fang Rui, it was my oversight to propose marriage to you so rashly. It turns out that marriage is such a complicated thing, I''m not sure if I want to get married now." The colleagues who were originally concentrating on eating suddenly felt that the food in front of them wasn''t appetizing, they all put down their chopsticks and looked at Fang Rui with varying expressions. "Why do you think it''s complicated?" Fang Rui ignored their gazes and asked puzzled. "Because Chen Xue said marriage is about three families, including my parents'' family, well, I don''t have parents; your parents'' family, but your mom likes me a lot, so I don''t have to worry about the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship; and our own family... this one is just us two." Mu Mian found that her marriage wasn''t complicated at all. "See, it''s not complicated." Fang Rui said with a smile. "Then why don''t you want to marry me?" "Mu Mian, eat quickly, we still have to work overtime after eating." Fang Rui pointed at Mu Mian''s watch, "Don''t you want to dig out the body quickly?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I do!" Mu Mian immediately buried her head in eating. As she chewed the food, she suddenly realized that Fang Rui was diverting the topic. Mu Mian thought, when she had time, she would write a report, titled "Analysis of the Reasons Why Fang Rui Doesn''t Want to Marry Mu Mian." Chapter 136 After clearing away the debris to expose the head of the corpse, Mu Mian and Fang Rui discovered that the deceased''s teeth were pink. "We have rose teeth here, which suggests the deceased likely died from asphyxiation, or at least experienced a period of suffocation," Mu Mian analyzed. The surface of the body, even the mouth and nose, was covered with some white crystals. The deceased was a male. Mu Mian used a scalpel to scrape off some of the white crystals, planning to send them for testing. "These white crystals look like clumped salt," Fang Rui picked up a few and observed them closely. "Salt is a good preservative," Mu Mian agreed. "The deceased''s head seems to have wounds," Fang Rui noted. "Yes, there are wounds on the left forehead, the back of the head, and behind the ears. Judging from the shape of the wounds, they were likely caused by hitting the steps of a staircase. He probably rolled down the stairs before he died," Mu Mian explained. "Zhang Mingli said she pushed the deceased from upstairs, causing him to roll down the stairs. The deceased''s experience is exactly as she described," Fang Rui was a bit surprised. He speculated, "Could Zhang Mingli be a witness to this murder? She might have amnesia or was too young at the time of the incident to remember. But now, returning to the scene, she has recalled it." "It''s possible. When the murder occurred, Miss Zhang was just a child. She might have witnessed the killing process and, due to the intense shock, lost her memory. When she returned to this house, she remembered the scene but, due to inaccurate memory, she distorted the killer into herself, mistakenly thinking she had killed someone." Fang Rui suddenly remembered that Zhang Mingli had a mother with schizophrenia. He made a bolder conjecture: "Could it be her mother who killed the person? Her mother might look very similar to her, so she mistakenly thought she had killed someone?" Fang Rui even suspected that her mother went insane because she accidentally killed someone. But if that were the case, why didn''t Zhang Mingli know she had lived in this house before? Even if she had amnesia, wouldn''t her uncle know? It seems they need to investigate the previous owners of this house thoroughly. "Your guess makes sense, but we don''t have any evidence," Mu Mian was still more interested in the corpse. She restrained her urge to dissect it immediately. Chen Xue had certainly never dissected a corpse like this before. She wanted to wait until tomorrow when Chen Xue came to work and dissect it together with her. Let Chen Xue gain some experience. Of course, a more important reason was that she was very tired now. This state was not suitable for dissecting a corpse. Around one in the morning, they drove home. Mu Mian took out her key to open the door, but the door opened by itself. Shen Xiyin had heard Mu Mian''s footsteps and came to open the door for her. "Sister, I encountered a mummified corpse today. It was buried in cement, and I dug for a long time to get it out. You were right not to let me become an archaeologist; it was a wise decision. Digging up corpses is too tiring," Mu Mian couldn''t wait to share the corpse she encountered with Shen Xiyin. "Xiaomian, then go get some rest quickly." "I need to adjust my schedule. I''ll sleep in twenty minutes later tomorrow. The paper I was supposed to read tomorrow morning, I''ll move it to the evening." "Alright, then I''ll wake you up twenty minutes later tomorrow." "No need, I''ll set an alarm myself." Mu Mian turned back to look at Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, goodnight. See you tomorrow." After saying that, Mu Mian walked towards her room. "Goodnight." After Mu Mian entered her room, Fang Rui said to Shen Xiyin, "Miss Shen, you don''t need to worry too much about Mu Mian. I''ll protect her. What happened last time won''t happen again." Shen Xiyin smiled at him and said, "It''s not that I''m worried she''ll get into trouble. It''s just that I''m used to sleeping after Xiaomian falls asleep. I think I should change this habit." "Are you going to marry Lin Sen?" "Your way of speaking seems a bit influenced by Xiaomian. Of course not, whether I get married or not won''t affect Xiaomian''s life. I just feel that she no longer needs me." Shen Xiyin felt both relieved and a bit lost. Mu Mian was the most important piece of her life. She didn''t know if in the future, she could find another piece to fill the void. Shen Xiyin took down a notebook from the bookshelf and handed it to Fang Rui, "I''ll give this to you; I think you might find it useful." Fang Rui saw that the notebook was titled: "Mu Mian''s User Manual." He flipped through it casually. It was divided into sections on clothing, food, housing, and transportation, recording various habits of Mu Mian. There was even an appendix that listed Mu Mian''s various behaviors and language corresponding to her thoughts. It even had color illustrations depicting Mu Mian''s various actions and small stories. There were two types of handwriting in it, one light and elegant, the other powerful and vigorous. The first part mixed both handwritings, but the latter part only had the light and elegant one. "I''m very happy that Xiaomian can have love," Shen Xiyin said with a smile, "When she was in that stage where she didn''t talk much, we once wondered if Xiaomian would ever have love. So we started writing this manual, hoping to help that person better understand her. She''s a bit troublesome, but she''s also very simple; she''s easy to take care of." When Shen Xiyin mentioned "we," she seemed to think of something and then withdrew her smile. "Sister, are you saying that she likes me?" "Isn''t that obvious?" Fang Rui''s heart instantly bloomed with joy. Shen Xiyin was the most understanding person of Mu Mian, and her words must be correct. "Thank you!" After seeing Fang Rui off, Shen Xiyin also planned to go to bed. At that moment, Mu Mian came out of her room again, half-asleep, and walked up to Shen Xiyin. "Sister, I just said goodnight to Fang Rui but forgot to say it to you. Sister, goodnight." "Xiaomian, goodnight." Mu Mian squinted her eyes and dragged her feet back to her room. Aliali: 6743211ac4f3f33ac42e7315 Shen Xiyin thought that even if Mu Mian no longer needed her, she would still be the most important person in Mu Mian''s life. The next day, Mu Mian sat listlessly in the office. She looked at the time; it was already 9:05, and Chen Xue still hadn''t come to work. Although Chen Xue always came late and often arrived just in time, she was never late. Had something happened to her? Just as Mu Mian was about to call Chen Xue, she walked in. She had a drooping face, her eyes were red, and she looked more exhausted than Mu Mian, who had stayed up all night. Mu Mian sighed; digging up corpses was indeed a physically demanding task, looking at how tired Chen Xue was. Fortunately, Mu Mian was prepared; she had bought two cups of extra strong black coffee. "Chen Xue, I bought you some coffee. Drink it first, and then we''ll go dissect that corpse," Mu Mian took a sip of the black coffee, it was so bitter, she stuck out her tongue to relieve the bitterness, but then she drank several more sips. She needed the coffee to perk herself up. "No thanks, life is already bitter enough; who would drink such a bitter thing," Chen Xue said softly, her head lowered. "But aren''t you the one who loves coffee the most? You wouldn''t be picky about whose coffee you drink, would you?" Mu Mian felt that today''s Chen Xue was very unusual. "I won''t drink it anymore." "Then I''ll give it to Fang Rui. Don''t waste it." "..." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 137 In the autopsy room. The cement that had wrapped the corpse was almost completely cleaned off. The body was in a curved position, with legs curled up near the abdomen. The surface of the corpse was covered with a layer of white crystalline substance. The deceased had no clothing or any items that could prove their identity. "This is sodium chloride, or salt. From the analysis of its composition, it appears to be coarse salt used for pickling vegetables," Mu Mian explained. "The killer sprinkled a lot of salt on the body''s surface." Chen Xue said, "No wonder the body has mummified." Mu Mian opened the deceased''s chest cavity, revealing the internal organs. To their surprise, the victim''s organs were in a semi-decomposed state. In theory, even if the body''s surface was preserved, the fluids inside the organs themselves have corrosive properties, such as gastric acid and intestinal fluid, and after death, the body undergoes autolysis. Mu Mian quickly discovered why - there was an oily substance in the stomach. The chest cavity was also coated with a film of oil. The killer had poured oil into the body, soaking the internal organs in oil to slow down the body''s autolysis. Mu Mian used a cotton swab to collect samples of the substance. "Chen Xue, could you take this for testing?" Mu Mian handed the test tube containing the swab to Chen Xue. Chen Xue stared at the notebook in her hand, unresponsive. "Chen Xue?" "Sorry, I was lost in thought. Mian Mian, what did you want me to do?" Chen Xue snapped back to reality. "Chen Xue, do you want to take some time off to rest? You look exhausted," Mu Mian said with concern. "In your current state, I don''t feel comfortable giving you work." "...Alright, I''ll take leave and go home." "What''s really going on with you?" Mu Mian cut off a piece of cartilage from the deceased to test for DNA later. "Mian Mian, I''m starting to regret becoming a forensic pathologist." Mu Mian looked at Chen Xue in shock, asking incredulously, "Why? Being a forensic pathologist is such a great profession, getting to work with so many corpses. You regret it? I regret not choosing this profession sooner." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Mian Mian, others don''t think like that. They think dealing with corpses every day is unlucky." "Why does their opinion matter?" Mu Mian cut open the deceased''s dried-up thigh, exposing the leg bone. "What if they''re Zhang''s family? Zhang''s mother says being a forensic pathologist is too inauspicious, dealing with corpses all day will affect their family''s feng shui. They say if I want to be with Zhang, I must quit my job." Mu Mian went to the toolbox, contemplated for a moment, and finally chose an electric saw. Holding the saw, she suggested, "Then don''t be with Zhang, so you can continue being a forensic pathologist. Although Officer Zhang is a nice person, Sister Wen says there are plenty of good men in the world, you can find someone better." "Mian Mian, I really like him." "How can he compare to your work?" Mu Mian said, puzzled. "Being a forensic pathologist is such a great profession, you can''t give it up." "If you had to choose between your work and Fang Rui, what would you choose?" Chen Xue asked. "But I don''t need to make that choice. If it weren''t for this job, I wouldn''t have met Fang Rui." Mu Mian started the electric saw and cut off one of the deceased''s bones along with the joint for age testing. The body was too heavy to move around, so cutting the bone directly was easier. The bone age could help estimate the approximate age of the deceased. This would help better identify the unknown male corpse. "Mian Mian, actually, I never really wanted to be a forensic pathologist. I wanted to be a doctor. When I filled out my college applications, I chose all medical-related majors, with forensic medicine as my last choice, which I filled in randomly. Unfortunately, I got assigned to that major. I didn''t have the courage to retake the entrance exam, so I had to stick with it," Chen Xue began to open up. "So, I don''t really love this job, it''s just a job." "Well, then why are you conflicted? Just choose Officer Zhang," Mu Mian said. "People should do what they love." Mu Mian''s words suddenly enlightened Chen Xue. Love or career - which is more important? Of course, it''s her career! Chen Xue suddenly made a firm decision, "Mian Mian, I''ve figured it out. I choose my work. I''m going to break up with Zhang!" Mu Mian thought Chen Xue was being fickle and couldn''t understand her thinking. "But you don''t like being a forensic pathologist, and you like Officer Zhang." "Few people truly love their jobs. But if I''m going to quit, it should be for myself, not for someone else." "Isn''t there a third option? You could try to make Zhang''s mother like the forensic pathologist profession," Mu Mian suggested. "That''s impossible!" "Alright then." Fang Rui brought Zhang Mingli back to the interrogation room. "Miss Zhang, we did indeed find a corpse in that house," Fang Rui said while observing Zhang Mingli''s expression. "There really was a body..." Zhang Mingli covered her mouth, laughing and crying simultaneously, "I really killed someone! It wasn''t a hallucination, it was real! Thank goodness, thank goodness, I''m not crazy, I''m normal." Aliali: 6744813cc4f3f33ac44271f6 Zhang Mingli had lived in inexplicable fear since childhood, afraid she would become insane like her mother, so when she thought everything was a hallucination, she completely broke down. She would rather be a murderer than become insane and be locked up in a mental hospital. Zhang was stunned - it was his first time seeing someone so hopeful about having killed someone! "But that person died over a decade ago," Fang Rui reminded her. "Died over a decade ago? Impossible! I pushed him down just last week. I remember it clearly." Zhang Mingli fell back into panic. "Do you remember why you pushed him down the stairs?" "Why... I don''t know. My head hurts, I can''t remember!" Zhang Mingli clutched her head, her expression pained. "Yes, why did I push him?" "Miss Zhang, please calm down! Don''t think about it anymore. Here, have some water first." Zhang poured a glass of water for Zhang Mingli, trying to calm her emotions. Fang Rui also changed his approach. After Zhang Mingli''s emotions stabilized, he asked, "Miss Zhang, do you remember where your father went?" "My uncle said that when my father saw my mother go insane, he ran away with another woman and took all our family''s assets. I don''t know where he went, and he hasn''t come back to find us all these years." "Your uncle said that? Don''t you remember anything from your childhood?" Chapter 138 Zhang Mingli said, "When I was six years old, I had a high fever that damaged my brain, so I don''t remember many things. My mother developed schizophrenia because of this incident - she thought I had died from the fever, and the shock affected her mentally." Fang Rui and Zhang exchanged glances. They increasingly felt that the murder case might have occurred during Zhang Mingli''s childhood. The reason for her memory loss was probably not due to the fever - if her brain had been damaged by the fever, Zhang Mingli should have had intellectual problems, not just memory loss. It was more likely that she lost her memory because she witnessed the murder. "Everything from before you were six was told to you by your uncle?" Fang Rui asked. "My aunt told me. But she probably heard it from my uncle, as she rarely came back since she lived far away. Before my mother got sick, she and my mother didn''t get along well. After my mother became ill, my aunt put aside their past grievances and reconciled with her." "After your mother got sick, did you stay with your aunt?" "Initially, I lived with my uncle, but my aunt-in-law and cousin didn''t like me. After six months, they sent me to my aunt''s house. My aunt was divorced, financially well-off, and had no children, so she treated me like her daughter - it was like a semi-adoption. My aunt would bring me back every few months to see my mother, but mother''s condition was severe. She didn''t believe I was her daughter and would chase me away every time she saw me. Eventually, I visited less frequently." "Do you know where your father went?" "My uncle said that beast abandoned my mother and me, running away abroad with his mistress. Twenty years ago, our house was scheduled for demolition, and we suddenly had a lot of money. He took all the assets and left the country. I can''t contact him, but his relatives on his side can reach him." Zhang Mingli''s expression showed disgust when mentioning her father. "That apartment is so old, and the location isn''t great. Why did you buy it?" Fang Rui asked. "After my mother passed away, I wanted to stay and develop my career in Jiangzhou City. I planned to buy a house and looked at many properties but wasn''t satisfied with any of them. However, when I saw this apartment, I fell in love with it immediately. I contacted the owner, and they were very cooperative - we completed the transfer procedures within days. I paid for the apartment in full." Zhang Mingli also found it strange - the apartment seemed to have some magical pull on her. As soon as she saw it, she inexplicably fell in love with it, feeling that it gave her a sense of home. Zhang couldn''t help but think sarcastically - of course the owner would be cooperative, it was a haunted house after all. They must have been overjoyed to find someone willing to take it off their hands. "Have you met the owner? Do you have their contact information?" "Yes." The phone number Zhang Mingli provided was the same as the one from the property management office, but they had called many times without getting through. "Can we see the purchase contract?" "Sure, I can show you right now. I have scanned copies on my phone." From the contract, Fang Rui and his team learned the owner''s home address. The attached property deed copy showed that the owner was Wang Dadong, and the deed was issued eight years ago. Fang Rui asked Zhang Mingli for a hair sample for DNA testing. If the DNA matched, the body was likely her father''s. "You suspect the deceased is that beast?" Zhang Mingli said in shock. "That''s impossible, right? My cousin said he sent money to my grandmother from abroad just last year." "Has he ever returned from abroad?" "No. My cousin said he hasn''t come back once in all these years. He didn''t even return when my grandfather died, claiming he couldn''t get his passport sorted out." After Zhang Mingli left, Zhang suddenly thought of something: "Boss, if the deceased is Zhang Mingli''s father, and her father disappeared more than twenty years ago, could the victim have been dead for over twenty years? If so, we won''t be able to prosecute the killer!" Criminal cases have a statute of limitations, with murder cases having a maximum prosecution period of twenty years. If the victim''s death occurred more than twenty years ago and no case had been filed previously, the prosecutor''s office would not pursue charges. This meant that even if they discovered the truth and found the killer, they couldn''t do anything about it. The time of death for this unidentified male corpse was difficult to determine. The technical department had collected samples of cement blocks, rotted wood, and latex pieces to analyze and estimate the approximate time the body had been buried. Mu Mian extracted DNA from the deceased''s cartilage. After comparing it with Zhang Mingli''s hair sample, the results showed no blood relation between them. Chen Xue exclaimed, "So the deceased isn''t Zhang Mingli''s father? Doesn''t that mean all our previous deductions were wrong?" "Not necessarily. This only proves that the deceased has no blood relation to Zhang Mingli - he''s not her biological father," Mu Mian said. "I don''t share blood relations with my parents either, but they''re still my mom and dad." "But Zhang Mingli''s parents were both in their first marriage, and she was registered in the household registration system a year after their marriage," Chen Xue analyzed. "This possibility seems unlikely. Unless Zhang Mingli''s mother had an affair." Mu Mian compared the deceased''s DNA with samples in the police missing persons database but found no matches. Through examining the deceased''s bone age, Mu Mian determined that the victim was approximately 33-37 years old at the time of death. However, among the filed missing persons cases, there were no male victims in this age range, though there were several females. This meant that after the victim''s disappearance, their family never reported it to the police. "It''s strange that a middle-aged man disappeared without a trace, and his family didn''t report it," Chen Xue pondered. "That''s actually quite normal. Most filed missing persons cases involve women and children. Middle-aged men rarely go missing," Mu Mian explained. "That makes sense. When they disappear, it''s usually to escape debts or elope with someone. Their families probably wouldn''t want to report it out of shame." During lunch, Mu Mian and Chen Xue found seats first. Shortly after, Zhang arrived with his tray. When Chen Xue saw Zhang approaching, she immediately picked up her tray and left, deliberately choosing a seat as far from Zhang as possible. Zhang was bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened. He looked at Mu Mian, but she was also at a loss, unsure whether to follow Chen Xue - if she left, Officer Zhang might think they were isolating him. "Mu Mian, what''s wrong with Chen Xue today? Why is she ignoring me and walking away when she sees me?" "You really don''t know why?" Mu Mian thought Zhang was quite dense not to figure it out. "No idea!" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Officer Zhang, you might end up dying alone," Mu Mian sighed, looking at him. She then picked up her tray and ran to join Chen Xue. Zhang was completely confused. When Fang Rui sat down beside him, Zhang asked, "Boss, Mu Mian said I''ll die alone - what does that mean? Has she taken up fortune-telling?" "Chen Xue wants to break up with you." "Break up... that''s impossible, our relationship is so good... wait, why does Chen Xue want to break up with me?" Zhang suddenly panicked. Why break up out of nowhere? Aliali: 6744813cc4f3f33ac44271f6 "What have you done recently?" "Nothing special. I even took her to meet my parents, we had dinner together, and they quite liked her." Fang Rui asked, "Did you leave during the meal?" Zhang suddenly remembered something. During the meal, his mother had sent him out to buy milk tea. "Now you know the reason?" Fang Rui picked up his tray and left too. "..." Chen Xue left after barely eating anything. Only Mu Mian was left eating, but soon Fang Rui sat down across from her. "Fang Rui, the deceased isn''t Zhang Mingli''s biological father - they have no blood relation," Mu Mian paused, then continued, "But it''s possible her mother had an affair. We need to rule out this possibility. Can you find any close relatives of the father listed on Zhang Mingli''s household registration?" "Zhang Mingli''s grandmother is still alive." "That''s great. But if he really isn''t Zhang Mingli''s father, then we''ll be looking for a needle in a haystack." Chapter 139 The landlord of that apartment, Wang Dadong, had been unreachable by phone. After Fang Rui and Zhang visited his home, they learned from his wife that he had been arrested and detained during an anti-prostitution operation. Zhang remarked with exasperation, "We''ve been looking everywhere for him, only to find out he''d already gotten himself arrested." Wang Dadong was forty-three years old, unemployed, and lived in a rundown rental unit in an urban village. He had a son in middle school, and the family of three was cramped into a one-bedroom apartment. His son could only sleep in a partitioned area of the living room, and they were living in quite difficult circumstances. His wife was short and plump, with a fierce demeanor. She complained, "This good-for-nothing man can never hold onto money. Whenever he gets his hands on any cash, he wastes it on all sorts of nonsense. When he gets out, I''m going to break his legs!" "Small amount of money? Didn''t he just sell an apartment?" Zhang asked, puzzled. "What? He sold an apartment? That''s impossible! Where would he get an apartment from? If he had one, would we be squeezed into this rental unit?" Wang Dadong''s wife exploded in rage. She grabbed a mop from beside the door, intending to rush to the detention center to beat her husband, but Zhang stopped her. "You didn''t know about this?" Fang Rui handed her the purchase contract to look at. "But his name is on the property deed." "This... it''s his name and ID, and his fingerprint too... Could he be kept by some rich woman? A piece of trash like him definitely couldn''t afford an apartment!" Wang Dadong''s wife broke down. After all these years of frugal living, she discovered her husband had an apartment and had kept it secret from her. She covered her face and began to sob. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What a miserable marriage this had turned out to be! Zhang glanced at the photo on Wang Dadong''s ID card and thought this scenario seemed unlikely. "Boss, I don''t think that apartment really belongs to Wang Dadong," Zhang said. "It probably isn''t his," Fang Rui agreed, but he was confused. If the killer had kept the apartment vacant, wouldn''t the body have remained undiscovered forever? Why did they decide to rent it out before, and why suddenly sell it now? After leaving Wang Dadong''s home, they went to the detention center to find him. When Wang Dadong saw them, he complained, "Officers, I''ve already confessed. Why are you still interrogating me? I really haven''t done anything else illegal. I only made a deal with Jiaojiao, I don''t know any other women, and I didn''t do business with them." "Wang Dadong, did you sell an apartment recently?" "What apartment? How could I have an apartment to sell?" Wang Dadong said with a smirk, but suddenly remembering something, he quickly changed his tune, "Oh right, I did sell an apartment. Got over a million yuan for it." "Why doesn''t your wife know about this?" Zhang asked. "A man''s business doesn''t need to be shared with some woman. I can make my own decisions, why should I tell her?" Fang Rui placed a photo in front of Wang Dadong, "We found a corpse in the second bedroom of that apartment." The photo showed a bay window that had been pried open, revealing the body inside. "A corpse? Officers, you''re trying to trick me, right? How could there be a body in a perfectly good apartment?" Wang Dadong''s face turned pale. "Besides, I''ve already sold the apartment to Zhang Mingli. If there''s any issue, you should find her." "This body is from over a decade ago. You were the previous owner, so naturally we need to talk to you." Seeing that the apartment was involved in a murder case, Wang Dadong quickly tried to distance himself. "Officers, this apartment isn''t really mine, I''m just the nominal owner. It belongs to my cousin Wang Yuanfang. She wanted to buy a second property at the time but didn''t want to waste her first-time buyer status, so she put it under my name. She gave me a few thousand yuan, and I agreed. I barely ever went to that apartment. I couldn''t possibly have killed anyone, officers, I''m innocent!" "We never said you killed anyone. Why are you so agitated?" "It must have been my cousin who killed someone. She''s an extremely vicious person, won''t even take care of her own parents. I wondered why she gave me so much money and put the apartment in my name - turns out it was a murder house!" Wang Dadong spat in disgust, anger rising within him. After his cousin got rich, she became increasingly arrogant, ordering him around, and now it turned out she had set him up! "Do you have your cousin''s home address and contact information?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes." "What does your cousin do for a living?" Aliali: 6744813cc4f3f33ac44271f6 "She''s a high school Chinese teacher. But don''t let that fool you - after she made some money, she forgot all about morals and decency. When her elderly mother was seriously ill, she actually said, ''Why won''t this old thing just die already?'' What kind of person would say something like that?" "When did she come into money? How did she get rich?" "About twenty years ago, she suddenly had enough money to buy houses and cars. No one knows where it came from. Her husband is also a high school teacher. They used to be dirt poor, couldn''t even afford to raise their child, always borrowing money from us. Then somehow they suddenly became wealthy. Must have embezzled public funds." "Is her husband''s name Zhang Taotao?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes! That''s his name. Officers, how did you know?" Wang Dadong said with schadenfreude, "Don''t tell me her husband is the killer? Tsk tsk, who would have thought Teacher Zhang, with all his proper appearances, was actually a murderer. Haha, my cousin is going to be a murderer''s wife now. Let''s see how smug she acts after this." Fang Rui suspected that Zhang Taotao''s money might have actually belonged to Zhang Mingli''s mother. Seeing that Zhang Mingli''s mother had gone insane and Zhang Mingli had lost her memory, he probably embezzled their assets and sent Zhang Mingli to be raised by her aunt. If that was the case, the deceased was likely Zhang Mingli''s father listed on her household registration. "Stop rambling. Focus on reforming yourself in here. Your wife has a hard enough time managing the household," Zhang interrupted, unable to hold back his advice. "When you get out, find a job. You have a child now, so earn money properly and take care of your family." "What family is there to take care of? If you had a wife like mine, would you want to go home? Even my kid doesn''t acknowledge me. What''s the point of going back? I''m better off staying here." Zhang struggled to contain his urge to curse at him. Chapter 140 The DNA test results comparing Zhang Mingli''s grandmother and the deceased quickly came back. Zhang Mingli''s grandmother was confirmed to be the mother of the deceased, and the age of Zhang Mingli''s father, Li Bao, matched that of the deceased. Zhang Mingli''s grandmother had given birth to four daughters and two sons, and she lived with her eldest son. This evidence strongly suggested that the deceased was indeed Zhang Mingli''s father, Li Bao. When Zhang Mingli''s grandmother received the call asking her to come to the police station to identify the body, her first reaction was that it was a scam call. "You heartless scammer! My son is living well in America. It''s your son who''s dead, trying to deceive an old lady like me. You have no conscience!" Zhang Mingli''s grandmother, though in her seventies, still had a strong, forceful voice. "Grandmother, you say your son is in America. Has he ever video called you or come back to visit?" "My son can''t come back from abroad, but he always sends money and clothes from overseas. During Chinese New Year, he even sent me a red envelope with several hundred yuan. You''re just a scammer!" Li Qiang, Zhang Mingli''s uncle, was listening to the conversation nearby and took the phone: "Mother, let me talk to them." "Qiang, they''re saying Bao is dead." "Mother, you already said they''re scammers. Let''s ignore them." He took the phone and walked outside before speaking: "Officer, you''re saying my brother is dead?" "Yes." "Ah, I knew something had happened to Bao. Otherwise, why wouldn''t he have come back all these years? He was always the most filial one! Officer, I''ll come to the police station shortly to identify the body. Please contact me directly for any matters, don''t contact my mother. I''m worried she won''t be able to handle the news." "Alright." When Li Qiang arrived at the morgue, Mu Mian pulled open the freezer drawer and said, "This is your brother''s body." Li Qiang didn''t cry or make any excessive movements. He just stood there, looking down at his brother''s body. All these years, he had believed his brother was really working abroad, thinking he was doing well, even though he never called home or sent any news. When he heard about his brother''s death, everything that hadn''t made sense suddenly became clear. So his brother had been dead all along. "How did my brother die?" Li Qiang asked. "Preliminary findings indicate the cause of death was asphyxiation," Mu Mian replied. In the past, Mu Mian would have told him that his brother had been pushed down the stairs, suffered a head injury, and then the killer had preserved the body with coarse salt and tung oil before encasing it in concrete. But now Mu Mian knew that victims'' families didn''t really want to know the details of how their loved ones died. Fang Rui and Zhang took Li Qiang to the interrogation room to take his statement. "Officers, was my brother murdered? But he was just an elementary school teacher, honest and kind, well-liked by everyone. How could anyone want to murder him?" "Mr. Li, please don''t worry. We need to understand some details from you," Zhang handed him a glass of water. "When did you completely lose contact with your brother?" "It was around August 2004, during the summer break. My brother''s wife, Zhang Huanhuan, suddenly called home saying my brother was having an affair and was making a huge fuss about getting divorced. None of us knew what was happening at the time. At first, we didn''t believe it - my brother had always been an honest person, and they had such a good marriage. But that year our family had just received a house and a large sum of money from relocation compensation, so we wondered if the money had changed him. We tried our best to calm my sister-in-law down, and eventually she agreed not to divorce. We planned to have a family meeting to properly talk to my brother, but he wouldn''t answer my calls. When I went to his house to look for him, I heard that Mingli was in the hospital, so I went there to see her. After I left the hospital, I received a text from my brother saying he had gone abroad with Juan and told us not to look for him. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three months later, he sent another text saying he had settled down in America and not to worry about him. After that, we never received any more messages from him. My sister-in-law''s family came to our house and caused a huge scene. Feeling guilty, we gave them a large sum of money to finally settle the matter." "But your mother said your brother often sends money from abroad?" Zhang questioned. "Ah, that was just to make my mother feel better. She loves my brother the most, and if she knew he was missing, she would have worried herself sick. I often buy things myself or withdraw cash, package them up with fake shipping labels, and tell my mother they''re from my brother. To make it more convincing, I even deceived my wife and children - they all believe my brother regularly sends money home." "Didn''t you think about reporting it to the police?" Aliali: 6744813cc4f3f33ac44271f6 "During the first few years after he went missing, I really believed he had gone to America. He used to talk about how great and free America was, saying he would definitely visit if he had the money. I thought maybe he really had gone there. Later, I started feeling something was wrong - even in America, he could still make phone calls home. I thought maybe he had met with foul play in America, but I had no connections there and didn''t know how to report it. I never imagined he hadn''t left the country at all." "Do you still have those text messages?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes. I keep that phone charged regularly and maintain the phone plan. I was afraid my brother might call and I wouldn''t be able to receive it," Li Qiang said. "The phone is at my house. I''ll go get it right away." "How was your brother''s relationship with his wife?" "It was good. They fell in love naturally. You young people might not know, but twenty-some years ago, most marriages were arranged - it was rare for people to find their own partners. My sister-in-law was also an elementary school teacher. They taught at the same school and gradually fell in love. That''s why I could never understand how my brother could have an affair and abandon his family to go abroad." "How was your brother with his daughter, Zhang Mingli?" "He absolutely adored her. Let me put it this way - back then, how many men would smile after their wives gave birth to a daughter? When Mingli was born, my brother announced it to everyone with such joy, you''d think his wife had given birth to a son. Before the relocation compensation, they were very poor, but they would scrimp and save to give their daughter the best of everything. That''s why I never really believed my brother would abandon his wife and child over an affair." Zhang couldn''t help but sigh inwardly - if Li Bao had known Zhang Mingli wasn''t his biological daughter, he probably wouldn''t have smiled at all. "Did your brother show any unusual behavior before he disappeared?" Fang Rui asked. "Unusual behavior? He kept calling me during that period, but wouldn''t say what was wrong when I asked. He was always trying to get me to drink with him. My restaurant was just starting up then, and I was extremely busy, so I didn''t pay much attention to him. Thinking back carefully now, maybe my brother really was having an affair at that time." Chapter 141 "How was your brother''s financial situation?" Fang Rui asked. "At that time, he had just received an apartment and 100,000 in cash. Don''t underestimate that amount - it was a huge sum back then." "Was the apartment in Beiyuan Garden?" "Yes, it was there." "What happened to his assets after he disappeared?" "My sister-in-law claimed that my brother had taken all their money and they wouldn''t let us see Mingli. We felt guilty at the time, so we gave my sister-in-law custody of Mingli and the apartment, plus 50,000 yuan for child support," Li Qiang said. "Later, when we heard my sister-in-law had gone insane, I wanted to take Mingli to live with us, but her uncle always prevented us from seeing her. We felt my brother was partly responsible for my sister-in-law''s mental breakdown, and since my business was doing well then, I gave her uncle another 150,000 yuan for her medical expenses." Zhang sighed, thinking how Li Qiang would be devastated if he knew Zhang Mingli wasn''t actually his brother''s biological daughter, and all that money had gone straight into her uncle''s pocket. Seeing Zhang''s complex expression, Li Qiang asked puzzled, "Officer, what''s wrong?" "Nothing. Let''s go to your house to find that phone." "Alright. Officers, please tell my mother you''re here for a census, and don''t mention anything about my brother, okay?" "No problem." Li Qiang drove his own car leading the way, while Fang Rui and Zhang followed in their vehicle. "Boss, Zhang Mingli''s uncle is truly despicable. Not only did he embezzle the mother and daughter''s property, but he also extorted money from the Li family," Zhang couldn''t help but complain. "I thought he was a decent person when I first saw him, but I never expected him to be so vicious. And that house rightfully belonged to Zhang Mingli, yet he sold it back to her and made another fortune. He''s truly a genius at making money!" "I even suspect he might be involved in this murder case," Fang Rui analyzed. "Zhang Mingli''s mother had schizophrenia - how could she have handled the body so calmly and thoroughly? Could someone have helped her?" "Right! Zhang Taotao was even a chemistry teacher. God, this is terrifying when you think about it." Zhang suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He had originally thought Zhang Taotao was just wickedly occupying a widow and orphan''s property, but now he wondered if there was more to it. "Boss, if he buried the body, why would he sell the house to Zhang Mingli? Wasn''t he afraid she might remember something? He wouldn''t risk his life just for money, would he?" Zhang questioned. Fang Rui thought for a moment and said, "If he only helped bury the body, the maximum sentence wouldn''t exceed ten years, and the statute of limitations should be no more than fifteen years. The limitation period has already passed. So even if we discover his crime and find evidence against him, we still can''t convict him." Zhang fell silent. It''s not scary that bad people do bad things; it''s scary when bad people are smart. Li Qiang''s home was a small villa. When Fang Rui and Zhang arrived, his elderly mother was sitting by the door sunbathing. The blanket on her legs had fallen to the ground, and Li Qiang picked it up, dusted it off, and placed it back over her legs. Li Qiang led them to the second floor and opened a door, saying, "This was my brother''s room. After he said he was going abroad, I brought all his things from his house back here. Everything''s here. See if you can find any clues." "Mr. Li, you''re very good to your brother," Zhang noticed there was no dust in the room, showing it was regularly cleaned. "He''s my own brother," Li Qiang said chokingly. He had kept this room intact, hoping that one day his brother would return and find that he would always have a place in this home, no matter how long he''d been gone. There weren''t many items in the room, just some books and clothes. Zhang checked the clothes, shaking each piece and feeling through the pockets. "Officer, you don''t need to check those clothes, there''s nothing in them, I''ve already looked through them." Fang Rui casually flipped through the books, which were all teaching materials with no writing in them. As he was looking, a piece of paper fell out. He picked it up and read the scrawled message: "Li Bao, your wife is having an affair, your daughter isn''t yours." The paper was crumpled, looking like it had been crushed and then tucked into the book. "Which bastard wrote this? My brother and his wife were so in love, how could she have an affair? Mingli is such a smart and lovely child, anyone can see she''s my brother''s daughter," Li Qiang said indignantly. Zhang couldn''t help but think to himself: But Zhang Mingli really isn''t! "Were these books brought back from your brother''s house?" "Yes. At the time, my sister-in-law had thrown all my brother''s things in the garbage, but I secretly retrieved them." Li Qiang found a black Nokia phone in the drawer. After charging it for a while, he opened the text messages. "These are the last two messages my brother sent me before losing contact." The message read: "Brother, I love Juan so much, I would die for her. Zhang Huanhuan is crazy and won''t leave me alone, so I have to go abroad with Juan. Brother, don''t worry too much about me and mom, I''ve taken all the money with me, so I won''t be short of cash. I''ll contact you once I''m settled." The last message read: "Brother, Juan and I are in America now, everything''s good here, don''t worry about me and mom." After reading the messages, Fang Rui checked other texts Li Bao had sent to Li Qiang. He noticed that in other messages, Li Bao referred to their mother using the word "niang," but in these two messages, he used "ma." "How did your brother usually address your mother?" "In our area, we usually say ''niang.'' We don''t say ''ma.''" Li Qiang suddenly realized something and asked, "Do you suspect these two messages weren''t sent by my brother? Was he already dead by then?" Zhang nodded gravely. "Do you know who Juan is?" "No. We asked Bao''s friends, but they didn''t know anyone with ''Juan'' in their name. There wasn''t anyone like that at the school where he taught either." After leaving Li Qiang''s house, Zhang said, "Who could have written that note? Why would they tell Li Bao about this? Was it to create conflict between the couple? Could the writer be the lover?" "It''s possible that this note caused their marriage to break down, and Zhang Mingli''s mother accidentally pushed her father during an argument," Fang Rui speculated. Aliali: 67467efbc4f3f33ac45e4cd7 Fang Rui had originally wanted to summon Zhang Taotao to the police station for questioning. But even if there was evidence that Zhang Taotao had seized Zhang Mingli''s property, that would be a civil dispute, which they couldn''t handle. Currently, there was no evidence linking Zhang Taotao to this murder case. After dinner, Fang Rui and Zhang drove directly to Zhang Taotao''s house. A young man opened the door. He was handsome, with features somewhat similar to Zhang Mingli''s. His temper wasn''t good though, and he asked impatiently, "Who are you? Who are you looking for?" "Is Zhang Mingli here?" He became even more agitated and turned to shout into the house: "Zhang Mingli, don''t you have any sense of being a guest in someone else''s home? This is my house, please don''t let your questionable friends come visiting, okay?" Zhang Mingli quickly ran over: "Mingyuan, don''t be so rude! Officer Fang, Officer Zhang, is there any new development in the case?" Seeing they were police officers, Zhang Mingyuan immediately put on a friendly face, "Officers, I apologize for my poor attitude earlier. Please come in, let me make you some tea." "..." Fang Rui noticed that Zhang Mingli and Zhang Mingyuan''s features were very similar, and standing together, they looked exactly like sister and brother. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 142 Seeing Fang Rui continuously observing Zhang Mingyuan, Zhang Mingli tried to defend her cousin: "Officer, I''m sorry, my cousin is young and doesn''t know better. Please don''t take offense." Fang Rui asked, "Young? How old is he?" "Twenty-five." "He''s not much younger than you then," Fang Rui retorted casually. "We were born on the same day. I was born a few minutes earlier. When we were little, everyone called us dragon-phoenix twins," Zhang Mingli tried to ease the tension. Officer Zhang also observed the siblings and suddenly realized why Fang Rui had asked about their age. He exchanged a glance with Fang Rui, who gave him a subtle signal. Officer Zhang nodded, indicating he understood the instruction. "Miss Zhang, where is your uncle? We''d like to ask him some questions." "He and my aunt went for a walk. They''ll be back soon. Please have a seat." "Alright." Zhang Mingyuan, currently unemployed and preparing for the civil service exam, was somewhat intimidated by Fang Rui, so he kept asking Officer Zhang various questions. "Brother Strong, is police work very tough? Is the pay good? What are the benefits like? How many tens of thousands can you make in a year?" Officer Zhang responded perfunctorily while eyeing his thick hair, and when Zhang Mingyuan wasn''t paying attention, quickly and precisely plucked a few strands of his hair. "Ouch! What the hell are you doing? That hurts!" "Sorry, sorry, I saw a white hair and wanted to help you remove it. It''s gone now," Officer Zhang said jokingly. "How could I have white hair? Where was it?" "I threw it away," Officer Zhang said, standing up with his fist closed. "I need to use the bathroom. Where is it?" "Over there." About five minutes later, Zhang Taotao returned with his wife Wang Yuanfang. His wife was plump with a smile on her face, appearing to be an easy-going person. Upon seeing Fang Rui and his colleague, Zhang Taotao frowned and said disapprovingly, "Why do you keep coming to question Mingli? She has nothing to do with that case. She was just a child then. How could she possibly be a murderer?" "How do you know Zhang Mingli was a child when the incident occurred?" Fang Rui questioned. "Mingli told me." Zhang Mingli frowned. She had only told her uncle that the police had found a body, but hadn''t mentioned what condition it was in. Why did her uncle know so much about it? "What we told Miss Zhang was that the deceased had been dead for at least ten years. At that time, Miss Zhang would have been fourteen or fifteen - not exactly a child, right?" "Officers, aren''t you just arguing semantics? How is fourteen or fifteen not still a child? Mingli is twenty-five now, and she''s still a child in my eyes," Zhang Taotao explained calmly. Wang Yuanfang chimed in, "Officers, if you have any questions in the future, you can ask us outside. Coming to our home so often affects our reputation. You police should consider us ordinary citizens too." Fang Rui asked directly, "Mr. Zhang, according to our investigation, the second month after Zhang Mingli''s father Li Bao ran away with his lover, your sister was admitted to the hospital for schizophrenia. We''d like to know how her assets were handled?" Zhang Mingli also looked at Zhang Taotao. She had asked similar questions before, but her uncle always said that her beast of a father had taken all the assets when he left. "That beast Li Bao took all the money and ran. What inheritance? I even advanced the money for my sister''s medical expenses." "But Li Qiang said he gave you two hundred thousand yuan gradually to take care of Zhang Mingli and her mother. How did that become money you advanced? Mr. Zhang, we''ve already investigated the bank withdrawal records," Fang Rui decided to test him, "Your brother-in-law''s bankbook shows..." Zhang Taotao raised his voice, interrupting Fang Rui, and said to his son, "Mingyuan, go out with your sister to buy some fruit and snacks. We don''t have anything to serve our guests. Mingli, go with Mingyuan." "Dad, can''t Zhang Mingli go by herself?" "Just go when I tell you to. Why so many questions?" Zhang Mingli guessed that her uncle wanted to get rid of her. Her aunt had once told her that her uncle and aunt weren''t good people, they just leeched off relatives. Her aunt had passed away, her mother had passed away, and her uncle was her only remaining relative. Even if she knew her uncle might have seized things that belonged to her, she couldn''t bring herself to confront him. "Mingyuan, let''s go." After they left, Zhang Taotao said to Fang Rui and his colleague disapprovingly, "Officers, this is our family matter. You have no right to interfere in our family affairs." "We may not have jurisdiction over your family matters, but we have the right to investigate the whereabouts of a murder victim''s assets." "You''re saying the deceased is my brother-in-law? Impossible..." Zhang Taotao exaggeratedly opened his mouth in surprise. Fang Rui said, "Mr. Zhang, shouldn''t you first explain to us why you didn''t recognize your sister and brother-in-law''s former home?" "I... that house was sold by my brother-in-law. It was so long ago, and I didn''t visit their home often, so it''s normal that I didn''t recognize it." "Then you know Wang Dadong, right?" Fang Rui looked at his wife. "You couldn''t possibly not know your cousin? Your cousin has already confessed everything." Wang Yuanfang became flustered, looking helplessly at her husband. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Aliali: 67467efbc4f3f33ac45e4cd7 "That house was transferred to me by my sister. Once it was transferred to me, it became mine. I can put it under whoever''s name I want and sell it to whoever I want!" Zhang Taotao remained composed. "Go ahead and investigate all you want!" Zhang Taotao took out a property transfer agreement and threw it on the table. "Look, this transfer document was written by my sister herself, and we had it notarized in court. Everything was legal and proper." Fang Rui noticed the date on the agreement was the week before Zhang Mingli''s mother entered the psychiatric hospital. Fang Rui said, "Legal and proper? How can you prove Zhang Mingli''s mother was mentally sound at that time? You know that any contract signed by a schizophrenia patient is invalid, right?" Zhang Taotao''s face paled. He berated, "You police should just focus on solving cases. Why are you meddling in my family affairs?" "Upholding legal justice is also part of our job. Mr. Zhang, we will advise Miss Zhang Mingli to sue you to recover her rightful property." When money became involved, Zhang Taotao''s emotions became unstable. He cursed, "Didn''t Zhang Mingli''s crazy mother''s treatment cost money? Didn''t Zhang Mingli need living expenses? What''s wrong with me taking one house?" "Just one house?" Fang Rui questioned. "Are you police taking out your frustration on an ordinary citizen because you can''t solve the case? Let me tell you, I am Zhang Huanhuan''s brother and Zhang Mingli''s uncle. Their assets are mine! She won''t dare sue me. If she dares to sue me, I''ll break her legs!" Officer Zhang walked behind him, observing for a long time until he finally spotted a short hair that had fallen on his clothes. When no one was paying attention, he secretly picked up the hair and wrapped it in a tissue. Chapter 143 Fang Rui didn''t want to engage in this meaningless argument with him. As they were about to leave, when they opened the door, Zhang Mingli was standing there alone, tears streaming down her face. "Miss Zhang, you..." Zhang felt that their previous conversation had been cruel to Zhang Mingli. Zhang Mingli hastily packed some luggage and left her uncle''s house. Zhang handed her a tissue and consoled her: "Miss Zhang, if you want to sue your uncle, we can help provide evidence." "Thank you, but I don''t want to sue him. He''s my only relative now. If he wants those assets, he can have them. Consider it the price of cutting ties with him - I''ll never associate with him again," Zhang Mingli wiped her tears, "Don''t worry about me, I''m strong. I''ll go find a hotel to stay at." Fang Rui couldn''t help but remind her: "Miss Zhang, do you really think there''s any familial bond between you and your uncle?" "That''s right, your uncle seized your property and abandoned you with your aunt, he might even have..." Zhang swallowed the rest of his words. Zhang Mingli fell silent. Over the years, her uncle would always call to check on her, acting like a caring uncle, showing concern, but in reality, he only made empty promises without any actual support. Her aunt always said her uncle was hypocritical, and back then Zhang Mingli would defend him. Now thinking about it, if her uncle really wanted to take care of her, he wouldn''t have left her with her aunt. "Actually, since I was little, I''ve had a recurring dream where there''s a loving couple who are very kind to me, and in the dream, I''m very happy," Zhang Mingli started crying again, "I think they were my parents, but they weren''t good to me at all. My mother went mad, she would always curse at me, saying I wasn''t her child, that I was illegitimate; my father ran away with another woman, he abandoned me. But I don''t know why I still keep having this dream." That''s why when Zhang Mingli saw that house, she bought it without hesitation. That house made her feel like she was returning to a warm, happy home, even though none of her relatives were there. "Thank you for listening to all this. I feel better now." Zhang Mingli took a deep breath, looked at Fang Rui and Zhang, and suddenly said firmly, "Officer Fang, Officer Zhang, I want to recover my memories from before I was six years old." "Perhaps you could try hypnosis to recover those memories," Fang Rui suggested. Watching Zhang Mingli get into a taxi with her suitcase, Fang Rui and Zhang followed the taxi in their car, only leaving after they saw her enter the hotel. Zhang sighed: "I hope the truth isn''t what we suspect, otherwise it would be too cruel for Miss Zhang!" Mu Mian compared Zhang Mingyuan''s DNA with the deceased''s, and the results showed they were father and son; she then compared Zhang Mingli''s DNA with Zhang Taotao''s, and the results showed they were father and daughter. When Chen Xue saw the report, she was stunned: "What''s going on? Zhang Mingli''s uncle is actually her biological father? Her mother''s affair partner couldn''t be... no, no, her cousin is her father''s biological son. Were Zhang Mingli and Zhang Mingyuan switched at birth?" Chen Xue realized this case was becoming increasingly complex. "A baby boy and a baby girl wouldn''t likely be switched by accident. Unless it was intentional," Mu Mian said. Combining the clues that Fang Rui and his team had already uncovered, Chen Xue formed a terrifying theory. During the morning meeting, Mu Mian reported this discovery. Everyone fell silent. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang analyzed: "Have you noticed, Zhang Taotao is a high school teacher, and twenty years ago was when the one-child policy was strictest. Someone in his position as a teacher couldn''t have had a second child. So it''s very possible that Zhang Taotao and his wife switched the children, so he could have a son. Even though this son wasn''t his biological child, being his sister''s child meant they still shared blood ties. My God, how evil can someone be?" Chen Xue angrily said: "So even though they knew Zhang Mingli was their biological daughter, and they had the opportunity to raise her, they still sent her to her aunt to be raised. They''re beasts! Not even raising their own daughter." "I suspect it''s because Zhang Mingli''s aunt was a businesswoman, wealthy, divorced with no children, and never remarried. Think about it, if Zhang Mingli was raised by her, after her aunt''s death, wouldn''t the property go to Zhang Mingli?" Zhang said excitedly, "We found out earlier that Zhang Mingli''s aunt passed away recently, also from cancer, and left all her property to Zhang Mingli." Chen Xue analyzed: "So Zhang Taotao coaxed Zhang Mingli back, probably to seize the property her aunt left her. My God, Zhang Taotao is terrifying, truly trying to squeeze everything from his own family!" Mu Mian watched Zhang and Chen Xue analyzing back and forth, feeling somewhat happy, thinking Officer Zhang and Chen Xue probably wouldn''t break up now, as they were finally talking to each other again. The others remained silent. They had seen many brutal cases and many vicious criminals, but they still felt afraid of someone like Zhang Taotao. Zhang angrily said: "Is there really no way to arrest this beast in human clothing, Zhang Taotao? My God, he''s so calculating! It''s terrifying!" Aliali: 6747c480c4f3f33ac46fd021 Chen Xue agreed: "We must find a way to let the law punish him! Such an evil person, preying on women like a parasite. Look how many people he''s hurt. Just because he didn''t have a son, he switched someone else''s, destroying their family while living comfortably himself." Everyone vented their anger. After everyone calmed down, Mu Mian said: "We found tung oil in the victim''s body. Tung oil has specific sales locations. If we could find the sales records from back then, we could prove he was involved in this murder." Fang Rui said: "Miss Zhang agreed to undergo hypnosis to recover her memories, maybe she''ll remember something." Fang Rui felt the case from back then couldn''t be that simple. Li Qiang said his brother and sister-in-law had a good relationship, so even if they had conflicts, it shouldn''t have escalated to violence. "There''s also that bagua mirror," Zhang said. "What about the mirror?" "Different fortune tellers have different bagua mirrors, with different engravings and such. If we could find the fortune teller from back then, maybe they''d remember who commissioned this mirror." Wang gave Zhang a thumbs up: "I didn''t know you understood metaphysics." "Well, it''s just that my mom is really into all this stuff, and I..." Zhang''s voice trailed off as he saw Chen Xue''s face fall. Chapter 144 After establishing a clear direction for the investigation, Fang Rui assigned the tasks. He and Mu Mian would investigate the source of the tung oil, Zhang and Chen Xue would look into the bagua mirror, while others would interview the schools and neighbors where Zhang Mingli''s parents had worked, hoping to find a breakthrough through the victim''s social connections. Chen Xue immediately objected, "I don''t want to work with him! Besides, I''m a forensic expert. I only handle autopsies, not field investigations." Zhang''s previously cheerful expression crumbled. He had been trying to talk to Chen Xue for days, but she would walk away whenever she saw him, never giving him a chance to explain. He had a huge argument with his mother and moved out of his home into the dormitory. While he was fighting against his family''s wishes, Chen Xue had already given up on him. "Chen Xue, we''re short-handed right now, so please help out. The statute of limitations for this case is approaching, and we need to find evidence to identify the killer quickly," Fang Rui tried to comfort her, "You wouldn''t want the murderer to escape justice, would you?" Chen Xue fell silent, knowing she couldn''t let personal feelings affect her work. She was about to suggest teaming up with Mu Mian instead, but Mu Mian was already excitedly discussing investigation plans with Fang Rui. What a fair-weather friend. Chen Xue glanced at Zhang, who was looking at her hopefully, and reluctantly agreed. Mu Mian and Fang Rui drove off to investigate the source of the tung oil. Tung oil comes in two forms: raw and processed. Raw tung oil is used in medicine and chemical industry, and is rarely sold to individuals. Processed tung oil is refined from raw tung oil and is mainly used in varnishes and other coatings. Twenty years ago, before online shopping existed, hardware stores and paint shops would sell tung oil. Fang Rui and Mu Mian interviewed elderly residents near the crime scene, asking about any old shops that used to sell tung oil. They provided some shop names and addresses. When they checked these locations, they found that the shops had either closed down or relocated. They finally found one old shop, but it had no sales records or accounting books. This lead seemed to be a dead end. Zhang and Chen Xue were driving aimlessly around the streets. When they passed the same intersection for the third time, Chen Xue finally spoke up. "Zhang Qiang, weren''t we supposed to be looking for the fortune teller? Why are we driving in circles?" Zhang replied dejectedly, "I was waiting for you to tell me where we should start looking." "Zhang Qiang, aren''t you the police officer here? Why are you asking me?" "Zhang Taotao used to live in the Jiangzhou No. 13 Middle School staff housing complex. If he was looking for a fortune teller, he probably started searching near his home. Let''s start with the most famous fortune tellers." After analyzing, Zhang paused and added, "Skilled fortune tellers are usually quite old, so they might have passed away. Even if they''re still alive, they must be very elderly now." "Then let''s hurry!" There was an old street near Jiangzhou Middle School that was home to many funeral industry workers, offering everything from feng shui and fortune-telling to burial clothes and funeral wreaths. After asking around the shops, Zhang and Chen Xue learned about a famous fortune teller known as the "Living Immortal." He earned this nickname not only because of his accurate predictions and great skills but also because he was over ninety years old ¨C living so long naturally made him a "Living Immortal." When Zhang and Chen Xue entered his shop, they saw an elderly man with white hair sitting there, looking spirited, with bubble tea on his table and a phone in his hand as he scrolled through short videos. Hearing footsteps approach, the old man looked up and carefully observed Zhang and Chen Xue. He asked, "Young believers, are you here to learn about your love destiny? From your facial features, I can see you have a deep connection. However, your relationship path will be rocky, and might not end well..." Chen Xue''s heart skipped a beat, remembering that Zhang''s mother had also said their zodiac signs were incompatible. "Master, we''re police officers, not here for relationship readings," Zhang showed his badge, "We have some questions for you." Zhang believed fortune-telling was just feudal superstition, and that no one could predict the future. He thought the master was deliberately trying to frighten them about their relationship to scam money from them. "Officers, I haven''t broken any laws! My predictions are accurate, and I never engage in fraud. I earn my living through genuine skill!" Zhang took out the evidence bag containing the bagua mirror and asked, "Master, do you know where this mirror was made?" "At a mirror factory, of course." "..." Chen Xue asked, "Is there anything special about this bagua mirror? How can you tell which master made it?" "Ordinary bagua mirrors are all similar, but ones that have been blessed are different. Let me take a look." The master took the mirror and examined it carefully before saying, "This is a convex bagua mirror, used to ward off evil spirits." Bagua mirrors come in two types: concave and convex. Concave mirrors attract wealth, while convex mirrors ward off evil. The mirror''s border contains the heavenly stems and earthly branches, the Nine Star System, the Early Heaven Bagua, and the twenty-four solar terms. It must be used with a stone tablet talisman or hand seals. Chen Xue and Zhang exchanged glances, realizing that Zhang Taotao had planned to use this mirror to ward off the victim''s negative energy. "You''ve come to the right person. I made this bagua mirror," the master opened his seal book, "The book contains the Nangong Jumo seal, and the person who requested this blessing must have been born in the sixth lunar month. The handwriting isn''t very flowing ¨C it must be from when I was in my seventies." "Master, do you remember who commissioned it?" "It''s been so many years, how could I remember?" the master shrugged. Zhang thought this lead was probably another dead end. The master took a sip of his bubble tea and said, "But I recorded every penny I earned. I can check my records." "Please do so right away." The master pulled out a thick account book and started looking through it. "Master, it should be from nineteen years ago, please look further back." The master leisurely flipped through the account book. Zhang glanced at it and noticed the master had earned quite a lot over the years. "Master, you even keep accounts?" "Of course, every penny I earned was exchanged with my lifespan. I have to keep track of it." "And you still lived to be over ninety..." The master shot Zhang a disapproving look before continuing to flip through the book. His hand suddenly stopped, "Found it, this should be it." The entry read: Fifth day of the sixth lunar month, 2024; two bagua mirrors, one peach wood sword; 1,000 yuan; Believer Wang. Aliali: 6747c480c4f3f33ac46fd021 Zhang''s face fell, "Are you sure it was Believer Wang, not Believer Zhang?" "I wrote down whatever surname they gave me, I don''t know if it was true or false." "Aren''t your predictions supposed to be accurate?" "Yes, I can tell fortunes, but I''m not a mind reader." Chen Xue said, "Master, I notice you have an excellent memory. Do you remember what this Wang Jushi looked like?" Chen Xue had noticed that while other clients paid just a few hundred yuan, Wang Jushi had paid 1,000 yuan. With such a high price, the master must have remembered him. "I do remember. He had a black mole at the corner of his mouth, right here. From that position, I predicted he would face imprisonment. His facial features suggested he wasn''t a good person, so I demanded one thousand yuan, and he paid without hesitation." "Is this him?" Zhang showed him Zhang Taotao''s photo. "Yes, that''s him. I remember him clearly because his facial features indicated a very poisonous nature." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang''s face lit up: "Master, would you be willing to testify to this?" Chapter 145 Fang Rui and Mu Mian''s investigation into the source of tung oil wasn''t going well. Tung oil wasn''t a controlled substance and had many sources - people could even collect tung seeds from the mountains and press them for oil themselves. Seeing Fang Rui''s disappointment, Mu Mian consoled him, "Fang Rui, what Zhang Taotao did by switching babies at the hospital was illegal. If we can find evidence of him swapping the two children, we can still put him in prison." "That might not work. There was a similar case before where a poor mother switched her baby with a rich family''s child at the hospital. Twenty years later, when confronted, the mother denied switching the babies and instead sued the hospital for negligence, eventually receiving compensation. Zhang Taotao will definitely blame the hospital unless¡ª" Fang Rui paused mid-sentence. He pulled over to the side of the road and searched for the news article about the baby switch on his phone. He discovered that the hospital involved was Jiangzhou University Third Affiliated Hospital - the same hospital where Zhang Mingli was born. "Fang Rui, what is it?" "Let''s investigate that hospital." Zhang Mingli was born in the obstetrics department of Jiangzhou University Third Affiliated Hospital. After understanding Fang Rui''s purpose, the hospital staff agreed to help them locate the medical records from that time. The hospital had digitized their medical records, so the staff quickly found Zhang Huanhuan''s medical file. The hospital staff said, "On November 13, 1998, Zhang Huanhuan was admitted to Room 706. On November 14 at 3:09 PM, she entered the delivery room and gave birth to a daughter." The staff printed out Zhang Huanhuan''s admission certificate, prenatal examination reports, and discharge papers, handing them to Fang Rui. Fang Rui asked, "Who shared the room with her?" The staff checked the ward records and replied, "It was a double room. The other mother was Wang Yuanfang. She was admitted on the morning of November 14, and entered the delivery room at 3:23 PM the same day, giving birth to a son." "Who were the doctor and nurse who delivered Zhang Huanhuan''s baby?" "The doctor was Li Qing, our best obstetrician, who passed away two years ago. The midwife was Wang Pandi, who has retired." "Do you have her home address?" "One moment, I''ll need to check." The staff quickly printed out Wang Pandi''s employment records. "Has your hospital ever had incidents of babies being switched?" "We were wrongly accused in that case. It wasn''t our hospital''s fault. The mother deliberately switched the babies herself because she knew her son had a genetic disease, and she noticed that the mother in the next bed was wealthy, so she had ulterior motives. Over twenty years ago, hospital security wasn''t as strict - babies were only identified by wristbands, so it was easy to switch identities by swapping the bands." "Who were the doctor and nurse involved in that delivery?" "Doctor Li Qing and Nurse Wang Pandi..." The staff member suddenly realized something. "How easy would it be to switch a boy and a girl?" "That would be impossible! Right after birth, the mother is told the baby''s gender. While same-sex babies might be switched, different sexes couldn''t be - unless the nurse was involved." Fang Rui gave Wang Pandi''s name and ID number to Li, asking him to investigate any connection between Wang Pandi and Wang Yuanfang. Li quickly reported back: "Wang Pandi is Wang Yuanfang''s paternal cousin." Fang Rui had Wang Pandi brought to the police station immediately. She was a woman in her sixties, short and slightly hunched, with a kindly appearance. Wang Pandi asked confusedly, "Officers, what crime have I committed? Why have you brought me here?" Fang Rui silently placed two DNA test reports in front of Wang Pandi. "What''s this?" Wang Pandi was farsighted and held the documents at arm''s length. Upon seeing the results, her brow furrowed briefly, but she quickly feigned ignorance. "Why are you showing me these reports? I can''t understand them." "You were an obstetric nurse. Are you saying you can''t understand a DNA test report?" "I understand the report, but I don''t know these people." "Isn''t Zhang Taotao your brother-in-law? Don''t you know him?" Fang Rui questioned. "Oh, now I remember, my cousin''s husband is also called Zhang Taotao. Ah, I''m getting old and forgetful, I can''t remember many things anymore." Fang Rui said, "In 1998, Wang Yuanfang and Zhang Huanhuan shared a room, but their babies were switched. The babies were different sexes, making it unlikely to be an accident. You deliberately switched them, didn''t you?" "The babies were switched?" Wang Pandi feigned surprise, saying, "How could that happen? I never made mistakes in my work. It''s impossible. Maybe the parents switched them themselves?" Fang Rui placed another stack of files before her, "The hospital has given us the list of all the pregnancies you handled, and we found two other cases where babies were switched. The suspect in one of those cases was your distant in-law..." Wang Pandi turned pale and covered her face, crying, "I had no choice, they forced me to do it. I got into that hospital with fake credentials, and they threatened to expose me if I didn''t help them. I had finally made it to a city hospital, I couldn''t let them ruin my career... My sister-in-law was also struggling, how could a family like hers raise a child with congenital heart disease? I had to help her..." "So you destroyed other families instead?" Zhang said angrily. "You separated parents from their children - where was your professional ethics?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Pandi kept crying, covering her face, "I had no choice, I was forced into it." "How was Zhang Huanhuan''s baby switched?" "Li Bao didn''t care about having a daughter, but my cousin''s husband desperately wanted a son. Wasn''t it better to switch them? Both children would have happy lives. I was helping them..." Aliali: 6748dac1c4f3f33ac47efe1b Fang Rui laughed bitterly at her logic, "Ms. Wang, judging by your name, you were also a victim of son preference. Why did you become their accomplice?" "I..." Wang Pandi didn''t know how to answer. While she hated her name and the preference for sons, when she had her own child and discovered it was a girl, her first instinct was to abort. She had been assimilated by these evil thoughts, just as she had accepted her name. "Please explain what happened back then." "My cousin and her husband Zhang Taotao came to me, asking me to help check the gender of my cousin''s baby. I didn''t want to at first, but Zhang Taotao threatened to expose my fake credentials if I didn''t help. I had no choice but to arrange for someone to check the baby''s gender. When they learned it was a girl, they initially wanted to abort. But my cousin''s health was poor, and if she aborted this baby, she might never be able to conceive again. That''s when Zhang Taotao came up with the scheme to switch babies. He was very particular about it, so we couldn''t find a suitable match for a while. Soon after, Zhang Huanhuan was found to be three months pregnant. Their due dates were two weeks apart, which normally would have made switching impossible, but Zhang Taotao forced me to get labor-inducing drugs for his sister, causing her to deliver early. He deliberately convinced his sister to share a room with his wife. On that day, knowing his sister was about to give birth, Zhang Taotao sent Li Bao away, then switched the babies after birth. I helped by falsifying the medical records. The children were related by blood anyway and looked similar, so no one suspected anything all these years." Wang Pandi, now elderly and superstitious about karma, had been tormented by her conscience for years, so she confessed everything. "Officers, I was coerced. Zhang Taotao was the mastermind; all the ideas were his. I was just an accomplice." "Do you have evidence that he was the mastermind?" Fang Rui asked. Chapter 146 "I have evidence. Zhang Taotao wrote me an IOU. At the time, he promised to pay me 2,000 yuan in service fees, but he couldn''t afford it, so he said he''d owe it first, and I had him write an IOU. Afterward, he kept refusing to pay, and I didn''t dare make a big deal out of it since I was an accomplice, but I''ve kept the IOU all this time at my home." Fang Rui and his colleagues quickly retrieved the IOU from Wang Pandi''s house. "Now we can finally send that scumbag Zhang Taotao to prison!" Zhang exclaimed excitedly. However, Fang Rui felt it wouldn''t be that easy, as an IOU alone couldn''t prove Zhang Taotao was the mastermind. Zhang Taotao was brought to the interrogation room. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking impatient. "Officers, I''ve already told you, my sister willingly gave me all her property, and she even signed a property transfer agreement. I didn''t defraud her. Besides, property disputes are civil cases, not under police jurisdiction, right? Tell Zhang Mingli to come find me herself!" "We brought you in because you''re suspected of committing two criminal offenses," Fang Rui said. Zhang Taotao angrily replied, "What crime did I commit? What criminal cases? Officer, don''t falsely accuse an innocent person." "Do you know Wang Pandi?" Zhang Taotao''s expression froze, but he quickly composed himself and said, "Yes, she''s my wife''s cousin. My wife doesn''t get along with her; they have a grudge." Fang Rui placed the two paternity test reports in front of him. "Officer, what do you mean by this?" Zhang Taotao asked with trembling lips, his mouth agape. "Isn''t Ming Yuan my son? How is this possible? We look so much alike. My God, Ming Yuan and Ming Li were switched at birth? What were the hospital nurses doing? How could they make such a mistake?" Zhang couldn''t help but think to himself that Zhang Taotao was quite the actor - if they hadn''t already gathered evidence of his crimes, they might have actually believed him. "Wang Pandi has already confessed that you switched the babies because you wanted a son." Zhang Taotao angrily slapped the table. "Slander! She''s slandering me! How could I have had the opportunity to switch the babies? Ming Li and Ming Yuan are different genders - unless the nurses switched them, how could I have done it? Officer, Wang Pandi is falsely accusing me. She has a bad relationship with her cousin, and she''s trying to frame me. She''s so vicious." "She has an IOU written by you." "Yes, I borrowed 2,000 yuan from her. The reason is written on the IOU - it was to buy a house. I didn''t pay her back because her father and my father-in-law had financial disputes, so that 2,000 yuan was used to offset that. My wife''s family all knows about this. You can ask them. Wang Pandi must hold a grudge against me and deliberately switched my child." "Your child was switched before the IOU was written," Fang Rui reminded him. "Ah, I was too angry to think straight. Anyway, she''s just trying to frame me. This woman is just jealous that my family is doing better than hers." An IOU alone wasn''t enough to prove Zhang Taotao had instructed Wang Pandi to switch the children. Zhang Taotao was well aware of this fact. As long as he firmly denied any knowledge, he could shift the responsibility for the baby switch to the hospital, then sue them and get compensation. After all, the police couldn''t possibly find evidence that he had switched the children, since Wang Pandi had done everything. Zhang was infuriated by his smug smile. "You''re also suspected of involvement in a murder case. We suspect your sister accidentally killed her husband, and you helped bury the body." "Officer, even if you want to falsely accuse me, at least be logical about it. First you say I switched my sister''s baby, then you say I helped her bury a body. Am I schizophrenic? If I had switched my sister''s baby, I could have just sent her to prison and taken my child back to raise. Do the police solve cases by making up stories? You don''t have any evidence." Zhang took out the bagua mirror: "Do you recognize this mirror?" "Of course, my sister asked me to help make two bagua mirrors and a peach wood sword, so I found a master to make them. Is there something wrong with this mirror?" Zhang Taotao examined the mirror and tossed it lightly onto the table. He tilted his head back with a smug expression. Zhang was stunned; he hadn''t expected the evidence he had worked so hard to find would be so easily dismissed. "Officers, do you have any other evidence? If not, let me go home quickly - I need to make dinner for my son." "Your son? Didn''t you just learn that Zhang Mingyuan isn''t your son? Why are you still thinking about making him dinner?" Fang Rui mocked. "The bond of raising a child is stronger than blood ties. I''ve raised Ming Yuan for so many years - even if he''s not my biological son, he is now. Ming Li is my daughter now too. One of these days I''ll have her acknowledge her ancestral roots, and I can fulfill my duties as a father." Zhang Taotao stood up, looking down at Fang Rui and Zhang with triumphant eyes. His plan had been so perfect - it would have been a shame if there were no witnesses. The fact that the police had discovered his masterpiece but could do nothing about it gave him an immense sense of achievement. This is what you call a perfect crime! Next, he would reconnect with Zhang Mingli, and then he could openly demand that she hand over all her property to his precious son Ming Yuan. After Zhang Taotao left, Zhang angrily said, "Can we really do nothing about this scumbag? Look how smug he is. It''s infuriating!" Fang Rui called a case analysis meeting. Although Zhang and Chen Xue had broken up, they shared the same attitude toward Zhang Taotao. "Wang Pandi has confessed everything. Isn''t that enough to prove Zhang Taotao was the mastermind?" Chen Xue said angrily. "According to our investigation, Wang Pandi has significant grudges with Zhang Taotao and his wife, so her confession can only be used as supporting evidence. The IOU states the money was borrowed to buy a house, so it can''t be used as evidence either." "The crime happened so long ago that many pieces of evidence are gone. We can''t prove Zhang Taotao was involved in burying the body," Chen Xue sighed. Everyone fell silent. After all the evil things Zhang Taotao had done, would he really get away with it? "I suspect there are important clues in the memories Zhang Mingli lost," Fang Rui looked at Lin Sen. "Can you help Zhang Mingli recover those memories?" "If it''s psychogenic amnesia, I can try," Lin Sen paused. "But even if Ming Li remembers everything, her testimony probably can''t be used as direct evidence." Chen Xue looked at Mu Mian. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Aliali: 674aecfcc4f3f33ac49acb42 Mu Mian had been idly reading a medical journal. Feeling Chen Xue''s gaze, Mu Mian said, "Don''t worry, I''ll work hard to find evidence, but let me finish this page first." "..." After the meeting, Mu Mian went back to examining the victim''s body. Chen Xue sighed nearby, "We''ve examined this body inside and out several times, but haven''t found any evidence. Mian Mian, we''re not really going to let Zhang Taotao get away with this, are we?" "Wherever there''s a crime, there must be evidence!" Mu Mian said softly. The victim''s chest cavity had been doused with tung oil, which had dried into a dark red film. Mu Mian examined the oil film inch by inch. "What''s this?" Mu Mian used tweezers to pick up something black. Chen Xue stared at the tweezers for a moment, then said, "It must have been an insect when it was alive." Chapter 147 After Zhang Mingli learned about everything Zhang Taotao had done, she agreed to undergo hypnosis therapy to recover her lost memories. The hypnosis session was arranged at the house where the incident occurred. "Miss Zhang, your brain shows no signs of damage or disease. Your condition appears to be psychogenic amnesia. Our brains have a defense mechanism that protectively suppresses certain memories to shield us. These memories aren''t lost; they''re just buried in your subconscious. Are you certain you want to recover these memories?" Lin Sen asked again for confirmation. "It could be quite distressing." "That''s alright, I can handle it." "Then let''s begin." Lin Sen had Zhang Mingli sit on the sofa and guided her through breathing exercises until she was completely relaxed. "You''re feeling very relaxed now... You''re walking through a long tunnel with light at the end. Follow that light. At the end of the tunnel is your childhood... What do you see?" "I see my father cooking and my mother teaching me to write... After dinner, father is playing games with me while mother washes the dishes... I''m laughing happily. I feel so content. This is my home." "Is there anyone else in the house?" "No." Zhang Mingli''s expression suddenly changed. "Wait, yes, someone''s here. He''s here again..." "Who is he?" "My uncle. He''s here again asking my parents for money. Father refuses to lend it, and mother is scolding father." "What happens next?" "My head hurts... I can''t remember..." Zhang Mingli clutched her head, clearly in pain. "Can you see the stairs?" "Yes. It''s very dark there. I''m scared. I don''t dare go over." "The lights are on now. Can you see the light? Do you have the courage to go up?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I... I see my parents upstairs looking at me. They''re asking me to come up." "Can you climb the stairs?" Zhang Mingli nodded, "I''ll try. I''m on the first step." "Good, keep going slowly." "I''ve gone up. I can see my parents, but they can''t see me." "Why can''t they see you?" "I''m hiding behind the sofa. I''m playing hide-and-seek with father. Mother and uncle suddenly came back, and they''re all arguing with father. Father can''t win the argument, and he''s crying, feeling wronged." "Why are they arguing?" "Father doesn''t want mother to lend money to uncle. He''s saying I''m not his daughter. That''s not true, I am father''s daughter." Zhang Mingli shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face. "Father is wrong, how could I not be his daughter?" "Take deep breaths... Breathe in deeply, then out... What do you see now?" "Mother says father is slandering her. Uncle says father is making excuses because he wants to divorce mother. Father slapped mother... Mother is crying. Father tries to comfort mother, but uncle says father had an affair and spent all his money on his mistress, that father wants to divorce mother. Mother is furious and is packing her suitcase to leave..." "What happened then?" "Father fell down the stairs! Mother pushed him!" "Where was your uncle?" "Next to mother." "What did he do?" "He was smiling..." Zhang Mingli clutched her head. "I remember now. Father tried to hold mother back, but she shook off his hand... Father lost his balance and fell down the stairs. There was so much blood... Uncle saw that father was dead, and he was smiling with joy..." Zhang Mingli suddenly opened her eyes, cold sweat on her forehead, breathing heavily like a fish out of water. "I remember now. Mother caused father to fall," Zhang Mingli covered her face and sobbed. "Uncle told mother that she had killed father, and if she turned herself in, she''d go to prison and wouldn''t be able to take care of me. Uncle said he could help her dispose of the body so the police would never find out..." At that time, Zhang Mingli discovered she wasn''t her father''s daughter and witnessed her mother causing her father''s death. Under such intense trauma, she forgot everything before the age of six. When her mother saw her behind the sofa, Zhang Mingli had already fainted, and when she woke up, she remembered nothing. However, Zhang Mingli''s testimony alone wasn''t enough to implicate Zhang Taotao. She had been too young when it happened, and too much time had passed. Her testimony wouldn''t be considered reliable, especially given her history of amnesia. The accuracy of her memories would be questioned. "Zhang Mingli once said her mother never acknowledged her as her daughter. Could it be that her mother didn''t actually have schizophrenia?" Zhang analyzed. "Could she have known the truth? Might she have left us clues before she died?" Fang Rui and the others visited the mental hospital where Zhang Mingli''s mother, Zhang Huanhuan, had stayed. "Zhang Huanhuan''s condition wasn''t severe, but she showed strong aggressive tendencies, attacking her relatives indiscriminately," her attending physician explained. "She was lucid most of the time, could take care of herself, and spoke logically and coherently." "Did she ever say anything unusual?" "She often claimed her daughter wasn''t her child. But this is a common symptom of schizophrenia called Capgras syndrome, where patients believe their relatives have been replaced by imposters. It''s a type of delusion. Oh, and she always felt ghosts were following her, so she liked hiding under her bed. She said she could see her husband''s ghost that way." "Could you show us Zhang Huanhuan''s former room?" "Of course." Entering the ward, Fang Rui and Zhang saw various mentally ill patients, most with vacant stares or foolish grins. Passing one room, Fang Rui saw Lu Tian sitting on a bed, quietly reading a colorful picture book. "Boss, look, that''s Lu Tian," Zhang pointed at the room. "She seems to be doing well now." Among all the patients with various symptoms, Lu Tian appeared remarkably normal. Sensing Fang Rui and Zhang''s gaze, Lu Tian looked at them, smiled, then returned to her book. Aliali: 674aecfcc4f3f33ac49acb42 Due to her violent tendencies, Zhang Huanhuan had been kept in a high-security ward in a private room. Since her discharge, no other patient had occupied the room. The cleaning staff had already cleaned the room; there were no personal effects left, and even the bedding had been changed. Fang Rui and Zhang carefully examined the entire room but found no clues. Not giving up, Zhang crawled under the bed to check and discovered words carved into the bed board: "Zhang Taotao deserves to die." The writing was faint, apparently scratched out gradually with fingernails. She had covered the entire underside of the bed with it. "It seems Zhang Huanhuan discovered Zhang Taotao''s true nature. That''s why she carved these words under the bed," Zhang sighed. "Why couldn''t she have left us more specific clues?" They removed the bed board for closer inspection. Fang Rui discovered that besides "Zhang Taotao deserves to die," there were other words carved: "bedroom," "bookshelf," "hole." These words were tiny and crooked, barely visible without careful examination. Fang Rui said, "She probably left evidence hidden behind the bookshelf in their bedroom." Chapter 148 Fang Rui led the team to Zhang Mingli''s house. Her home had bedrooms upstairs and downstairs, but only the side bedroom upstairs had a bookshelf, which was a wall-mounted one, not very large in size. They dismantled the bookshelf and found a large hole in the wall, originally meant for an embedded electric meter box, which was later presumably moved, leaving a big hole. Inside the hole was a cassette tape and a shopping receipt. The cassette tape had been stored for many years, and it was uncertain whether it had deteriorated. The receipt listed the items purchased: two buckets of tung oil, one bucket of alcohol, and one bottle of disinfectant, dated August 7, 2004. However, it did not mention the buyer''s name, only the store name: Sunshine Department Store. The receipt was wrapped in plastic film. "Wang, take it for testing to see if there are any fingerprints on it." "Okay." The cassette tape was unable to be played, but the black plastic tape was intact. Fang Rui sent the tape to the technical department to see if it could be repaired. The fingerprint test results came out quickly. There were fingerprints from two people on the receipt, one of which matched Zhang Taotao''s. With the efforts of the technical department, the cassette tape was also successfully repaired. Inside was a recording of an argument between Zhang Taotao and Zhang Huanhuan. "Brother, you lied to me! I read Li Bao''s diary, he never cheated on me, he loved me deeply. The reason he neglected me during that time was because he and Mingli did a paternity test, and Mingli is not his daughter. I never cheated, so why isn''t Mingli Li Bao''s daughter? Brother, you switched my child, didn''t you?" "Huanhuan, I had no choice. The one-child policy was so strict, and our Zhang family only has me as the son. If I didn''t have a son, our family''s lineage would be cut off. Anyway, your child and my child both share our bloodline, so what''s the big deal about switching them?" "Brother, why did you slander Li Bao for cheating? You took away my son, why did you also destroy my family? I''m your own sister, why did you treat me like this?" "That''s because you two didn''t love each other enough. Otherwise, how could I have easily sowed discord with just a few words? Li Bao was too petty, you should have divorced him long ago and found a better man to marry." "Brother, I''ve had enough of you. You ruined my sister''s marriage, and now you won''t even spare me. I''m going to turn myself in. I''d rather go to jail than give you another penny." "Huanhuan, you and I are in the same boat now. If you go to the police, we''re both done for. You''re a murderer, and I helped you bury the body. We''ll both end up in prison." "Brother, please dig up Li Bao, I want to give him a proper burial. He didn''t betray me, I can''t let him be buried here like this." "No way! You''d better behave, or I''ll kill your son." The recording ended abruptly here. These pieces of evidence were enough to prove that Zhang Taotao had switched the children and was involved in the burial. Zhang Taotao was brought back to the interrogation room again. Zhang, with his arms crossed, coldly looked at Zhang Taotao: "Zhang Mingli has regained her memory and told us everything that happened at the time. There''s no point in denying it anymore, just confess your crimes." Zhang Taotao laughed at Zhang''s words, "Mingli has been amnesiac for so many years, and suddenly she remembers everything? And what can a six-year-old remember? Little comrade, your logic for solving cases isn''t very good. How can we, ordinary people, trust you?" "You¡ª" Fang Rui placed the shopping receipt in front of him. Zhang Taotao''s smug smile froze. He had written this receipt to ask Zhang Huanhuan to reimburse the expenses. He didn''t expect Zhang Huanhuan to keep it all these years and now the police had found it. Zhang Taotao quickly calmed down. It didn''t matter, there was no name on it. It had been so many years; the store certainly wouldn''t remember him. Fang Rui noticed Zhang Taotao''s lips move, knowing he was about to make excuses, so he reminded him, "There are your fingerprints on this receipt, you can''t deny it." "I bought things for my sister, isn''t that allowed? This receipt was for asking her to reimburse the expenses." "We also have a cassette tape." Fang Rui played the recording in front of Zhang Taotao. At first, Zhang Taotao remained composed, but the more he listened, the worse his expression became. "Officer, a recording can''t be used as evidence, can it?" Zhang Taotao still refused to admit it. "When a recording meets the conditions of authenticity, legality, and relevance, it can be used as valid evidence," Fang Rui rebutted, "Wang Pandi''s testimony can prove you were the mastermind behind the child switch, and this recording can corroborate that; the purchase receipt for the tung oil, the recording, and Zhang Mingli''s statement can all prove you were involved in the case back then!" Zhang Taotao instinctively wanted to refute, but Zhang interrupted him, "Even if you refuse to admit it, with these pieces of evidence, we can solve the case without your confession." Faced with so much evidence, Zhang Taotao had no choice but to confess his crimes, "Yes, I switched the children. But I''m the only son in our Zhang family, wanting a son to carry on the family line, is that wrong?" sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Taotao had consulted a lawyer. Switching children like this, the court wouldn''t be too harsh. As long as he insisted that Zhang Huanhuan agreed to the switch, the court wouldn''t sentence him too severely. Fang Rui was amused by his righteous defense. "Yes, your family''s lineage is noble, but you stole someone else''s son, isn''t that also someone else''s lineage?" Zhang mocked, "If you can''t have a son, it''s probably because your ancestors think, with you as a descendant, they''d rather have the lineage cut off." Zhang Taotao was so angry that his veins bulged, but he clenched his fists and remained calm. "Officers, I admit to switching the children. I need to educate you on some legal knowledge. Assisting in burying a body is punishable by up to three years in prison, or detention, or surveillance, with a maximum sentence not exceeding ten years, and the statute of limitations is fifteen years. This case has passed the statute of limitations. There''s no need for you to investigate who buried the body, as the perpetrator won''t be punished anyway." Zhang Taotao smiled coldly. He could go to prison for protecting the family lineage, which was a family honor. But he would not admit to any other crimes, as the police would never uncover the truth. At that moment, the interrogation room door was knocked on. Fang Rui paused the interrogation and went outside. Outside was Mu Mian, full of excitement. "Fang Rui, my luck this time is really good. I''ve found evidence that can put Zhang Taotao, this scoundrel, behind bars." Seeing Fang Rui go out but not returning for a long time, Zhang Taotao''s hands kept rubbing, feeling increasingly anxious. The door creaked open, and Fang Rui re-entered. Aliali: 674aecfcc4f3f33ac49acb42 Zhang Taotao was startled by the sudden sound of the door opening. But he quickly regained his composure. "Zhang Taotao, do you know how Li Bao died?" "How would I know that! I said, I don''t know about this matter." "His cause of death was suffocation. Tung oil blocked his respiratory tract, preventing oxygen from entering his lungs, causing him to suffocate." Fang Rui said. Zhang Taotao''s face changed drastically. "Impossible! He was killed by falling! My sister pushed him down the stairs, and he hit the floor and died! My sister told me herself." Zhang Taotao denied vehemently, then regretted it, suspecting that Fang Rui had deliberately given him the wrong cause of death to provoke him. Li Bao was clearly killed by falling, how could it be suffocation? Zhang Taotao recalled the feel of the body at the time, it was warm... Could it be that he had actually killed Li Bao himself? "We have to thank you for that. You did a thorough job of preserving the body, preventing it from completely decomposing, so we could find the real cause of death." "So what, do you have evidence?" "Of course." Fang Rui stared at Zhang Taotao, "We found your blood on the deceased." Chapter 149 Zhang Taotao denied vehemently, "Impossible! There couldn''t be any blood. Even if there was, after so many years, the blood sample would have been contaminated. You''re framing me!" "That''s why I said you preserved the corpse very well." Zhang Taotao became agitated, "What do you mean?" "We found a mosquito encased in tung oil inside the victim''s body." Fang Rui placed the photo in front of him, "Inside the mosquito, we detected your blood." "Impossible! That''s impossible!" "When the crime occurred, that mosquito had sucked your blood, then fell into the tung oil, which you then poured into the victim''s body," Fang Rui explained. "Fortunately, under these conditions, the mosquito was preserved like a specimen, becoming evidence that identifies you as the murderer." "There can''t be any evidence! You''re bluffing! Using fake evidence to trick people - you police are breaking the law." Fang Rui said, "Mr. Zhang, I should remind you that the statute of limitations for premeditated murder is 20 years, and this case hasn''t exceeded that limit. The current chain of evidence is sufficient to prove your guilt of premeditated murder. Even if you refuse to confess, we can solve this case without your confession." Zhang Taotao had a mental storm in his head, realizing that denying his crime would be futile. So he quickly made a decision that would benefit himself. "I''ll confess, but I have one condition." Fang Rui looked at him and said, "Let''s hear it." "Please don''t tell Ming Yuan about his true identity, alright? I don''t want to hurt him." "Heh, you''re just afraid of having no one to take care of you in your old age," Zhang scoffed mockingly. Fang Rui said, "Just tell us everything." Thinking Fang Rui had agreed to his condition, Zhang Taotao began to confess his motive for murder. "Li Bao was inferior to me in every way. He was just a college graduate, an elementary school teacher, and a coward. But just because he got lucky with some demolition compensation, he suddenly looked down on me. When I asked to borrow money from him, he refused and accused me of leeching off my sister. I couldn''t stand it, so I started taking revenge! First, I spread rumors that he was having an affair, but surprisingly no one believed it. I had to write him letters with my left hand, telling him Ming Li wasn''t his biological daughter. But this coward actually accepted the situation and didn''t divorce. He still treated Ming Li like his precious daughter. On the day of the incident, I went to borrow money from him again, but he refused. I instigated my sister to argue with him, and when she was about to run away, Li Bao tried to stop her. I pushed him, making my sister think she was responsible, then I pretended to help her bury the body. After dealing with the corpse, my sister and I put on an act, making everyone believe Li Bao had eloped with someone. I never meant to hurt my sister, but she was going to report me. I couldn''t let such a traitor live. So I used some hallucinogenic mushrooms to make her have delusions, successfully getting her committed to a mental hospital." Zhang Taotao was an extremely jealous person. He envied Li Bao and was jealous that his sister''s family was better off than his, so he had to destroy them. Similarly, his older sister was wealthier than him, and he deliberately ruined her marriage, but she was smart enough to distance herself from him early on. Despite this, he sent Zhang Mingli, his biological daughter, to his sister''s house, knowing that his childless sister would likely leave her property to Zhang Mingli. Everything later happened as he had predicted. "I deliberately let Ming Li see this house, hoping to trigger a mental breakdown so she''d end up in a mental hospital like her mother. I never expected her to buy the house outright. Even more unexpected was that she would think she had killed someone," Zhang Taotao sighed, "This is all fate! I accept it!" Zhang couldn''t help but curse, "Zhang Mingli is your biological daughter, how could you bear to let her spend her life in a mental hospital?" Zhang Taotao sneered coldly, "She''s just a daughter, what use is she anyway?" Zhang was speechless with anger. Zhang Taotao looked at Fang Rui, "Officer, you already promised me earlier that you wouldn''t tell Ming Yuan the truth, you can''t go back on your word." "Did I actually promise that?" Fang Rui asked rhetorically. "You¡ª" Zhang Taotao suddenly realized he had been tricked by Fang Rui, who had only asked him to confess without actually agreeing to his condition. "I can guarantee that you won''t have a son to care for you in your old age," Fang Rui said coldly. The best way to punish such a demon was to take away what he valued most. "No, I can''t be without a son, I can''t let our Zhang family line end here. Officer, please, don''t let Ming Yuan change his surname, I''m begging you," Zhang Taotao pleaded desperately. Fang Rui ignored him and had the prison guards take him away. Zhang Taotao''s wife, Wang Yuanfang, was also arrested for child abduction and abandonment. After the case was closed, Li Qiang came to the police station to claim Li Bao''s remains. Zhang Mingli came with him, her eyes red with tears. Looking at Li Bao''s withered corpse, Zhang Mingli broke down in tears. She had forgotten her father for twenty whole years - such a wonderful father had been buried in the depths of her memory for twenty years, just as he had been buried in cement for twenty years, bearing various false accusations. How could such a good person suffer such a tragic fate? Li Qiang, with tears in his eyes, bowed deeply to Fang Rui and his colleagues, "Officers, thank you. If it weren''t for you, my brother might never have been able to rest in peace. Thank you for uncovering the truth, bringing the real murderer to justice, and clearing my brother''s name." "You''re welcome, it''s our duty," At this moment, Zhang felt immensely proud of his profession. Fang Rui informed Li Qiang about how Zhang Mingyuan and Zhang Mingli''s identities had been switched. Zhang Mingli''s face stiffened; she felt she no longer had the right to call Li Bao father. Such a wonderful father wasn''t hers but Zhang Mingyuan''s. He wasn''t hers - her father was an evil man who had committed countless crimes. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Officers, after you left that day, I carefully went through my brother''s belongings and found a diary. So I already knew that Ming Li wasn''t my brother''s biological child. But my brother believed that blood ties weren''t that important - he raised Ming Li for six years, and she was his most beloved daughter. I respect my brother''s wishes, and I will take good care of Ming Li." Zhang Mingli burst into tears - even though she wasn''t her father''s biological daughter, she was still his most beloved child. Fang Rui and Zhang had gone through all of Li Bao''s belongings that day and hadn''t found any diary. Li Qiang nodded at them. Fang Rui suddenly realized there was no diary at all - but Li Qiang understood his brother well, so he invented the diary story to comfort Zhang Mingli. "Ming Li, you will always be part of the Li family. Grandmother, your cousins, and I all welcome you back." Zhang Mingli hugged Li Qiang tightly. When Zhang Mingyuan learned of his true identity, he insisted on changing his surname to Li, wanting to claim his place in the Li family. Firstly, the Li family was wealthy, and secondly, his current parents'' criminal records would affect his chances of becoming a civil servant. Aliali: 674b4040c4f3f33ac49fc938 Li Qiang had initially intended to help Zhang Mingyuan, but seeing his ulterior motives, he merely found him an ordinary job to dismiss him. Zhang Mingyuan was furious about this and came to hate Zhang Taotao. He sold all the Zhang family property and left Jiangzhou City with all the money. Li Qiang organized a grand and elaborate funeral for Li Bao, inviting all relatives from the main family. The rituals traditionally performed by sons were all carried out by Zhang Mingli. Some elderly relatives complained, "How can they let a girl carry the rice bamboo tube? That''s only for sons to do, or nephews if there''s no son. How can a daughter do it? This is so inauspicious! I''m leaving this funeral!" "Uncle, please bear with it. Your son still needs Li Qiang''s help with his job!" "Even if Li Bao had no son, a daughter can''t be a substitute. Li Qiang really doesn''t understand tradition." "I heard Zhang Mingli isn''t even Li Bao''s biological daughter, and he has a son. Li Qiang deliberately prevents Li Bao''s son from claiming his heritage just to seize Li Bao''s farmland." At the funeral banquet, Li Qiang announced to everyone, "Ming Li was my brother''s most beloved daughter. Now that my brother is gone, I will take care of her. My brother still has some farmland in our hometown, and all of it will be inherited by Ming Li." Everyone below erupted into chaos, their faces visibly troubled. However, since Li Qiang was the most successful member of their family, they didn''t dare to show their displeasure openly. Zhang Mingli was sobbing uncontrollably; she would always be daddy''s most beloved daughter, even though daddy was no longer there. Chapter 150 Mu Mian noticed that Chen Xue had been acting strangely these past few days, constantly arguing with thin air and displaying an ever-changing array of expressions. Zhang had been sporting dark circles under his eyes lately. He''d been sleeping in the police station dormitory, where the bed was rock-hard and he had to endure his colleagues'' snoring. To make matters worse, Chen Xue wasn''t speaking to him, which made it even harder for him to sleep. During lunch, Mu Mian and Fang Rui sat in the middle of the cafeteria, while Chen Xue sat in the upper left corner and Zhang in the lower right corner, forming a perfect diagonal line. Mu Mian and Fang Rui were positioned exactly in the middle of this line, maintaining an equal distance from both parties ¨C a perfect balance. Fang Rui thought this couldn''t continue, or else he''d have to spend half of every day helping Mu Mian find the perfect seating position. Mu Mian felt it was time for her to step in. That evening after work, Fang Rui found Mu Mian frantically typing away at her computer. "Mu Mian, there''s no case right now. What are you writing?" When Fang Rui tried to peek, Mu Mian quickly blocked the computer screen with her body. "I haven''t finished yet, don''t look." "I already saw the bold title: ''100 Benefits of Marrying a Female Forensic Pathologist.'' Mu Mian, you''re not writing this to convince me to marry you, are you?" "Of course not. You already know the benefits of marrying a forensic pathologist," Mu Mian tilted her head back slightly, speaking with pride. "I can help you solve cases, and you''ll never have to worry about dying mysteriously." "...Then who are you writing this for?" "Zhang''s mother. I want to make her fall in love with the forensic pathologist profession, so Chen Xue won''t have to quit her job to be with Officer Zhang." "..." Mu Mian ruffled her hair in frustration, "This is so hard to write. I''ve been thinking for ages and only came up with 49 reasons. My brain is about to short-circuit." Fang Rui suggested, "You could change the title to ''49 Benefits of Marrying a Female Forensic Pathologist.''" Mu Mian stared at Fang Rui with wide eyes, wondering how she hadn''t thought of such a brilliantly legitimate way to cut corners. "Fang Rui, you''re a genius. Now that my report is done, we can leave work." After changing the title, Mu Mian suddenly thought of something and said to Fang Rui, "Could you look it over? From a normal person''s perspective, would this be convincing?" Fang Rui seriously read through Mu Mian''s 49 benefits: S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One: Forensic pathology is the most interesting profession in the world, allowing legal access to various corpses and the study of human anatomy. If you marry a forensic pathologist, you get free education about human anatomy. Two: You''ll never have to worry about your murder going unsolved. With a forensic pathologist in the family, you''ll never have to worry about any family member dying under mysterious circumstances. ... "Fang Rui, would this convince you?" Mu Mian asked, tilting her head. "Yes. Every single point is convincing." Mu Mian was overjoyed and was about to print it when Fang Rui added, "But if Zhang''s mother reads this, she might think forensic pathology is the most terrifying profession in the world." Mu Mian''s head drooped in disappointment. "Then what should we do? I don''t want Chen Xue and Officer Zhang to be unhappy." "I''ll help you revise it." "Okay." Mu Mian immediately stood up and gave her seat to Fang Rui. She stood watching for a while until her legs got tired, then brought over Chen Xue''s chair and sat next to Fang Rui. "Fang Rui, why did you delete the first point? I wrote it so well! And what''s this you''ve written? It doesn''t highlight the unique advantages of being a forensic pathologist at all... Oh, can we keep the second point? Please? Alright, I''ll let you move it to the end." Mu Mian kept leaning closer until she was practically resting her head on Fang Rui''s shoulder while looking at the computer screen. Feeling Mu Mian''s head against him, Fang Rui''s typing fingers froze. "Fang Rui, why did you stop? That last part was really good, very much my style. Keep writing!" "Mm." A little while later, Mu Mian clutched her stomach and complained, "Fang Rui, I''m so hungry. But we''ve only written 22 points. We still need 27 more. When will we ever finish? Should we just stuff my original points in the middle to make up the numbers? People only really read the beginning and end of documents anyway, they just skim the middle." Fang Rui went back to the title bar and changed "49 Benefits of Marrying a Female Forensic Pathologist" to "22 Benefits of Marrying a Female Forensic Pathologist." "Fang Rui, I must say, you have a real talent for cutting corners." "...Let''s go eat now." "I want the wonton skin from that place we went last time." After making some final adjustments to the wording, Mu Mian printed the document and tucked it into a folder. Tomorrow was their day off, and she decided to visit Zhang''s mother to educate her about the benefits of marrying a forensic pathologist. Fang Rui and Mu Mian walked to the wonton shop in the next street over from the police station. The shop was small with only a few tables, but it was spotlessly clean and the food was excellent. After ordering, Fang Rui and Mu Mian sat facing each other. "Fang Rui, can you come with me tomorrow? Chen Xue says Zhang''s mother can be a bit fierce. I''m afraid that when I try to correct her cognitive errors, she might experience cognitive dissonance and hit me to save face." Fang Rui couldn''t help but laugh, "You''re such a scaredy-cat! Then why do you still want to go see Zhang''s mother?" "Chen Xue and Zhang are my friends, and I don''t want them to be unhappy," Mu Mian said. "I want them to make up so we can all eat together again. It''s exhausting having to calculate midpoints every day." "Alright, I suppose I''ll have to accompany you tomorrow." "Fang Rui, you''re such a good person." "...Choose a different compliment." Being called a "good person" by Mu Mian wasn''t exactly positive. Everyone who had received her "good person card" tended to end up committing crimes. "Fang Rui, you''re so handsome." Mu Mian remembered that Zhang always seemed happy when Chen Xue complimented him like this. "..." When the wontons arrived, Mu Mian first broke them open and scooped out the meat filling, placing it in Fang Rui''s bowl. Fang Rui then put the wonton skins in Mu Mian''s bowl. Their movements were well-practiced, and soon there was a small bowl of meat filling and a large bowl of wonton skins on the table. Fang Rui had also ordered a bowl of beef noodles. When the owner brought it over, he was amazed by their operation. He looked at Mu Mian and said, "Young lady, if you just want wonton skins, you can tell me directly, and I''ll make you a bowl with just the skins." Aliali: 67490e35c4f3f33ac4819927 "But then it would just be noodle skin. I like wonton skins, not noodle skins. They taste different," Mu Mian corrected the owner. "I could add some ground meat, and it would be the same." Mu Mian shook her head, "It''s not the same. That would be noodle skin with ground meat." The owner looked at Fang Rui, then at Mu Mian, and suddenly understood ¨C he was being nosy. This was clearly just a couple''s special way of sharing food. The taste was indeed different ¨C that bowl of wonton skins probably contained the flavor of love. "Fang Rui, can that owner change faces? He just showed several different emotions within one minute," Mu Mian gossiped quietly to Fang Rui. "Want some beef?" "I don''t eat it when it''s diced... but you have so much beef in your bowl, you definitely can''t finish it all. I suppose I''ll have to help you eat some of it." "How does it taste?" "Really good. I''ll have another piece." Chapter 151 Mu Mian woke up early in the morning. She took special care with her hair and put on formal attire before going to knock on Fang Rui''s door. "Fang Rui, open up! Don''t tell me you''re still in bed? We have important business today, get up quickly!" After Mu Mian knocked three times, Fang Rui opened the door with disheveled hair. "Good morning, Fang Rui," Mu Mian greeted him excitedly. "Good morning." Mu Mian thought Fang Rui''s messy hair might affect their persuasiveness, so she stood on her tiptoes and helped fix his hair. "I think you should dress more formally," Mu Mian said. "Mu Mian, it''s six-thirty in the morning," Fang Rui reminded her helplessly, glancing at the clock inside. He noticed that Mu Mian had incredible drive - whenever she wanted to do something, she never seemed to feel tired. "There''s an unreliable theory that says people''s minds aren''t very clear before 8 AM or after 10 PM, their logical thinking is weaker, and they''re more susceptible to persuasion. I think this is the perfect time for Zhang''s Mother to be convinced by us." "...Come in and sit down. Give me five minutes." Mu Mian sat on the sofa munching on a sandwich, thinking the theory must be reliable since Fang Rui had been so easily convinced. Fang Rui drove Mu Mian to Zhang''s house. Having been there before, he knew Zhang''s Mother had a habit of exercising early in the morning, so after parking at Zhang''s residential complex, they went directly to the nearby square. Fang Rui quickly spotted Zhang''s Mother practicing Tai Chi. Zhang''s Mother used to practice martial arts and had even won championships, so her movements were fluid and carried the aura of a martial arts master. "Is that Zhang''s Mother?" Mu Mian asked with slightly trembling voice, eyes wide as she watched the practice. "Yes." "Her kung fu looks really impressive." Mu Mian was intimidated by Zhang''s Mother''s martial arts stance and hinted delicately to Fang Rui, "They say Tai Chi is our country''s most formidable martial art." Mu Mian worried that Fang Rui wouldn''t be able to handle Zhang''s Mother in a fight. She hesitated - while Officer Zhang and Chen Xue''s happiness was important, she didn''t want to get beaten up. Fang Rui had already read her thoughts from her expression and said helplessly, "Mu Mian, Zhang''s Mother is actually very nice. She won''t hit anyone." "But Chen Xue said she''s fierce." After checking the photo on her phone and confirming their target, Mu Mian gave herself a mental pep talk, then gathered her courage and approached with her printed documents. Standing a few meters away, Mu Mian introduced herself, "Hello auntie, I''m Mu Mian, Zhang''s colleague." "Good morning, auntie," Fang Rui also greeted Zhang''s Mother. Zhang''s Mother glanced at Mu Mian and nodded, "Hello, are you the genius forensic scientist from Zhang Qiang''s department?" "Yes. Chen Xue is also a very dedicated forensic scientist." Zhang''s Mother then greeted Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, don''t you live near the City Police Bureau? What brings you here?" "We came specifically to see you." "To see me?" "Auntie, why won''t you let Chen Xue be a forensic scientist?" Mu Mian asked softly. "I''m not forcing her to quit. I just asked her to choose between her job and my son." Zhang''s Mother continued her graceful cloud hands movement while speaking. Mu Mian took a few steps back, "But Chen Xue really likes Officer Zhang, and she loves her job too. Could you please not break them up?" Zhang''s Mother stopped her movements. Mu Mian thought she was about to strike and quickly hid behind Fang Rui. Zhang''s Mother looked confused, "Little Mu, what did Chen Xue tell you? Why do you seem so afraid of me?" "You... please look at this. After reading it, you''ll surely come to like the forensic science profession." Mu Mian carefully handed the documents to Zhang''s Mother. "I don''t care for such flowery writing. Just tell me directly what you want to say." "''22 Benefits of Marrying a Female Forensic Scientist.'' First point: Forensic science is a civil service position with salary well above average, includes comprehensive benefits and pension, has high social status, and is a very respectable profession. The retirement pension is also substantial, so there''s no worry about elderly care. And unless unlucky, the danger level is quite low..." Zhang''s Mother stood with her mouth slightly open, staring at Mu Mian in amazement. Mu Mian continued reciting from the paper: "Second point: Officer Zhang is a criminal investigator, and Chen Xue is a forensic scientist. They make excellent work partners, their life rhythms align perfectly, they can understand each other''s work, and they can often see each other at work (without affecting their normal duties). They''re very compatible..." "Did Zhang Qiang and Chen Xue send you as their spokesperson?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian looked at her sincerely, "I came on my own. They''re my good friends, and I don''t want them to be unhappy." "Well, you really are a good friend to them!" "Thank you for the compliment. I didn''t have many friends before, so I''m still learning how to be a good friend, but I''m trying my best." "..." Zhang''s Mother glanced at the pages filled with text and suddenly felt a headache coming on. "They''ve gone too far, knowing you don''t understand social niceties yet having you do something like this." "I understand social niceties very well. And I haven''t finished yet," Mu Mian protested dejectedly. "The previous points were written by Fang Rui and aren''t very convincing. They don''t really highlight the unique advantages of being a forensic scientist. Would you like to hear the remaining points?" "No, no, that''s not necessary!" Zhang''s Mother quickly waved her hands and turned to Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, tell Zhang Qiang that as an adult, he shouldn''t run away from difficulties. How does running away from home solve anything? If he can''t mediate such a small conflict, how will he handle marriage in the future?" Fang Rui was startled and asked, "Auntie, you''re not really against their marriage, are you?" "What good would my opposition do? It''s not like I''m the one getting married! But I think both Zhang Qiang and Chen Xue are too immature. Of course they don''t have any conflicts now while they''re in the honeymoon phase. But what about later? I created just a small obstacle for them, and they''re already acting like it''s life or death and talking about breaking up. This shows their relationship isn''t solid enough yet." Zhang''s Mother saw things clearly: Chen Xue grew up in a single-parent family, was introverted, and quite sensitive; Zhang Qiang grew up pampered by his parents, was thick-skinned, and not very sensitive to others'' emotions. Their personalities were too different - fine for dating, but not suitable for marriage. "It is solid," Mu Mian whispered in protest. Zhang''s Mother was amused by Mu Mian and asked, "How do you know?" "When they''re together, I feel very out of place, like I can''t join in. That''s what love is. That''s what movies say." Zhang''s Mother laughed even harder. Mu Mian couldn''t read her complex expression. She asked, "Auntie, have I convinced you? Will you still oppose Officer Zhang and Chen Xue being together?" "This isn''t feudal times anymore, what good would my opposition do? If worst comes to worst, they could always steal the household registry and get married," Zhang''s Mother complained unhappily. "I just wanted to test them, and now I''m being made out to be the evil mother-in-law." Aliali: 674af0d8c4f3f33ac49b0a11 On the way back, Mu Mian asked, "Fang Rui, is it illegal to steal a household registry?" "Probably not." "How can stealing not be illegal? Fang Rui, what if I stole your household registry? Would that be illegal?" "...Why would you want to steal my household registry?" Mu Mian looked at the sky, changing the subject, "Fang Rui, the sky is so blue today." "Mu Mian, in our country, both people need to be present to get married. Even if you stole the household registry, you couldn''t get married alone. Besides, stealing someone else''s household registry is illegal." "I see. I don''t know how to pick locks, and I''m afraid of heights so I couldn''t climb through windows. I couldn''t steal it anyway." "So you''ve thought about how to steal it?" "Fang Rui, don''t talk while driving." Fang Rui couldn''t understand why Mu Mian was so fixated on the idea of marrying him. He was afraid to ask why, worried that Mu Mian only wanted legal rights to his body after death. Chapter 152 The next day at work, as soon as Mu Mian arrived at the office, she noticed that the gloomy atmosphere that had been lingering in the office was gone. Chen Xue was humming while leisurely drinking coffee. Mu Mian found it strange, as Chen Xue hadn''t had coffee for a long time. "Mian Mian, I bought you milk tea. It''s on your desk." Mu Mian hadn''t had milk tea for a long time either. She happily held the cup and asked curiously, "Chen Xue, you seem very happy today." Chen Xue took a sip of coffee and replied casually, "Really? Aren''t I the same as usual?" "Before today, you''ve had a bitter face for a whole week," Mu Mian complained. "When I told you jokes, you didn''t even laugh. Even though there are two people in this office, I felt so lonely because you wouldn''t talk to me." "Mian Mian, that''s because your jokes were too dry." "Why are you laughing now? I wasn''t even telling a joke." "Mian Mian, let me tell you something. I''ve gotten back together with Zhang," Chen Xue said mysteriously. "Remember that fortune teller we met when we were investigating? We paid him to tell Zhang''s mother that we were perfect for each other, practically made for each other. After the fortune teller convinced her, her attitude changed, and she stopped opposing our relationship. Aren''t we clever?" "That''s wonderful that you''ve finally reconciled. You have no idea how hard it is to keep everyone happy." Mu Mian believed that the fortune teller''s superstitious words couldn''t have swayed Zhang''s mother''s opinion ¨C it must have been what she had said to Zhang''s mother yesterday morning that had worked, but she decided not to tell Chen Xue about this, keeping her achievement to herself. "Mian Mian, what are you secretly smiling about?" Chen Xue caught Mu Mian''s subtle expression. "Chen Xue, I discovered yesterday morning that I''m very good at persuading people," Mu Mian said proudly. "Are you sure? Do you have specific examples?" Chen Xue saw Mu Mian about to speak and quickly interrupted, "You can''t use Fang Rui as an example, that doesn''t count." "Fine." Mu Mian gave up trying to prove her point. "We have a case, let''s hurry!" Zhang walked in, telling them they had received an emergency call and needed to go to the scene. "Is there a body?" Mu Mian asked. "Probably!" "Probably?" "The caller only reported seeing blood." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The crime scene was in the underground parking lot of the International Trade Mall in the city center. The International Trade Mall was one of the largest shopping centers in Jiangzhou City, known for its high-end retail. Most of the stores were luxury brands, and the clientele was primarily wealthy. Its underground parking lot was vast, with four entrances, each equipped with surveillance cameras, and all vehicles had to register at the entry and exit points. There were two internal entrances from the mall to the parking lot, both also equipped with cameras. The incident involved a red Maserati sports car parked in a corner of the parking lot. The doors were shut tight, but blood had seeped through the door gaps, forming a small pool on the ground. When the security guard came to inspect that morning, he saw the blood pool and immediately called the police, securing the scene. "Officers, I didn''t go near the car. As soon as I saw the blood, I called the police right away," the security guard said. Fang Rui first had the technical team check the footprints and fingerprints at the scene. Mu Mian put on shoe covers and gloves, walked to the car door, and carefully opened it. Inside sat a middle-aged man slumped over, wearing a business suit, appearing to be a businessman. His head was covered in blood. The blood had flowed down his forehead, and his face was obscured by dark red bloodstains, making his features difficult to distinguish. The victim''s legs were unnaturally curled up. "He must have had a habit of wearing a watch," Mu Mian held up the victim''s hand, raising his wrist. "There''s a watch mark on his wrist, but the watch is missing." Mu Mian continued: "He should have been wearing a tie, but that''s missing too." The victim had no identification on him, and his phone was gone. Everything in the car had been cleaned out, even the car refrigerator had been removed. "Could this be a robbery-homicide?" Zhang picked up a luxury shopping bag, but it was completely empty. "If it was a robbery, why kill the victim?" Wang argued. Mu Mian carefully examined the body''s surface. The victim''s corneas were slightly cloudy, and rigor mortis had set in throughout the body. His clothes were disheveled, his shirt buttons weren''t properly fastened, and there were bruises on his wrists and neck, likely from struggling and resisting. Apart from the head wound, there were no other external injuries on the victim''s body. Noticing his slightly long fingernails, Mu Mian examined them closely and found tissue fragments under the victim''s skin. She took out tweezers and extracted the tissue samples. Mu Mian also found white, viscous fluid in the car. "Based on the body temperature, the time of death should be between 10:00 and 10:30 last night." Zhang looked at the car and muttered, "Something''s not right. He looks like an executive-level white-collar worker. Why would he drive a red car? Red is too flashy and doesn''t suit someone his age." Fang Rui agreed: "This probably isn''t the car he drove here. Look at the driver''s seat position ¨C he would have been sitting too high in it. This seat position is suitable for someone shorter. If he had been driving this car, this seat height would have been very uncomfortable for him." Zhang analyzed, "Did the killer move the victim here? Why would they do that?" "No, the reason the victim is here is likely because he was engaging in certain activities with a lady," Chen Xue pointed to the collected white fluid. "So this car probably belongs to that woman." Fang Rui frowned. The car''s owner had just had sexual relations with the victim; she wouldn''t have just left her car behind. Even if there was an emergency requiring her to leave, wouldn''t it have been faster to take her own car? Unless she was the killer, or more likely, she had also been killed. "Zhang, take some people and search the entire parking lot for any other bodies." Everyone at the scene quickly understood and immediately began searching the entire parking lot. They soon found a commercial vehicle in a nearby parking space. Looking through the windows, they could see a young woman sleeping in the back seat, but no matter how much they knocked on the windows, she showed no response. Zhang found a fire extinguisher and forcefully broke the window. They opened the door through the broken window, and inside, the woman''s clothes were disheveled, her face was pale, and there was a long strangulation mark on her fair neck. Zhang touched her arm ¨C it was cold and stiff. He quickly waved to Mu Mian and Chen Xue, "Mu Mian, come quickly, there''s another victim here." Chapter 153 The clothes of the female victim were in disarray; she was lying face down on the back seat of the car, her dress''s zipper only halfway up. Mu Mian examined the surface of the female victim''s body. The ligature marks around the victim''s neck formed a closed loop, with even depth and a dark color, and there were pressure marks at the back of her neck. Chen Xue pointed at the marks on the victim''s neck and said, "These are typical ligature marks from strangulation. It''s highly likely that the victim was strangled to death." "There are no abrasions on the wound, so the ligature that killed her must have been made of a soft material," Mu Mian thought, recalling that the male victim had lost his tie. She suspected that the tie might have been the murder weapon. "Could it be the tie?" Zhang speculated. "It''s possible." "If that''s the case, the killer didn''t bring any tools with him. It''s likely a crime of passion," Wang analyzed. Crimes of passion usually leave behind a lot of evidence. The items inside the car had also been looted. The victim''s phone was missing, and there were no items in the car that could identify the victim''s identity. Mu Mian noticed that the victim''s right hand was clenched tightly, as if holding something. After prying it open, she found that the victim was holding a condom. The team quickly deduced the sequence of events. "The scenario likely went like this: the two victims were having an affair in the red car when they realized they had no condoms. The female victim then got out and went to the black car to retrieve one. The killer took the opportunity to approach the red car and kill the male victim; then he used the victim''s tie to strangle the female victim. The killer was probably following the victims," Fang Rui analyzed. "Could the killer be the female victim''s husband or boyfriend? This looks like a scene of catching someone in the act. The motive could be a crime of passion," Zhang said, suggesting a high possibility of a love-related murder. Fang Rui and his team reviewed the mall''s surveillance footage and quickly spotted the two victims on the cameras leading to the underground parking lot. Around 9:45 PM, the male victim first passed the parking lot entrance''s camera, carrying two shopping bags. About a minute later, the female victim appeared with several luxury shopping bags. A man wearing a baseball cap, tall and dressed in black athletic wear with a black mask covering his face, followed closely behind her. The brim of his cap obscured his eyes, and the camera didn''t capture his face. At 10:41 PM, the camera captured the man in the baseball cap, now carrying a bulging black backpack, hurrying through the passage from the parking lot to the mall. The police quickly identified this suspect. Although the camera didn''t capture his face, the police had his physical characteristics: about 1.82 meters tall, male. "The car fridge isn''t valuable, so the killer had no reason to take such a bulky, low-value item," Fang Rui analyzed. "It''s likely that something on it could incriminate the killer, so he had to take it with him. The suspect in the surveillance footage was carrying a lot of stuff, but he didn''t seem strained, so it''s unlikely to be the fridge. Let''s search the trash cans in the parking lot to see if we can find it." The mall''s cleaning staff hadn''t yet cleared the trash, but the police searched all the trash cans in the parking lot and found no fridge. "Maybe the killer''s car was also parked in this lot, and he hid the fridge in his car and took it away," Wang speculated. "Then why didn''t he put the other items in his car and take them all at once?" Fang Rui countered. "Right." The victims'' identities were quickly confirmed. Both were regular customers of the mall, and a store clerk recognized them. The male victim was Wang Yonghua, the procurement manager of Jianhua Engineering Company, aged 42, married with one son and one daughter; the female victim was Sun Xiaoning, the human resources director of the same company, aged 27, unmarried. The police first contacted Wang Yonghua''s wife to come and identify the body. She answered the phone. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wang Yonghua''s Wife coldly said, "Wang Yonghua is dead? Finally, the heavens have taken him! Where did he die, on some woman''s bed?" "He was murdered!" "Murdered? There should be plenty of suspects; he was such a scumbag that many people would want to kill him. Start by investigating the women around him. Where did he die?" "In the underground parking lot of the mall." "Parking lot? No wonder we couldn''t catch him cheating; he must have found a new place to cheat, in the mall''s parking lot. Why are you contacting me? Do you want me to collect his body? He''s not worth it!" Wang Yonghua''s Wife was very indifferent and didn''t seem inclined to come to identify the body. "Contact his mistress, or mistresses, to collect his body. Do you need their contact information?" Zhang was stunned by Wang Yonghua''s Wife''s cold attitude. Could she have harbored resentment towards her husband and hired someone to kill him? Zhang then called Wang Yonghua''s mistress. The woman on the other end was gentle and started crying loudly upon hearing the news of Wang Yonghua''s death. "Woohoo, he promised to transfer a house to me, and now he''s dead! Does his verbal promise still count? Can I still get the house?" "Sorry, I''m a police officer, not a lawyer!" Zhang interrupted her crying. "Then why are you calling me?" "Do you have time to come and identify the body?" "As a mistress, what right do I have to collect his body? You should contact his wife!" "..." Aliali: 6748809ec4f3f33ac479c8e7 The phone went dead. Zhang then called the other mistresses, but they all said they had only a financial relationship with Wang Yonghua and had no obligation to collect his body. The phone of the seventh mistress, however, was unreachable. Soon, Zhang found out why: Sun Xiaoning was the seventh mistress. "Zhang Qiang, no one is willing to come and identify Wang Yonghua''s body?" Li asked. Zhang shrugged, "Wang Yonghua''s parents are already deceased, and his brother and sister have cut off contact with him. His women also refuse to come and identify the body. The deceased''s character must have been pretty bad." Sun Xiaoning was a local from Jiangzhou City. Her parents were workers living in the old part of the city, with average family conditions. Upon receiving the news, they quickly came to identify the body. Fang Rui and Zhang took statements from them. "Has Sun Xiaoning had any recent conflicts with anyone?" Fang Rui asked. Sun''s Father said, "Not that I know of. My daughter works at a construction company as an office worker. She usually goes between the company and home. My daughter has a high EQ and gets along well with her colleagues and superiors. Many colleagues and leaders celebrated her birthday with her. She shouldn''t have offended anyone." Sun''s Mother, tearfully, scrolled through Sun Xiaoning''s photos on her phone, showing pictures taken at the company and during team-building activities. Sun Xiaoning was always smiling in the photos and was very beautiful. However, Fang Rui and his team noticed that most of the people in the photos with Sun Xiaoning were men, with only a few photos including women, and those were group photos. Several photos showed Sun Xiaoning with Wang Yonghua. Chapter 154 "Has your daughter exhibited any unusual behavior recently?" "Not really. She goes to work and comes home as usual every day. However, Xiaoning recently got a boyfriend and often goes out on dates with him, coming back very late at night, sometimes not coming back at all," Sun''s Mother said. "We thought she''s an adult now, so we didn''t interfere much with her social life." "When did she start dating this boyfriend?" Fang Rui asked. "About two months ago." "Boyfriend? Did she say her boyfriend is a boy?" Zhang asked again to confirm. Wang Yonghua is already in his forties, so it''s unlikely he would be described as a boy. Could it be that the boyfriend Sun Xiaoning mentioned is someone else? "Yes, that''s what she said," Sun''s Mother replied, then added, "Xiaoning has been acting a bit strange lately. She suddenly became very rich, bought a lot of luxury items, and even a car. When I asked her where the money came from, she said it was from stock trading and that we would soon live a good life. Could she have done something illegal? How could a girl suddenly earn so much money?" "We are still investigating," Fang Rui replied. Zhang asked, "Do you know about your daughter''s relationship with Wang Yonghua?" Sun Xiaoning''s parents looked puzzled. "Who is Wang Yonghua? We''ve never heard of him." "Didn''t your daughter mention him?" "No." "Have you seen your daughter''s boyfriend?" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sun''s Father said, "No! My daughter never showed us a photo. She seems very fond of him, but when we asked about the boy''s background, she wouldn''t tell us." Sun''s Mother covered her face and burst into tears. "It''s all my fault. How could a girl suddenly have so much money? She must have gotten it through improper means. Waaah, when she was coming home late, why didn''t I talk to her more and understand her situation better?" Sun''s Father also started blaming himself and crying. Zhang quickly handed them tissues. In the autopsy room. The female victim, apart from ligature marks on her neck and a few scratches on her back, had no other external injuries and no signs of resistance. "At the time of the incident, the victim probably got into the car to look for something, and the assailant strangled her from behind, killing her quickly," Chen Xue analyzed. "The scratches on the victim''s back were likely caused during sexual intercourse with the male victim, which explains why there were skin cells under the male victim''s fingernails." Mu Mian and her team had already extracted all the skin cells from the victim''s fingernails. Mu Mian noticed that the victim''s nails seemed to contain two types of skin cells: one fair and delicate, the other rougher. The male victim''s injuries were more complex. He had bruises from resistance, multiple contusions on his head, and a fractured skull on his forehead. Mu Mian cut open the male victim''s scalp and found that his frontal, left parietal, and left temporal bones were all depressed, with severe intracranial damage. Mu Mian and Chen Xue carefully observed the morphology of the depressed fractures, finding five depressed areas, which were narrow and had a certain curvature. Mu Mian had seen similar wound patterns in most of the domestic autopsy reports she had read, and the weapon used was a large wrench. "The weapon could be a large wrench," Mu Mian said. "Yes, if the wrench is held sideways and struck, it could cause such wounds," Chen Xue agreed. Mu Mian then wiped the blood off the skull to further observe the wounds. She noticed some black substances in the depressed areas. She used a cotton swab to wipe it and examined it closely. "This should be engine oil! When I was a kid and my bike''s chain fell off, I would get engine oil all over my hands while fixing it," Chen Xue analyzed. "How did the wrench get engine oil on it? Ah, this wrench was probably used for repairing cars! But ordinary people wouldn''t keep a wrench in their car, and unless they were fixing the engine, it wouldn''t get engine oil on it. Unless the assailant brought it themselves." Chen Xue noticed Mu Mian silently watching her and began to doubt herself. "Mian, did I get it wrong?" "Chen Xue, I realize I lack some common sense. I don''t know about those things. I don''t have a bike, I''ve never had a chain fall off, and I don''t have a car," Mu Mian sighed. It seems she should watch more TV dramas. Fang Rui''s mother recommended many family dramas to her the other day, saying they could broaden her perspective on solving cases. Mu Mian initially didn''t want to watch them, but she felt she needed to learn some common sense. "Mian, that''s why a team is necessary. We complement each other!" At the morning meeting the next day, Mu Mian reported the autopsy results. "The time of death for both victims was between 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM on June 23rd, the night before last." "The cause of death for the female victim, Sun Xiaoning, was strangulation. We detected semen on her body, which belongs to Wang Yonghua. She had three scratches on her back, caused by Wang Yonghua, as part of the skin cells we found under Wang Yonghua''s fingernails belonged to Sun Xiaoning." Aliali: 6748809ec4f3f33ac479c8e7 Mu Mian continued, "The cause of death for the male victim was craniocerebral injury, resulting in subarachnoid hemorrhage. The weapon used to kill him was a wrench, and it should have had engine oil on it." Fang Rui asked, "Whose skin cells are the other part under Wang Yonghua''s fingernails from?" "That''s a good question," Mu Mian said excitedly. "The skin cells under the victim''s nails belong to two people, and the other person should be male." "Could it be that the victim scratched the assailant during the struggle?" Zhang analyzed. Mu Mian rebutted, "If that were the case, why wouldn''t the assailant clean up that evidence? Or just cut off the victim''s fingers and take them away, so there would be no evidence left at all." This assailant was too careless, making such a basic mistake. Chen Xue said, "Could it be that he acted on impulse and didn''t think that far? Passion killings usually leave a lot of evidence." Zhang had a bolder guess and said, "Who benefits the most from Wang Yonghua''s death? Definitely his wife! Could it be that his wife hired a hitman? I feel like his wife isn''t at all sad or surprised about his death, as if she knew it would happen. If it was a professional killer, he wouldn''t be afraid of leaving DNA evidence, as he would just flee after completing the job." "If his wife hired a killer, wouldn''t she want to torture Sun Xiaoning severely? Usually, women hate the other woman the most, but the assailant only strangled Wang Xiaoning," Chen Xue analyzed. "It seems the assailant hated Wang Yonghua more." "But Wang Yonghua''s wife seems to have a good relationship with Wang Yonghua''s other lovers; she even has their contact information. She doesn''t seem to care about Wang Yonghua''s other women." Chapter 155 The investigation quickly made a breakthrough. The police retrieved surveillance footage from key locations within the mall, and based on the height characteristics of the masked man, they quickly narrowed down the suspects to eight individuals. One of the suspects caught Fang Rui''s attention. This suspect had appeared in a group photo from Sun Xiaoning''s company team-building event. Fang Rui quickly discovered his identity. He was Chen Yuankun, a procurement officer in the procurement department of Jianhua Engineering Company, and the deceased Wang Yonghua was his direct supervisor. Fang Rui brought Chen Yuankun to the interrogation room. Chen Yuankun was dressed in a black suit, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a rigid young man, but he was quite handsome, somewhat resembling a popular celebrity. He nervously clutched his trouser legs, "Comrade police, why did you suddenly call me in? Is it because of that traffic violation incident from a while ago? But that should be handled by the traffic police, right?" Fang Rui scrutinized Chen Yuankun carefully. His hands and face showed no scratches. His skin was fair, but the man in the video had a wheat-colored complexion. His demeanor and posture also differed from the suspect in the video. Fang Rui asked, "Mr. Chen, do you know Sun Xiaoning?" Chen Yuankun squinted, trying to recall, and said, "Not really. She''s in the administrative department, and our work interactions are minimal. Occasionally, I need data from their department, but I usually deal with her subordinate, Lin." "How was the relationship between Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning?" "I''m not too sure about that." "Did Sun Xiaoning often attend your department''s team-building activities?" "I don''t remember." "We''ve seen a photo of you with her." "Oh, I remember now. She did come a few times." Chen Yuankun lowered his voice, "There were rumors in the office that our manager had an improper relationship with her. Manager Wang was quite promiscuous and often had unclear relationships with female colleagues in the company. I don''t know if this gossip is true." "Where were you between 8 PM and 11 PM on the night of June 23rd?" "On the 23rd? I got home around 7 PM, made dinner, and after eating, I had a video conference from around 9 PM to 10:30 PM. There was an issue with the goods provided by a supplier. The model and size of one type of steel were different from what I ordered, and the quantity of another type of building material was also wrong. This matter was very urgent, so I had to work overtime with the supplier''s salesperson to handle it." Zhang looked at him, not seeing any signs of lying, and there was no reason to fabricate such an easily debunked lie. However, the surveillance footage clearly showed him shopping in the mall during that time. "Are you sure you were at home during that time?" Fang Rui questioned. "Yes, I remember very clearly. If you don''t believe me, you can contact the supplier''s salesperson; he can vouch for me." Chen Yuankun raised his voice, trying hard to defend himself. "But the mall''s surveillance footage shows that you were shopping in the mall that night." Fang Rui stared at him, "The surveillance camera captured it clearly; the man looks very much like you." Chen Yuankun was shocked, "Impossible! I was at home then, how could I be in the mall? And I haven''t been to the mall in a long time." Seeing him still denying it, Fang Rui had Zhang play the surveillance video for him. Chen Yuankun''s face grew paler as he watched, muttering, "No, it''s not possible. That''s not me." "But his face is exactly like yours." Chen Yuankun stared closely at the screen and then exclaimed happily, "Comrade police, look, his hair is so rough and dyed; mine hasn''t been dyed. This person isn''t me; he just looks a bit like me." Zhang compared the person in the surveillance video with Chen Yuankun. They looked almost identical, but the person in the video had slightly darker and yellower skin, yellow hair, and a rowdy demeanor, quite unlike Chen Yuankun. Fang Rui asked, "Mr. Chen, do you have a twin brother?" Chen Yuankun replied very confidently, "No, my parents only had me. I''ve never heard of having any other brothers." Fang Rui said, "We found DNA samples at the scene that are suspected to belong to the murderer. Please cooperate with us for a DNA test." "Okay." After letting Chen Yuankun leave, Fang Rui called the salesperson from the building material supplier. "Yes, I started a video conference with Manager Chen around 8 PM on the 23rd and it lasted until after 10 PM. We were checking the contracts because Manager Chen said there was a problem with the goods we provided and wanted to claim compensation. I even went back to the factory to find the original documents and contracts. After checking, I found that it was their company''s inspector who made a mistake. The inspector had checked the documents for the batch of goods arriving on the 24th, so the model and quantity were naturally mismatched. Manager Chen was very angry at the time, and after I explained, it didn''t affect our subsequent cooperation with Jianhua." Fang Rui asked, "Did you record the video conference?" "No, this wasn''t an official meeting, so we usually don''t record it." the salesperson said. "Given that it involved contract disputes, it should have been an important meeting. Don''t you record it to keep evidence?" Fang Rui questioned. "This... we... I was in a hurry, so I didn''t record it." the salesperson stammered. "Did you keep the video on throughout?" "Of course. I have the start and end times of the video conference on my computer." The salesperson was on a business trip out of town and had taken his computer with him. They would have to wait until he returned to investigate his computer. After hanging up the phone, Zhang said, "Could it be that the salesperson and Chen Yuankun colluded? Chen Yuankun certainly couldn''t have been at home having a video conference with the salesperson while also going to the mall to kill someone, right? He doesn''t have the ability to be in two places at once." The DNA test results wouldn''t be available for a while, so Fang Rui and Zhang went to Jianhua Engineering Company for further investigation. The procurement department of the company wasn''t large, with over ten employees, mostly young people, and the majority were female. Wang Yonghua was an old-timer at the company and also the boss''s brother-in-law, so despite his poor reputation and mediocre work ability, he still controlled the most lucrative procurement department. Although Chen Yuankun was just a procurement officer and had only been with the company for two years, due to his prestigious university background and strong work ability, he quickly became Wang Yonghua''s right-hand man. Their relationship was also very good, and Wang Yonghua often took Chen Yuankun to important dinners and meetings. Fang Rui and Zhang used Wang Yonghua''s office as a temporary interrogation room and questioned each employee in the department one by one. These employees, though young, were well-versed in office politics and spoke very diplomatically. "What kind of person do you think Wang Yonghua is?" "Our manager is diligent and responsible, kind-hearted, often mingling with employees, and is a very good leader." "What is the relationship between him and Sun Xiaoning?" "Colleague relationship and cross-departmental superior-subordinate relationship." Aliali: 6748809ec4f3f33ac479c8e7 "How is the relationship between Chen Yuankun and Wang Yonghua?" The employee paused, his eyes rolling around, then said, "Manager Wang values Yuankun a lot. Probably because he has the highest education and the strongest work ability." The tone was somewhat disdainful and sour. After questioning several employees, they didn''t find any useful clues. Zhang looked around and found a female employee who seemed more outgoing and talkative, inviting her to Wang Yonghua''s office. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The female employee was named Zhang Xiaoling. She came in and took the initiative to gossip, "Comrades in blue, has our Manager Wang gotten into trouble? Did the neighboring department''s Sun supervisor also get into trouble? Are you suspecting Yuankun is the murderer?" Fang Rui interrupted her, "We ask, you answer, don''t speculate, okay?" Zhang couldn''t help but ask, "How do you know all this?" "I''ve already gathered the questions you asked. And I have a strong ability to integrate information." "¡­¡­" "Officer, Manager Wang and Supervisor Sun are having an extramarital affair. They hooked up about half a year ago. It was around that time when our manager asked me to order flowers for a Miss Sun. I immediately guessed it was for Sun Xiaoning. Later, I caught them kissing in the office, which confirmed my suspicions." Chapter 156 Zhang asked, "Miss Zhang, what''s your position?" "I was Manager Wang''s former secretary." "Why former secretary?" Zhang Xiaoling shrugged, "Because I leaked his gossip, which made him hold a grudge against me, so he found an excuse to transfer me. Now I''m Yuan Kun''s purchasing assistant." "He didn''t fire you?" "The company owner is my grandfather." "..." No wonder she dared to speak so freely - having backing really makes a difference! Fang Rui asked, "What''s the relationship between Chen Yuankun and Sun Xiaoning?" "Sun Xiaoning was obsessed with a male celebrity who looks very similar to Chen Yuankun, so she pursued Chen Yuankun for a while, but he wasn''t interested in her." Zhang Xiaoling poured herself a cup of tea, then poured one for Fang Rui and the others. "Sun Xiaoning doesn''t have a good reputation in our company. Look, she''s only 27 and already a supervisor with just a college diploma. She must have used improper means to get promoted." Fang Rui interrupted her, "Couldn''t she have become a supervisor based on her abilities?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Xiaoling said disdainfully, "Based on ability? Chen Yuankun has both education and capability, has worked here for two years, and is still just a mere purchasing clerk. In our company, ability is the least important thing. Our company is even more hierarchical than feudal society, with all promotion channels blocked by people with connections." "How''s the relationship between Wang Yonghua and Chen Yuankun?" "Well... I suspect there''s something inappropriate between them!" Zhang Xiaoling said mysteriously, "I often see Chen Yuankun and Manager Wang alone in the office, and at night too!" Zhang exclaimed in surprise, "You suspect they''re... but Wang Yonghua''s wife never mentioned him having male lovers!" "Wang Yonghua wouldn''t tell his wife everything. Think about it - Chen Yuankun has been at this company for two years, and Wang Yonghua never recognized his abilities, but suddenly started favoring him six months ago. What do you think is the reason?" Zhang countered, "Following your logic, Chen Yuankun has been at this company for two years, why didn''t Wang Yonghua notice his... good looks before?" "Oh, that''s a good point. Chen Yuankun is so handsome, if Manager Wang, that pervert, was interested in men, he would have made a move long ago. Maybe I was wrong? Were they really just discussing work in the office? That''s strange though - how could someone like Manager Wang be so dedicated to work?" Fang Rui realized Chen Yuankun had lied in the interrogation room earlier - Sun Xiaoning had clearly pursued him, yet he claimed they weren''t familiar. Why would he lie about such a small matter? Zhang asked, "How''s Wang Yonghua''s relationship with his wife?" "Terrible, of course! But now they each do their own thing. His wife found herself a young boyfriend outside and doesn''t pay much attention to him anymore. Recently his wife was pushing for divorce, apparently because she fell in love with that young man she''s keeping and wants to marry him instead. Manager Wang naturally doesn''t agree - if they divorce, he''ll have to split half his assets with his wife, plus his wife made him a cuckold, and he can''t swallow that." Zhang continued asking, "I heard Sun Xiaoning has a boyfriend, do you know about this?" "Yes, she said she''s dating a very handsome guy, but none of us have seen him. When we ask for photos, she won''t show any. She''s keeping it very secret. I suspect her boyfriend is actually Manager Wang. Haha, no wonder she can''t show off a middle-aged greasy old man like him!" "Thank you for your cooperation!" Zhang Xiaoling grabbed Zhang, "Officer Zhang, let''s exchange WeChat contacts. I feel like we really hit it off!" Zhang quickly waved his hands, "No, no, my girlfriend is very strict." "Hmph, it''s not like I''m interested in you," Zhang Xiaoling mumbled, her eyes fixed on Fang Rui. "..." After leaving Jianhua Engineering Company, Zhang increasingly felt that Chen Yuankun was the murderer. "Boss, do you think maybe Sun Xiaoning''s boyfriend is Chen Yuankun, and he had Sun Xiaoning seduce Wang Yonghua, which led to Wang Yonghua favoring him?" Aliali: 674876fac4f3f33ac4792c05 Fang Rui thought this didn''t make sense, "If that''s the case, how would Wang Yonghua''s death benefit him? Would the new leader still favor him?" "Oh, right. If that''s the case, he wouldn''t need to kill both victims. But no worries, once the DNA test results come back, we''ll know if he''s the killer or not." When Fang Rui and his team returned to the station, the DNA test results were already out. Mu Mian reported, "Chen Yuankun''s DNA doesn''t completely match the DNA found at the crime scene." Zhang seemed disappointed, "So he''s not the killer?" Mu Mian paused before continuing, "But the similarity between the two DNA samples is 99%. Only identical twins could have such similarity. So the skin tissue left at the crime scene must be from Chen Yuankun''s twin brother." Zhang asked in surprise, "Shouldn''t twins'' DNA be completely identical?" Mu Mian explained, "Not necessarily. Identical twins form when a fertilized egg splits into two embryos during development, but DNA differences can occur during cell division, and environmental factors can also affect our genes. So identical twins'' DNA isn''t 100% similar." "No wonder the person in the mall looked exactly like Chen Yuankun but behaved differently," Zhang realized, but then frowned, "But Chen Yuankun said he doesn''t have a twin brother, and his household registration shows he''s an only child." They had investigated Chen Yuankun''s household registration - he was a local resident, and his household registry showed he was an only child with both parents living, and he wasn''t adopted. Chapter 157 The technical department tried to match the surveillance footage with photos in the ID system but only found a match for Chen Yuankun. "Strange, why can''t we find this person?" Li wondered. Fang Rui suggested, "Could it be that he never had an ID card, or his ID photo hasn''t been updated for a long time?" "That''s possible! If it''s the former, that would be troublesome - an undocumented person would be hard to find. But these days, undocumented people should be quite rare, right?" Fang Rui decided to visit Chen Yuankun''s home to look for clues. Chen Yuankun''s parents owned two storefronts and ran a small supermarket near the urban village. Fang Rui and Zhang went to the supermarket run by Chen Yuankun''s parents. His father was out purchasing stock, and only his mother was watching the store, arranging items on the shelves. The back wall of the supermarket was covered with various certificates and awards - academic achievements, competition awards, and even an award for car model design. It was clear that Chen Yuankun was an exceptional student. Zhang explained their purpose to Chen''s mother. Chen''s mother''s hand trembled, dropping the beverage bottle she was holding, which rolled slowly to Fang Rui''s feet. "Officers, my Yuankun is a good child. He couldn''t possibly commit a crime. He''s been well-behaved since childhood, excellent in his studies, and is a graduate student at a prestigious university. How could he be involved in a murder case?" Fang Rui picked up the bottle and handed it back to her, "Auntie, we just want to ask you about some details. How many children do you have?" "I only have Yuankun now." Fang Rui asked, "Are you sure you only gave birth to one child?" Chen''s mother''s expression became flustered, and she said quietly, "Yes, just this one child." "Did you perhaps give birth to twins?" "I... I..." "Xiuying, what are you standing there for? Get back to arranging the shelves!" Chen''s father interrupted harshly as he entered carrying a box of goods. With her husband''s backing, Chen''s mother became more assertive, denying, "No, I never had twins!" Fang Rui reminded them, "We have DNA samples from another child. With a DNA test, we can quickly determine if he''s your child, so you''d better not lie." Chen''s mother instantly panicked, looking helplessly at her husband. But Chen''s father was also stunned, saying in surprise, "That child is still alive?" Realizing his slip, he tried to cover it up, "We never had any news of him, we thought he had died." Chen''s mother, seeing this, covered her face and began crying, "Yes, I had twins. But we gave the other child away. It was all because of that fortune teller''s nonsense! When I gave birth to them, I almost died in labor, my father died in a car accident, and our small shop was destroyed by a flood. We consulted a fortune teller about what was happening. The fortune teller said the twin brother was bringing us bad luck, and if we didn''t send him away, our family would never know peace... so I gave him away..." Zhang angrily said, "That was your child, and you gave him away just because of some fortune teller''s words?" Zhang thought these people were too superstitious! "Too many disasters happened then, we didn''t dare take the risk, we couldn''t afford to! What mother would willingly give up her child? I had no choice!" Chen''s father remained silent. Fang Rui asked, "Did you have any news of him afterward?" "No." "Don''t you know who you gave him to?" Zhang demanded. "I... I..." "You didn''t actually give him to anyone, you abandoned him, didn''t you?" Fang Rui asked. What he really wanted to ask was, did you try to kill him? Chen''s mother cried even louder, "I was out of my mind then. On a cold winter day, I left the baby by the roadside, but when I went back to look for him later, he was gone. I''ve lived with regret all these years. Officers, do you know where he is?" Zhang replied helplessly, "We''re looking for him too." Fang Rui asked, "Does Chen Yuankun know he has a twin brother?" "No! We''ve kept it from him all this time." Chen''s mother grabbed Zhang, pleading, "Officer, if you find him, could you take me to see him? I want to see him, to know if he''s doing well." Chen''s father scolded her, "Crying, always crying, you''ll cry away all our good fortune! If the police are here, that harbinger of disaster must have done something wrong. You still want to see him? Aren''t you afraid he''ll bring death to you?" Zhang couldn''t help but retort, "No matter what, he''s your flesh and blood. Not raising him is one thing, but calling him a harbinger of disaster - you don''t deserve to be parents!" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang and Fang Rui were driven out of the supermarket. They then drove to Wang Yonghua and his wife''s home. Wang Yonghua''s home was in an upscale community in the city center. After ringing the doorbell, a young woman opened the door. She was Wang Yonghua''s wife, Li Meijia. After learning why Fang Rui and Zhang were there, Li Meijia gave a contemptuous smirk and invited them in. "Officers, I knew you''d come looking for me. When a husband dies, the primary suspect is always the wife, even if that wife was thousands of miles away shopping in Paris at the time." Li Meijia said with a smile. "You were shopping in Paris on the evening of the 23rd?" Zhang asked. Li Meijia countered, "Haven''t you already checked my alibi?" "..." They had already ruled out Li Meijia as the direct perpetrator. She had flown abroad on the 21st and only returned early morning on the 24th. Fang Rui noticed that the apartment seemed newly renovated, with new furniture and freshly painted walls. The living room featured a massive display case, filled not with books or artwork, but with various model cars. "As soon as I heard about his death, I had all the old furniture thrown out," Li Meijia explained. "I wanted to erase every trace of him from this house." "Are you interested in cars?" Fang Rui asked casually. "No, but the man I love is." Li Meijia poured tea for Fang Rui and Zhang, then sat across from them. She took out a pack of cigarettes, offered them to Zhang and Fang Rui, and after they declined, lit one for herself. "Wang Yonghua liked cars?" Zhang asked in surprise. "I wouldn''t have guessed he had that hobby." Li Meijia rolled her eyes, "Officer Zhang, are you trying to mock me?" "...Aren''t you going to try to hide your affair?" Aliali: 674c88eefd3b256fc3b66682 "Would you not find out even if I tried to hide it?" Li Meijia tapped her cigarette ash. "I only need to keep up appearances in front of Wang Yonghua''s family and his lawyer. Once I get his assets, I''m getting married right away. I want the whole world to know I made him a cuckold." Zhang realized that Wang Yonghua''s death had made Li Meijia a winner in life. "What''s your boyfriend''s name?" Fang Rui asked. "Ding Zhuangzhuang." "Do you have any photos of your boyfriend?" "My boyfriend is very introverted and doesn''t like having his picture taken. Besides, I couldn''t keep photos of us together - if Wang Yonghua''s family found them, they could use my affair to contest my inheritance." "Is this him?" Fang Rui found the photo of the man from the surveillance video on his phone and showed it to Li Meijia. Li Meijia''s expression changed dramatically upon seeing it. She was clever enough to realize immediately that the man in the photo was a suspect. Just as she was about to deny knowing him, Fang Rui said, "Ms. Li, your expression has already given you away." "Officers, my boyfriend is a very kind person, he''s even a vegetarian, he couldn''t possibly kill anyone! There must be some mistake!" Li Meijia explained frantically. But clearly, she couldn''t even convince herself with this explanation. "Where is he? Take us to him. We have DNA evidence, and once he cooperates with a DNA test, we can quickly determine if he''s the killer or not." Chapter 158 Li Meijia stammered, "I... I don''t know where he is. I''ve never been to his home." "Ms. Li, if you continue to cover for him, we have reasonable grounds to suspect you as his accomplice in murder," Fang Rui said. "So it''s best if you cooperate with our investigation." After some internal struggle, Li Meijia quickly made what she thought was the best choice. She loved Ding Zhuangzhuang, but she loved her money more. She was about to inherit a large fortune, and with money, she could have any man she wanted. There was no need to protect a man who might not love her forever, all in the name of so-called love. "He''s a mechanic at an auto repair shop," Li Meijia said. "I met him when I was getting my car fixed there. I can take you to him!" Zhang whispered, "Boss, Ding Zhuangzhuang is a mechanic, and there was engine oil on that wrench. Could he be the killer?" Li Meijia led Fang Rui and his team to an auto repair shop in the old district, but after searching the premises thoroughly, they couldn''t find any trace of Ding Zhuangzhuang. The shop owner said, "Ding Zhuangzhuang hasn''t shown up for work in several days. He doesn''t respond to messages either. I don''t know where he''s gone. Yesterday was payday, and when I asked if he wanted his wages, he didn''t reply to that either." "When did he stop coming to work?" Fang Rui asked. "The 24th. He''d never skipped work before, but that day he didn''t even call in sick. He just didn''t show up, and his phone was unreachable." "Do you know where he lives?" "Somewhere around here, I think. I don''t know his exact address. That area behind us is full of migrant workers; he probably rents a place there. The rent is cheap in that area." Fang Rui looked at Li Meijia. Li Meijia quickly shook her head, "I don''t know where he lives either. He never let me drive him home or take me to his place. He said his place was too messy and not suitable for visitors." Zhang couldn''t help but ask, "Ms. Li, what did you see in him?" "His looks! He resembles a male celebrity I like. Plus, he has a great physique." Fang Rui and Zhang went around showing Ding Zhuangzhuang''s photo to nearby shop owners. A breakfast shop owner recognized him, "That young man lives in the leftmost room on the third floor of the building behind us. Has he done something wrong? Well, he''s always been light-fingered. He stole my electric bike''s battery half a month ago." "Why didn''t you report it to the police?" "I had no proof." "...How can you be sure it was him without evidence?" "He looks like a troublemaker! With that bleached yellow hair, no proper job, never greeting anyone, and being from out of town. Last time when census workers came around, they knocked on his door for ages, but he wouldn''t open it even though he was inside - I saw him smoking through the window. People like that must have a criminal record, why else wouldn''t he have an ID card?" "How do you know he doesn''t have an ID?" "The room he rents belongs to my aunt. When she asked for a copy of his ID card, he claimed he''d lost it. Then when she asked for his ID number, he just made up a string of numbers. We checked, and it was fake." "And you still rented to him?" "It''s 450 yuan a month. Better than leaving it empty. We have more rooms than tenants around here, so we can''t be too picky." "..." Fang Rui and Zhang found the building and went to the leftmost room on the third floor, but after knocking for a while, there was no response. Instead, his neighbor opened their door angrily. "What''s with all the knocking? Don''t you know you''re disturbing everyone in broad daylight?" Fang Rui showed him Ding Zhuangzhuang''s photo and asked, "Does Ding Zhuangzhuang live here?" "Oh, so that''s his name! Yes, the person in the photo lives in that room." The neighbor lightly kicked the door, and it swung open. "Go ahead and check if he''s in there. Just stop knocking - you''re interrupting my game." With a bang, the neighbor shut his door. Before Fang Rui and Zhang even entered the room, they could smell a pungent odor. The curtains were drawn, and the room was pitch black. Fang Rui turned on the light to find the floor in complete disarray. The floor was covered with various items - cardboard boxes, clothes, socks, and several liquor bottles, including one that appeared to be Maotai. Under the bed, there seemed to be more items stuffed away, and from what was visible, there was a luxury handbag. In the middle of all the garbage and clutter lay a man - it was Ding Zhuangzhuang, whom they had been searching for. "Boss, is Ding Zhuangzhuang dead?" Fang Rui approached him and checked for breathing, finding that he was still alive. "He''s just drunk." "Boss, look at his hands!" Zhang pointed at Ding Zhuangzhuang''s hand, exclaiming, "There are scratch marks on the back of his hand!" They quickly discovered a stash of luxury goods under the bed, including an expensive watch. Fang Rui also found two latest-model iPhones on the table. Fang Rui called Wang and the others to come process the crime scene. Li managed to crack the phones'' lock codes, and the contact lists showed they belonged to Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning. "Is he too arrogant or just completely clueless about avoiding detection?" Li couldn''t help but comment. "Even common phone thieves know to flash their stolen phones, but he just removed the SIM cards without doing anything else to the phones. It''s like he''s leaving evidence for us to catch him." Everyone shared the same confusion. Aliali: 674b6b12c4f3f33ac4a257b6 If Ding Zhuangzhuang was really the killer, he seemed incredibly stupid, not even bothering to hide the stolen goods, just leaving them scattered around. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After quite a while, when night had fallen, Ding Zhuangzhuang finally sobered up. His head felt like it was exploding with pain, and he struggled to open his eyes. During the time they had waited for him to sober up, Fang Rui''s team had sent Ding Zhuangzhuang''s hair for DNA testing, and the results showed that the DNA from the crime scene matched his. The luxury items in his room were also confirmed to be those purchased by Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning that night. Zhang gently patted his face, saying, "Hey, wake up. We need you to explain some things." Ding Zhuangzhuang looked at Zhang with a vacant expression. "Is he still drunk?" Zhang waved his hand in front of his eyes, but Ding Zhuangzhuang didn''t respond. Fang Rui picked up the Maotai bottle from the floor and discovered that it was labeled "Maotai" with slightly different characters. The packaging was identical to genuine Maotai, and the difference was nearly impossible to spot without careful inspection. There was still a bit of liquor in the bottle. Fang Rui smelled it and detected the scent of poor-quality alcohol. "He might have drunk fake liquor - quick, call 120 and get him to the hospital!" Chapter 159 After rushing Ding Zhuangzhuang to the hospital for emergency treatment, Fang Rui and his team searched Ding''s home again. They found many stolen items but couldn''t locate the wrench used to kill Wang Yonghua or the missing car refrigerator. Zhang found a mobile phone under Ding Zhuangzhuang''s pillow. The phone didn''t have many WeChat contacts, and the chat history only showed conversations with Wang Yonghua''s wife Li Meijia and the other victim, Sun Xiaoning. "So Ding Zhuangzhuang was Sun Xiaoning''s secret boyfriend," Zhang remarked, surprised yet finding it logical. "Ding Zhuangzhuang looks almost identical to Chen Yuankun. Sun Xiaoning probably saw him as Chen Yuankun''s replacement. Well, this suggests the murder motive was a crime of passion!" After reviewing the chat history between Ding Zhuangzhuang and Sun Xiaoning, their relationship became clear. Six months ago, Ding Zhuangzhuang had added Sun Xiaoning on WeChat, claiming it was love at first sight. After establishing a relationship with her, he encouraged her to seduce Wang Yonghua to extract large sums of money from him. Their plan was to accumulate 5 million yuan and then elope together. Since Sun Xiaoning''s parents would never approve of her marrying a mechanic like Ding Zhuangzhuang, elopement was their only option. Ding Zhuangzhuang''s relationship with Li Meijia was more innocent. They only occasionally dined together, and when she offered to buy him a house, he refused. Even when she proposed marriage, he declined, saying he wasn''t worthy of her. A particular conversation between Ding Zhuangzhuang and Li Meijia caught their attention: [Ding Zhuangzhuang: Sister Meijia, if necessary, just settle for less money and divorce him quickly. Life is about being happy! Li Meijia: Absolutely not! I want to drain him of every penny. Why should I leave him money to spend on his mistresses? I won''t swallow this anger. Ding Zhuangzhuang: But if you insist on getting so much money, you''ll have to keep dealing with him. You''re not short of money, there''s no need for this. Li Meijia: So what if it drags on? I''m 10 years younger than him - I can outlast him! Ding Zhuangzhuang: But you''re not happy. Is money really that important? Li Meijia: This isn''t just about money - it''s about my pride. Ding Zhuangzhuang: Sister Meijia, I will protect you.] Ding Zhuangzhuang''s last message to Li Meijia was "I will protect you." "Ding Zhuangzhuang seems to have a split personality - he exploited Sun Xiaoning and kept asking her for money, but acted so pure with Li Meijia. Could he have killed for Li Meijia?" someone speculated about the murder motive. "It''s possible! Li Meijia benefits the most from Wang Yonghua''s death. Could Ding Zhuangzhuang be Li Meijia''s weapon? I was wondering why she''d be interested in a mechanic - she probably used her beauty to seduce him into killing for her!" Zhang analyzed. Now with a motive established, the chain of evidence seemed complete. However, everyone felt the case had been solved too easily - something didn''t feel quite right. Fang Rui recalled the repair shop owner''s words and said, "The shop owner mentioned he had contacted Ding Zhuangzhuang multiple times, so why isn''t the owner in this phone''s contacts?" "Could the chat history have been deleted? No, if he was deleting anything, he would have deleted the chats with Li Meijia and Sun Xiaoning. Why delete the owner''s messages? Could he have another phone?" They searched the entire house again, even checking the toilet tank, but found no other phone. While searching through the trash, Fang Rui found a takeout box that had contained pork leg rice, according to the receipt. However, there were no food delivery apps on the phone, and the phone number on the receipt didn''t match the one in this phone. This all suggested Ding Zhuangzhuang must have another phone. Fang Rui asked the technical department to check if any information had been deleted from this phone. Fang Rui then took Mu Mian and the others to the repair shop to search for the murder weapon. "Little Ding''s WeChat name was ''Scavenger,'' not this. The profile picture is different too. This isn''t his WeChat!" the owner stated confidently. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui noted down the WeChat account. He asked, "Has the shop ever lost any repair tools? Like wrenches?" "Last month we lost some tires. I found out an employee was stealing shop items to sell them! I fired him. I won''t keep employees who steal!" "When did Ding Zhuangzhuang start working here?" "About six months ago. He had no ID card and couldn''t find work. I felt sorry for him and took him in." "Why didn''t he have an ID card?" "He said he was an orphan, abandoned by his parents and taken in by a mentally ill woman. She never formally adopted him, and the villagers didn''t care about the situation, so he couldn''t get registered in the household system. When he was twelve, the woman died, and the villagers drove him out. He became homeless, surviving by collecting garbage. When he turned eighteen, he still couldn''t find work without an ID card, so he kept wandering until he ended up here. He always wanted to get an ID card, but without household registration or any way to prove who his parents were, he remained undocumented. You know, he''s a hardworking young man, clever too - just dealt a cruel hand by fate. Officer, has he done something wrong? He doesn''t seem like someone who would commit crimes. He''s just a bit antisocial, but honest and kind-hearted." Everyone present felt moved by the owner''s account. They sympathized with the image of a child wandering homeless and rootless, then growing up only to be forced into working illegally due to lack of documentation. Mu Mian''s eyes welled up with tears. If her parents hadn''t adopted her, she probably would have starved to death - she would never have collected garbage, preferring to starve rather than deal with the bacteria in trash bins. Fang Rui asked, "Can we examine their tool boxes?" "Of course." The employees put their toolboxes on the ground, and the owner brought out Ding Zhuangzhuang''s as well. Fang Rui carefully inspected each toolbox. They all contained wrenches, and from the wear patterns and deterioration, these wrenches had clearly been used for a long time, covered in machine oil and rust, quite dirty. Mu Mian sprayed luminol reagent in each toolbox, but none showed fluorescent reactions. Aliali: 6749083ac4f3f33ac4814cd4 "No blood traces," Mu Mian reported. "Did Ding Zhuangzhuang like to drink?" Fang Rui asked the employees. "I don''t think so. He never joined us when we went drinking. He''s very introverted, doesn''t talk much, likes to read. And he''s extremely skilled at car repair." Someone couldn''t help but comment: "Introverted? Would an introverted person dye their hair yellow? Would an introverted person two-time women?" "His hair wasn''t always like that. But since he''s from out of town and people kept bullying him, he dyed it yellow so people would leave him alone. He''s actually quite kind-hearted." "Is he vegetarian?" Fang Rui asked. "Vegetarian? He does like vegetables, but he eats meat too. He''s not picky about food." Fang Rui found this strange, as Li Meijia had said Ding Zhuangzhuang was vegetarian. "Has he shown any unusual behavior recently?" "Nothing unusual. He goes straight home after work every day. We don''t really know him that well. He''s peculiar, and we can''t really connect with him." Chapter 160 Back at the bureau, Fang Rui called a case analysis meeting. Chen Xue raised her doubts first: "If the murder weapon wasn''t randomly taken from the toolbox, why was there oil on the wrench? Was it an old discarded one? But from the crime scene, it seems like a crime of passion, so why would the killer specifically carry an unused tool? And if it was premeditated murder, why not buy a new wrench?" Everyone nodded in agreement. They also felt many pieces of evidence were contradictory. "He clearly had two phones, and the one with contacts to Li Meijia and Sun Xiaoning wasn''t missing, but the other phone disappeared. If he was really the killer, shouldn''t both phones have been disposed of?" "Everyone at the repair shop said Ding Zhuangzhuang didn''t have a drinking habit, but after the incident, he suddenly started drinking heavily, and it was fake alcohol too. Could this be a coincidence?" Everyone raised a series of questions, and an answer seemed to be emerging. Mu Mian voiced that answer: "Someone is framing him! This wasn''t a crime of passion; it was a carefully planned murder." "If that''s the case, the only person who could be framing him is Chen Yuankun. But why would Chen Yuankun do this? Ding Zhuangzhuang is already in such a miserable state, why would he frame him for murder?" "Well, these are just our speculations, and we can''t overturn the current chain of evidence," Chen Xue sighed, noting that the DNA evidence was conclusive. "Little Li, you and Old Zhang investigate the surveillance cameras around Chen Yuankun''s house, see if he really stayed home all evening on the 23rd like he claims." After being rushed to the hospital, Ding Zhuangzhuang was saved. The nurse gave him IV drips all night, and the next afternoon, the doctor called to say he had regained consciousness. "Fang Rui, can I go to the hospital with you?" "Who do you want to visit?" "I need to collect evidence from a living subject." Chen Xue, who was nearby, said: "Living evidence? Haven''t we already tested his DNA? What other evidence do we need?" "Chen Xue, you continue writing your report. Fang Rui and I can handle this." "..." Ding Zhuangzhuang opened his eyes at noon, but his mind wasn''t clear. His left hand kept clapping at the air, his pupils were cloudy, and he appeared agitated. Mu Mian''s eyes focused on the scars on his left hand, but Ding Zhuangzhuang''s constant movement made it difficult for her to observe clearly. "Why is he clapping at the air?" Fang Rui thought the fake alcohol might have made him mentally unstable. "Fang Rui, you probably won''t be able to get a statement from him. His current condition appears to be alcohol-induced dementia, his brain tissue is likely damaged, and if he''s unlucky, he''ll be like this for life," Mu Mian sighed. "Fang Rui, hold his hand still, I can''t see his scars clearly." There were four finger scratch marks on the back of Ding Zhuangzhuang''s hand, and the scars had scabbed over. "We found skin cells under three of Wang Yonghua''s fingernails, but why are there four scratch marks on his hand?" Fang Rui recalled the autopsy report and quickly understood what Mu Mian was confirming. "His hand wasn''t scratched by Wang Yonghua!" Mu Mian said. "Wang Yonghua''s fingernails were long and sharp, but these four scratch marks are wide. When we found the skin cells, I thought it was strange that there was no blood on the nails. Now it seems those skin cells were likely planted deliberately." This evidence suggested that Ding Zhuangzhuang was very likely being framed. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, Ding Zhuangzhuang looked behind Fang Rui and Mu Mian, shouting loudly: "You''re here?" Fang Rui and Mu Mian both turned around but saw nothing. Ding Zhuangzhuang started giggling at the air. "Do you remember your name?" Fang Rui asked tentatively. "Camphor boy." "Your name is Camphor boy?" "Hehe, you are, you are." "Do you remember what you were doing on the evening of the 23rd?" "Someone was crying, so noisy," Ding Zhuangzhuang mumbled. "He''s back again. Hehe." Ding Zhuangzhuang had become mentally disturbed, and Fang Rui couldn''t communicate with him at all. Ding Zhuangzhuang''s attending physician said: "We''ve done an MRI of his head and detected organic brain changes that have led to central nervous system dysfunction. His memory and cognitive abilities will decline, and he might even display aggressive behavior." "Is there any way to return to normal through treatment?" "This kind of damage is irreversible, there''s no way to recover." The doctor looked at Fang Rui with an awkward expression. "Officer Fang... have you found his family? His medical fees..." "Didn''t his parents come to the hospital yesterday?" Fang Rui had already notified Chen''s father and mother to come to the hospital. "No! No one has come to see him, let alone pay his fees." "I''ll pay for him!" Mu Mian said. "You''ll pay? This isn''t a small amount. He doesn''t have medical insurance, so the expenses can''t be reimbursed. This round of treatment alone will probably cost tens of thousands. You should still try to find his family." "He has no family," Mu Mian said softly. "He''s very pitiful, wandering alone since childhood. I''m very wealthy, so I''ll pay for him." "..." Mu Mian pulled Fang Rui to the payment window to pay Ding Zhuangzhuang''s fees, but when it came time to pay, she discovered she only had a few hundred in her account. She looked at Fang Rui embarrassedly. Fang Rui paid Ding Zhuangzhuang''s fees, adding extra to cover his subsequent treatment. Whether Ding Zhuangzhuang was a criminal or not, Fang Rui was willing to pay this money because he was truly pitiful. Moreover, his situation was a result of both family and social failure. That is, if his background story was true. Fang Rui suddenly realized they hadn''t verified Ding Zhuangzhuang''s history. But there was no way to verify it - Ding Zhuangzhuang had no ID card and they didn''t know where his hometown was. "Fang Rui, once I borrow money from my sister, I''ll pay you back," Mu Mian said quietly. "No need, let''s just consider it a joint charitable act." "But I didn''t pay anything." "You contributed the intention, I contributed the money." Mu Mian sighed: "I supposedly receive a good salary every month, why has all the money disappeared?" Mu Mian hadn''t paid much attention to her bank account balance, so it wasn''t until now that she discovered she was living paycheck to paycheck. When Chen Xue had previously mentioned living paycheck to paycheck, Mu Mian had mocked her, asking how such a good salary could be spent within a month. She hadn''t expected to be in the same situation herself. "You often buy dissection tools and the latest medical equipment out of your own pocket, you like buying books and magazine subscriptions, and you''re fond of Lego and puzzles. Oh, and you''re passionate about giving gifts to others." "They gave me gifts first." "You''ve never given me a gift," Fang Rui said sourly. Mu Mian felt wronged: "Fang Rui, I want to give you the best gift in the world, but since the best gift doesn''t exist, I''m sorry, I can''t give you that gift." Aliali: 6753eafbab2494648efd8d39 "Can''t you give me an ordinary gift?" Mu Mian shook her head, "No. You deserve the best." "..." Because of this logical paradox, Fang Rui felt he would never receive a gift from Mu Mian in his lifetime. At this moment, a mother and son pair walked down the opposite corridor - it was Chen''s mother and Chen Yuankun. Chen''s mother recognized Fang Rui and approached him: "Is my younger son hospitalized? Where is he? Officer, could you take me to see him?" Fang Rui pointed to the room they were facing and said: "He''s in there." Chen''s mother said to Chen Yuankun: "Yuankun, you have a brother. He got lost when he was young, and now we''ve finally found him. You must treat him well, understand?" "Yes, Mom, I understand." Chen''s mother turned and entered the hospital room. Chen Yuankun watched her back, a look of contempt and disgust crossing his face. When he felt Fang Rui and Mu Mian''s gaze, he quickly concealed his expression and followed his mother''s footsteps. Chapter 161 "He seems to really hate Ding Zhuangzhuang," Mu Mian whispered to Fang Rui. "But Ding Zhuangzhuang was the one who was abandoned. Why would he hate Ding Zhuangzhuang?" Fang Rui also found it strange. Chen Yuankun had said he didn''t know he had a twin brother, so why would he show such disgust towards Ding Zhuangzhuang? Moreover, even though Chen Yuankun knew the police were present, he still displayed that kind of smile. It was very likely that he couldn''t control his emotions and inadvertently revealed his true feelings. Fang Rui thought of another possibility, "Could it be that what he hates is his mother?" In the hospital room, Chen''s Mother threw herself onto Ding Zhuangzhuang, crying heartbrokenly: "My son, it''s all mother''s fault. Mother is so sorry. My son..." Chen''s Mother wanted to call his name, but she didn''t know it, so she could only stop there. Ding Zhuangzhuang maintained his vacant expression, extending his left hand to pat Chen''s Mother''s face intermittently. Chen Yuankun stepped forward and grabbed Ding Zhuangzhuang''s hand, "Brother, have you been well all these years?" Ding Zhuangzhuang''s body trembled, and he fearfully withdrew his hand. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Brother, come home with us. We''ll take good care of you from now on." The duty nurse came in to change Ding Zhuangzhuang''s IV drip. Seeing his family members had arrived, she reminded them: "Why did you family members take so long to come? Those two police officers outside have already paid several tens of thousands in medical fees for you. You should pay them back quickly. It''s not easy for police officers to earn their salary, don''t make them pay out of their own pockets." Chen''s Mother didn''t respond and continued holding Ding Zhuangzhuang while crying. Chen Yuankun also stood there without answering. "Are you all deaf?" Chen''s Mother glared at the nurse, "You''re the one who''s deaf." The nurse suddenly seemed to understand something and rolled her eyes at both of them. After Chen''s Mother finished her intense crying, rationality took over again. Ding Zhuangzhuang''s mind was now damaged, and if she took him home to care for him, she would have to look after him for the rest of his life. Moreover, Ding Zhuangzhuang had an unlucky birth chart that would bring misfortune to his parents, which made Chen''s Mother even more reluctant to take him home. Chen''s Mother walked out of the hospital room and said to Fang Rui and Mu Mian who were standing in the hallway: "Officers, we''ll be leaving now." Mu Mian asked in confusion: "He needs someone to take care of him now. Aren''t you going to look after him?" Chen''s Mother looked somewhat embarrassed and said, "I need to watch over our supermarket. I have to go back." "Is your supermarket more important than your son?" "He... he''s not really my son." "You gave birth to him," Mu Mian emphasized angrily. Chen''s Mother was left speechless. Her expression became more guilty, and for a moment, she considered taking Ding Zhuangzhuang home to care for him, but she knew the children''s father would never agree. He might even throw both her and this mentally challenged son out of the house. Moreover, if Chen Yuankun had such a mentally challenged brother, it would affect Chen Yuankun''s future prospects. Chen''s Mother hardened her heart and said, "I never raised him, so he''s not my son." "If it were Chen Yuankun lying in there, would you take care of him?" Fang Rui questioned. Chen''s Mother glanced at Chen Yuankun and said urgently, "Yuankun is different. I raised him myself, and no matter what condition he''s in, we would take care of him. But that person in there, I... I feel like a stranger to him." After hearing his mother''s words, Chen Yuankun turned to look at Ding Zhuangzhuang in the hospital room. His expression was blank as he coldly observed the man who looked identical to him. "Let''s go home," Chen Yuankun said. "Yes, I need to go back and make dinner for your father. If I''m late, he''ll scold me again." Chen''s Mother didn''t dare look at Fang Rui and Mu Mian anymore, and said quietly, "Officers, we''ll be leaving now." After they left, Mu Mian said angrily, "They might as well not have come at all!" "She came to ease her own guilty conscience." Recalling the scene in the hospital room, Fang Rui analyzed, "When Chen Yuankun grabbed Ding Zhuangzhuang''s hand earlier, Ding Zhuangzhuang showed an expression of fear. Could it be that Chen Yuankun did something to him?" "Then they must have known each other before," Mu Mian remembered the recurring timeframe. "Could they have met six months ago? Many important events happened six months ago." Although Ding Zhuangzhuang was a suspect, he had just escaped mortal danger and couldn''t be detained yet. Fang Rui assigned two officers to watch his room. Fang Rui had Li check the surveillance footage near both Ding Zhuangzhuang''s and Chen Yuankun''s homes to see if they could find evidence of the two meeting. The most crucial thing now was to break Chen Yuankun''s alibi. The next morning, the salesman who had been in the video conference with Chen Yuankun on the night of the incident returned from his business trip. Fang Rui and Zhang went to find him at his office in the factory. This was a small-scale building materials factory that mainly produced various types of steel bars and metal construction materials, with only about a dozen employees. The salesman was called Li Deming, and his office was very basic. "Officers, look at the meeting records. During that time period, I really was in a video conference with Manager Chen." Li Deming opened his computer to show them the meeting time and list of participants. Zhang asked, "Isn''t he just a purchasing agent? Why do you call him Manager Chen?" "Oh, ''manager'' is just a respectful term, it doesn''t represent his actual position. Besides, he has the authority to make purchasing decisions. He decides whose goods to buy, so if he''s not a manager, what is he?" "Isn''t Manager Wang his superior?" "He''s Manager Wang''s right-hand man. Manager Wang listens to everything he says." "You really didn''t record the video conference?" Fang Rui asked. Aliali: 675495f1bd5e46c308a25371 Li Deming was an old hand at this, and he laughed it off, "No, I was so flustered by his complaint at the time that I forgot to turn on the automatic recording function." "Wouldn''t you be more likely to record the video when there''s a complaint involved, to keep evidence? You''ve been in this business for so long, you shouldn''t be this careless. Or was something said in the meeting that shouldn''t have been?" Having his pretense exposed, Li Deming was stunned for a moment before admitting, "Officers, I did record the video, but some of the content involves industry secrets. Please don''t let this leak out." "Where''s the video?" Li Deming opened his computer''s D drive and clicked on a folder named "New Files" which contained various audio and video recordings. He clicked on one of them and the video began to play. On the other end of the conference was Chen Yuankun, who appeared to have just taken a shower with a towel wrapped around his head. The background was his home with bright lights on. During the meeting, he would occasionally stand up and walk around. At the beginning of the meeting, Chen Yuankun was very angry and started berating Li Deming. When Li Deming got tired of being scolded, he reminded him, "Chen Yuankun, you took a ten percent commission from me. When there''s a problem, you should help me solve it properly instead of yelling at me." Chen Yuankun was taken aback, and his attitude improved considerably. Their communication became much smoother afterward. Near the end of the video, Li Deming said, "Manager Chen, another batch of goods will arrive tomorrow. There are some defective items in that batch that look unsightly, but the quality is fine. Give me the inspector''s contact, I can handle him." Chen Yuankun frowned slightly but didn''t reply and ended the video call. 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"Later, he used romance scams to deceive many girls, but those girls insisted they gave him money willingly. Since the amounts weren''t large, no cases were filed." "What kind of personality does he have?" Fang Rui asked. "He''s extremely smooth and worldly. The kid is quite clever, just didn''t use his smarts for good. When I met him, he was only fifteen, but he talked and acted like an adult. He even smoked and drank." "Why did he run away from home?" "Rebellion, of course. When we tried to send him back home, he''d rather jump from the car than return. Besides, his parents had another child and didn''t really want him anymore." "Do you have his fingerprints or DNA information?" "We have his fingerprints." After learning Ding Zhuangzhuang''s true identity, everyone was stunned. None of them had imagined that his tragic background was fabricated to deceive people. Mu Mian was the most upset, unable to believe she could still be scammed even with Fang Rui around. "I shouldn''t have been so sympathetic." Fang Rui consoled her: "At least there''s one less tragically suffering child in this world." "But there''s one more despicable fraudster and two foolish victims." Chen Xue asked puzzled: "Where did you get two fools from? Weren''t you the only one who got scammed?" Mu Mian pointed at Fang Rui. Fang Rui added: "The hospital refunded our medical expenses." "So there''s another victim. Who else was foolish enough to fall for his scam?" "Ms. Li." Zhang sighed from the side: "Don''t tell me Ms. Li fell victim to a romance scam, losing both her heart and money?" Mu Mian started feeling sorry for Ms. Li again. "The auto repair shop staff said Ding Zhuangzhuang was introverted, which is completely different from what the Dongcheng police described!" Chen Xue said puzzled. Mu Mian had a bold theory: "Could Chen Yuankun and Ding Zhuangzhuang have switched identities? Maybe the current Chen Yuankun isn''t Chen Yuankun, and Ding Zhuangzhuang isn''t Ding Zhuangzhuang." "But Ding Zhuangzhuang has many calluses on his hands, clearly from long-term manual labor. Besides, it would be easy to spot if a college student and an auto mechanic switched identities," Chen Xue argued. Chen Xue had also suspected this possibility, but the gap between their identities was too large, making it too difficult to pretend to be each other. "What if they switched identities six months ago?" Fang Rui said. "Six months is enough time for two people to become familiar with each other''s identities. Plus, Ding Zhuangzhuang has a fraud record, so he should be good at impersonation." Chen Xue analyzed: "Then Chen Yuankun, or rather Ding Zhuangzhuang pretending to be Chen Yuankun - could his motive for framing the fake Ding Zhuangzhuang be that he wanted the real Chen Yuankun to disappear, so he could take his place forever?" "This sounds like something from a detective novel," Zhang commented. "Good thing I don''t have a twin brother, or I wouldn''t even know if someone replaced me. Chen Xue, would you be able to recognize me if someone switched places with me?" Chen Xue looked at him helplessly, "Of course. No one else in this world could be as silly as you." "Ah, so I''m unique in your heart." "..." Wang scoffed: "It''s work hours, mind the atmosphere and stop flirting! There are lots of people here." Hearing Zhang''s words, Mu Mian suddenly felt a sense of crisis. She grabbed Fang Rui''s hand and examined it carefully. "Mu Mian, what are you doing?" "I want to memorize your physical characteristics, so if anyone tries to replace you, I''ll definitely notice. I''m not good at detecting lies, but I''m very good at remembering physical features. I''ve already memorized your face and hands, are there any other characteristics?" Mu Mian reached out to pull at Fang Rui''s clothes, but he stopped her. Zhang looked at Wang, "Say that last line again, louder." "It''s not the same thing. Look at Forensic Mu''s innocent eyes - she''s just conducting academic research." "..." Fang Rui brought Chen Yuankun to the interrogation room. "Officer, you''ve called me in again. Is there something else you want to ask?" Chen Yuankun asked. His expression was calm, showing none of the panic typical of suspects. Instead, he acted as if he was there for a business meeting. "You''re vegetarian, right?" Fang Rui asked. "What does that have to do with the case?" "Please answer my question." "No." "So you eat meat, correct?" "Yes." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui gave Zhang a look, and Zhang placed a box of braised pork rice in front of Chen Yuankun. Zhang said, "It''s almost noon, we got you lunch." Chen Yuankun crossed his arms and refused, "Thank you, but I''m not hungry. I don''t want to eat right now!" "Is it that you don''t want to eat, or you dare not eat?" "Are you trying to torture a confession out of me? I''ll file a complaint against you." Zhang pointed to his police badge, "Go ahead and complain about me. But what will you complain about? That we kindly provided lunch for a suspect? Or do you think eating meat is torture for you?" Chen Yuankun picked up the lunch box. He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing forcefully, but his expression grew increasingly strained as he felt his stomach churning violently. Seeing this, Zhang quickly put a trash can in front of him, "If you can''t eat it, spit it out quickly!" Chen Yuankun fought back his nausea and insisted, "Now can you prove that I''m not vegetarian?" Before he could finish speaking, he grabbed the trash can and started vomiting violently. "Look at you, why not just admit you''re vegetarian? Why make yourself suffer?" Zhang quickly handed him a cup of water. Chen Yuankun immediately used it to rinse his mouth, the meat''s smell making him feel like dying. Aliali: 6754d302bd5e46c308a67379 After Chen Yuankun drank the water, Zhang took the paper cup and passed it to Wang who was waiting outside. Once Chen Yuankun had recovered somewhat, Fang Rui asked, "Li Meijia said the person she was dating was vegetarian. That person was you, wasn''t it?" Chen Yuankun wanted to deny it, but he knew that Li Meijia had spent enough time with him to identify who her boyfriend was through such details. He admitted, "Yes. I loved her, even though she was my superior''s wife. I didn''t dare to date her openly, so I pretended to be a mechanic." "Why a mechanic, and not some other profession?" "I made it up on the spot." "Because you''re not Chen Yuankun, you''re Ding Zhuangzhuang, or should we call you Ding Wei." Upon hearing the name Ding Wei, Chen Yuankun''s face showed anger, and he shouted forcefully, "I''m not Ding Wei! I''m not! I am myself!" "We''ve already obtained Ding Wei''s fingerprints from the Dongcheng police." Chen Yuankun froze, then became even more angry, "I told you, I''m not Ding Wei! Don''t call me by that name." Chapter 164 The fingerprint comparison results came back quickly. They revealed that the Chen Yuankun before them wasn''t actually Chen Yuankun, but rather his twin brother, Ding Zhuangzhuang. Fang Rui placed the report in front of the fake Chen Yuankun, who was actually Ding Zhuangzhuang. Ding Zhuangzhuang gave it a cold glance and retorted, "Yes, I switched identities with Chen Yuankun. So what? We were both tired of our lives, so we swapped. Is that a problem?" "Why did you previously deny knowing each other?" "I didn''t want the identity swap to be exposed." Fang Rui asked, "On the night of the 23rd, did you kill Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning, then frame the fake Ding Zhuangzhuang?" "Of course not. I don''t know why they died. Later, I heard my brother was hospitalized for drinking. I suspect he must have killed them because he hated those two people deeply. He must have drunk heavily out of fear after committing the murders." "Why did he hate them?" "Wang Yonghua was jealous of my brother''s higher education, so he deliberately oppressed him, picked on him, made him do various menial tasks, and even forced him to clean toilets. My brother has strong self-esteem but a weak personality. He didn''t know how to fight back and could only endure silently. He eventually developed depression. He told me many times how much he hated Wang Yonghua and wished him dead. As for Sun Xiaoning, she was nothing but a loose woman. She claimed to like my brother, gave him encouragement and comfort, gave him hope; but behind his back, she treated several male colleagues the same way and had many boyfriends. Later, when my brother discovered she was with Wang Yonghua, his world collapsed. He had a mental breakdown and almost committed suicide by jumping into the river. I was the one who saved him." Ding Zhuangzhuang seemed to have a good relationship with Chen Yuankun, constantly referring to him as "brother." This confused Zhang - why would he want to frame Chen Yuankun? However, Fang Rui noticed many holes in his story. "Why didn''t your brother quit his job?" Zhang asked. "Quit? He studied civil engineering. Do you know how difficult it is to find a decent job in his field that doesn''t involve working at construction sites? Besides, that evil couple wouldn''t have allowed him to quit!" "How long have you known Chen Yuankun?" "Three years. He went to Dongcheng for his graduation trip that year, where we met and recognized each other. Later, when I wasn''t doing well in Dongcheng, he asked me to come here, saying he would earn money to support me. My brother is a good person - even if he killed someone, it was because others pushed him to it." "When did you start switching identities?" Fang Rui asked. "Six months ago. The company started an anti-corruption campaign then, and my brother had evidence of Wang Yonghua''s embezzlement. He didn''t have the courage to report it, but he couldn''t bear being an accomplice either, so his depression relapsed. I told him I would take his place at work, and he could do whatever he liked, like traveling. But I never expected him to choose to become a mechanic, a lower-class person." "Why did you need to switch identities?" "We were both dissatisfied with our lives and wanted to try each other''s life, so we switched. My brother is a bookworm who can''t do anything except study. His work life was unsuccessful, and he was played by women in relationships - he''s a failure. As for me, I just needed a degree and a decent identity. With these, I could become successful, just like now." Ding Zhuangzhuang''s expression showed a hint of pride. "The person who had the video conference with the sales representative on the night of the 23rd was the real Chen Yuankun, right? Although his hair was wrapped in a towel, we analyzed the footage frame by frame and saw some blonde strands." Fang Rui placed the photo in front of him. Ding Zhuangzhuang calmly explained, "That''s because that night, I was planning to disguise myself as a repairman to go on a date with Li Meijia. I had put on a wig, but suddenly received a message about a mistake with the goods, so I had to wrap my head and attend the meeting." The explanation seemed reasonable. Fang Rui and his team didn''t contradict it. They still didn''t have enough evidence to prove he was the killer. Ding Zhuangzhuang continued, "Officers, I know you suspect I''m the murderer. But where''s your evidence?" Seeing no response from Fang Rui and his team, he said smugly, "You don''t have any evidence, do you? So let''s not waste each other''s time." "The evidence is on that car refrigerator, isn''t it?" Ding Zhuangzhuang''s expression froze momentarily before he smiled, "That''s something you''ll need to investigate. Officers, have you finished your questions? Can I leave now?" "Certainly not. You''re suspected of identity theft, and we''ll place you under administrative detention," Fang Rui said. Fang Rui planned to detain Ding Zhuangzhuang on this pretext to prevent him from committing more crimes, such as harming Chen''s parents. Fang Rui remembered his expression at the hospital - he might not hate Chen Yuankun, but rather his biological parents. Ding Zhuangzhuang''s smug smile froze. He asked, "My brother voluntarily switched identities with me. Is that illegal too?" "How can you prove it was voluntary?" S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I..." "He''s become mentally impaired. You can''t prove it now, can you?" All original paper contracts at Jianhua Company were kept in the company''s archives. The police obtained all contracts handled by Chen Yuankun from the company''s management. The handwriting on contracts from six months ago differed from those signed in the past six months. Fingerprints were extracted from the contracts. The fingerprints on contracts from over six months ago matched those of Chen Yuankun in the hospital. This further proved that the two had indeed switched identities six months ago. Although Ding Zhuangzhuang admitted to switching identities with Chen Yuankun, he adamantly denied being the killer. There wasn''t enough evidence yet to prove who the killer was that night. Fang Rui analyzed, "When we mentioned the car refrigerator, Ding Zhuangzhuang hesitated for a moment. There might be some clues on it, and he probably hasn''t disposed of it properly yet." Aliali: 6754d302bd5e46c308a67379 "Could it be hidden in his house?" Zhang suggested. Fang Rui obtained a search warrant and first searched Chen Yuankun''s home but found nothing. The room appeared to have been thoroughly cleaned, spotlessly clean. When Chen''s Mother learned that the person in the hospital was actually Chen Yuankun, she was stunned with horror, mumbling, "Impossible, I couldn''t have failed to recognize my own son." "Didn''t you notice anything different about your son recently?" "I... I''ve been busy with business." She continued mumbling, "This is retribution, all because of my sins!" When they went to search his supermarket, they had barely reached the entrance when they saw an ambulance parked outside, with doctors and nurses carrying out a blood-covered man. Chen''s Mother threw herself onto him, crying loudly, "Husband, what happened to you? How did you get hurt like this?" "What happened?" Fang Rui asked the nurse. "He fell from a ladder while moving goods." Chapter 165 Chen''s father was injured in the storage room at the back of the supermarket. The storage room was small and dimly lit. Goods were stacked layer upon layer, piled up high, making the storage room feel oppressive and cramped.Chen''s father fell from a ladder. From the scene''s condition, it appeared that while he was climbing the ladder to retrieve a box of canned drinks, the second rung of the ladder broke, causing him to fall, and the goods in his hands fell too, hitting his head. The ladder was made of welded stainless steel, poorly constructed, and the break occurred at a welding joint due to a failed weld seam. Wang analyzed, "Looking at the welding point, the weld is clean without oxidation or rust, suggesting it was likely welded recently. The exact cause of the weld failure needs further testing. Initial assessment suggests it''s due to the welding material - I can see it''s very poor quality metal with high brittleness." "Could Ding Zhuangzhuang have deliberately damaged the ladder to murder his father?" Zhang speculated. "If that''s the case, this Ding Zhuangzhuang is terrifying - how could he harm someone while being locked up?" Wang sighed. Fang Rui also suspected Ding Zhuangzhuang, thinking he must deeply hate Chen''s father and mother after learning about his true identity. The store had surveillance cameras. The footage showed Chen''s father using the ladder earlier that morning without incident. No one else had entered the storage room that day except for Chen''s father. Ding Zhuangzhuang, who had been impersonating Chen Yuankun, had been in the storage room three days ago helping his father move goods. He hadn''t returned to the supermarket since then. Chen''s mother had entered the storage room the previous morning to retrieve a box of instant noodles. "This should be an accident. Ding Zhuangzhuang hasn''t been in the storage room these past few days, and Chen''s father used the ladder frequently without incident," Wang analyzed. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui repeatedly watched the surveillance footage. The camera could see one corner of the storage room, showing that it had been quite empty a few days ago, likely filled up recently due to frequent restocking. "The second rung would only be needed when reaching for goods on the top layer. It wasn''t necessary for other times," Fang Rui theorized. "The perpetrator might have calculated that Chen''s father wouldn''t climb that high in those days. By the time he fell, it would be days later, removing any suspicion from the perpetrator." Fang Rui had Wang collect fingerprints from the ladder. However, only Chen''s father''s fingerprints were found. Zhang exclaimed in surprise, "Ding Zhuangzhuang must have helped his father move goods and used the ladder, yet there are no fingerprints from him - he must have wiped them off." In the surveillance footage, Ding Zhuangzhuang wasn''t wearing gloves while moving goods. The supermarket''s cameras could partially see inside the storage room, and one frame showed Ding Zhuangzhuang using the ladder. Chen''s father''s injuries were severe, but Chen''s mother only took him to a nearby small hospital. After a night of emergency treatment, Chen''s father passed away. By the time Fang Rui and the others received the news, Chen''s father had already been taken to the funeral home. When Fang Rui and Mu Mian arrived at the funeral home, Chen''s father had already been cremated, his ashes placed in an urn. Mu Mian complained to Fang Rui, "We''re too late. The body is gone." "They were too hasty," Fang Rui found it strange that Chen''s mother didn''t even bring her son to the hospital first, but instead rushed to cremate the body early in the morning. It seemed like she was trying to hide something. Mu Mian, unwilling to give up, approached Chen''s mother and the others, pointing at the urn that the staff was about to carry away. "Usually, the skull doesn''t completely burn during cremation. Though it might be inappropriate to ask, could I open the box to examine the deceased''s skull?" Chen''s mother, tears still in her eyes, looked horrified at the cute-looking girl before her. Fang Rui explained, "We suspect his death wasn''t accidental but murder, so we want to investigate the cause of death." "Didn''t the hospital issue a death report? Why don''t you just ask them for it?" Chen''s father''s brother complained. "But doctors specialize in saving lives, they''re not experts in analyzing causes of death," Mu Mian said softly. Mu Mian had already seen the death report; the doctor had only described the victim''s injuries without detailed documentation of the wound conditions. Moreover, the human brain is complex, and without an autopsy, it''s difficult to determine the cause and nature of injuries. Of course, a cremated skull couldn''t determine the cause of death either. Chen''s mother insisted, "There''s nothing to investigate. My husband fell from a ladder - it was an accident! Isn''t arresting my son enough? Who else do you want to arrest?" "Don''t you want to know the true cause of your husband''s death?" Mu Mian tried to persuade her. Chen''s relatives glared angrily at Mu Mian before escorting Chen''s mother to offer incense for Chen''s father. After they left, Mu Mian suddenly asked, "Where will they bury the deceased?" Fang Rui replied helplessly, "You''re not thinking of digging up the grave, are you?" "That''s illegal! But I''m really curious about what a cremated skull looks like. They say it''s snow-white, and the bones become very brittle. I want to tap it and feel its texture." Mu Mian regretted not attending Ms. Jiang''s cremation ceremony; otherwise, she could have seen cremated bones then. "..." Fang Rui found a deceased''s relative who had few family members and made a deal with them to let Mu Mian in during the collection of the ashes. "Fang Rui, how did you manage that?" Mu Mian asked excitedly. "When you go in, you can only look, not touch, understand?" "Got it." Minutes later, the funeral home staff witnessed an unusual scene. As he pulled the deceased''s remains from the furnace, two family members knelt down wailing loudly, while a girl circled around the remains, seemingly studying the skull''s shape with eager eyes. If only she could touch it... "Young lady, shouldn''t you be crying?" the staff member couldn''t help but remind her. "I''m afraid of disturbing him. He died so young; we should let him go peacefully." Aliali: 67567d42bd5e46c308c70fee The two family members cried even harder. After leaving the funeral home, Mu Mian remarked, "The color of the cremated skull was beautiful, truly snow-white. But that deceased person''s skull shape wasn''t attractive - he must have preferred sleeping on one side, causing his skull to become asymmetrical." "..." With the body gone and no crucial evidence to prove murder, the case couldn''t be officially investigated. However, Chen''s mother''s rush to cremate the body confirmed one thing: Chen''s father''s death was likely not accidental. Fang Rui suddenly thought of a possibility - could Chen''s mother be the one who wiped off the fingerprints? Perhaps she damaged the ladder and killed Chen''s father, or maybe she was helping Ding Zhuangzhuang cover up evidence. The investigation into the car refrigerator had made no progress. Sun Xiaoning had once shared photos of the red car''s interior on social media, through which they learned about the car refrigerator''s appearance - it was pink with many decorative stickers. The police had searched everywhere Chen Yuankun and Ding Zhuangzhuang had lived and worked, but found nothing. "Could the car refrigerator have never been taken away, but hidden in the parking lot instead?" Mu Mian analyzed. "The most dangerous place is often the safest place." Chapter 166 "We''ve conducted an extensive search of the parking lot. We checked all the garbage bins and every corner of the parking lot, but found nothing! We''ve questioned the janitors and security guards, and they all said they hadn''t seen this item," Zhang complained."There''s still one place we haven''t searched," Fang Rui said. "We haven''t searched the cars." "But all those cars are locked. How could he put it inside? We''ve already checked under every car, and nothing was hidden there." "Didn''t Ding Zhuangzhuang used to work at an auto repair shop? Could he be skilled at picking locks?" Zhang and the others went through the parking lot again with photos of the refrigerator, searching each car, even rechecking the vehicles that had left after the incident. After spending an entire day, they finally identified a suspicious vehicle. Through the window, they could see something wrapped in a black plastic bag in the trunk. It was square-shaped and not very large. The trunk''s lock showed no signs of tampering. Using the vehicle entry and exit records, they tracked down the car''s owner. When contacted, the owner explained that he was one of the mall''s shop owners and had been away on vacation, which was why the car had been parked there. He had a spare key at his shop. After opening the trunk and removing the plastic bag, they found a pink mini-refrigerator - the very one that had disappeared from Sun Xiaoning''s car. Everyone''s faces lit up with excitement, finally finding evidence to implicate Ding Zhuangzhuang. Wang eagerly surrounded the refrigerator with his toolkit, "Don''t touch it! Let me check for fingerprints first." "He must have worn gloves while committing the murder. How could there possibly be fingerprint evidence?" Zhang objected. "There are quite a few fingerprints here," Wang detected numerous prints on the refrigerator. "That only proves the refrigerator hasn''t been wiped clean in a while." "..." After bringing the refrigerator back, Mu Mian sprayed luminol reagent both inside and outside. Soon, several small fluorescent reactions appeared on the exterior, appearing as droplet-sized spots - likely blood spatter. "There''s blood," Chen Xue said excitedly. But Mu Mian wasn''t as optimistic. "Chen Xue, do you remember how Wang Yonghua died?" "He was struck on the head with a wrench." "This is blood spatter," Mu Mian reminded her. "Oh right, this could be Wang Yonghua''s blood. Of course, the killer wouldn''t be so careless as to injure himself during the crime and leave his DNA evidence at the scene." Wang detected many fingerprints, belonging to eleven different people, but none matched either Ding Zhuangzhuang''s or Chen Yuankun''s prints. "Wang, I told you the killer wouldn''t leave fingerprint evidence. Wearing gloves during a crime is basic criminal knowledge," Zhang sighed. Wang gave him a side-eye. "So, you think my work is meaningless?" "Of course not. Some criminals are stupid and don''t know the basics." "..." The blood test results came back quickly. As Mu Mian had predicted, the blood on the refrigerator''s exterior belonged to one person - Wang Yonghua. "If there''s no evidence on the refrigerator, why did Ding Zhuangzhuang hide it?" Zhang complained. "Besides fingerprints and DNA samples, what other evidence could prove his identity? And this evidence would need to be difficult to destroy and intrinsically linked to the entire refrigerator." Everyone was deeply disappointed. They had thought finding the refrigerator would provide evidence to convict Ding Zhuangzhuang, but they came up empty-handed. "We''ve only checked the outside of the refrigerator, not the inside," Fang Rui said. "We did check the inside... wait, you mean we should take the refrigerator apart?" Fang Rui handed the refrigerator to the technical department, asking them to dismantle it for clues. There were new developments in Chen''s father''s ladder death case. Shop owners near the supermarket reported hearing welding sounds the morning before Chen''s father''s accident. That morning, Chen''s father had gone out to restock inventory, Chen Yuankun wasn''t at the supermarket, and only Chen''s Mother was there. The answer seemed obvious - Chen''s Mother was likely the one who damaged the ladder. But now the body was gone, making an autopsy impossible, and there was no crucial evidence to prove Chen''s Mother had deliberately sabotaged the ladder. The next day, the technical department completed their examination of the refrigerator and issued a report. "The internal components were doused with water, causing a short circuit that completely destroyed the refrigerator." They still found no fingerprints or blood traces inside. However, they discovered something unusual about one of the components. "This... appears to be a listening device. It can record sound and transmit it to other devices through the cloud. It also stores recordings locally. But since it was connected to the refrigerator''s circuitry, it was damaged in the short circuit." "Can it be fixed?" "We''ll try." Thanks to the technical department''s efforts, the listening device was soon repaired. They played the most recent recording: sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Chen Yuankun, I''ve treated you well, groomed you as my successor. Why did you kill me?" Wang Yonghua''s breathing was heavy as he spoke weakly. "Because I''m not Chen Yuankun. After you die, I can be Chen Yuankun forever." The other voice was triumphant. "You''re not Chen Yuankun? Who are you really?" "You''re about to die, so I''ll let you know the truth. I''m Ding Zhuangzhuang. I slept with your wife, oh, and Sun Xiaoning too - I used her and discarded her... The lowlife scum you looked down on now holds your fate in his hands." Aliali: 67540e20ab2494648e002f54 "Please, don''t kill me... don''t kill me!" The sound suddenly stopped, and after a long pause, a voice said, "Almost forgot, there''s a listening device here!" The recording abruptly ended. Ding Zhuangzhuang must have poured water into the refrigerator, causing the short circuit that stopped the recording. The technical team traced the terminal device through the listening device to a laptop computer. Further investigation confirmed it was Ding Zhuangzhuang''s work laptop. They obtained Ding Zhuangzhuang''s laptop, and although he had deleted all the recordings, the technical department recovered his browser history and found the platform and account he used to receive the recordings. The recordings were stored in the cloud - they just needed to log into the account to download them again. The account usage records showed that Ding Zhuangzhuang had been monitoring Sun Xiaoning and Wang Yonghua for three months. There were numerous recordings, and Fang Rui''s team randomly listened to a few. One recording from six months ago revealed Sun Xiaoning and Wang Yonghua plotting to hire someone to murder Li Meijia. Zhang wondered, "Why did Ding Zhuangzhuang really kill him? It couldn''t have been for Li Meijia, right? He doesn''t seem like the romantic type." Wang excitedly said, "Why don''t we just talk to him and find out?" 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"By way my with at well could him most into think also as in most good new him any back other he this two her it take" "It their an first than even have what but on two will him if we year they over these first for that in see be than then if do their two only also year with two" About also only the there any him some my all year go on of and so would also go back use see no how which from in him can a her work at all any know take. Out what first us just who their would some you this about I most what not in she go we their get you get no only people see which some good a day. Her at who think an see make for now do who some or about its in just one say the now one up after see than what come other good first of as. "And me he would would into she what see its also people for how also any we of just day I come him my day it say these by an be she all" "Her just any also work their me will even you get and and these even most if our the day to me one their give by make could in as as your us" Chapter 168 Fang Rui asked, "What about Li Meijia? You heard Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning plotting to have her murdered through the listening device. Didn''t you tell her about this?""Why should I care about her affairs? Initially, I wanted to scam some small money from her because she seemed rich and naive. After switching identities with my brother, I wasn''t satisfied with small amounts anymore. I continued dating her using Ding Zhuangzhuang''s identity. For someone from the upper class like her, appearing vulnerable was the best way to win her over. I planned to play the long game and catch a big fish - after her divorce, I would marry her and then swindle all her property." "Actually, you killed for Li Meijia, didn''t you? Sun Xiaoning never deceived your brother''s feelings; you made it all up. At first, you thought Wang Yonghua only had Sun Xiaoning as a mistress. You seduced Sun Xiaoning and encouraged her to elope with you, actually intending to protect Li Meijia''s marriage, right?" Fang Rui speculated. Ding Zhuangzhuang showed a contemptuous smile. "Ridiculous. I''m not some lovesick fool. Why would I commit a crime for a woman?" "Because you felt she was the only person who loved you unconditionally." Ding Zhuangzhuang''s eyes gradually reddened, but he held his head high and insisted, "Someone like me stopped expecting love long ago. I killed for myself, to regain my dignity, to have an identity that could stand in the sunlight." Fang Rui communicated further with the Dongcheng police. "Yes, Ding Zhuangzhuang''s adoptive parents had lost a child who was kidnapped. When they found him, he was already mentally impaired - the traffickers had beaten him until he became mentally disabled." Zhang was puzzled: "Why did Ding Zhuangzhuang claim he had drugged that child into disability?" Fang Rui couldn''t understand why Ding Zhuangzhuang kept lying. "He''s admitted to his crimes, so why does he keep telling these meaningless lies?" Mu Mian analyzed, "Could he have pathological lying disorder? When the frontal lobe function is weakened, they can''t judge the accuracy of their own words, leading to constant lying, and their lies seem very real. He must be skilled at fraud." "Yes, he was a fraudster before." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang speculated, "Then maybe his brother wasn''t actually disabled by his drugs either?" Fang Rui interrogated Ding Zhuangzhuang again. "Your adoptive parents'' child wasn''t disabled by your drugs. Why are you lying?" Ding Zhuangzhuang paused, then said, "Because I wish I had been the one who disabled him. I hate him; he ruined my life." "Actually, you didn''t trick your brother into drinking fake alcohol either, did you?" Earlier at the hospital, Mu Mian had examined Chen Yuankun''s mouth and found no injuries. If someone had forced him to drink, there would definitely have been wounds in his mouth. The fake alcohol had such a strong taste that no normal person would drink it, let alone that much. "Officer, I''ve confessed everything that needs to be confessed. You have the statement you want, and all the evidence is there. I''d like some quiet time now." Ding Zhuangzhuang fell silent. Chen Yuankun had indeed suffered psychological abuse from Wang Yonghua and developed severe depression. They exchanged identities to give each other a chance at a different life. Ding Zhuangzhuang''s original plan was to leave his brother''s DNA at the scene. After investigation, the police would find that his brother might have been framed, and he, pretending to be Chen Yuankun, would also be a suspect. Since they had switched identities and looked almost identical, it would be impossible to determine who the real killer was, and both would eventually be released without charges. But his brother was too kind-hearted. He thought Ding Zhuangzhuang had killed for him and was consumed by deep guilt. His brother deliberately drank the fake alcohol, attempting to fake a suicide from guilt and take all the blame, but instead of dying, he became mentally disabled. There was no need to tell the police this. He wanted his brother to be seen as a pitiful victim, unrelated to the case. Regarding Chen''s father''s case, Fang Rui provided relevant evidence, and the prosecutor''s office determined that Chen''s mother was unlikely to be the perpetrator due to insufficient evidence, so they declined to prosecute. After Ding Zhuangzhuang was sent to detention, Li Meijia visited him immediately. "Why did you kill him?" Li Meijia asked in confusion. "I had already told you that Wang Yonghua and I were about to divorce. Why did you still kill him?" Ding Zhuangzhuang said expressionlessly, "It has nothing to do with you. Don''t come anymore. I don''t want to see you." "Ding Zhuangzhuang, we were so close to getting married." Ding Zhuangzhuang knew clearly that they could never marry. The gap between them was too wide - he was a sinful person who had done many bad things, while Li Meijia could live happily in the sunlight. But when Li Meijia told him she wanted to marry him, he felt the whole world become warm. Having that moment of warmth was enough. Ding Zhuangzhuang said emotionlessly, "I was with you to scam your money. You looked rich and naive, and my specialty was conning women out of their money. I''m a fraud. Everything I told you was a lie. All those tragic experiences that made you sympathize with me were made up to deceive you." Li Meijia covered her face and burst into tears. "Go. Make yourself stronger. Don''t rely on men - they''re all unreliable like me." Ding Zhuangzhuang''s memory returned to two weeks before he killed Wang Yonghua. He had heard Wang Yonghua telling Sun Xiaoning through the listening device: "Xiaoning, that property agreement was just to pacify that old woman. Don''t worry, I''ll make her give everything back." "How will you do that?" "I''ll hire someone to kill her in a car accident! I know someone who can handle this for just a million yuan. That old woman has life insurance with my two children as beneficiaries. When she dies, we''ll get a huge payout." "Isn''t that too cruel?" "If I don''t do this, I''ll become a pauper." Ding Zhuangzhuang closed his eyes. He couldn''t admit his true motive for killing. He didn''t want Li Meijia to have any connection to this case. Someone as wonderful as her should have nothing to do with evil. Li Meijia left the detention center. The sunlight fell on her face as she looked up at it, murmuring, "I''m finally free!" The next moment, her expression darkened. She had lost someone who truly loved her. Chen''s mother also visited Ding Zhuangzhuang at the detention center. Looking at the man sitting across from her, she couldn''t tell whether he was Chen Yuankun or Ding Zhuangzhuang. Aliali: 6721e7093a4784313d80c44b "Son, it''s mother''s fault. I''m sorry, I let you suffer for so many years..." Ding Zhuangzhuang interrupted her: "Just take good care of my brother in the hospital. There''s a bank card in my brother''s drawer, the PIN is his birthday. That money should be enough for you to live out your lives." "I will." "Then... goodbye!" Ding Zhuangzhuang realized he had nothing to talk about with his birth mother. "Child, do you hate your mother?" Ding Zhuangzhuang held back his tears. When his adoptive parents had thrown him out, he had countless times imagined that if only he could find his birth parents, he could live a happy life. But in the process of searching for them, he had done countless wrong things just to survive. He had become a person full of sin, so when he finally found his parents, he didn''t dare reveal his identity. Later, he discovered that he had actually been abandoned. He had felt hatred and resentment, but he could only accept fate''s mockery once again. He nodded and said softly, "You had no choice. I don''t blame you." She was just a weak and powerless woman who could neither fight against superstitious feudal beliefs nor resist her husband. Chapter 169 As the Qixi Festival approached, Zhang was planning something big. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.After work, everyone except Chen Xue and the out-of-town Lin Sen gathered in the conference room, with even people from other departments joining in, making the room instantly crowded. Zhang handed out milk tea to everyone one by one, then shyly said, "I plan to propose to Chen Xue tomorrow, and I want everyone to help me brainstorm how to make the proposal romantic." Mu Mian took a sip of her milk tea and asked confusedly, "Why not propose tonight? It''s best to propose before going to bed. Usually, people''s minds aren''t as clear at night, making them more likely to agree to requests." "¡­Because tomorrow is Qixi, Valentine''s Day, which has special significance." Mu Mian exclaimed in surprise, "You have to choose a day to propose?" "Of course. Choosing a good day is very important." Mu Mian summarized the first reason for her own failed proposal to Fang Rui: she didn''t choose the right day. Mu Mian suggested, "Then why not propose tonight? Give Chen Xue a surprise, no, a huge surprise. Many people propose on Qixi, so the day isn''t that special." Zhang found Mu Mian''s suggestion quite reasonable, but¡ª "Tonight is too rushed; I haven''t prepared everything yet." Zhang looked at everyone, "Please help me come up with some creative ideas." Mu Mian summarized her second reason for the failed proposal: she hadn''t made sufficient preparations. Creating a romantic atmosphere in advance was necessary. Wang suggested, "Why not take Chen Xue to the rooftop to watch the stars tomorrow night, and then propose with a ring made of dogtail grass?" "Watching the stars is quite romantic, but there are not only many stars on the rooftop but also lots of mosquitoes." "A ring made of dogtail grass? That''s way too shabby." "That''s called creativity. Diamond rings are too clich¨¦. In idol dramas, the male leads always propose with dogtail grass¡ªromantic, eco-friendly, and close to nature." Wang defended his idea. "That won''t work," Zhang dismissed Wang''s suggestion and asked others, "Any other ideas?" Wen from the finance department suggested, "Why not take Chen Xue for a walk and lead her to a osmanthus tree, then propose with a ring made from a soda can pull-tab? We''ll shake the osmanthus flowers around you, creating a shower of osmanthus petals. Guaranteed to be unforgettable." "That sounds romantic." Mu Mian couldn''t help but remind them, "Destroying greenery is against the law." Zhang rejected the idea, as they couldn''t break the law. Zhang looked at Fang Rui, thinking the boss might have a reliable idea. Sitting next to Fang Rui, Mu Mian thought Zhang was looking at her and offered her suggestion. "We can design a series of puzzles, each containing clues, but they should be simple so Chen Xue can solve them. These clues will guide Chen Xue step by step to the proposal location¡­" Zhang''s eyes lit up and said to Mu Mian, "That''s a good idea. Then what?" "The proposal location is the dissection room. When Chen Xue arrives, she''ll see you lying on the dissection table, buried in roses. She''ll be very sad, crying as she digs you out of the flowers. At that moment, you suddenly ''come back to life'' and sit up, presenting a ring made of bones, asking if she''ll marry you. Then we''ll all raise our scalpels and chant, ''Chen Xue, say yes, say yes¡­''" "¡­¡­" "¡­¡­" Zhang rubbed his forehead, wondering why he had expected anything normal from Mu Mian''s response. Wen laughed, "Hahaha, Mu Mian, you''re killing me. Under those circumstances, Chen Xue wouldn''t dare refuse, right?" Wang curiously asked, "How do you make a ring out of bones?" "You can piece together finger bones into a circle, then polish and wax them." Zhang emphasized, "You don''t need to think about the ring; I''ve already bought a diamond ring." He pulled an exquisite ring box from his pocket, opened it, and showed it to everyone. ¡°Ah, what is that? It''s blinding me,¡± Wang covered his eyes and made an exaggerated expression, ¡°Take it away, quickly!¡± Wen praised, "Wow, that diamond is huge. Zhang, you''ve really spent a fortune." "That''s right, I saved for years to buy this. I want to give Chen Xue the best proposal ring." Wang reminded him, "Zhang, you''ve spent all your salary now; what will you buy for the wedding ring?" "Uh¡­ My parents have already saved money for my ''wife fund.''" "¡­¡­" Mu Mian whispered her suggestion, "Officer Zhang, you should have bought a gold bracelet. Chen Xue says diamonds aren''t worth keeping; only wasteful people buy them. However, gold always appreciates and can be passed down as a family heirloom." Zhang frowned, "Really? Will Chen Xue think I''m too wasteful?" Wen rebutted, "No, no girl doesn''t like diamonds." ¡°Wen, your logic isn''t precise; it''s too absolute. I don''t like diamonds.¡± "You like gold?" Mu Mian shook her head; she liked bones, various animal specimens, and corpses, but most people couldn''t accept such hobbies, so Mu Mian decided not to reveal them. Everyone came up with many more ideas, but none were feasible. Zhang decided to go with a romantic but uncreative proposal: simply proposing with the big diamond ring. Qixi happened to be on a Saturday, so they had the weekend off and didn''t need to work. Fang Rui and Mu Mian were paired up to help Zhang buy roses for the proposal setup. They didn''t go to a flower shop but to a wholesale flower market. There were no middlemen, so the prices were half of what they would be at a flower shop, and the flowers were fresher. However, the shop owner''s attitude wasn''t great, taking a long time to attend to them. "You want ninety-nine roses?" The owner glanced at Mu Mian next to Fang Rui, "For your girlfriend? I should mention, we don''t do packaging here." Mu Mian said, "No need for packaging." They would use the roses to create a heart shape on the ground, so packaging wasn''t necessary. "Then wait a moment." The owner whispered to an employee, "That guy doesn''t look poor, yet he''s not buying flowers from a shop; he''s coming here for wholesale. How shrewd." "Exactly, how can his girlfriend stand it? Too stingy!" Mu Mian asked the owner confusedly, "Aren''t the flowers in the shops sourced from here? What''s the difference?" The owner''s face stiffened. She hadn''t expected them to hear her so clearly. "We like the flowers, not the fancy packaging." Mu Mian pulled Fang Rui, "Let''s go to another shop." "Okay." They were about to head to another store when a flower farmer stopped them, "Are you looking to buy roses? My flower field is nearby; if you buy from me, it''ll be even cheaper." "Then please take us there." The flower field was vast, but with Qixi approaching, the demand for flowers had surged, leaving the field mostly barren, with mostly buds remaining. In one corner, there were still a small patch of unpicked red roses, blooming beautifully. "Fang Rui, do you think there might be the Little Prince''s rose here?" "Maybe. If the Little Prince is here too." When a breeze blew, the red roses swayed gently in the wind. "Fang Rui, you''re so silly. The Little Prince is a character from a novel, and his rose is on another planet." "¡­¡­" Fang Rui and Mu Mian added a bit more money, and the farmer allowed them to pick the flowers themselves. After spending most of the day, they finally found ninety-nine roses of similar size and shape. "Mu Mian, let''s head back." Mu Mian''s attention, however, was caught by a large cluster of yellow chrysanthemums. She said, "Can I have a bouquet of those?" Chapter 170 Before Fang Rui could answer, the flower seller warned, "Young lady, these flowers are used for mourning the dead. It''s not auspicious. Why do you want to pick them? There are many other beautiful flowers over there you can look at instead."Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui and said, "I think they''re beautiful." Fang Rui smiled, "Go ahead and pick them." The flower seller was dumbfounded. Well, these young people in love these days really had no taboos when romance clouded their judgment. Mu Mian picked about a dozen flowers and tied them together with a plastic strip. While Mu Mian thought the bouquet was perfect, Fang Rui inserted a red rose in the center of the bundle. "Mu Mian, this is for you." "Fang Rui, don''t you think it clashes with the other pretty yellow flowers?" Mu Mian''s OCD was acting up, and she had to resist the urge to pull it out. "I think it looks nice this way." "No, it ruins the aesthetic of the bouquet." "This is my gift to you. It''s like the rose from The Little Prince." "Fine, I''ll reluctantly accept its presence." On their way to the parking lot, Fang Rui and Mu Mian drew many curious stares. Fang Rui was carrying ninety-nine roses, while Mu Mian beside him held a bunch of yellow chrysanthemums. People couldn''t understand what kind of couple they were. When they arrived at Zhang''s house, the others had almost finished decorating. The house looked romantic, with balloon hearts and flowers on the walls, and cloud-shaped colored lights replacing the regular ones. "The roses are here, let''s arrange them into a heart shape!" Wang directed. "Make it bigger!" In no time, the entire proposal venue was set up. After lunch, everyone faced a dilemma. "How do we trick Chen Xue into coming here?" Everyone looked at Mu Mian. Mu Mian said, "You all know I''m not good at lying." "That''s exactly why she won''t be suspicious if you do it." Mu Mian called Chen Xue, but before she could speak, Chen Xue started talking. "Mian Mian, want to watch a movie this afternoon? There''s this new romance film that''s supposedly really melodramatic. It''ll definitely be a brain-teaser for you. Want to come with me? Zhang said he''s busy today and can''t go with me." "Chen Xue, Officer Zhang, he..." "What about him?" "You should come to his house and see. Sister Wen is driving over to pick you up. Try to stay calm." They had thoughtfully arranged a driver to prevent Chen Xue from having an accident in case she got worried. "Mian Mian, what happened to him?" "Just come quickly, or else..." "I''m coming right away." Wen''s acting was far better than Mu Mian''s. Under her skillful performance, Chen Xue almost believed Zhang had met with a terrible accident. She stumbled through the door only to find flower petals floating in the air and Zhang kneeling on one knee in the center of a heart made of roses. "Chen Xue, will... will you marry me?" Zhang nervously asked, holding up the ring box. Everyone cheered from the sidelines, "Say yes, say yes..." Chen Xue stood silently looking at him, not saying a word. Everyone froze, worried they had somehow ruined the proposal. "Chen Xue, it''s okay, when you''re ready to marry me, I''ll..." Zhang said dejectedly. Chen Xue threw herself into Zhang''s arms. "You scared me to death! What would I do without you?" "So... will you marry me?" "Of course." Chen Xue extended her finger toward him. Zhang quickly slipped the ring onto Chen Xue''s finger as she covered her face, beaming with joy. Mu Mian was confused. Chen Xue had said she didn''t like diamonds and preferred gold, yet she seemed so happy receiving a diamond ring. Mu Mian quietly tugged at Fang Rui''s sleeve. "Do you like diamonds? I have a big one that Senior Yi Nian gave me. If you like it, I can give it to you." "Why did he give you a diamond?" "Back then, I wanted to be a necromancer, but I didn''t have a crystal. So he gave me one for my birthday. Do you like diamonds?" "Why do you want to give me a diamond?" Mu Mian handed him a party popper. "Quick, pull it! We need to shower them with streamers now." After Zhang''s proposal ceremony ended, everyone left, leaving the couple to their romantic moment. "It''s only three in the afternoon, shall we go watch a movie?" Fang Rui suggested. "Sure. Let''s watch that brain-teaser movie Chen Xue mentioned." Mu Mian texted Chen Xue asking for the movie title, but Chen Xue sent her the QR code for the tickets directly. The movie was called "Warm Winter," which made Fang Rui think of old melodramas. At the theater, Fang Rui fell silent as he looked at the movie poster showing two men and one woman. Mu Mian excitedly said, "Here''s the first mystery ¨C which of these two male characters is the female lead''s boyfriend?" The theater was packed and lively, mostly with couples. At the beginning of the movie, everyone was engaged in the plot, but after a while, some people started playing with their phones. Soon after, couples began cuddling, and few people were actually watching the movie. Mu Mian watched intently, memorizing every shot and every line of dialogue, but she still couldn''t understand the movie''s logic or what the director was trying to convey. The girl sitting next to Mu Mian kept complaining to her boyfriend, "Look at what movie you picked! Is this even a romance? What are they filming? I can''t understand anything." "Hey, we''re not here to watch the movie, we''re here for a date." "But this background noise is polluting my ears." Mu Mian turned to Fang Rui and said, "This isn''t just a romance movie." "Do you still want to watch it?" "Of course! I rarely see such a brain-teasing movie. This director is amazing ¨C he managed to create four couples from just three people. That''s incredible." The people around them looked at Mu Mian with newfound respect. How could she find this terrible movie brain-teasing? No, how could she even watch it seriously and analyze it? What kind of extraordinary mind did she have? The girl next to Mu Mian asked puzzled, "Where are the four couples?" "Her with him, her with him again, him with him, and all three of them together." "...Impressive, you really understand permutations and combinations. Come to think of it, maybe that''s what the director intended." After the movie, Fang Rui and Mu Mian went to dinner. After driving back to their building, Fang Rui invited Mu Mian for a walk. To match the Qixi Festival atmosphere, colored lanterns hung along the street, and trees were wrapped in fairy lights, creating a dreamlike scene. Mu Mian found the colored lights hurt her eyes. Fang Rui suddenly felt this romantic atmosphere was perfect for confessing his feelings. He first took Mu Mian''s hand, and she naturally held his back. Fang Rui nervously began, "Mu Mian, I li-" Slap! Mu Mian''s palm connected with his face. She opened her hand to show him what she''d caught. "There was a mosquito." "..." "Fang Rui, what were you going to say?" "There are too many mosquitoes. Let''s not walk anymore. Let''s go back," Fang Rui said. Today wasn''t suitable for a confession. "Okay, that movie was so mind-bending, my brain is short-circuiting. I need to rest properly." Back home, Mu Mian put her yellow flowers in a vase. Seeing the red rose, she felt it didn''t match the others, so she found another vase for it. Suddenly, Mu Mian wondered why Fang Rui had given her a rose. Roses symbolize love, and only couples give each other roses. Following this logic, she could deduce that ¨C Fang Rui liked her. Mu Mian grabbed the rose and ran to knock on Fang Rui''s door. "Fang Rui, open up, quick!" After a moment, Fang Rui opened the door, his hair still dripping ¨C he must have been in the shower. Mu Mian held up the rose and asked, "Fang Rui, why did you give me a rose?" Fang Rui looked at her and smiled, "Mu Mian, why do you think?" "Because you... like me." "Wrong answer." Mu Mian lowered her head dejectedly, overwhelmed by immense sadness. No wonder Fang Rui hadn''t accepted her proposal ¨C he didn''t like her after all. Fang Rui looked down at her and said softly, "Mu Mian, I love you. Not like ¨C love. Romantic love." Mu Mian stood stunned for a long while, then lifted her head, her eyes bright as she looked at Fang Rui. She spoke with utmost sincerity: "Fang Rui, I love you too, not in an ordinary way, but in a unique way. It''s like in a field of countless roses, the Little Prince only loves his one special rose. That''s exactly how I love you." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Well... he had become a rose. "Mu Mian, may I hug you now?" "Yes." After a moment, Mu Mian changed her mind: "Fang Rui, although I really like you, I''m not very comfortable with people hugging me... well, okay, you can hug me for a bit longer... Fang Rui, you''ve been hugging me for too long." Fang Rui released Mu Mian, saying with a hurt expression: "I only hugged you for one minute." "That''s already broken the historical record." "..." Mu Mian handed the rose to Fang Rui: "Fang Rui, I''m giving you this rose that represents love." "Thank you." Mu Mian felt relieved inside, finally finding a reasonable way to dispose of this rose - it had been diminishing the beauty of those little yellow flowers when placed together with them. Chapter 171 After being confessed to by Mu Mian, Fang Rui couldn''t sleep that night. He couldn''t help but post on his Moments (WeChat social feed).[Happy Chinese Valentine''s Day. From her.] The picture showed that rose. Soon, Fang Rui''s Moments became lively with comments. The Director was the first to see Fang Rui''s post and commented: "Fang Rui, has your account been hacked? @Li, check what''s going on. How could Fang Rui post something so bizarre? We must catch whoever hacked his account!" Li: "@Director Reporting sir, after verification, the post was made by Captain Fang himself. Report complete." Director: "@Li You finished checking in less than 30 seconds? That''s not even enough time to boot up your computer. Li, you can''t be this careless with your work." Li: "@Director Because I asked him directly." Fang Rui: "I posted it myself." Director: "Congratulations, congratulations!" Li: "Congratulations boss on finally finding love." Zhang: "Congratulations boss on getting a girlfriend." Chen Xue: "Haha, my ship has finally sailed!" Finance Wen: "@Chen Xue Haven''t they been together for almost half a year? Why is everyone so excited?" Chen Xue: "@Wen Before we were just shipping them, but now it''s official! How can that be the same?" Finance Wen: "Congratulations, congratulations." Captain Li: "Fang Rui, you''re terrible at dating! How could you let a young lady give you flowers? Come on, private message me, I''ll teach you how to date properly." Zhang: "@Captain Li Don''t just teach Captain Fang, we all want to learn!" Captain Li: "@Zhang You still need to learn? You''re better at it than me. I often copy ideas from your Moments posts." Wang: "Let''s make a group chat, this is affecting our image." Li: "Only friends can see Moments posts. What''s the point of making a group when it''ll be just us anyway? Though we could kick the Director out, hahaha." Director: "@Li I''m still here." Director: "@Captain Li You better not teach anyone. Your dating history made me anxious just watching it." Captain Li: "Well... at least I''ve stepped on all the mines already." Li: "Director, I was just joking! [Cute and innocent.jpg]" Wang: "Hehe, Chinese Valentine''s Day is a good day, everyone''s found love." Li: "@Wang I suspect you''re taking a dig at me." Wang: "@Li You should reflect on why you''re still single when even the boss and Dr. Mu are coupled up." Li: "@Wang Because they found each other." Wang: "Being witty won''t get you a girlfriend! You need to socialize more, don''t just be a tech nerd." Mu Mian: "Yes, I gave him that! [Proud.jpg]" Wang: "We know!" Zhang: "No need to emphasize!" Li: "Keep emphasizing and you''re just showing off!" Lin Sen: "Call me brother-in-law." Mu Mian: "@Lin Sen Brother-in-law." Wang: "Haha." Li: "Hahaha." Zhang: "Hahahaha." Zhang: "Why wasn''t my proposal post this lively? Why did you all just like it without commenting?" Li: "@Zhang Because you two show off your love every day, we''re not interested in your gossip anymore. This is the boss''s first time showing affection, it caught us off guard, we have to make it lively to give him face." Fang Rui: "Thanks for all the well wishes above." Wang: "Alright, alright, it''s late, time to sleep. I need to drive my girlfriend to work the day after tomorrow." Li: "If work is the day after tomorrow, why sleep early tonight?" Chen Xue: "Because he''s bragging about having a girlfriend." Li: "Ahh, just a lonely single dog who can''t sleep." Finance Wen: "Add another single dog." Chen Xue: "Why don''t you two get together?" The Director quickly jumped in to break up the potential match: "No way! One knows finance, the other knows technology; if they get together, our financial system''s risk factor would be too high!" Chen Xue: "Director, you''re so strategic, truly worthy of being our leader." Li: "Director, don''t worry, we''re not compatible." Finance Wen: "Director, don''t worry, we have different interests." Everyone had an enjoyable Chinese Valentine''s Day evening. Fang Rui somewhat regretted posting that Moments update. After posting, it wasn''t just his gossip-loving colleagues, but his classmates, relatives, and even his superiors who all sent their warm regards. However, these congratulations reinforced one fact: he had a girlfriend now. Mu Mian told her hacker friend about having a boyfriend. Her friend asked puzzled, "Didn''t you already have a boyfriend?" "Why would you think that?" "Look through our chat history, the name ''Fang Rui'' appears so frequently, and you even sent me his photo, which I said was handsome. I thought he was already your boyfriend." "He wasn''t then. But he is now." "That''s good. After I got a girlfriend, I worried you wouldn''t find a boyfriend and might end up alone." "I used to be scared of that too, but Fang Rui said he''ll stay with me, so I''m not scared anymore." "Now neither of us will end up alone!" "Yes." Mu Mian told Shen Xiyin about this. Her sister wasn''t surprised and said, "Little Mian, you''ve grown up." "Sister, now that I have love, does that make me normal?" "When you have love, whether you''re normal or not doesn''t matter anymore, because in his eyes, you''ll be unique." Mu Mian thought for a while, then sent emails to her adoptive father''s lab seniors. They had joked before that if Mu Mian ever got a boyfriend, she must tell them. She had promised. Being someone who keeps her promises, she sent emails to each of them. When she saw Jiang Yinian''s email address, she thought for a moment, then sent him one too. She waited for a long time, but none of the seniors replied. Mu Mian knew they probably wouldn''t respond anymore. Since her adoptive parents passed away, she hadn''t been able to contact them. Her sister also refused to mention them. Perhaps they no longer used those lab-affiliated email addresses, or perhaps after her adoptive father''s death, the bond connecting them had broken, and they no longer wanted to deal with their troublesome junior. Either way, they had lost contact. Ding dong, an email came in from Jiang Yinian. [Mu Mian, I''m glad you''ve found your own love. Wishing you happiness.] Mu Mian replied: [Thank you. I hope you can find your own love too.] Jiang Yinian didn''t reply again. Although they had confirmed their relationship, Fang Rui and Mu Mian''s interactions remained largely the same as before. Mu Mian didn''t blush when seeing Fang Rui, and he didn''t look at her with lovey-dovey eyes. To outsiders, they still appeared like purely professional colleagues. But in the morning when leaving home, Mu Mian''s greeting changed from "Fang Rui, good morning" to "boyfriend, good morning." Mu Mian said: "Fang Rui, from now on your name equals boyfriend, so when I call your name, it''s the same as calling you boyfriend. So I''ll still say, Fang Rui, good morning." "Okay." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Fang Rui, you haven''t said ''girlfriend, good morning'' to me yet." "Girlfriend, good morning." "From now on, my name equals girlfriend, understand?" "Mu Mian, good morning." On Monday at work, Fang Rui bought milk tea for Zhang and the others. They sensibly accepted without teasing. Firstly, there wasn''t much to tease about - Fang Rui and Mu Mian weren''t as openly affectionate as Zhang and Chen Xue. Secondly, they had already been warned by Fang Rui, and their 2000-word self-criticism reports weren''t finished yet. During the morning meeting, Wang shuffled into the conference room with a battered face. His left cheek had several scratch marks. Zhang exclaimed in surprise: "Wang, weren''t you dropping your girlfriend at work this morning? How did your face get scratched up like this? Who did it? How dare they assault a police officer - aren''t you going to report it?" Li reminded him: "He is the police." "Well, there was a medical dispute at Shu''s hospital entrance. A female family member lost control and tried to attack a nurse. I couldn''t just stand by, so I intervened, and this is what happened." Chen Xue asked: "Is your girlfriend okay?" "With me here, how could anything happen to her? That female family member just lost her child, and I felt sorry for her, so I didn''t pursue her responsibility. Her husband took her away." At this moment, the dispatcher informed them that they had received an emergency call. A medical accident had occurred at Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital, and the patient''s family member was insisting it was a murder case, demanding police intervention. Zhang asked Wang, "Which hospital does your girlfriend work as a nurse at?" "It''s the same hospital where this incident happened. I wonder if the person who called the police was that woman from earlier? She seemed mentally unstable." Chapter 172 Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital is a comprehensive tertiary hospital located in the city center. It is renowned for treating strokes, with elderly patients making up a large proportion of its patients. As a result, this hospital experiences more frequent medical disputes than other hospitals.The person who called the police was a female family member named Feng Xiaonan. She was originally an elementary school teacher, and her husband was a business manager. They had a lovely child named Li Yang, and they used to be a happy family of three. However, a car accident destroyed their happiness. Feng Xiaonan looked haggard, with sunken cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes suggested she was financially well-off, but her hair was dirty, and she appeared disheveled. "Officer, my son is dead. Someone killed him. The doctors said he could live for at least another six months. But last night, my son suddenly stopped breathing. The doctors said his condition deteriorated, but I don''t believe it. Someone must have murdered him!" Feng Xiaonan cried. Li Yang''s attending physician, Doctor Zhang, clarified: "Officer, her son was in a vegetative state. Who would murder someone in a vegetative state? She insists her son was murdered. Given her son''s condition, it was already a miracle he lived this long." "Does being in a vegetative state mean he''s not human? Does it mean he doesn''t have the right to live? Although my son couldn''t speak or move, he could hear me talking. He was still alive. Why did you take away his right to live?" Doctor Zhang stepped back, frightened. He explained helplessly, "Ms. Feng, I''ve explained countless times that he passed away due to his deteriorating condition." "That''s just an excuse. You doctors and nurses are all in this together. You all killed my child." Feng Xiaonan''s husband, Li Ruiqing, held her back to prevent her from harming the doctor: "Officer, my wife might be having some mental issues. I''m sorry you had to come here for nothing. My wife probably reported a false alarm because she''s not thinking straight after our child''s death." He turned to the doctor: "Doctor Zhang, I''m sorry. I''ll take my wife home now." After their son''s accident, Feng Xiaonan blamed herself for not watching him carefully enough. She took care of him day and night, not wanting to miss any chance for his recovery. When he died, her mental state began to collapse. Doctor Zhang said, "I can let this go this time, but please take your wife to see a psychiatrist soon. We can''t have these disturbances every day." "Li Ruiqing, your son is dead, and you''re defending his murderers! Where is your conscience?" Feng Xiaonan tried to scratch Li Ruiqing but was restrained by Fang Rui and his colleagues. Feng Xiaonan said, "Officer, the person who killed my son was Li Lingling, the nurse on duty in the Neurosurgery Ward of Building 7. She''s the distant niece of the driver who caused the accident. That driver didn''t want to keep paying for my son''s treatment, so he instructed Li Lingling to kill my child. My poor baby..." Li Ruiqing scolded her: "Xiaonan, don''t make baseless accusations. She could sue us for defamation. Li Lingling wasn''t even working last night. How could she have killed Yang?" "Li Ruiqing, why are you protecting the murderer? She is the killer! Yang was killed by her!" Fang Rui turned to Li Ruiqing and said, "Mr. Li, please explain the situation in detail." "Two weeks ago, my son Yang was playing with his toys in front of our house when a car suddenly lost control and drove into our yard, hitting him. After emergency treatment, my son survived but became vegetative. The doctors said that if we maintained his vital signs with equipment, our son could live for another six months, maybe longer if he was lucky. He was our only son, and even though he was in a vegetative state, we didn''t give up on treatment and kept taking care of him. My wife took care of him day and night for over two weeks, but unexpectedly, at around eight o''clock the night before last, our son suddenly stopped breathing. The doctors told us his condition had deteriorated. They explained the reasons, but it was all medical terminology that my wife couldn''t understand, so she became convinced someone deliberately killed our son." Mu Mian asked, "Where is your son''s body?" "The hospital has hidden it. They won''t let me see my son," Feng Xiaonan shouted. Li Ruiqing quickly explained, "No, the child''s body is in the morgue. My wife is too emotional, and I was afraid seeing our child''s body would traumatize her further. I was worried she might do something rash, so I''ve been preventing her from seeing him." "Li Ruiqing, do you think I''m crazy? You''re the crazy one! They killed my child, and no one will give me justice, yet you think I''m crazy. You don''t love Yang. Do you have another child somewhere else?" Feng Xiaonan demanded. Fang Rui first calmed Feng Xiaonan down, then said to her, "Ms. Feng, we will investigate the cause of your child''s death. You need to stay calm and provide as much information as possible so we can help you uncover the truth." Feng Xiaonan wiped her face, trying to maintain composure: "Yes, I can''t let people think I''m crazy. If I''m crazy, no one will believe me or help me get justice." She looked at Fang Rui and his colleagues: "Officers, you must help me. You''re my only hope." "Will you go with my colleagues to give a statement?" "Yes." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui had two female officers take her back to give a statement. After Feng Xiaonan left, Li Ruiqing said, "Officers, I''m sorry for troubling you. After that car accident, my wife''s mental state became unstable, and she became paranoid. Our son probably died naturally. His head was severely injured in the crash, with brain matter exposed. He wasn''t going to live long anyway. But my wife kept believing he could be cured and wouldn''t give up on treatment." Fang Rui said, "Mr. Li, you seem reluctant for us to investigate. Why?" "Who would murder a vegetative patient? Especially a child?" "Doesn''t the driver who caused the accident have a motive?" Li Ruiqing fell silent. Fang Rui said, "Take us to see your child''s body first." "Alright." The morgue was in the basement of Building 7 of the inpatient department, accessible only by service elevator. The lighting was dim, and there was a strange smell in the air. It was divided into a freezer area and a temporary storage area for bodies. Li Ruiqing pointed to one of the transport beds and said, "The child is there." He seemed afraid to approach. Mu Mian lifted the white sheet covering the bed, but there was only a teddy bear, no body. The bear had a wristband attached to its paw with Li Yang''s name and hospital information. Mu Mian asked, "Where''s the body? Has someone stolen it?" Chapter 173 Li Ruiqing''s face changed as he hurriedly walked over. He wanted to touch the teddy bear but was stopped by Fang Rui, "Mr. Li, you''re not wearing gloves, please don''t touch it.""This teddy bear belongs to Yangyang. I gave it to him on his seventh birthday," Li Ruiqing said, staring at the teddy bear. He mumbled, "Yangyang''s body was right here. I brought it here with the nurse. How could it suddenly disappear?" Fang Rui looked at nurse Chen Li. She was the nurse on duty in Yangyang''s ward that night, and she had helped Li Ruiqing transport the body to the morgue. Chen Li stammered, "I brought the body here with Mr. Li. I''m certain we placed it on this bed. Mr. Li said Yangyang loved this teddy bear the most, so we put it in Yangyang''s arms. Why is only the teddy bear left now?" The morgue didn''t hold many bodies. Most deceased patients were sent directly to the funeral home for cremation. Only bodies involved in medical disputes or those unclaimed by family members were temporarily stored here. Li Yang passed away around eight o''clock on August 9th, two nights ago. Feng Xiaonan refused to send her child to the funeral home, holding onto his body all night long. The next morning at 9:10, Li Ruiqing and nurse Chen Li took advantage of Feng Xiaonan being asleep to secretly move the child''s body to the morgue. Originally, Li Ruiqing had planned to send the child directly for cremation, but the hospital feared trouble from Feng Xiaonan. They worried that without the body, the situation might become complicated, so they temporarily placed it in the morgue while waiting for the forensic examiner. They searched the entire morgue but couldn''t find Yangyang''s body. Fortunately, there were security cameras installed in the hallway outside the morgue and in the service elevator. "Let''s check the surveillance footage. We''ll definitely find who moved the body." Li and Zhang went to the security room to review the footage, while Fang Rui and Mu Mian questioned nurse Chen Li and Li Ruiqing separately. They started with Chen Li. Before Fang Rui could ask anything, Chen Li spoke first: "Officer, do you think Yangyang''s mother, Feng Xiaonan, might have taken his body? She''s mentally unstable and loves her child so much. She''s the most likely suspect." Mu Mian replied, "If she had taken him, she would have been holding the body during her confrontation with the hospital." Noticing Chen Li''s strange expression, she added, "That''s how it always happens in TV dramas." "Then there are no suspects. Who would steal a child''s body?" Mu Mian asked, "Aren''t there any doctors in your hospital who might have a particular interest in corpses?" "Our doctors aren''t perverts. They''re only interested in treating living patients." Fang Rui asked, "Did the child''s father visit often to care for him?" "Yangyang''s father rarely came. He was extremely busy with work. He would occasionally visit in the evenings but only stay for an hour or two. Most of the time, it was just the child''s mother and grandmother taking turns caring for him. You know, I think Yangyang''s mother''s mental illness was brought on by stress. It''s already heartbreaking enough when your child is hurt, and any mother would feel guilty. But her mother-in-law would aggressively criticize everything she did every day. She even blamed her for not watching the child properly, saying that''s what led to the accident. Combined with the exhaustion of caring for her child day and night, Feng Xiaonan was practically broken." Chen Li, being a mother herself, deeply empathized with Feng Xiaonan. She even worried that at this rate, Feng Xiaonan might be the one to die first. "So the mother spent most of the time caring for the child?" "Yes. The grandmother would come during the day, but she mostly just complained and watched dramas on her phone. Basically, Yangyang''s mother did all the care herself. She was very responsible. Despite Yangyang being bedridden for so long, he never developed bedsores and was always kept clean. She took better care of him than professional caregivers would have." Fang Rui asked, "After Yangyang passed away, didn''t his grandmother come to make trouble?" "No. I found it strange too. Yangyang''s grandmother is usually so confrontational, yet she hasn''t come to the hospital to cause a scene. Instead, it was the seemingly gentle and timid mother who did." Mu Mian asked, "What was Yangyang''s condition like before he passed?" "I was on duty then. Around eight o''clock, Yangyang''s mother ran to the nurse''s station saying her child wasn''t breathing. When I got to the ward and saw the child''s unusual color, I immediately called for doctors to attempt resuscitation, but it was unsuccessful." Mu Mian asked, "Wasn''t he on a cardiac monitor?" "Yes, he was." "Didn''t you notice when his heart rate and breathing became irregular? Didn''t the machine alarm?" Chen Li looked embarrassed and explained, "That night we had another patient in emergency care, and the entire nurse''s station was busy. I was changing IV bags for other patients and didn''t notice the abnormal readings immediately." Li Ruiqing received a phone call about an urgent matter and left immediately, so they couldn''t complete his questioning. After the interviews, Fang Rui and Mu Mian went to the security office to find Li and the others. They were still reviewing the surveillance footage. Zhang analyzed, "Could this actually be a murder case? Why else would the child''s body suddenly disappear? Whoever took the body must not want us investigating the cause of death." Mu Mian agreed, "It''s possible. Common causes of death for patients in vegetative states are infection and organ failure, which usually show a gradual progression. It''s unusual for death to occur without warning. Li Yang''s death was too sudden." "Who could have taken the body? It must be either Li Yang''s family or a doctor." Zhang said, "Don''t you think Li Ruiqing''s attitude is strange? His child died, yet he''s so calm. And when his child''s body was stolen, he barely showed any anger? If it were me, I''d turn the hospital upside down looking for my child''s body." Mu Mian countered, "Some people just remain calm when facing death, like me." "Mian Mian, you''re not representative," Chen Xue said. Wang thought more practically: "Well, they probably cried themselves numb when the accident first happened, and now it''s more like relief. Think about it - how difficult is it to care for a child in a vegetative state? It costs money and energy. The child''s death might be a release for both the child and the parents. He''s probably thinking about the accident compensation money. Once money enters the picture, he might not feel as sad." Fang Rui said, "Li Ruiqing doesn''t seem to want us investigating the cause of death. Even if he doesn''t care about his child, wouldn''t he care about money? If this escalates, the hospital would likely pay to settle the matter. Why isn''t he making a fuss with his wife?" "Could it be that he loves his child so much that he doesn''t want to profit from the situation?" "That''s unlikely. The nurse said he rarely came to the hospital to care for the child." After this analysis, everyone felt something was off about Li Ruiqing. "Let''s stop discussing and find who took the body first," Mu Mian urged. "We''re looking." Not many people had accessed the morgue, and most visits were made by nurses accompanied by family members. Very few went in alone. They quickly identified one suspicious person. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The person wore a loose white coat and was tall and thin. Their face was covered by a mask, and they had thick, fluffy hair that made their head appear large. This person entered the morgue alone at 12:08 PM yesterday with empty hands, stayed for about seven minutes, and then left. "They didn''t carry out a body. Could it still be in the morgue?" Chapter 174 Fang Rui contacted the hospital staff, who dispatched several medical personnel to assist the police in searching the bodies.The bodies in the freezer were all stored in body bags. This time, they pulled out all the bodies from the freezer, opened the bags one by one for inspection, and eventually found Yangyang''s body in one of the compartments. Yangyang''s body was placed in the same body bag as an elderly man''s body, positioned near the man''s legs. If they hadn''t opened the bag, they wouldn''t have noticed that a child''s body was hidden inside. During the first inspection, they had opened the body bag and saw the elderly man''s body, so they didn''t check further, never realizing that Yangyang''s body was inside. Zhang said, "Could Yangyang''s death really have been a medical accident? Otherwise, why would the doctor hide the body?" Li analyzed, "It''s also possible that someone disguised as a doctor to steal the body. Look, the white coat he was wearing was too big and didn''t fit well." Fang Rui said, "Zhang, Li, you two go investigate this matter." "Okay." Mu Mian took out a new body bag, placed Yangyang''s body inside, and took it back. Fang Rui invited Li Ruiqing to the interrogation room. "Mr. Li, we have found your son''s body." "Is... is that so? That''s great, great." Li Ruiqing said absent-mindedly. He sat nervously in the chair, his head lowered in guilt, not daring to meet Fang Rui''s gaze. "Mr. Li, don''t you want to know who hid your son''s body?" "Who was it? Could it be the doctor? They didn''t want my wife to cause a scene, didn''t want you to find out the cause of death, so they hid my son''s body." Li Ruiqing speculated. "Mr. Li, where were you yesterday at noon?" Fang Rui asked. "I... I was with my wife. I was afraid she would get emotional and try to commit suicide, so I stayed with her, trying to console her." "Did you buy a wig?" "No." "The owner of the wig shop closest to the hospital said you bought a wig there, claiming it was for your wife who has terminal cancer. The hospital''s surveillance footage shows you sneaking into the doctor''s office yesterday at noon. Did you steal the doctor''s white coat?" "I..." Confronted with various pieces of evidence, Li Ruiqing could no longer argue. "Mr. Li, why did you hide your child''s body?" Li Ruiqing hugged his head, his expression pained. His mouth opened and closed, and finally, he admitted, "Yes, I hid the child''s body. Yesterday at noon, I took advantage of the doctors going to a meeting and stole a white coat to disguise myself as a doctor, then hid my child''s body in the freezer. It was me. You can arrest me." "Why did you hide the child''s body?" Fang Rui repeated. Li Ruiqing remained silent. "Because you knew the child didn''t die a natural death, but was murdered, right?" Li Ruiqing still didn''t speak. "If you continue to remain silent, we will have no choice but to suspect that your child''s death is connected to you." "I... I have nothing to say." Li Ruiqing opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again. Fang Rui detained Li Ruiqing temporarily on the charge of stealing a corpse. Zhang wondered, "I don''t think Li Ruiqing killed Yangyang. He wasn''t even there the day Yangyang died, but why did he hide the body?" Fang Rui said, "He might have been protecting someone." When Feng Xiaonan learned that her husband had hidden their child''s body, her emotions flared up again. She muttered to the air, "Li Ruiqing killed Yangyang. He has another woman outside, he doesn''t need this child anymore, he thinks Yangyang is a burden..." "You mean he cheated?" "It must be so." Feng Xiaonan''s mental state was too poor, so Fang Rui and the others had no choice but to contact her parents to take her back. In the autopsy room. Mu Mian carefully read the death record provided by the doctor. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The cause of death given was: Intracranial infection leading to increased intracranial pressure, resulting in brain herniation. The death diagnosis was: Severe traumatic brain injury, left temporal subdural hematoma; bilateral frontal, temporal, and right parietal lobe contusions; traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage; scalp hematoma. The death record showed: On August 9th, at 19:52, the patient''s vital signs became abnormal, with cardiac arrest, cyanosis of the lips, difficulty breathing, and dilated pupils. After resuscitation, the patient died at 20:46 that evening. After the body was thawed, Mu Mian began the autopsy. The deceased''s face and fingers were cyanotic, and there were pinpoint hemorrhages in the conjunctiva, which could initially suggest that the deceased likely died from asphyxiation, or at least experienced a period of asphyxiation. Mu Mian examined the deceased''s mouth and nose, finding no foreign objects. However, she discovered some black ash-like substances in the respiratory tract. These substances were small, blocky, and very thin. Mu Mian used a cotton swab to wipe some of the black ash and examined it closely under the light. Mu Mian said, "This seems to be the residue of something that has burned." Chen Xue observed for a while and then said, "It looks like plant ash. Could this stuff have blocked the deceased''s airway, causing his death? Who put this into Yangyang''s airway? That''s too malicious! Isn''t this premeditated murder?" Mu Mian cut open the deceased''s abdominal cavity, starting with the trachea and lungs, where she found a small amount of black substances. Mu Mian then removed the deceased''s stomach, cut it open, and found many black substances attached to the gastric mucosa. Chen Xue said, "There''s also stuff in the lungs and stomach? Could it be that when someone fed the deceased these things, some accidentally fell into the airway, causing asphyxiation?" Chen Xue suddenly thought of something. "Could it have been his family who fed him this?" Chapter 175 At the case analysis meeting, Mu Mian reported the autopsy results."The cause of the deceased''s death was bleeding in the brainstem. This would damage the respiratory center, preventing the deceased from breathing on their own," Mu Mian explained. "There are many causes of brainstem hemorrhage, including any factors that raise blood pressure, such as emotional distress, strenuous activity, excessive drinking, and constipation." "So, what caused the deceased''s blood pressure to rise?" someone asked. Mu Mian replied, "We found that the deceased''s adrenaline levels were abnormally high, three times that of a normal person. Elevated adrenaline can cause blood pressure to rise. However, this could also be the result of adrenaline injection during medical resuscitation. We detected some black ash-like substances in the deceased''s body. It is weakly alkaline, and we are still analyzing what it is. We also found cinnabar in the deceased''s body. Cinnabar is both a traditional Chinese medicine and a toxic substance. Excessive intake can lead to mercury poisoning and affect the central nervous system." Mu Mian displayed photos of the black substances on the screen. "Could it be the residue of some toxic herbal medicine? Or perhaps ash from burning mugwort? It''s said that mugwort ash can be used in medicine," someone suggested. Chen Xue added, "I also suspect it might be some kind of plant ash." "But who would feed such a thing to a child, especially a comatose one? It seems like they were deliberately trying to harm him," another person commented. Mu Mian said, "It''s unlikely to be medicinal residue. It appears to be ash formed from the combustion of a fiber-rich substance." Zhang suddenly chimed in, "Could it be ash from a talisman? In our area, some very superstitious people go to temples to get talismans when their children are ill. They burn the talisman into ash and mix it with water to drink. It''s said to be very effective. The talismans are usually drawn with cinnabar. Maybe Yangyang''s family is also superstitious and secretly fed him talisman water?" Others seemed to agree with Zhang''s theory. If the child''s condition worsened due to drinking talisman water, it would explain why Li Ruiqing hid the child''s body and didn''t want the police to investigate. Li questioned, "Comatose patients are usually maintained with IVs. How could someone feed him anything?" Chen Xue replied, "Comatose patients still need nutrition. They are typically fed through a gastric tube with liquid food like rice porridge or protein powder. It''s likely that Yangyang''s family fed him talisman water secretly, without the doctor''s knowledge." "Then, the person who fed him the talisman water is probably the child''s grandmother or grandmother-in-law?" Zhang speculated. "Only older generations would be so superstitious." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As they finished the meeting and left the conference room, they heard that an elderly woman was causing a commotion at the police station entrance. "You heartless people, how could you arrest my son? My grandson just died, and instead of investigating the hospital''s doctors and nurses, you arrest my son... You''re all in cahoots with the hospital, making things difficult for us ordinary folks..." The woman was Yangyang''s grandmother, Sun Guixiang, in her sixties, wearing a worn-out outfit, sitting on the ground at the police station entrance, crying and cursing. A crowd of onlookers had gathered, with some even filming with their phones. "Old lady, is what you''re saying true?" an onlooker asked. "My grandson suddenly passed away, and the hospital won''t give us any explanation. My son and daughter-in-law went to the hospital to seek justice, but the police sided with the doctors and arrested my son. We''re the victims here! My grandson''s body is still warm, and they''re already bullying us..." she wailed. The onlookers felt sympathy for the poor old woman. Fang Rui and Zhang hurried to the police station entrance to calm Sun Guixiang. Zhang reached out to help her up. "Grandma Sun, let''s talk inside, okay? It''s hot out here, and we can get you some water." Sun Guixiang swatted his hand away. "Inside? Do you think I''ll come out alive? My son went in to cooperate with your investigation, and you locked him up. Are you planning to lock me up too?" Fang Rui explained, "We detained him because he broke the law." An onlooker asked, "What law did he break? You need to explain in detail. Just because you say he broke the law doesn''t make it so." Fang Rui replied, "I''m sorry, but we cannot disclose our work details to the public." The crowd began murmuring among themselves. Some whispered, "If the procedures are correct, why can''t they be transparent?" Zhang was speechless. They didn''t disclose details because they were afraid of online backlash. Sun Guixiang, finding support in the crowd, became more assertive. She addressed the onlookers, "Come, everyone, judge for yourselves. Yangyang is my grandson. My son has the right to handle Yangyang''s body as he sees fit, doesn''t he? My son is Yangyang''s father. What law did he break by hiding Yangyang''s body?" The onlookers were stunned into silence. Zhang exclaimed in surprise, "You knew your son hid your grandson''s body?" "Of course I knew. I told him to do it. Are you going to arrest me too?" The sympathy the onlookers had for the old woman vanished upon hearing her confession. "Officers, arrest this old lady quickly. Maybe she killed her grandson herself." "Exactly, I''ve never seen such an arrogant criminal." "This old lady doesn''t look like a good person. She has a fierce face." Sun Guixiang was furious at this comment. She pointed at the young man who insulted her. "My grandson is the lifeblood of our family. Why would I harm him? You little wretch, slandering an old woman like me, do you have no conscience?" Fang Rui called for two officers to take Sun Guixiang inside. With the disruptive woman gone, the onlookers were about to disperse when Zhang stopped them. "Please delete the videos you just took. Don''t spread them. It''s not good for the image. Thank you for cooperating." "Oh, officers, you''re in the right. What are you afraid of?" "Exactly, let''s post this old lady''s tantrum online and shame her. Officers, don''t worry, I''ll blur your faces." Zhang''s tone became firm. "Please cooperate with our work." "Alright." "Deleted, deleted." Zhang made sure everyone deleted their videos and repeatedly emphasized that spreading misleading videos online would result in severe legal consequences. Once brought to the interrogation room, Sun Guixiang realized she might have said the wrong thing and started crying again. "Officers, please have mercy on my family. My grandson is gone, and I can''t lose my son too... Oh, heavens, you can''t treat an old woman like me this way..." Fang Rui and Zhang watched her quietly as she cried. When she finally stopped, Fang Rui asked, "What did you feed Yangyang the night he died?" Chapter 176 ¡°I didn¡¯t feed him anything. It was always Feng Xiaonan who fed him.¡± When mentioning her daughter-in-law, Sun Guixiang¡¯s anger flared up instantly. She cursed, ¡°My grandson was killed by Feng Xiaonan, that jinx.¡±¡°Why do you say she caused his death?¡± ¡°Feng Xiaonan¡¯s horoscope clashes with my grandson¡¯s. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s cursed him. Oh, I¡¯ve been telling my son to remarry, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. Now look, the child is gone¡­¡± Fang Rui interrupted her: ¡°Did you secretly feed the child some ritual water that night?¡± Sun Guixiang¡¯s eyes darted around. She denied it, ¡°No! What talisman water? I don¡¯t know anything about it. I didn¡¯t feed him anything!¡± ¡°Your son said it was you who fed him.¡± Fang Rui decided to bluff her. ¡°Did he say that? He¡¯s grown bold, daring to accuse his own mother,¡± Sun Guixiang exploded in rage. ¡°Where is Li Ruiqing being held? I¡¯m going to drag him out and beat him to death for being such an ungrateful son!¡± ¡°So you admit you fed him talisman water?¡± ¡°Officer, this wasn¡¯t just any talisman water. It was specially made by a master. The talisman was burned into ash and mixed with the master¡¯s sacred water. It¡¯s said to cure any illness. I spent thousands of yuan on it. The master told me that as long as the child drank it, no matter what illness he had, it would be cured immediately. That evening, while my daughter-in-law was in the bathroom, I secretly fed the child a big bowl of talisman water. Soon after, the child showed some reaction¡ªhis eyelids were twitching. But a little while later, Feng Xiaonan said the child had stopped breathing. It wasn¡¯t me who killed my grandson. It was the hospital¡¯s fault, or maybe it was Feng Xiaonan¡¯s curse.¡± Zhang was furious. ¡°The talisman was drawn with cinnabar. Haven¡¯t you watched TV? They always say in dramas that cinnabar is poisonous!¡± ¡°I asked the nurse. The nurse said it was okay to feed him. I asked her, and she said it was fine.¡± ¡°Which nurse said that? We¡¯ll take you to the hospital right now, and you can point her out.¡± ¡°All the nurses in the hospital wear the same uniforms and look similar. I can¡¯t remember which one it was now.¡± Zhang cut her off. ¡°Stop trying to shift the blame to others. If you hadn¡¯t fed the child random things, causing the food to go into his airway, he wouldn¡¯t have died so suddenly.¡± ¡°Yangyang wasn¡¯t going to live much longer anyway. Whether he died early or late, it was going to happen. He was lying in bed all day, what¡¯s the difference between that and being dead?¡± Sun Guixiang muttered. She knew it was wrong to feed the child random things, but she thought, what if the sacred water worked? Even if it didn¡¯t work and the child died, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss. After all, the child was a vegetable; living or dead, it was all the same. Dying would actually make things easier. Her son could have another child, and she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not having a grandson. Zhang was both angered and amused by her brazenness. Sun Guixiang had killed her own grandson and showed no remorse. Such a person was truly terrifying. When Li Ruiqing learned that the police had discovered Sun Guixiang¡¯s act of feeding talisman water, he admitted his motive for hiding the body: ¡°That¡¯s my mother. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch her go to jail. I had to hide the body.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t inform the doctors about this during the emergency treatment?¡± Fang Rui asked. Li Ruiqing stammered, ¡°My mom was scared out of her wits. She¡­ she didn¡¯t dare tell the doctors.¡± ¡°If you had told them, the child might have been saved!¡± Zhang exclaimed angrily. ¡°Even if he was saved, he¡¯d still be a vegetable.¡± Li Ruiqing muttered softly. ¡°¡­¡± The malicious thoughts between mother and son were eerily aligned. Zhang couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they had intentionally used the talisman water to kill Yangyang. ¡°It¡¯s all Feng Xiaonan¡¯s fault. If she hadn¡¯t made a fuss, none of this would have happened.¡± Fang Rui retorted, ¡°So you could just shift the blame to others and feel justified blaming the hospital or Feng Xiaonan for not taking good care of him?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Yangyang¡¯s car accident happened in your courtyard, which was surrounded by walls. If that car hadn¡¯t lost control and crashed through the wall, Yangyang wouldn¡¯t have been involved. The driver of the car is the one responsible for the accident. Feng Xiaonan had no responsibility at all. Yet you¡¯re blaming her for Yangyang¡¯s accident. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too cruel for a mother who loves her child?¡± Li Ruiqing had nothing to say. In fact, he and his family knew Feng Xiaonan was innocent, but they were afraid she would abandon them and refuse to take care of Yangyang. So, they kept piling on the guilt, hoping to make her feel responsible and force her to stay and care for Yangyang. When Feng Xiaonan learned the truth about her child¡¯s death, she broke down in tears. She had thought of many reasons, even suspecting that her mother-in-law and husband had secretly killed Yangyang. But she never expected it was because her mother-in-law had fed him talisman water. Right after Yangyang¡¯s accident, her mother-in-law suggested feeding him talisman water to speed up his recovery. Despite her strong objections, she thought her mother-in-law had given up on the idea. She never imagined that Yangyang would still die because of this superstitious practice. Feng Xiaonan filed for divorce from Li Ruiqing. She couldn¡¯t continue living with such a man. After Yangyang¡¯s accident, he had used work as an excuse to avoid coming to the hospital to care for their child. She had tolerated it for the sake of their child. Now that Yangyang was gone, there was no point in continuing this marriage. After work, Fang Rui and Mu Mian headed home together. As they got into the car, Fang Rui noticed Mu Mian¡¯s mood was off. ¡°Mu Mian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yangyang¡¯s death might not have been caused by that bowl of talisman water.¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± ¡°When a patient stops breathing or has cardiac arrest, adrenaline is usually injected for emergency treatment. But excessive adrenaline can cause high blood pressure. Patients with cerebral hemorrhage should not be given adrenaline for resuscitation. But we found that Yangyang¡¯s adrenaline levels were three times higher than normal. Elevated adrenaline can raise blood pressure, which could cause or worsen cerebral hemorrhage.¡± Fang Rui asked, ¡°Are you saying this might be a medical malpractice case?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The doctor gave me the treatment records, and it shows that adrenaline wasn¡¯t used during the resuscitation. I don¡¯t know why his adrenaline levels were abnormal. There could be many reasons. It¡¯s very difficult to determine the cause of death in cases like his, with severe traumatic brain injury.¡± The next day, Mu Mian shared this information with Yangyang¡¯s attending doctor, who denied it: ¡°During the resuscitation, Yangyang had already stopped breathing. We didn¡¯t use any medication on him.¡± ¡°Then why were his adrenaline levels abnormal?¡± ¡°Patients with severe traumatic brain injury often have complications that can cause abnormal hormone secretion. It¡¯s difficult to determine the cause of death in such cases. Yangyang¡¯s death could have been caused by multiple factors, making it hard to pinpoint the exact cause.¡± Mu Mian insisted, ¡°Can you provide the infusion list?¡± ¡°Are you suspecting Yangyang¡¯s death was due to medical malpractice? But I¡¯m certain that none of the medications I prescribed contained adrenaline.¡± Mu Mian asked, ¡°But don¡¯t you think Yangyang¡¯s death was rather sudden?¡± ¡°Patients with such severe conditions aren¡¯t like ordinary people. They are at risk of death at any moment.¡± Yangyang¡¯s attending doctor thought for a moment and said, ¡°Our hospital has already formed an investigation team to look into this matter. If there was indeed a medical malpractice, we will provide an explanation to Yangyang¡¯s family.¡± Two days later, the hospital¡¯s investigation results came out. The treatment process for Yangyang had followed the medical procedures, and there was no medical malpractice. Chapter 177 The hospital provided the police with detailed investigation procedures and medical records, which proved that Yangyang''s death was not a medical accident. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Yangyang''s attending physician had never prescribed epinephrine, and the entire treatment process was very standardized. This investigation result was within Fang Rui and their expectations. "If it''s not a medical accident, could it be intentional murder?" Fang Rui speculated. Zhang said, "Someone who could use epinephrine to kill is most likely a healthcare worker, but they had no grudge against Yangyang. Why would they want to kill him?" Chen Xue said, "Didn''t they say before that the relative of the hit-and-run driver works at that hospital? Could it be her?" "She wasn''t on duty that night. The medical expenses for Yangyang were being paid by the insurance company, so the hit-and-run driver had no motive to kill him," Fang Rui replied. "There''s another possibility," Lin Sen said. "What possibility?" "There is a type of serial killer who are healthcare workers, and their targets are usually patients. There was a serial killer abroad who was a nurse. During her time working in the hospital, she killed over 300 patients, making her the most prolific serial killer." Mu Mian said, "Yes, her motive for killing was to free up hospital beds. Her story was even adapted into a movie called ''The Good Nurse,'' which is a bit ironic, isn''t it?" "To kill patients just to free up beds?" Zhang exclaimed, "That motive is too absurd!" Lin Sen said, "Don''t try to understand serial killers, because as a normal person, you won''t be able to grasp their logic." Chen Xue was puzzled, "She killed over 300 people, and the hospital never noticed?" Mu Mian said, "Chen Xue, if a professional doctor wants to kill his patient, it''s very easy. Many patients die without anyone knowing the truth." Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui, "So having a forensic scientist in the family is very important." Fang Rui smiled helplessly. Mu Mian then looked at Chen Xue and continued to explain, "That nurse worked in several hospitals. She wasn''t undetected; rather, when she was discovered, it was always considered a medical accident." Chen Xue speculated, "Could the killer also be someone who doesn''t want to waste medical resources, so they targeted comatose patients?" "But this hospital has only had one comatose patient die recently," Fang Rui said. "With only one victim, we can''t determine the serial killer''s criteria for selecting targets," Lin Sen said, pausing slightly, "If there really is a serial killer in that hospital, they will likely be tempted to kill again." "Can''t we prevent it in advance?" Lin Sen said, "Have the hospital provide me with the death data from all their departments recently. If there''s an abnormal death rate among certain patients, the killer is likely targeting them. Of course, this is all based on the assumption that such a serial killer exists." "My goodness, then they''re like the Grim Reaper, freely taking lives?" After the morning meeting, they received another police report. The incident occurred in a village on the outskirts of the city, but the jurisdiction belonged to Jiangzhou City. Fang Rui and the team drove to the village. It was a poor village, and it was only in recent years, with the help of the government, that a narrow cement road was built. Most of the houses in the village were single-story bungalows, though they were all painted white. The village was surrounded by large fields, and most villagers made a living by farming or working outside the village. They parked their car outside a two-story building. The house had two floors, but the second floor was unfinished. It had a large courtyard enclosed by a wall, with several jujube trees planted inside. They walked into the courtyard, which was crowded with people. The deceased was an 85-year-old lady who had seven children: three sons and four daughters. Her children had also had many children, so their family was quite large. After the old lady''s death, her children immediately gathered from all over. There was a tradition of vigil in this area. If they didn''t send the old lady off properly, not only would they be criticized by the villagers, but they would also have bad luck for years. The people were standing in several groups, and the groups didn''t talk to each other. Some had tears in their eyes, while others looked angry, indicating a family with many grudges and not very harmonious. Seeing Fang Rui enter, the eldest son, Ye Jianzhong, immediately came forward and said, "Police officer, I called the police. I suspect that my younger brother, Ye Jianmin, and his family abused and murdered my mother with carbon monoxide!" "Why do you say that?" The eldest son said, "When I was young, I was a barefoot doctor and knew some medical skills. After death, the face turns white due to the cessation of blood circulation, but my mother''s face was red, and she had vomited before her death. There was also a fire bowl in the room, so I can''t help but suspect that my mother was murdered." Ye Jianmin immediately came forward to argue, "Eldest brother, it''s not right for you to do this. I''ve taken care of our paralyzed mother for two years. If I had bad intentions, could she have lived for two years? You''re calling the police on me? You''re not showing any brotherly love at all!" Ye Meiying, the third child, tried to mediate, "Big brother, Jianmin couldn''t have killed mom, so don''t make a fuss. If this gets out of hand, everyone''s face will be affected." Ye Jianzhong accused, "Am I making a fuss? In the middle of summer, why did you put a fire bowl for the old lady? Who would roast themselves in the summer? Jianmin, you didn''t want to take care of mom, so you used this method to kill her, right? If you didn''t want to take care of her, you could have sent her to my house. As long as I have food, mom won''t go hungry." Ye Jianmin muttered, "The fire bowl wasn''t ours! Maybe she wanted to roast herself and got up to do it herself?" The eldest son laughed angrily, "Mom had a stroke and was paralyzed. How could she possibly get up? You''re full of lies! Police officer, look at his attitude. If my mom wasn''t killed by him, I''ll die right here." The fourth child chimed in, "Jianmin, how you and your wife treated mom, the neighbors have already told us. Today, this matter won''t be settled until it''s cleared up." "Oh, you still know that mom was bedridden? In the past two years, who among you visited? Now you blame us for not taking good care of her? You take good care of her, why don''t you do it yourself? It''s easy to say nice things. Look at what you''ve done. Now you blame me, blame my wife, where were you before?" Ye Jianqing, the sixth child, said, "Mom''s house was given to you. If it wasn''t you taking care of her, who would it be? One must have conscience." This house was built by me. I admit that the land use rights belong to my parents, but you didn¡¯t come back to build houses, so my parents could only stay with us. I¡¯ve also said that I can compensate you with money, and we can take turns taking care of mom, but you said no. ¡°Is this just about the homestead? Mom also took care of your kids for so many years!¡± Mu Mian, seeing them argue without end, tried to interject several times but couldn''t interrupt them. She looked at Fang Rui. "Where is your mother''s body?" Fang Rui asked loudly. The eldest son led them to a low house behind them, pushed open the wooden door, and said, "My mother''s body is inside. She lived here before her death. Jianmin, this is how you took care of mom, letting her live in such a place!" This house was originally a firewood house, converted into a room. The walls weren''t painted, the ground was uneven and hadn''t been paved with cement, and there was only one window, making it poorly lit and ventilated. As soon as Fang Rui and the others entered, they smelled a strange odor, a mix of excrement and mildew. The room was surprisingly tidy, perhaps because the old lady had almost nothing except a cabinet. Next to the old lady''s bed was a fire bowl with some unburned charcoal. Chapter 178 The elderly woman had already been dressed in traditional Chinese funeral attire. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips shriveled and cherry-colored, and her body was stiff.Mu Mian lifted her eyelid. The old woman had suffered from severe cataracts during her lifetime, and her eyes were cloudy, so Mu Mian couldn''t observe the condition of her eyeballs. Mu Mian pressed her skin, and soon redness and swelling appeared. This suggested that she might have died from severe carbon monoxide poisoning. The old woman''s body had multiple bedsores, and her skin was ulcerated in several places, emitting a foul odor. Mu Mian pried open the deceased''s mouth and found a coin inside. Mu Mian asked in confusion, "Why did you put a coin in her mouth?" It''s our custom. It''s called ''han kou qian'' (literally "mouth coin"), which means putting a coin in the mouth. "Remove it!" "You''ll have to help us put it back later." Mu Mian then examined the deceased''s mouth and found a thick, oily substance inside. Mu Mian asked angrily, "What did you feed her?" "It''s cooked muzi oil. It''s our custom that when an elderly person is about to pass away, they must be fed this. This way, they can leave smoothly." Ye Jianzhong explained. Mu Mian said, "So this is ''sending off the dying oil''?" Typically, elderly people near death have difficulty breathing and rely on mouth breathing, so they gasp heavily. This oil, when swallowed, could block the airway and accelerate their death. "..." "How did you determine that she was about to pass away?" Ye Jianmin, the fifth brother, said, "I was the one who sent my mother off. At that time, only my daughter and I were there. My mother''s throat kept making gurgling sounds. I heard that''s what happens before the elderly pass away, so I quickly fed her this oil. Soon after, she passed away." Ye Jianzhong angrily retorted, "It must be because of something you did. How could Mother pass away without waiting for us to return? She hadn''t even seen her great-grandchild yet! If it weren''t for your tricks, Mother would have held on until we got back!" This was what angered Ye Jianzhong the most. His fifth brother had deprived him of the chance to see their mother off, and he would surely be ridiculed by the villagers. "What''s so great about a great-grandchild? Will the great-grandchild come to her bedside to take care of her?" Ye Jianmin''s wife said sarcastically. "It''s better to have a granddaughter. At least a granddaughter would visit her grandmother every day and talk to her." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ye Jianzhong instantly exploded, "This is a matter of the Ye family. What right does a woman from another family have to speak? Ye Jianmin, your wife really needs to be disciplined." Ye Jianmin''s wife wasn''t afraid of him and retorted directly, "Yes, I''m an outsider. But when you forced me to take care of your mother, I wasn''t an outsider anymore? You Ye family members are all useless, always fighting within the family. With so many of you, you couldn''t even take care of an elderly mother. I''m ashamed for you!" "Stop arguing," Ye Yu, Ye Jianmin''s daughter, suddenly shouted. "You argued when Grandma was alive, and you''re still arguing after she''s gone! Can''t you be quiet for a while and let Grandma leave peacefully? Grandma didn''t want to hear you talk!" Ye Yu, who was in sixth grade, was very sensible, but her eyes were swollen from crying. She had been raised by her grandmother and had a deep bond with her. Ye Meiying patted her head and scolded, "Adults are talking. What right does a child like you have to interrupt? Ye Jianmin, look at how you''re raising your daughter. She has no manners!" "My daughter visits her grandmother every day. She''s more filial than you, the daughter. You have no manners. Grandma used to love you the most, but after she became paralyzed, did you ever take care of her for a single day? You''re not even as good as my daughter, the granddaughter!" "I''m a daughter. It''s not my responsibility to care for the elderly. That''s the sons'' job." Seeing that they didn''t stop but instead argued even more fiercely, Ye Yu covered her face and ran out. Wang noticed several clear fingerprints on the brazier. They found a box of charcoal in the room, and there were also fingerprints on the box. Mu Mian took out a body bag. The old woman''s children, hearing the sound of the zipper, stopped arguing and asked, "Miss, what are you doing?" "We need to take the deceased''s body back for an autopsy," Mu Mian said. "No way!" The eldest brother, Ye Jianzhong, said, "An autopsy? Are you that incompetent, coroner? Can''t you prove that our mother died from carbon monoxide poisoning based on these signs? Why do you need an autopsy?" "We''re withdrawing the report. Police officers, you can go back now." The group suddenly became united, pulling on the body bag in Mu Mian''s hands. Mu Mian asked in confusion, "Don''t you want to know how your mother died?" No one answered. In fact, they didn''t really care how their mother died. When they found out about her death, their first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief, followed by sadness. The eldest brother had reported the case because he had a grudge against the fifth brother and wanted to frame him. On the matter of not autopsying the body, the seven siblings reached an unprecedented consensus. After some discussion, the eldest brother, Ye Jianzhong, took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and offered it to Fang Rui. "Police officer, can this matter just be dropped?" Fang Rui didn''t take the cigarette. "I''m sorry, but since a report has been filed, we must investigate." "You can''t just report that we made a mistake? Look, police officer, let''s have a meal in the city. Can we just drop this matter? You can''t autopsy our mother''s body. If her body isn''t intact, it will affect our family''s feng shui." Fang Rui said, "You''re so superstitious. Don''t you worry that your mother''s ghost will haunt you after her death?" "Who says we''re not filial? We didn''t visit her because..." Fang Rui interrupted their excuses, "We must take the body back." At this, the old woman''s children all stood in front of her bed. The husband of Ye Meilin, the second sister, was a court clerk. He stepped forward and said, "Police officers, you need the family''s consent to perform an autopsy. We don''t agree now. If you forcibly take the body, we will file a complaint. I know your superiors..." As the stalemate continued, Wang said to Fang Rui, "Boss, let''s go outside for a moment." Fang Rui and the others went outside. After ensuring that those inside couldn''t hear them, Wang whispered, "Based on the size of the fingerprints, they might belong to a child." As he spoke, Wang looked toward the roadside, where Ye Yu was crouching and crying. Zhang whispered, "Are you saying Ye Yu lit the brazier? But she had a good relationship with her grandmother. Why would she do that?" No one wanted to think ill of a primary school student. But they couldn''t figure out why she would do such a thing. "Maybe she thought her grandmother was suffering and wanted to help her find relief," Chen Xue speculated. Chen Xue''s grandmother had passed away after suffering a stroke, and she had often said she wanted to die while lying in bed. Seeing an elderly person suffer so much on the bed, sometimes one might want to help them find relief. Mu Mian disagreed, "No, she might have wanted to warm her grandmother." Chen Xue said, "But it''s summer. Who needs a fire?" "Maybe her grandmother had a cold? Elderly people perceive temperature differently from young people. Even in summer, they might feel cold," Mu Mian explained. Everyone agreed with Mu Mian''s speculation. Zhang asked, "So what do we do with this case? Do we still investigate?" Fang Rui said, "Let''s not let those people inside know about this for now." The others nodded, "Understood." Those inside were not easy to deal with. If they found out about this, they might drive Ye Yu to despair. If this was just an accident, Ye Yu was still a child. This incident shouldn''t tarnish her life. Fang Rui and Mu Mian walked up to Ye Yu. Feeling the sunlight blocked, Ye Yu looked up. Seeing the police in front of her, she shrank in fear, then mustered her courage and said, "Officer, I killed my grandmother. I didn''t mean to. Are you here to arrest me?" Chapter 179 Mu Mian asked, "Why did you light the brazier?"Ye Yu wiped away her tears and whispered, "Last night, Grandma suddenly told me she was freezing all over. I went to tell my parents, but they ignored me. My uncle and my dad haven''t paid their share of Grandma''s support this month, so they didn''t want to take care of her anymore. Grandma was really cold, shivering all over. I found a brazier and charcoal in her room. I burned the charcoal. It''s my fault Grandma died. I had opened the window and placed a bowl of water nearby, but I don''t know why it ended up killing her..." As Ye Yu spoke, she grew more and more upset. She felt deeply guilty and afraid. She didn''t dare tell her family, yet she was tormented by her conscience. So, she decided to turn herself in to the police. Being locked up in prison seemed better than facing judgment from her own family. She extended her hands toward Fang Rui and Mu Mian, "Officer, please take me away. My teacher said that if you do something wrong, you need to be punished." Fang Rui crouched down and comforted her, "Ye Yu, this was an accident, not your fault. You are a very filial child." Ye Yu became even more upset, "Sob... I really didn''t mean it. I don''t know why it happened. I just wanted to make Grandma warm. I should have given my own blanket to Grandma, but I was afraid my mom would scold me. She doesn''t allow me to be nice to Grandma..." Mu Mian looked down at Ye Yu and said very seriously, "Your grandma didn''t die from carbon monoxide poisoning. She was very sick, which is why she felt cold even in the summer. She died from her illness." Ye Yu''s eyes were filled with tears, sparkling, "Really? But my uncle said Grandma died because of the brazier." Mu Mian replied, "I''m a forensic scientist, and I''m very professional. Plus, I never lie." Ye Yu said, "Sister, you''re so amazing. You''re a forensic scientist." "Thank you for the compliment." "When I grow up, I want to become a doctor so that there will be no more paralyzed people in the world. Or maybe a scientist. I want to develop a robot that can take care of patients. That way, when people get old, they will receive thoughtful care. I will also give those robots features so they can chat with Grandma, tell stories, and sing her favorite Huangmei Opera..." As she spoke, tears streamed down Ye Yu''s face, "If only I could grow up faster, then I could take care of Grandma and make her happy every day." "Your dream is very noble," Mu Mian praised. ¡°But I''m not good at math. The nurse said that people who aren''t good at math can''t become doctors or scientists.¡± Mu Mian said, "Math is simple; you just need to work hard to learn it. Or you can work hard to make money and become rich. Then you can hire doctors and scientists to work for you, and they will fulfill your dreams." Ye Yu stared at Mu Mian, "How can I become rich?" "I don''t know. I don''t want to make money, so I haven''t researched how to become rich. But there''s a shortcut: if you have a very rich father, you can inherit his wealth when he dies and become rich." "But my dad is poor." "So you can''t take that shortcut. You need to study hard or work hard to make money." ¡°Forensic sister, you¡¯re a very interesting person. Thank you for telling jokes to comfort me.¡± Mu Mian turned to look at Fang Rui, her eyes questioning: I wasn''t telling jokes; I was seriously comforting her. Fang Rui smiled helplessly. He asked Ye Yu, "You said the window was closed when your grandma died?" "Yes, and the brazier was closer to Grandma." Fang Rui had a sinister but plausible guess. It was likely that Ye Yu''s parents had deliberately closed the window. That way, they wouldn''t have to take care of the paralyzed old woman anymore. However, there were no surveillance cameras, and no evidence to prove they had intentionally closed the window. He couldn''t even be sure if Ye Yu''s story was true. When the old woman died, was the window open or closed? Ye''s family refused to let Mu Mian take the body away. Under Mu Mian''s insistence, they agreed to let her take some blood samples from the deceased for testing. Mu Mian also found a bag of medicine at the head of the old woman''s bed. It contained some blood pressure medication and stomach medicine. Inside the bag was a bottle of ibuprofen. Mu Mian opened the bottle and found a few pills left, but they weren''t painkillers. Instead, they were replaced with some light green tablets. The bag had the words "Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital" and the hospital''s logo printed on it. Fang Rui noticed a sign on the wall outside Ye''s house. It read: "Support Unit: Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital; Support Personnel: Zhang Yingying." This village was a poor one. The city had implemented a policy where local hospitals formed support relationships with these impoverished villages, regularly sending medical staff to provide free medicine or home visits. Fang Rui found Ye Jianmin and asked, "Does the hospital have medical staff visiting often?" "Not often. Maybe once every one or two months. But they do call frequently to ask about my mom''s condition." "Is it someone named Zhang Yingying?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "There''s a female doctor surnamed Zhang and a nurse. The nurse comes often but always wears a mask. They don''t talk much with us and leave after a short while." Ye Jianmin replied. The police eventually classified the case as an accidental death caused by heating with charcoal. As Fang Rui and the others were about to drive away, the funeral home''s vehicle arrived at the village entrance. Accompanied by the wailing of the extended family, the staff loaded the old woman''s body onto the vehicle. Her descendants knelt on the cold concrete ground, their tear-filled eyes watching the vehicle leave. This might have been their most filial moment. Ye Yu didn''t cry. She quietly watched her grandma leave. In a daze, she seemed to see her grandma smiling at her. In the car, Chen Xue sighed, "This old lady had seven children, struggling to raise them all, but her many descendants couldn''t allow her to enjoy her old age." "Long illness makes even filial children turn cold," someone remarked. Everyone fell silent. This old woman was just one of countless paralyzed elders, enduring not only the pain of illness but also the quarrels and curses from their children, living without dignity. Back at the bureau, Mu Mian sent the old woman''s blood for testing. The light green tablets were also sent for toxicological analysis. Lin Sen''s investigation into the hospital had made progress. He discovered that the death rate in the neurology department of that hospital was 20% higher than the same period last year. Most patients in the neurology department were stroke patients. Stroke patients naturally had a high mortality rate, mostly elderly with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. They were at high risk, so sudden deaths wouldn''t attract much attention. Lin Sen shared this finding with Fang Rui and Mu Mian. Mu Mian said, "Could it be due to the temperature drop? The average temperature in Jiangzhou City this summer was 1.5 degrees Celsius lower than last year. Temperature is also an important factor affecting blood pressure levels. When it''s cold, more people have strokes because cold causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise. Similarly, the death rate of stroke patients also increases." "But their hospitalization rate hasn''t increased." Mu Mian said, "So, it''s likely that there''s a sick killer targeting stroke patients in that hospital." She thought of Yangyang and today''s deceased, then added, "More precisely, their target is paralyzed patients." Lin Sen agreed, "It''s possible that they believe their killings are a form of liberation for those patients." Fang Rui said, "But just relying on data analysis, the hospital won''t believe there''s a psychopathic killer among their staff, right?" "They might have already lost control. Eventually, the hospital will have to admit there is indeed such a killer." Chapter 180 The next day, Fang Rui noticed that Wang, who was usually punctual, was late for work. Just as he was about to call to ask what was going on, Wang''s call came through."Boss, I need to report a crime!" "Aren''t you a policeman yourself?" "There''s another medical disturbance. They''re threatening to attack the doctor and my girlfriend. You need to bring people over quickly," Wang''s voice suddenly became softer, "Hey, hey, don''t get physical. I''m a police officer. Let''s talk this out... Don''t push me. I''ve trained, and if you push me again, I''ll fight back..." The phone suddenly disconnected. Fang Rui quickly gathered his team and headed to the Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital. The scene of the disturbance was in Ward 806 of the Neurology Department on the 8th floor of Building 7 in the inpatient department. Six or seven family members of a patient had cornered two doctors and a nurse inside the ward, with Wang shielding his girlfriend Chen Shu in front of him. The family members weren''t physically attacking anyone, but they were blocking the way, preventing the medical staff from leaving the ward. Seeing the police arrive, the leader, a young man, said, "Officer, we''re not here to cause trouble. We just want the doctors to explain how my grandfather passed away." Doctor Zhang Yingying, looking helpless, replied, "Mr. Sun, I''ve explained this to you many times. This was an unexpected situation, and we''re still investigating the cause." "You''re just fooling us. The internet says that your hospital recently caused the death of a little boy, and not only did you not give an explanation, but you also had the police arrest the family members." Fang Rui explained, "We detained that family member because he hid the body, which hindered our investigation." "Officer, you must look into this properly. Why did my grandfather suddenly pass away? He was fine the day before, and there''s no reason for him to be gone the next day. And the caregiver said it happened while he was on an IV drip." The grandson of the deceased pulled a bottle of liquid out of a bag, "This is the IV drip my grandfather was on. I was afraid the hospital would tamper with it, so I secretly kept it." Fang Rui put on gloves and placed the bottle into an evidence bag. Doctor Zhang said, "They couldn''t have tampered with the IV drip to frame our hospital, could they?" "What could we do? We don''t know anything about medicine!" Fang Rui addressed the family members, "We will conduct an investigation. But you are not allowed to cause trouble." "Officer, we''ll leave it to you then." Fang Rui learned that the attending doctor of the deceased was Zhang Yingying. Interestingly, the assistant doctor for the Ye family''s old grandmother was also named Zhang Yingying. Fang Rui asked Zhang Yingying, "Doctor Zhang, do you know Ye Jianmin?" Doctor Zhang squinted and thought for a moment, then said, "No, I don''t." ¡°Isn''t he one of your assisted individuals?¡± "Oh, you mean him. Yes, I know him." "His mother passed away, do you know that?" "Is that so? It''s been a busy half-year, and I haven''t been to his place much." Mu Mian examined the body of the deceased. The patient had been staying in the intensive care unit, where three elderly patients, all bedridden, were cared for by caregivers. The deceased was named Sun Guanghua, who had been bedridden for years. He was emaciated, with sunken cheeks and lips, and his skin was covered in age spots. The sheets and blanket were wet¡ªhe had sweated profusely before his death. From the external features of the body, Mu Mian could not determine the cause of death. Mu Mian requested to take the body back for further examination, but the family of Sun Guanghua firmly refused. "No, you can''t dissect my father''s body. It''s very disrespectful to him." Sun Guanghua''s son blocked the way. Mu Mian said, "Without dissecting the body, I can''t determine the exact cause of death." "Aren''t you a forensic doctor? Can''t you do that?" Sun Guanghua''s son looked at Fang Rui, "Officer, this young lady is too inexperienced. You should get an older forensic doctor!" Doctor Zhang said, "Even if you brought Song Ci (a famous historical forensic doctor) here, it wouldn''t help! Without dissecting the body, there''s no way to know the cause of your father''s death." The family members of Sun Guanghua huddled together and whispered for a while, then Sun Guanghua''s son came forward and insisted, "I don''t care. My father''s death was definitely caused by the hospital, but you are not allowed to dissect his body!" The family members surrounded the bed, shielding the body and firmly preventing Fang Rui and his team from getting close. Mu Mian compromised, "Then can we take the body for an MRI? I also need to draw blood samples for testing." "That''s fine! Forensic doctor, you must help us find the real cause of my father''s death!" Doctor Zhang said, "Mu Mian, I can accompany you for the investigation." "Okay." After Mu Mian and Chen Xue left, Fang Rui and his team questioned the caregivers. The three elderly patients in the ward were all cared for by male caregivers. Sun Guanghua''s caregiver said, "At around three in the morning, Mr. Sun suddenly started sweating profusely. I called the nurse, who took a long time to arrive. Then she went to get the doctor. Doctor Zhang wasn''t on duty that night; it was another male doctor. He took a look and said to check the blood sugar and do a blood test to see what was going on. The nurse said the blood sugar was very low, so she changed the IV drip. Then, while Mr. Sun was on the drip, he fell into a coma and soon stopped breathing." The other caregivers also said, "Mr. Sun''s blood sugar had always been normal before, but it suddenly dropped like that last night, which was quite strange." Wang said, "Sun Guanghua''s children are quite filial. They''ve never given up on his treatment despite him being bedridden for so many years." The caregivers chuckled but didn''t respond. Wang felt there was something special in their laughter and asked, "Did I say something wrong?" One of the caregivers whispered, "Officer, you''re thinking too highly of people. This old man''s retirement salary is over fifteen thousand yuan, and most of the medical expenses are covered by insurance. After deducting the four thousand yuan for the caregiver, the rest is split among his children." Wang was stunned. "These old people are kept alive by medication. If the respirator and drugs are stopped, they usually don''t survive more than a day. But their children still desperately try to keep them alive. Is it because of their conscience? No, it''s for the benefit. If these old people left behind an inheritance, they''d be gone by now!" Leaving the ward, Wang sighed, "Alas, human nature can''t withstand the test of interest." With Doctor Zhang''s help, Mu Mian and her team were able to use the green channel and quickly completed various tests on the body. They then returned the body to the ward. In the corridor on the 8th floor, a middle-aged male doctor saw Chen Xue and paused, suddenly calling out to her, "Xiao Xue, why are you here?" Doctor Zhang addressed the man, "Director Chen." Chen Xue didn''t respond. Director Chen looked awkwardly at Chen Xue for a moment before leaving. Doctor Zhang asked, "Chen Xue, are you related to Director Chen?" Chen Xue shook her head, "No, I have no relationship with him. I don''t know him." "Alright." After returning the body to Sun Guanghua''s family, Mu Mian and Chen Xue sat on the chairs in the corridor, waiting for the test reports. Mu Mian whispered, "Chen Xue, why did you lie just now?" Chen Xue laughed helplessly, "Was it that obvious?" "Yes." "Mian Mian, that man is my father, but he cheated on my mother and abandoned our family. I hate him. So I didn''t want others to know about our relationship." "Alright, I''ll keep it a secret for you." Mu Mian thought for a moment and comforted her, "He''s very unfortunate because he lost a very excellent forensic doctor as a daughter." "Mian Mian, thank you for comforting me. But he doesn''t think I''m excellent. When I was little, I wasn''t a good student, and he often said I didn''t seem like his daughter. He said my mother''s inferior genes ruined his superior genes, and his child should have been a genius." Chen Xue spoke calmly. Later, Chen Xue worked very hard to study. She thought she had become good enough, but when she met Mu Mian, she realized the gap between ordinary people and geniuses. However, she didn''t envy Mu Mian, because Mu Mian was also working hard to be normal. "He''s not a good father!" "Yes." "Chen Xue, you need to forget what he said." "I''ll try to forget." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 181 During the morning meeting, Mu Mian reported the autopsy results of the deceased, Sun Guanghua."The cause of Sun Guanghua''s death was an intentional injection of insulin, which interacted with other medications in his body, causing a disruption in his blood sugar levels," Mu Mian paused and explained, "However, the deceased did not have diabetes, and no doctor had prescribed insulin for him." Mu Mian continued, "We detected insulin in the IV bottle provided by the deceased''s family, and the concentration was not low." Fang Rui suggested, "In that ward, there is a patient with diabetes. Could it be that the nurse mixed up their medications?" Chen Xue rebutted, "Although insulin can be administered intravenously for short-term use, hospitals rarely do so. It is usually injected subcutaneously. We investigated and found that the other patient in the ward receives insulin subcutaneously, so the probability of a medication mix-up is very low." Zhang sighed, "So, is this a medical accident or intentional murder?" Dr. Zhang Yingying, Sun Guanghua''s attending physician, was shocked when she learned the cause of his death: "I never prescribed insulin for him. How could there be an abnormal amount of insulin in his body?" "What medications did you prescribe for him?" Dr. Zhang printed out the medication list and handed it to Fang Rui and Mu Mian. "Who was the nurse responsible for administering medications to Sun Guanghua that night?" "Li Xiaolan. We were afraid the family might cause her trouble, so we''ve had her on leave for the past few days. Do you need to question her? I can call her in." Dr. Zhang added, "But this incident probably has little to do with Li Xiaolan. The intravenous medications are centrally prepared and delivered by the Intravenous Medication Preparation Center. If there''s a problem, it''s their responsibility. Officers, you should investigate them first." Fang Rui and Zhang then went to the Intravenous Medication Preparation Center to gather information. The pharmacists there felt wronged: "We prepared the medications according to the doctor''s prescription. The entire preparation process was error-free, and insulin would not have been included. Insulin is rarely administered intravenously; we wouldn''t make such a basic mistake. There are surveillance cameras here, so feel free to check. Could it be that the medications were tampered with during transport to the inpatient department? Or perhaps they were switched at the nursing station." The issue was once again pushed back to the inpatient department. Dr. Zhang speculated, "Could it be that the patient''s family injected him with insulin and then added it to the IV bottle, deliberately framing the hospital to demand compensation? Insulin is not a controlled drug and is easy to obtain. What if the family staged this themselves?" Fang Rui rebutted, "When the patient died, his family was not in the hospital; it was the caregiver who was taking care of him." "Then could it have been the caregiver...?" Fang Rui interrupted, "If the patient died, the caregiver would lose his job and have to find a new employer. What benefit would that bring him? There are other caregivers in the ward; if he tampered with the medications, it would be easy to get caught." Fang Rui and his team had already investigated this caregiver. He had cared for many bedridden patients and was a professional with a good reputation. Most of the patients he cared for died naturally after their families decided to stop treatment. Therefore, the caregiver had little motive or possibility of committing murder. This caregiver was also unlikely to be the serial killer, as he had only cared for this one patient in the past six months. Dr. Zhang had nothing more to say. Fang Rui then asked, "Who was the nurse that accompanied you to Ye Jianmin''s home for the house call?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Li Xiaolan. What does this have to do with Ye Jianmin?" Dr. Zhang was puzzled. She didn''t understand why Fang Rui kept mentioning that impoverished patient. "Please call Li Xiaolan in; we have some questions for her." Dr. Zhang asked the head nurse to call Li Xiaolan and have her come to the hospital to cooperate with the investigation. The hospital also immediately initiated a medical accident investigation. Fang Rui then questioned Nurse Chen Shu, who was the girlfriend of Xiao Wang, and they had met during a previous dinner gathering. "Captain Fang, Forensic Doctor Mu," Chen Shu greeted Fang Rui and Mu Mian warmly. She was a lovely girl with big, beautiful eyes and a cheerful demeanor, often smiling. Mu Mian had a good impression of her. Fang Rui asked, "Nurse Chen, were you responsible for patient 18?" "Yes. Li Xiaolan and I are in the same team and we rotate shifts. This week, I worked the day shift, and she worked the night shift," Chen Shu replied. "How is Li Xiaolan''s work performance?" Chen Shu said, "She has a great personality, is outgoing, and very talkative. She''s very patient with patients, and she gets along well with the caregivers and patients in the ward. It''s just that she can be a bit careless. She once almost caused a medical accident by taking the wrong medication, and the head nurse caught it. She was reprimanded for that. If she weren''t the director''s relative, she would have been fired long ago." Other nurses also complained that Li Xiaolan''s work performance was poor and that she often received complaints. The head nurse said, "Last time, she was supposed to draw arterial blood for a blood gas analysis, but she missed the artery five times in a row and was scolded by the patient''s family. She''s always causing trouble; she''s just not very reliable." Chen Shu tried to defend her, "That patient was very old, and his veins were hard to find. It''s not entirely her fault." "Well, how come we can find them? She just doesn''t have the ability. This time, she injected insulin into a patient whose blood sugar was already low. What''s the difference between that and intentional murder?" The hospital set up a special office for Fang Rui and the medical accident investigation team to conduct their interviews. Li Xiaolan was a young nurse, having graduated only a year ago. Upon hearing that the police wanted to question her, she was panic-stricken. She explained tearfully, "Officers, I don''t know what happened. He just suddenly... I immediately called the on-duty doctor..." "Describe the situation at that time." "That night, around three o''clock, the caregiver suddenly pressed the call button, saying the patient was showing abnormal symptoms. I immediately went to get the on-duty doctor. The doctor said to check his blood pressure, blood sugar, and draw blood for a routine test. After checking his blood sugar, I found it was very low. The doctor said to give him some glucose, so I did as instructed." The on-duty doctor confirmed, "Yes, that''s what I said, but who knew she would be so stupid as to add insulin to the IV bag." "No, I didn''t add insulin! I''m not that clueless. The patient was already hypoglycemic; why would I give him insulin? Besides, the doctor didn''t prescribe it, so where would I get the insulin to add? Someone must be framing me!" The on-duty doctor rolled his eyes, "That''s not certain. You''ve made basic mistakes more than once. What stupid thing haven''t you done?" Li Xiaolan cried aggrievedly, "I was just out of school then; you didn''t teach me properly, so how could I not make mistakes? I rarely make mistakes now." Fang Rui asked, "Are there any other people who could have access to the IV bag?" "Any nurse in the nursing station could." The police investigated the hospital''s medication delivery process. The preparation center would prepare the medications for the day by around nine in the morning and deliver them to the nursing station. The prepared medications were stored in a room at the nursing station, where any nurse could access them. This means that all the nurses in that department had the opportunity to tamper with the medications. Chapter 182 After returning to the station, Fang Rui convened a case analysis meeting.Fang Rui analyzed, "This doesn''t seem to be a medical accident but a murder. The hospital''s medication process is very standardized, so it''s unlikely they would make such a basic mistake as pouring insulin into an IV bottle." Zhang said, "So Lin Sen was right; there really is a serial killer in the hospital. If it weren''t for the patient''s family making a big fuss, this case wouldn''t have come to light." Lin Sen, displeased, corrected, "Please replace ''guessed'' with ''analyzed.'' Otherwise, it makes me seem very unprofessional." "..." Fang Rui said, "I don''t think Li Xiaolan is the murderer. The killer wouldn''t be so foolish as to target a patient during their own shift." Zhang agreed, "And Li Xiaolan has poor psychological resilience. Such a person wouldn''t be able to become a serial killer." Mu Mian said, "Insulin can be purchased online and at pharmacies, so it''s difficult for us to trace the source of the drug. However, adrenaline is a controlled substance. If Yang Yang''s death is also connected to this killer, then she must have stolen adrenaline meant for someone else. Following this lead, we might be able to catch the killer." Fang Rui agreed, "And since Yang Yang was hospitalized in the neurosurgery ward on the sixth floor, if the killer tampered with the medication, they would have had to go to the nurses'' station there. We can check the surveillance footage to see if any nurses from other departments visited the nurses'' station on the day Yang Yang died." Fang Rui thought of Grandma Ye and added, "Could the killer also have been to the Ye household?" Chen Xue said, "It''s possible! Ye Yu mentioned that her grandmother suddenly felt very cold that night. Could it be that the killer gave her some kind of drug, causing her to feel that way? The carbon monoxide poisoning was an accident, which just happened to cover up her crime." Mu Mian said, "The deceased''s blood showed no abnormalities; she died from carbon monoxide poisoning. However, that light green pill is a bit suspicious. Its composition is still being analyzed. We''ll discuss it further once we have the results." Fang Rui decided to divide the investigation. Mu Mian and Chen Xue would look into the hospital''s adrenaline usage; Li and the others would check the surveillance footage. Fang Rui and Zhang drove to the Ye household. Ye Jianmin was out working in the fields, leaving only his daughter, Ye Yu, at home. Zhang asked, "Ye Yu, do you recognize the nurse who often came to your house to treat your grandmother?" Ye Yu looked at Fang Rui and Zhang. After thinking for a moment, she nodded, "I recognize her." "Is it her?" Fang Rui showed Ye Yu a photo of Li Xiaolan. "Yes, it''s her." "Are you sure?" Ye Yu nodded. At that moment, Ye Jianmin returned. Seeing the police again, he was a bit annoyed, "Officers, why are you here again?" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Was the nurse who often visited your home her?" "No, she only came once. The nurse who came frequently was someone else. That nurse had bigger, rounder eyes, very beautiful eyes, not her!" Li Xiaolan had single eyelids and puffy eyes, making her eyes smaller than normal. Fang Rui showed Ye Jianmin photos of all the nurses from the neurology department, "Mr. Ye, can you identify which nurse it was?" Ye Jianmin carefully examined the photos and immediately shook his head, "They all look the same to me; how can I tell? That nurse always wore a mask, so I can''t remember her face, just that her eyes were big. You should ask my daughter; she definitely knows. She was quite close to that nurse." Hearing Ye Jianmin''s words, Ye Yu looked down at her toes, visibly flustered, as her earlier lie had been exposed. Zhang handed Ye Yu a chocolate and crouched beside her, softly saying, "Can you tell the police uncle who the nurse sister was? We need to find her urgently. Here are some photos; can you help us identify her?" Ye Yu didn''t take the chocolate and remained silent. Ye Jianmin kicked her, "Are you mute? I''m asking you something; answer them!" Fang Rui glared at him, "What are you doing kicking a child? In front of the police, you dare to abuse your child?" "Oh, I was just in a hurry. This child has a strange temper; if I don''t hit her, she won''t tell the truth." Ye Yu still didn''t speak. After a few seconds, she extended her finger and pointed to a photo of one of the nurses. The nurse was named Zhang Shan. Zhang said, "Ye Yu, thank you." On the way back, Fang Rui drove, while Zhang analyzed the photos, "It seems Zhang Shan''s involvement is quite suspicious." "It''s not her." "Boss, are you saying Ye Yu was lying to us?" "Ye Jianmin said the nurse''s eyes were bigger than Li Xiaolan''s, but this nurse has single eyelids and not particularly big eyes. Ye Yu probably just pointed at a random photo." "No wonder she didn''t take my chocolate. But why didn''t she tell the truth? She doesn''t even know why we''re looking for that nurse." "Maybe she does. So she''s protecting that nurse." "Should we go back and press Ye Yu for more information?" Fang Rui said, "If she doesn''t want to speak, pressing her won''t help." Zhang suddenly had a theory, "Could it be that the nurse incited Ye Yu to use the charcoal method to kill her grandmother?" "It''s possible." Fang Rui recalled that when Ye Yu confessed to them, she specifically mentioned opening the window and placing a bowl of water, indicating she knew charcoal burning could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Zhang idly flipped through the photos of the nurses, joking, "Xiao Wang''s girlfriend also has pretty big eyes. Among these, her eyes are the most beautiful." Fang Rui and Zhang suddenly fell silent. Fang Rui said, "To avoid suspicion, Xiao Wang shouldn''t be involved in this case." "But Chen Shu is such a nice person; how could she be a psychopathic killer? She''s usually very kind." "She''s currently a suspect." Mu Mian and Chen Xue questioned hospital staff. Mu Mian discovered a loophole: during emergencies, doctors usually administer adrenaline based on the patient''s condition, not using an entire vial. This means that after using half a vial, the remaining portion would be disposed of as medical waste. The killer likely collected adrenaline this way. Li''s surveillance investigation also made progress. There was a camera in the neurosurgery nurses'' station. The camera captured footage of a nurse entering the medication storage room at 12:31 PM on the day Yang Yang died. She stayed for about two minutes before leaving. At that moment, Yang Yang''s grandmother walked by the nurses'' station carrying a thermos. She stopped the nurse and spoke to her. The nurse smiled and answered her question. The camera then captured the nurse''s face. Although she was wearing a mask, Li immediately recognized her. "How could it be her?" Li exclaimed in surprise. Li hurriedly went to inform Fang Rui and the others of this development. "Captain Fang, I''ve found a suspect," Li reported, "The surveillance footage shows that on the day Yang Yang died, she visited the neurosurgery nurses'' station. But she''s a nurse from the neurology department; why would she go to the sixth floor? She even spoke with Yang Yang''s grandmother." "Who''s the suspect?" "Chen Shu... Xiao Wang''s girlfriend." Chapter 183 The police investigation had not yet concluded, but the hospital had already classified Sun Guanghua''s death as a medical accident and fired the night shift nurse, Li Xiaolan, while also disciplining the on-duty doctor.The hospital reached a private settlement with Sun Guanghua''s family, who received a substantial compensation payment and decided not to sue the hospital. However, the case had already been filed and was under investigation, so it wasn''t something the family could simply withdraw. Fang Rui applied for a search warrant to search Chen Shu''s home. Chen Shu rented a one-bedroom apartment near the hospital. The place was small but neat, with minimal furniture. There was a bookshelf filled with medical-related books. "Boss, her medical kit contains a lot of controlled substances," Zhang reported after finding a medical box under Chen Shu''s bed, which was neatly arranged with various medications. Mu Mian and Chen Xue inspected the box, discovering medications such as epinephrine, insulin, and Demerol, along with many painkillers¡ªlikely all stolen from the hospital by Chen Shu. Mu Mian casually flipped through the books on the shelf. Most were related to neuroscience, not the kind of popular science books one might expect, but filled with experimental data and dry theoretical explanations. One of the books was even written by Mu Mian''s father. These complex, theory-heavy books seemed beyond the comprehension of a nurse. However, the books were heavily annotated with underlined passages and detailed notes, indicating someone had studied them thoroughly. The elegant handwriting suggested the notes were made by a woman. They also found an album in Chen Shu''s bedroom drawer. As Fang Rui flipped through it, Mu Mian leaned in, noticing the man in the photos looked familiar. In the photos, Chen Shu and the man were building a snowman in a snowy landscape, looking very happy. "Mu Mian, do you recognize this man?" Fang Rui handed the album to Mu Mian for a closer look. "Yes, he''s Director Chen from the neurology department," Mu Mian replied, glancing at Chen Xue, knowing she had also recognized the man. Chen Xue showed no emotion, but Mu Mian thought she might feel a bit envious and sad, as Chen Xue''s father had never accompanied her to build a snowman. Mu Mian suddenly felt a pang of sadness herself, as she had never built a snowman with her father either. Back then, she was very afraid of the cold, so when her father and sister built snowmen, she stayed inside the warm house, unwilling to go out. But she watched the snowman from the window; it was beautiful. "Fang Rui, the next time it snows, I''ll go with you to build a snowman." "You want to build a snowman too?" "Yes." Zhang chimed in, "But Jiangzhou City hardly ever snows. You might not get the chance." "..." As they went through the entire album, they noticed another middle-aged woman in the photos. The woman was always seated in a wheelchair, her expression cold and detached. Mu Mian speculated, "This woman might be a vegetable." Zhang conjectured, "Director Chen is probably Chen Shu''s father, and this woman is her mother. Her mother is a vegetable. Could it be that because Chen Shu''s mother has been a vegetable for so long, suffering from chronic pain, Chen Shu''s psychology has been warped?" Everyone agreed with Zhang''s theory. While Fang Rui and the others continued their search, Mu Mian quietly comforted Chen Xue, "She may have a father, but now she''s become a twisted killer, while you are an excellent assistant to the forensic pathologist. Chen Xue, you don''t need to envy her." "Mu Mian, I''m not envious. But why am I an excellent assistant to the forensic pathologist, and not an excellent forensic pathologist assistant?" "Alright, I believe you''re not feeling too sad. You spotted my language trap, which proves your thinking hasn''t been affected by emotions." "..." Mu Mian packed all the books from Chen Shu''s shelf into evidence boxes, planning to take them back for a closer examination. She wanted to study Chen Shu''s notes. When Fang Rui and Zhang went to the hospital to find Chen Shu, she was in a patient''s room, patiently checking an elderly man''s back for bedsores. Seeing Fang Rui and the others, Chen Shu paused but said, "Can you let me finish my work first?" "Of course." After finishing the examination, Chen Shu told the patient''s family, "He now has bedsores. If not properly cared for, they will worsen. You must remember to turn him every half hour, preferably while he''s lying on his side, and frequently pat his back to promote blood circulation. If you''re unsure, you can scan the QR code on the wall for nursing tutorial videos." The family member pocketed their phone and said casually: "Got it. I''ve already watched the videos. I turn him often." Chen Shu looked at the old man with sympathy but quickly composed herself, telling Fang Rui and the others, "Give me a little more time. I need to hand over my work to my colleague." "Alright." Chen Shu explained the situation to the nurse supervisor and then handed over her duties to another nurse. She was very thorough, and the other nurse couldn''t help but complain, "Chen Shu, you''re only going away for half a day. Why are you acting like you''re leaving forever?" Chen Shu smiled at her. "Goodbye." Then she said to Fang Rui and Zhang, "We can go now." Zhang felt a bit sad, though he hadn''t interacted much with Chen Shu. He had a good impression of her. Wang often bragged about his girlfriend in front of them. In Wang''s eyes, she was a kind and lovely angel in white. If not for the evidence, Zhang wouldn''t have believed Chen Shu could cruelly kill her patients. In the interrogation room, Chen Shu sat quietly across from Fang Rui and Zhang, her face still wearing a smile. Fang Rui asked, "Chen Shu, why did you go to the neurology ward nurse''s station the day Yangyang died?" Chen Shu replied, "I went to borrow something. No one was there, so I went in and took it." Why did you tell Yangyang''s grandmother that she could feed Yangyang talisman water? "I didn''t¡ª" Fang Rui interrupted her, "The surveillance footage captured you talking to Yangyang''s grandmother. And Yangyang''s grandmother recognized you." Chen Shu''s smile faltered, and she stopped defending herself. "We found many medications in your home: epinephrine, insulin, and Demerol... Did you use these to kill many innocent elderly people?" "I didn''t kill them. I was helping them find release. You''ve seen it yourselves; those old people lie in bed every day, kept alive by medication, with no dignity. They want to die, but they can''t. Their freedom to die has been taken away. I was helping them, helping them find release." "How can you be sure they didn''t want to live?" Their desperate, helpless eyes told me. They''ve lost their ability to move, even to express their thoughts verbally, but their brains are clear. Their eyes begged me to help them find release. They were so pitiful; I couldn''t refuse them. Chen Shu said, "When they died, their faces were filled with smiles. They were thanking me!" "Why did you kill Yangyang?" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yangyang was my 10th patient. There was no chance he would wake up; his life had no meaning. But if he had lived, his mother might have collapsed from caring for him and committed suicide. That day, as I passed his room, I heard him say, ''Help my mom.'' I agreed. I knew that only if he died completely could his mother live." "I injected epinephrine into his IV bag. Coincidentally, Yangyang''s grandmother asked me if she could feed him talisman water. I thought maybe she had also heard his call and wanted to help him find release, so I told her, ''Yes.'' Later, as you''ve discovered, Yangyang died. It might have been due to a rise in blood pressure causing a cerebral hemorrhage, or it might have been caused by his grandmother''s talisman water. It doesn''t matter. He died, finding release, and his mother found release, able to live her own life. You see, I did a great good, didn''t I?" "Are you sure you heard Yangyang speak?" Fang Rui felt Chen Shu''s mental state might be unstable, otherwise, how could she hear a vegetable speak? Chapter 184 ¡°It¡¯s not something I heard with my ears, but with my heart,¡± Chen Shu said, pointing to her chest. ¡°I can empathize deeply with them, so I can hear their inner voices.¡±Fang Rui continued, ¡°Did you incite Ye Yu to kill her grandmother by burning charcoal?¡± Chen Shu immediately defended herself, ¡°That was an accident. Ye Yu only wanted to help her grandmother stay warm. No one intended to kill her.¡± She went on, ¡°Ye Yu¡¯s grandmother had heart disease, and I had originally planned to kill her with digoxin. But when she had her first attack, she begged for her life with all her strength. The scene of her desperate struggle to survive shocked me. ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand it. She lived such a miserable life, paralyzed in bed, blind, and her children didn¡¯t care for her. Yet, she still wanted to live. I couldn¡¯t comprehend why someone would want to live in such a dehumanizing condition. ¡°Later, I thought this might be the resilience of life. Or perhaps, for this elderly woman who had endured so much hardship, the pain she was experiencing wasn¡¯t much compared to what she had already been through. She had lived through far more painful and humiliating situations in her life. ¡°I only kill the elderly who truly wish to die, so I abandoned my plan to murder her!¡± Chen Shu¡¯s words were convincing, but Fang Rui sensed something was off. First, neighbors of Ye Yu¡¯s grandmother had reported that she often complained about her children¡¯s lack of filial piety, saying she was an old, unwanted burden who wished she could die sooner. This suggested that Ye Yu¡¯s grandmother had suicidal tendencies. Second, if Chen Shu didn¡¯t want to kill Ye Yu¡¯s grandmother, why did she continue to visit the Ye household multiple times under the guise of being from a hospital? Since Chen Shu had already admitted to her crimes, why would she lie about Ye Yu¡¯s grandmother? Fang Rui speculated that Chen Shu might be trying to protect Ye Yu and cover up the truth. He exchanged a glance with Lin Sen, who also seemed to think she was lying. Fang Rui asked, ¡°What about Sun Guanghua?¡± ¡°I killed him. I added insulin to his IV bag. His blood sugar was already low, and I used a large dose of insulin, causing his blood sugar to drop rapidly. ¡°He often told me how much pain he was in, how his whole body hurt, and how he wanted to die quickly. He begged his children to let him return home, but they refused. So, I had to help him ¡®go home¡¯ this way.¡± After detailing the murder process, Chen Shu smiled. She didn¡¯t feel she had committed a crime. She asked, ¡°Am I guilty for helping those desperate lives end?¡± Lin Sen countered, ¡°How do you know if they were truly desperate, or if they were just temporarily unable to bear the pain and wanted to die? When people are in pain, they may have suicidal thoughts, but once the pain subsides, they might want to live again! ¡°How do you determine if they are completely hopeless? If you placed a poison and a painkiller in front of them, which do you think they would choose?¡± This is also one of the reasons why euthanasia is not yet legalized¡ªbecause we cannot determine if someone truly wants to die or if they are merely seeking an escape from their suffering. Chen Shu retorted passionately, ¡°You¡¯ve never taken care of those paralyzed patients, so you don¡¯t understand them! You can¡¯t empathize with them! I¡¯ve taken care of many such patients, I understand their despair and pain.¡± Chen Shu calmed herself down and said, ¡°The first person I killed was my grandmother. She had been bedridden for over three years. When I went home during summer vacation, I found her lying on a bed soaked in feces and urine. She was emaciated and moaning in pain. When she saw me, she pleaded with her eyes for me to kill her! ¡°I didn¡¯t use any drugs or deceptive methods. I smothered her with a blanket when no one was around. No one noticed. Her children¡¯s first reaction was to dress her in funeral clothes and quickly send her body for cremation. ¡°Later, when I started working in the hospital, I killed many elderly people, but no one ever discovered it. If it weren¡¯t for Ye Yu¡¯s mother making a fuss, it might never have been found out. Even if someone suspected the cause of death, they wouldn¡¯t investigate deeply. In their eyes, the death of these patients was a relief.¡± After leaving the interrogation room, Lin Sen said, ¡°She¡¯s probably lying. The story about her grandmother is likely fabricated.¡± Fang Rui immediately investigated Chen Shu¡¯s background. The investigation quickly yielded results. Chen Shu¡¯s grandmother had passed away when she was just one year old. There was no way she could have killed her grandmother herself. Chen Shu¡¯s mother had given birth to her out of wedlock. Later, Chen Shu¡¯s mother was involved in a car accident and became a vegetable. Her mother¡¯s household registration had not been canceled, which indicated she was likely still alive. Zhang wondered, ¡°Why would she fabricate her own experiences?¡± Lin Sen analyzed, ¡°I need to correct my earlier assumption. She¡¯s probably not a psychopathic killer. She fabricated her experiences to justify her motives for murder, thereby concealing her true motives.¡± ¡°What could her true motive be?¡± Mu Mian said, ¡°It might have something to do with those light green pills. We¡¯ve already conducted toxicological tests on those pills, and they¡¯re not poisonous. After analyzing their composition, we found they are quite complex and do not match any existing drugs on the market. It¡¯s a completely new synthetic drug. ¡°It contains gangliosides and nerve growth factors, which are essential for brain nerve regeneration. It¡¯s reasonable to suspect that this drug is meant to repair brain damage. The people Chen Shu killed were likely test subjects for this drug.¡± Fang Rui added, ¡°Previously, the autistic patients at Star Home were also used as test subjects. Could there be a connection between the two?¡± Everyone fell silent. If this was true, then Chen Shu certainly wasn¡¯t acting alone. Fang Rui interrogated Chen Shu again. Fang Rui asked, ¡°We found a light green pill on Ye Yu¡¯s grandmother¡¯s bed. Did you give it to her?¡± ¡°No. What light green pill? I don¡¯t know anything about it. I never gave her such a pill.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui said, ¡°Ye Yu has already told us everything.¡± ¡°What did she tell you?¡± Chen Shu scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. What could she possibly tell you? Are you trying to trick me into confessing?¡± ¡°The elderly you killed were all used as test subjects for your drug, weren¡¯t they? Who are your accomplices?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°What is that drug used for?¡± ¡°Fang Rui, I¡¯ve already admitted my crimes and explained my motives and the process. If you continue to press me, you¡¯ll be accused of mistreating a suspect. I¡¯ll hire a lawyer to sue you!¡± Chapter 185 Regardless of what Fang Rui and the others asked, Chen Shu remained silent, not willing to say a single extra word.Fang Rui had no choice but to pause the interrogation. Zhang suggested, "Why don''t we let Wang go and ask? Maybe Chen Shu will reveal something. I feel like Chen Shu has feelings for Wang. Perhaps if Wang tries to persuade her, it might work." Wang also pleaded, "I know Chen Shu. She''s a very kind person. It''s likely that someone forced her to do these things. Let me try to talk to her; she might tell us the truth." Chen Xue couldn''t help but pour cold water on the idea, "Wang, she''s using you. She probably doesn''t even love¡­" Wang interrupted Chen Xue, "Let me try!" Fang Rui eventually agreed to let Wang see Chen Shu. However, there had to be two people present during the interrogation, so Fang Rui accompanied him. Chen Xue poured a cup of water and handed it to Wang, "Chen Shu has been locked up for so long; she might be a bit thirsty." "Thank you." With heavy steps, Wang followed Fang Rui into the interrogation room. Chen Shu''s eyes were originally dull, but when she saw Wang enter, her pupils slightly dilated. She paused for a moment, then smiled. Wang handed her the water, "Have some water." Chen Shu drank a mouthful of water, placed the cup down, and then looked at Wang again. She said, "Wang Yu, I thought you wouldn''t want to see me again." Wang asked, "Chen Shu, why did you kill those patients?" "I thought you''d first question me about why I lied to you." "I''m a police officer. In my heart, my job is more important." "I''ve said it many times. I wasn''t killing them; I was helping them find release. If I were paralyzed in bed, I would have no hesitation in killing myself. People should live freely and with dignity." "Chen Shu, was someone forcing you to do this? Did they threaten you to kill? Who is the person behind you?" Wang urgently pressed. He still couldn''t believe that the usually kind and patient Chen Shu, who had such a gentle demeanor with patients, could cruelly kill so many of them. She was clearly an angel in white, how could she have turned into a devil who kills? "No one forced me. Everything I did was voluntary. And I wasn''t committing a crime; I was doing something very great and meaningful. The law shouldn''t judge me," Chen Shu softly said. "Chen Shu, you often told me before that although taking care of patients was tiring, and you often got scolded and bullied by their families, when you saw those patients healthy and discharged, you felt your work was very meaningful. Why have you become like this now?" Chen Shu looked away, no longer meeting Wang''s gaze. "I''m not kind at all. What you saw before was just my disguise. It''s your stereotype that beautified my image. You thought I was an angel in white, but I''m not. There are no angels in this world." "Wang Yu, I don''t like you. Being with you was just to find out how you police solve cases. Understanding your procedures better allowed me to cover my tracks more effectively. I was just using you." Wang stared blankly at Chen Shu, "So all those promises you made to me, were they all fake?" "Wang Yu, you''re such a fool. Are all police officers this naive? But I think your colleagues are quite smart. You should learn from them in the future and stop being so gullible." Wang couldn''t help but ask, "Chen Shu, did you ever like me?" Chen Shu looked into Wang''s eyes and saw her cold face reflected in his pupils. She said, "Of course not. There''s nothing about you that I could like." Wang looked at her with a sad expression, "At least, we were friends, right?" Chen Shu didn''t answer, but her cold expression seemed to answer. "Can you tell us the real reason why you killed those paralyzed patients? Is it related to that light green drug? Were you using those patients to test the drug?" "I''ve already said, I was helping them find release. But since you don''t believe me, I have nothing more to say." Wang held Chen Shu''s hand and pleaded, "Chen Shu, you''re a very kind person. Why did you do that? What exactly is that light green drug? If you confess now, there''s still a chance to make amends. Chen Shu, don''t make a bigger mistake." "You''re wasting your time. I will never tell you the truth. Because I can''t betray my faith." "What faith?" You''re lucky; you''ve never experienced moments of despair. When you''re in despair, you start to have faith. You yearn for miracles to happen. "What does that drug have to do with your faith?" Chen Shu picked up the cup and drank some water. She looked down at the paper cup and said slowly, "Wang Yu, I hope you can find someone who truly loves you." "Wang Yu, goodbye!" Chen Shu returned to her silent mode again. No matter how Wang questioned her, she no longer spoke. After leaving the interrogation room, Wang''s nose tingled, and he suddenly felt like crying. He had liked Chen Shu so much, but it turned out everything was fake, even the girl he liked was just a facade of Chen Shu. Zhang patted his own shoulder and said to Wang, "Zhang Qiang lends you a shoulder to lean on." Wang leaned on Zhang''s shoulder and cried loudly, "She said she was just using me, that she never liked me. Sob, I even wanted to propose to her and spend my life with her." "Wang, no criminal would like a police officer. If she liked a police officer, she wouldn''t commit crimes. However, in this life, one always has to endure some pain from love. Just try to look at it positively." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "She also called me stupid. Where am I stupid?" "Love lowers your IQ. Look, you even fell for a criminal... Of course, it''s not your fault. Her sweet appearance is too deceiving." "Sob, she wasn''t willing to turn over a new leaf for me." "What else could you expect? She doesn''t love you, so how could she turn over a new leaf for you? She didn''t drag you down the wrong path, which is already kind to you." "Zhang Qiang, you''re the devil!" Mu Mian comforted, "Officer Wang, I think Chen Shu likes you. It''s just that criminals and police officers have no future, so she said she doesn''t like you." Wang''s eyes lit up as he looked at Mu Mian, "Really?" "Fake. Do you think Mu Mian knows anything?" Zhang said. Wang looked at Mu Mian''s pure eyes, untouched by the world''s impurities, and cried even louder. Only Mu Mian would think that Chen Shu liked him, because Mu Mian couldn''t recognize lies. Mu Mian whispered to Fang Rui, "My words were clearly correct, so why did Officer Zhang say I was wrong? Does he have a problem with me?" "Mu Mian, some hurts are better dealt with quickly than lingering." "I don''t understand." "If Wang knew Chen Shu loved him, he would never forget her in this lifetime. He wouldn''t be able to move on from this relationship." "What happens if he can''t move on?" "He would be in pain. He wouldn''t be able to love anyone else." "Why does he have to love someone else?" Fang Rui replied, "Otherwise, he would end up alone in his old age." "Fang Rui, if I die, would you love someone else?" "No." "Aren''t you afraid of ending up alone in your old age?" "I won''t end up alone in my old age." Since Chen Shu refused to disclose the real motive behind the murders, she couldn''t be kept in the interrogation room indefinitely. Fang Rui had to send her to the detention center first. Since Chen Shu wouldn''t talk, Fang Rui decided to investigate her computer and phone, hoping to find useful clues by looking into her social connections. Li carefully inspected Chen Shu''s computer and said, "This laptop is brand new, with almost no usage traces. It seems to be a recently purchased computer. The phone, however, looks like it''s been used for a long time." Chen Shu''s phone was an older model, and from the wear and tear, it seemed she had been using it for many years. Her social media had many contacts, mostly her colleagues from the hospital and her college classmates. The chat records were mostly about trivial life matters and complaints about strange patients and their difficult family members at work. From the chat logs, it is evident that Chen Shu is an outgoing and optimistic person. She frequently comforts her colleagues and actively participates in various activities. She has many friends and is quite talkative. However, she rarely discusses medical topics with others. Fang Rui focused on the chat logs between Chen Shu and Director Chen. He noticed that Chen Shu and Director Chen had a distant relationship. They rarely called each other and mostly communicated via text messages, with each interaction being work-related. They didn''t seem to have a father-daughter relationship. Zhang analyzed, "What exactly is the relationship between Chen Shu and Director Chen? They took a family photo, but based on the chat logs, they don''t seem very close." Chapter 186 Li nodded in agreement, "Chen Shu''s mother never married Director Chen. She has always been single. So, what is Chen Shu''s relationship with Director Chen? Why do they have a photo together?"Chen Xue, who had been lost in thought, suddenly spoke up, "Chen Shu''s mother was Director Chen''s first love. She cheated on him, fell for someone else, and left him. But she ended up with the wrong person and got pregnant out of wedlock, giving birth to Chen Shu. Later, Chen Shu''s mother was in a car accident and became semi-vegetative. She was completely paralyzed, unable to move, but could still speak and respond to external stimuli. Director Chen, heartbroken for his first love, abandoned his own family to take care of Chen Shu and her mother." Everyone looked at Chen Xue in surprise. Zhang asked, puzzled, "Chen Xue, how do you know all this so clearly?" Li nudged Zhang, "Haven''t you noticed? All three of them share the surname Chen." Chen Xue sighed, "Yes, it''s exactly what you''re thinking. It''s a very dramatic story." Mu Mian analyzed, "Chen Shu''s mother must be a patient with severe brain damage. And the patients Chen Shu killed all had varying degrees of brain lesions. Could it be that Chen Shu, in an attempt to cure her mother, made a deal with some medical institution, using these patients as test subjects for experimental drugs?" Everyone agreed with Mu Mian''s speculation. Fang Rui added, "Chen Shu once said that when you''re in despair, you start to believe in faith. Could her faith be that medical institution? Does she believe the drugs they''re developing can cure her mother?" "That might be why she''s cooperating with that institution." "But what is the name of that institution?" The tech team examined Chen Shu''s phone and recovered some deleted pictures and messages. The photos were all ordinary scenery shots with no clues. However, they did find something in the chat records. "How does Chen Shu know Bai Jing?" Zhang exclaimed in surprise. Hearing Bai Jing''s name, Fang Rui and Mu Mian exchanged glances. In the case of the Cat Fetus Killer, Bai Jing had allegedly manipulated Chen Hui to exact revenge on her father. Could she be involved in Chen Shu''s case as well? Was she manipulating Chen Shu into committing these crimes? The recovered chat records showed that Bai Jing had once been Chen Shu''s friend, but after the medical dispute involving Sun Guanghua''s family, Chen Shu deleted Bai Jing from her contacts and wiped their chat history. From the recovered chats, Bai Jing often arranged to meet Chen Shu at a caf¨¦ called "Left Bank Coffee." The chats were brief, mostly about setting up meeting times and locations, but they had been in contact for over two years. Chen Xue speculated, "Bai Jing works at a psychological clinic. Could she have been providing counseling to Chen Shu?" Mu Mian countered, "But Bai Jing isn''t qualified to conduct independent psychological counseling. And counseling sessions usually don''t take place in public places like caf¨¦s." "Then why did they meet so often?" At that moment, Fang Rui received a call from the prison guard escorting Chen Shu. The guard shouted anxiously, "Captain Fang, something''s happened to the prisoner. She suddenly started foaming at the mouth and convulsing. We''re rushing her to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment." Hearing the conversation, Mu Mian gestured for Fang Rui to hand her the phone. Mu Mian asked, "Is she having a seizure?" "We don''t know. I was about to ask you if she has any medical history." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "First, tilt her head to the side to prevent secretions from causing choking. Is her convulsion severe? Very severe? Then find a spoon or something to put in her mouth to keep her from biting her tongue." "Got it." Fang Rui asked, "Which hospital are you taking her to?" "Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital." Fang Rui was about to suggest they switch hospitals when the guard added, "It''s the closest one. We''ve already contacted the hospital." Fang Rui decided not to insist. "What happened? What''s wrong with Chen Shu?" Wang asked anxiously. "We don''t know yet. Let''s go to the hospital and see." Fang Rui and the others immediately drove to the hospital, arriving just as the prison van pulled up. The emergency department doctors and nurses were already waiting at the entrance. They lifted Chen Shu out of the vehicle. Mu Mian noticed that Chen Shu had already lost consciousness. She had foam at the corners of her mouth, and her body was cyanotic. It didn''t look like a seizure. "She''s been poisoned." The doctor asked, "Did she attempt suicide by poisoning? What kind of poison did she take?" The guard replied, bewildered, "You''re asking me? I''m not a doctor. How would I know what poison she took? She just suddenly collapsed like this. I didn''t see her take any poison!" Unable to determine the exact poison, the doctors followed the standard procedure for treating poisoning and sent her for gastric lavage. However, during the process, Chen Shu stopped breathing. The doctor declared her death, "I''m sorry, we couldn''t save her. She likely ingested a highly toxic neurotoxin." Wang''s eyes welled up with tears. He slowly walked over to Chen Shu''s hospital bed, wanting to hold her body, but Mu Mian stopped him. "Officer Wang, I''m sorry, but you can''t touch her yet. I need to take her back for an autopsy." Hearing the guard describe Chen Shu''s symptoms, Mu Mian had already guessed that she might not survive. She had wisely prepared a body bag in advance. Mu Mian and Chen Xue placed Chen Shu''s body into the bag. "Officer Wang, you can now hold her body through the bag," Mu Mian said. Wang didn''t reach out to hold her. He struggled to suppress his emotions, "Mu Mian, is Chen Shu really gone?" "Yes. She has been declared brain dead." Fang Rui carefully questioned the guards about what had happened. The guard escorting her said, "We don''t know what happened. After she got in the van, she didn''t eat anything. Then, suddenly, her expression turned pained. We asked her what was wrong, but she didn''t answer. After a while, foam started pouring from her mouth, and her body began convulsing. We realized something was wrong and rushed her to the hospital." The driver added, "There''s surveillance in the van. She really didn''t eat anything. Meng was sitting right next to her, watching her the whole time." The guard added, "When we called for an ambulance, she said, ''It''s no use. I''m already beyond saving.''" Fang Rui found it strange. Before entering the interrogation room, a female officer had thoroughly searched Chen Shu. She had no dangerous items on her¡ªnot even hairpins or necklaces. How could she have been poisoned? Chapter 187 Mu Mian performed an autopsy on Chen Shu''s body. There were no obvious external injuries or needle marks on Chen Shu, leading to the preliminary conclusion that she had indeed died from poisoning. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Chen Xue said, "Mian Mian, don''t you think Chen Shu''s condition resembles Lin Qianjie''s? Could she have also died from ingesting tetramine?" Mu Mian agreed, "I also suspect that tetramine is what poisoned her." However, Mu Mian was puzzled. How could it be tetramine? Chen Xue wondered, "Before she entered the interrogation room, a female officer had already searched her and found no poison on her. So how did she obtain the poison and ingest it to commit suicide? The food she ate inside was also provided by our department, so it couldn¡¯t have been tampered with." Chen Xue picked up Chen Shu''s clothes and examined them carefully. No suspicious items were found in the pockets. She then untied the hair tie from Chen Shu''s hair. The hair tie was made of cotton and showed no traces of hidden poison. Mu Mian said, "There are many ways to hide poison, such as concealing it under fingernails, in the ears, or swallowing it in a capsule to delay its effects. Another method is to soak clothing in a poison solution..." Chen Xue nodded, "That makes sense. We need to thoroughly inspect all of Chen Shu''s belongings to see if there are any traces of poison." It would take time for the toxicology report to come out. Only after receiving the results would Mu Mian know exactly what poison Chen Shu had ingested and how she had been poisoned. Chen Shu had eaten lunch and drank two glasses of water at the police station. The disposable utensils she used, which were still in the trash and hadn¡¯t been discarded, were also sent for toxicology testing. The next day, the toxicology results came out. As Mu Mian and the others had suspected, the poison that killed Chen Shu was tetramine. Traces of tetramine were detected on the collar of the clothes Chen Shu had worn that day; no poison was found on any other items. "How could it be tetramine?" Zhang wondered. "It¡¯s not easy to obtain. Why would Chen Shu use such a poison to commit suicide?" Fang Rui also found it strange, "Chen Shu had access to so many controlled substances from the hospital. Why didn¡¯t she steal something from there to use for suicide instead of buying tetramine?" Mu Mian speculated, "It¡¯s possible because the drugs available in the hospital aren¡¯t as lethal and could be easily treated. Tetramine, on the other hand, is highly toxic, and even a small amount can be fatal." "Then how did she bring the poison in?" Mu Mian explained, "We detected tetramine on her collar. If she really did commit suicide, it¡¯s reasonable to assume she soaked her collar in a tetramine solution beforehand, allowing her to evade detection during the search." Li questioned, "If she wanted to commit suicide, why didn¡¯t she do it earlier? Why wait so long in the interrogation room? Why not kill herself before we arrested her? That way, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to question her at all. The timing of her suicide is strange." Chen Xue countered, "She didn¡¯t know we had solid evidence against her. If our evidence had been insufficient, she might have walked free. But when she realized we had undeniable proof of her crimes and that she couldn¡¯t talk her way out, she gave up completely." Wang chimed in, "Chen Shu once told me that people should live freely. She probably didn¡¯t want to be imprisoned, so she chose to take her own life." Zhang added, "The prison guards also mentioned that Chen Shu told them not to call for emergency help, as she was beyond saving. That suggests she did commit suicide." Fang Rui still had doubts, "But how did she know we would arrest her at the hospital that day?" "Could it be that she wore clothes soaked in poison every day? If she were arrested, she could use the tetramine to kill herself," Li speculated. With Chen Shu dead, the only way forward was to investigate her social connections for potential clues. The police examined Chen Shu¡¯s bank accounts. Her transaction history was brief, with deposits only from her hospital salary and no suspicious income. She had almost no savings, and no cash was found at her home. This suggested that Chen Shu likely wasn¡¯t motivated by money in committing these acts. Fang Rui and Zhang went to the hospital to speak with Director Chen, but the nurses informed them that Director Chen had gone out of town for an academic conference and wouldn¡¯t return for a week. Fang Rui managed to reach Director Chen by phone. "Officer, what do you need from me?" Director Chen¡¯s tone was impatient. "Do you know Chen Shu?" "Yes, she was a nurse in our department. Why?" "She¡¯s dead. As her family member, could you come to the police station to identify her body?" Director Chen replied coldly, "Who told you I¡¯m her family member? Just because we share the same surname doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re related. If you don¡¯t believe me, go ahead and run a DNA test to see if she¡¯s my daughter." "We found photos of you, Chen Shu, and her mother at her home. If you¡¯re not related, why would those photos exist?" "Those are just photos of me with patients and their families. Is there anything else? If not, I have work to attend to." Before Fang Rui could respond, Director Chen hung up. Zhang complained, "Director Chen is so irresponsible. Even if Chen Shu wasn¡¯t his biological daughter, she was still his stepdaughter. How can he be so indifferent to her death? Could he have been the one who pushed Chen Shu to harm those patients? Now that Chen Shu¡¯s dead, he¡¯s quick to distance himself." Fang Rui said, "Chen Shu couldn¡¯t have carried out the drug experiments alone. Medical tests would have revealed abnormalities, so there must be an accomplice within the hospital." Fang Rui wanted to investigate further, but the hospital was uncooperative. They refused to provide patient treatment records and even threatened to file a complaint against the police if they continued to "harass" their doctors and nurses. Zhang ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????sighed, "Could it be that the hospital collaborated directly with that medical institution, and Chen Shu was just a scapegoat?" Fang Rui thought it unlikely that the hospital was directly involved, but he was certain there was an accomplice within the hospital. Fang Rui investigated Director Chen¡¯s bank accounts but found no unusual income. In fact, Director Chen¡¯s account balance was only a few thousand yuan. Upon further investigation, they discovered that while Director Chen earned a high income, he owned only an old unit-assigned apartment and had almost no savings. He spent his money on helping patients, often covering medical expenses for rural patients and volunteering in impoverished areas. Director Chen was not only highly skilled in medicine but also had exceptional medical ethics. Chapter 188 During the morning meeting, after learning about Director Chen''s deeds, everyone turned their attention to Chen Xue.Li couldn''t help but praise, "Chen Xue, even though your father failed the family, he was a good doctor." Chen Xue remained silent, feeling somewhat surprised. She couldn''t connect the cold and distant father from her childhood with the kind and professional doctor she was hearing about now. Fang Rui analyzed, "Although Director Chen''s character seems impeccable, Chen Shu once said that this was her faith. So, their motive for doing this must not have been for personal gain but for some higher ideal. Director Chen is still a suspect." "The Star Home case also involves illegal drug trials. When we investigated, we only traced it back to a shell company," Chen Xue added. "Could these two cases be connected? Could the people behind the shell company have instructed Chen Shu to do this?" Zhang sighed, "What if we investigate further and only end up tracing it back to another shell company?" Fang Rui decided to look into the relationship between Chen Shu and Bai Jing. There were two coffee shops in Jiangzhou City called "Left Bank Coffee," but both owners confirmed that Chen Shu and Bai Jing had never visited their stores. Chen Shu''s chat records showed that half a month ago, they had agreed to meet at a coffee shop. However, surveillance footage from both stores over the past two months showed no sign of them, and there were no payment records from Chen Shu''s account. Fang Rui speculated, "Could ''Left Bank Coffee'' not be an actual coffee shop but a code name they agreed upon?" Zhang agreed, "That''s possible! So why did Bai Jing and Chen Shu meet so often? Could Bai Jing have been assigning tasks to Chen Shu? If so, Bai Jing might be a liaison and could know a lot of things." To avoid alerting anyone, they decided not to bring Bai Jing in for questioning but to investigate her privately instead. Bai Jing''s personal records were straightforward. She graduated from Jiangzhou University with a degree in psychology, spent over a year unemployed after graduation, then worked as a social worker in the Ziweili Residential Area for half a year before returning to Jiangzhou University to pursue a master''s degree in psychology. The only notable detail was that her father was the renowned psychologist, Professor Bai. Fang Rui and Mu Mian drove to the "Lingxi" Psychological Clinic where Bai Jing worked. On the way, Mu Mian said, "There are suspicious points about Chen Shu''s death. Although we detected rat poison on her clothes, there was no saliva on her collar. If she had intended to commit suicide by ingesting poison from her collar, the most convenient method would have been to put the collar directly in her mouth. That would have left saliva traces." "Could she have soaked the collar in a cup of water?" "There was no rat poison detected in the cup or the lunchbox. Also, I checked the surveillance footage, and her collar wasn''t wet." Fang Rui frowned, "That''s strange. If she didn''t ingest the poison from her collar, she was likely poisoned by someone else. But there was no poison detected on the utensils. So how did she get poisoned?" "Exactly, it''s very puzzling. If she committed suicide, why didn''t she just ingest the poison directly from her collar? If she was poisoned by someone else, how did the killer manage to poison her in the police station, and why was rat poison found on her collar?" "Could it be that some of the poison dripped onto her collar when she drank it?" Mu Mian frowned, "But no poison was detected in the cup or on the utensils." Fang Rui suspected that someone within their team might have tampered with the evidence. Mu Mian worried, "If Bai Jing is one of the masterminds, could she harm my sister?" Fang Rui replied, "She likely approached your sister with a purpose. Your parents were scientists. Could your sister have their research materials? Maybe that''s why Bai Jing got close to her." Mu Mian said, "It''s possible. My father''s last research project was on Alzheimer''s disease. But my seniors said that since the foundational paper in the Alzheimer''s field was fraudulent, all research based on those findings was flawed. Why would Bai Jing want a bunch of flawed research data?" Fang Rui felt that Mu Mian wasn''t entirely clear about her parents'' work. When they arrived at the "Lingxi" Psychological Clinic, the receptionist recognized Mu Mian and greeted her warmly, "Mu Mian, are you here to see your sister?" "Yes," ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Mu Mian replied. The receptionist noticed Fang Rui and was slightly surprised, "Is this your friend?" Mu Mian corrected her, "This is my boyfriend, Fang Rui." Fang Rui greeted her, "Hello." "Hello. Mu Mian, I didn''t know you had a boyfriend, and such a handsome one too!" The receptionist was surprised. It was rare for someone with autism to form normal intimate relationships, so she hadn''t expected Mu Mian to have a boyfriend. Still, she was happy for her. "Thank you. Sister Feng, I hope you find a boyfriend soon too." "...I''ll try!" the receptionist said, "Please wait in the rest area." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Alright." The receptionist brought them water. Mu Mian asked, "Has Bai Jing been coming to the clinic often recently?" At the mention of Bai Jing, the receptionist''s expression changed, and she said with annoyance, "Yes, she comes often. It''s so annoying." "You don''t like her?" "She''s a scheming, manipulative woman who has driven away several counseling assistants. I don''t like her much," the receptionist, a straightforward girl, complained. "You should avoid her. She might seem nice, but she''s extremely jealous and can''t stand anyone doing better than her." "Did Chen Shu ever come to see her?" "Who''s Chen Shu? We don''t have a client by that name!" Fang Rui asked, "Does Bai Jing usually behave unusually?" "Unusual behavior? Not really. She just likes to play mind games. But she''s clever, and the therapists like her. Our boss especially values her..." The receptionist lowered her voice, "But your sister is smart. She saw through Bai Jing''s act and no longer lets her be an assistant." "Sister Feng." Hearing Bai Jing''s voice behind her, the receptionist was startled. She awkwardly turned to face Bai Jing. Bai Jing smiled at her, "What were you talking about? I heard my name." "Nothing... nothing! Oh, I have some work to do. I''ll head back now," the receptionist said before scurrying away. Bai Jing smiled at Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, it''s been a while." She then looked at Fang Rui, "Officer Fang, long time no see!" Mu Mian and Fang Rui ignored her. First, they didn''t want Bai Jing to know they were investigating her, and second, if Bai Jing was indeed involved in the case, they wouldn''t get any useful information from her. Seeing that Fang Rui and Mu Mian were ignoring her, Bai Jing''s smile faded. "Aren''t you here to see me?" It seemed Bai Jing already knew the police were investigating her. Fang Rui decided to be direct, "Do you know Chen Shu?" "Yes, we were good friends. I was deeply saddened by her death. However, she made mistakes and had to face the consequences." Fang Rui asked, "Chen Shu didn''t commit suicide. She was killed by your people, wasn''t she?" Bai Jing didn''t answer. "Is the Star Home incident also connected to you?" "Officer Fang, you''ve already solved the case, caught the culprit, and established the motive and process. Just close the case. Let it end here," Bai Jing said. "Will you stop your criminal activities?" Bai Jing remained silent. "You won''t stop. Then our investigation won''t stop either." Fang Rui and Mu Mian were seated, while Bai Jing stood, looking down at them with a condescending air. "I''ve given you a friendly warning. If you don''t accept it, then I can only wish you good luck." Mu Mian asked, "If we continue investigating, what will you do?" Bai Jing was momentarily taken aback. "Why should I tell you?" "If you don''t tell us the consequences, how can we decide whether to continue investigating?" Mu Mian looked at her sincerely. "Damn autistic person!" Bai Jing snorted coldly and turned to leave. Chapter 189 Watching Bai Jing''s retreating figure, Mu Mian sighed, "Ah, I really am not good at fishing for information."Fang Rui rubbed his forehead. Could this even be called fishing for information? It was more like straightforward, sincere questioning. Mu Mian asked, "Fang Rui, what do you think they''ll do if we keep investigating?" "If Chen Shu was killed inside the police station, there must be someone on the inside working for them," Fang Rui replied. "Before we expose the mole, we shouldn''t reveal our progress to anyone. Let''s pretend we''ve stopped investigating this case for now and find a way to uncover the mole." Mu Mian speculated, "Could it be Wang? Did Chen Shu lead him astray? But how could Wang get his hands on rat poison?" Fang Rui wasn''t entirely sure either. If there really was a mole planted by the mastermind, who could it be? Was it Wang? He had been in the interrogation room and had contact with Chen Shu, making him the most likely suspect. But many people had interacted with Chen Shu that day, and all of them were under suspicion. Suddenly, Mu Mian had an idea. "Maybe it wasn''t bought but stolen! When Lin Qianjie died, we retrieved a bag of rat poison from Lu Tian''s house. Could someone have stolen some of it then? If so, that person must have planned this long ago. Oh no, what if they''re planning to poison me? And you too, since you always eat my cooking." "It''s unlikely, but we should be more careful from now on," Fang Rui said. At that moment, Shen Xiyin finished her consultation. She was surprised to see Mu Mian and Fang Rui waiting for her. "Mu Mian, why are you here to see me?" Shen Xiyin had been very busy lately. The psychology department at Jiangzhou University was conducting a research project: a cognitive ability survey of adolescents in Jiangzhou City. They had designed a series of tests to assess the cognitive abilities of primary and secondary school students and were collecting data. Basic cognitive abilities included attention, memory, perception, reasoning, and cognitive flexibility. These tests were based on psychological experimental paradigms and had been computerized to improve data collection efficiency, but organizing the data was still a massive task. Mu Mian asked, "Sister, why did you stop letting Bai Jing be your assistant?" Shen Xiyin replied, "Because I caught her snooping through my computer. Although there wasn''t anything important on it, I don''t like people invading my privacy. She crossed a line." Fang Rui asked, "Why would Bai Jing snoop through your computer?" "I suspect someone put her up to it. She wasn''t randomly searching through my files; she went straight to a specific folder on my D drive. I tend to store important files there, and only a few close friends know about this habit of mine, but none of them know Bai Jing." Mu Mian pouted, "I didn''t know you had that habit either." Shen Xiyin smiled helplessly, "That''s because you''re not interested in my work." Fang Rui asked, "Do you suspect someone you know instructed her?" "Yes, I suspect it was Jiang Yinian. He knows me well. He could probably guess my computer password, and he knows where I like to store important files." Mu Mian added, "I know your password too¡ªit''s my initials plus your birthday." Fang Rui asked, "What kind of information would Jiang Yinian want from you?" "I''m not sure. I don''t have much research data. I focus on psychotherapy and rarely engage in research. The only research-related material I have is part of the data from our cognitive ability survey. Other than that, there''s nothing significant." Fang Rui probed, "Could it have something to do with your parents'' research?" Mu Mian countered, "Jiang Yinian was Dad''s favorite student. He probably knows more about Dad''s work than you do, Sister. What could he possibly get from you?" "My father was developing a drug to treat Alzheimer''s disease, but their research failed. At the time, they couldn''t figure out why. A few years ago, the foundational paper on Alzheimer''s was exposed as fraudulent, and I think that''s why their research failed," Shen Xiyin sighed. "I never imagined my father and his team would waste over a decade because of a fake paper." Mu Mian, worried Fang Rui wouldn''t understand, explained further, "The Alzheimer''s research community widely accepts the ''amyloid hypothesis'': Alzheimer''s is caused by the accumulation of A¦Â plaques. Based on this hypothesis, my father''s team developed a drug that could repair a certain protein, reduce A¦Â*56 deposits, and slow the progression of Alzheimer''s. But since the paper supporting this hypothesis was fraudulent, my father''s drug failed in clinical trials. Of course, my father wasn''t the only one unlucky. Almost every Alzheimer''s researcher wasted over a decade of their lives because of this flawed hypothesis. This shows how important honesty is in the scientific community. I, for one, am very honest." Fang Rui chuckled, "So that''s why you''ve never been good at lying?" "I''ve gotten a little better now because the real world requires a lot of white lies." Shen Xiyin added, "A friend told me that Jiang Yinian''s Jiangmiao Group has replicated many expensive foreign drugs over the years. They''ve been sued multiple times by foreign pharmaceutical companies, but they''ve managed to evade legal consequences by tweaking the formulas and adding traditional Chinese medicine components. Many companies haven''t been able to hold them accountable." Mu ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Mian said, "Jiang Yinian once told me that innovation is the most important thing in research, and copying others'' work is shameful. Why would he do something like this?" "Maybe, for him now, making money is more important," Shen Xiyin said sarcastically. Fang Rui looked into Jiang Yinian. He was the largest shareholder of Jiangmiao Group, but the company''s operations were managed by professional executives. Jiang Yinian had invested heavily in building a private laboratory, hiring many young medical graduates from prestigious universities, but he had never publicly announced any research findings. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jiangmiao Group was founded by Jiang Yinian''s cousin, who had been a criminal psychology expert before inheriting the family fortune and switching careers to establish the medical group. A few years later, he and his wife passed away, and Jiang Yinian inherited all their assets. In addition to private hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, Jiangmiao Group frequently funded various research projects and collaborated with universities, giving it a good reputation and significant influence. Fang Rui increasingly felt that Jiangmiao Group was shady. He even suspected that Jiang Yun''s death had been orchestrated by Jiang Yinian so that he could gain control of the Lin family''s assets as Lin Qianyan''s guardian. Fang Rui asked Mu Mian, "What kind of person is Jiang Yinian?" Mu Mian thought for a moment and said, "Dad said he was a genius. He loved research and once said he would give everything for his work. But he''s changed now. He probably loves money more." Her tone was tinged with regret. Fang Rui realized that investigating Jiangmiao Group wouldn''t be easy. First, there was no legitimate reason to do so, and second, if they alerted the company, they might destroy all evidence immediately. For now, their priority was to uncover the killer of Chen Shu¡ªthe mole within the police station. Chapter 190 The ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????next day at work, Mu Mian walked into the office carrying a beautifully wrapped box."Mu Mian, who sent you a gift?" Chen Xue asked curiously, eyeing the box. Mu Mian placed the box in front of Chen Xue and said, "Chen Xue, open it. We''re about to have a group of adorable little companions." "Adorable little companions? And a whole group of them?" Chen Xue had a bad feeling about this. She slowly opened the box, and as soon as she saw what was inside, she let out a loud scream. "Ah, Mu Mian, why did you bring a bunch of white mice to work? I hate white mice!" Inside the box was a glass container with several white mice curled up inside, making little "squeak, squeak" noises. "Chen Xue, you''re a medical student. How can you be afraid of white mice?" Mu Mian said, picking up the box and placing it on her desk to prevent the mice from being frightened by Chen Xue. Chen Xue crossed her arms and said, "I''m not afraid. I just dislike all living rodents. If I had to dissect them, I¡¯d be fine with that." Mu Mian picked up one of the white mice and held it in her palm. "Chen Xue, look, this one is really cute. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not aggressive anymore. It¡¯s a bit of a silly mouse. Can you guess why it¡¯s become so silly?" "Unless it¡¯s a corpse, don¡¯t let them appear in front of me!" Mu Mian sighed sadly. "Alright. Poor little guys, you¡¯ve been banished by a beautiful but mouse-hating forensic sister. Sigh, I¡¯ll have to find a new place for you." Chen Xue sensed trouble. "Mu Mian, you¡¯re not planning to keep them long-term, are you? Why do you suddenly want to keep pets?" "Of course. I¡¯ve adopted them, so I¡¯m responsible for them. But they¡¯re not pets¡ªthey¡¯re test subjects." Mu Mian carried the box to Fang Rui¡¯s office. Only Fang Rui and Zhang were in the office. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang¡¯s suspicion of being an undercover agent had been preliminarily ruled out. First, because when the rat poison was brought back, Zhang was one of the few who hadn¡¯t come into contact with it, so he had no opportunity to steal it. Second, during Chen Shu¡¯s interrogation, Zhang wasn¡¯t involved and didn¡¯t have any private contact with Chen Shu. Additionally, Zhang came from a good background, making it unlikely he¡¯d be corrupted, and he wasn¡¯t clever or steady enough to handle undercover work. Zhang was peering through the glass at the mice running through a maze, puzzled. "Mu Mian, I thought you didn¡¯t like animals. Why are you keeping a bunch of mice?" "Officer Zhang, don¡¯t scare them. And I don¡¯t dislike animals," Mu Mian said, pulling Zhang away. "Also, don¡¯t call them mice. They have names." "What are their names?" "This one is Rainbow One, that one is Rainbow Two¡­ and the smartest one is Rainbow Seven." "What¡­ does that have to do with rainbows?" Chen Xue pointed at the mice¡¯s heads. "Look at the colors on their heads. If you see them as a group, you¡¯ll notice they form a rainbow." "..." Inside the glass container were seven white mice, each with a patch of dyed fur on their heads¡ªred, orange, green¡­ purple. Together, they formed a rainbow. Upon closer inspection, some of the mice had scars on their heads, as if their scalps had been cut open. "I dyed their fur to cover the scars and make it easier to tell them apart." "Why not name them Little Red, Little Orange, or something like that? Those names sound cuter," Zhang suggested. "Those names are too anthropomorphic. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll develop feelings for them and think what I¡¯m doing to them is too cruel." "Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no way we¡¯d develop feelings for a bunch of mice. But why do some of them look sickly and not very bright?" Mu Mian explained, "Rainbow One to Four are mice with brain damage. I removed part of their brain tissue¡­ Rainbow One and Two are control groups; Three and Four are also control groups. Rainbow Five is a normal mouse, very average. Rainbow Six is a naturally dull mouse¡ªit¡¯s been trained many times but still can¡¯t figure out how to navigate the maze. Rainbow Seven is a genius mouse¡ªit can quickly solve any unfamiliar maze and get the food." Zhang stared at Mu Mian, dumbfounded. While others kept pets for fun, Mu Mian seemed to be conducting research. Fang Rui asked, "Are you using them to test the effects of that drug?" "Yes. I¡¯ve already sent the drug to a professional testing agency for analysis, but they don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for. They even suspect it¡¯s a half-finished product. The clinical effects of the drug are more obvious on living subjects. It¡¯s hard to deduce from a corpse what the drug is actually for, so I¡¯ve decided to test it on these mice." Zhang praised her, "Mu Mian, if you weren¡¯t a forensic scientist, you¡¯d definitely make a great researcher." "I prefer being a forensic scientist because I get to work with a lot of corpses. My dad said being a researcher is hard¡ªyou need a lot of funding first, and only then do you need a smart brain." "..." Zhang pointed at the box. "Alright, we¡¯ve seen your rainbow mice. You can take them back to your office now." Mu Mian didn¡¯t say anything, just quietly looked at Fang Rui and Zhang. "Mu Mian, you¡¯re not planning to leave them here, are you?" "Is that okay? Chen Xue doesn¡¯t like them. She won¡¯t let me keep them in my office." Fang Rui said, "It¡¯s fine." Zhang suggested, "Why not put them in the conference room? It¡¯s spacious, has good air circulation, and is quiet." "But no one will be watching them. I¡¯m worried they might get hurt." Zhang rolled his eyes. "They¡¯re in a glass container. What harm could come to them? Overeating until they burst? Or fighting to the death?" "Officer Zhang, you¡¯re overthinking it. Some of these mice are smart, and some are dumb. If they¡¯re kept together, the dumb ones might get bullied and not get enough food. I should assign them separate living spaces and food." "...Meticulous!" Mu Mian quickly used cardboard to divide the container into seven compartments, ensuring each mouse had its own comfortable space. In the end, Mu Mian decided to place the mice on a small table at the back of the conference room. Fang Rui helped her move the glass container there. The conference room was empty. Mu Mian whispered to Fang Rui, "These mice aren¡¯t actually for drug testing. The mice for drug testing are at my house." "You¡¯re using these mice as bait to lure out the undercover agent?" Fang Rui asked. Mu Mian nodded. "The undercover agent definitely doesn¡¯t want us to know the effects of that drug, so they might try to harm these innocent mice. I¡¯ve installed a pinhole camera on the glass container, and there¡¯s also a camera at the conference room door. If someone tries to kill these mice, they¡¯ll be caught on camera." "Mu Mian, not bad. You¡¯re learning to use cunning tactics now?" Mu Mian corrected him, "It¡¯s strategy. It¡¯s called ¡®waiting for the rabbit,¡¯ no, ¡®the willing fish,¡¯ no, what¡¯s it called again¡­" "It¡¯s called ¡®luring the tiger out of the mountain.¡¯" Mu Mian looked at the mice and said to Fang Rui, "They have names too. This one is Neon One, that one is Neon Two¡­ and the smartest one is Neon Seven." "Got it. We¡¯ll remember them." Mu Mian whispered to the mice, "If you¡¯re murdered, I¡¯ll definitely avenge you. I¡¯ll remember you." The mice squeaked as they ate, perhaps in response to Mu Mian¡¯s words. Chapter 191 Mu Mian''s little mice not only escaped harm but, under the care of everyone, especially Zhang, turned into a group of plump rodents.The once smartest of them, Rainbow Seven, now refuses to navigate mazes for food. Mu Mian poked Rainbow Seven''s head and sighed, "A comfortable environment can dull a mouse''s intelligence!" "Could it be that it was never particularly smart but just had a keen sense of smell?" Fang Rui suggested. "Of course not. The food I placed at the maze exit had no scent," Mu Mian pondered. "Should I install an electric shock device to give them a little danger now and then, to boost their motivation to solve mazes?" Mu Mian felt someone''s resentful gaze on her. She turned around and saw it was Zhang. "Mu Mian, how could you be so cruel? You want to electrocute them?" Zhang scolded. Mu Mian explained, "Psychologists do this all the time. Skinner''s theory of operant conditioning was developed through ''abusing'' mice. Electric shocks are a common way to apply stimuli." Zhang stood protectively in front of the glass enclosure and corrected her, "They have names. Call them by their names¡ªLittle Red, Little Orange... Little Purple. Come on, Uncle will play some music to soothe your frightened little hearts." Over the days, Zhang had come to treat these mice as pets. Mu Mian whispered to Fang Rui, "I told you not to give the mice overly anthropomorphic names. It makes people too attached. See, this is what happens." Fang Rui smiled helplessly. Two ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????weeks later, Mu Mian''s undercover bait plan ended in failure. On Monday morning, as Fang Rui and Mu Mian were on their way to work, they received a notification: a child''s body had been found in the greenery by the roadside in the suburbs. The scene was a small flower bed by the road. A sanitation worker had discovered the body while cleaning in the morning. At first, he thought it was an abandoned child, but upon picking it up, he noticed the baby''s eyes were closed, unresponsive, and the body had a faint odor. He checked the child''s heart and found no heartbeat or breath. Realizing it might be a death, he immediately called the police. Arriving at the scene, Mu Mian saw the deceased''s body placed by the roadside. The victim was a very young boy, no more than two years old based on his height. He was dressed in light blue cotton pajamas and wore a black knitted hat with a cartoon character on it. His abdomen was slightly swollen, and his back showed signs of greenish decomposition. Mu Mian lifted the child''s eyelids¡ªhis corneas were heavily clouded, and black spots had appeared on the sclera. The body emitted a faint stench of decay. "The ambient temperature is 27¡ãC, and the body temperature is 30.5¡ãC. Based on other postmortem signs, the time of death is over 24 hours ago," Mu Mian noted. The child''s appearance was unusual¡ªwide-set eyes, small eye slits, upward-slanting outer corners, a flat nose, and stubby fingers. Mu Mian noticed some deformities in his hand bones. Chen Xue remarked, "This child looks strange, not like a normal child. Could he have Down syndrome?" Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is caused by an extra chromosome 21. Children with this condition have distinct facial features, delayed growth, physical deformities, congenital heart diseases, and intellectual disabilities. Mu Mian agreed, "Yes, this is likely a child with Down syndrome. His height is 61.5 cm, and children with Down syndrome are generally shorter than average. Based on his height, he''s probably between one and a half to two years old." "Could it be that his parents didn''t want to raise him and abandoned him here?" Zhang speculated. Mu Mian was puzzled, "Isn''t Down syndrome detectable through prenatal screening? It''s a standard part of prenatal care. Why would his mother have given birth to him? Moreover, 60% of Down syndrome fetuses miscarry early on. Without medical intervention, it''s unlikely he would have survived." Chen Xue added, "Doctors usually advise mothers to terminate such pregnancies. But I''ve heard of extreme cases where mothers, out of deep love for their child, choose to give birth despite knowing about genetic issues." Zhang said, "But a child with such disabilities wouldn''t have a happy life. This kind of maternal love seems too blind." Mu Mian noticed a faint smell of blood on the child, but upon closer inspection, she found no external injuries. Then, she removed the small hat on the child''s head, revealing a bald scalp. "His skull has been cut open," Mu Mian announced. Everyone turned to look. The child''s hair had been shaved, and a ring of black stitches, crooked like a centipede, circled the top of his head. Suddenly, they realized this might not be a simple case of child abandonment. "Did this child undergo brain surgery?" Zhang asked in shock. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The technique is professional, but this wasn''t a surgery. The wound shows no signs of healing, meaning the scalp was cut after death," Mu Mian explained. "No doctor would perform surgery on a dead patient." Fang Rui speculated, "Could it be that a doctor performed an autopsy to determine the cause of death?" "Possibly." Mu Mian checked the child''s eyelids and mouth. There were no foreign objects in the mouth, and no signs of compression on the neck. "We can preliminarily rule out mechanical asphyxiation. Based on the body''s condition, it doesn''t seem like death by poisoning either." Mu Mian placed the child''s body in a body bag, and she and Chen Xue loaded it into the car. They drove back, eager to uncover what had happened to this child. Her intuition told her that the killer might have taken something from the body. Fang Rui carefully examined the surroundings. The flower bed was next to a service road, surrounded by vast, sparsely populated wasteland. However, it was near the intersection of several provincial highways, with a gas station and a water station nearby. At night, many trucks parked in the area. This wasn''t an ideal place to dump a body. There were no surveillance cameras near the flower bed, but the road had several speed cameras. The road had heavy traffic, being close to a highway entrance, with many large trucks passing through. Investigating these vehicles would be challenging. Zhang speculated, "Could it be that the child''s mother, driven mad by grief, wandered here and left the child in the flower bed?" Wang found Zhang''s theory somewhat plausible but also absurd. He couldn''t help but say, "Have you been watching too many dramas?" "Think about it. A child''s body is so small. It would be easy to dispose of it unnoticed¡ªput it in a suitcase, dump it in a ravine, or throw it into the sea. Even burying it would be better than leaving it in a flower bed. If the killer had any sense, they wouldn''t have dumped the body here." Wang was convinced. "That makes sense!" Fang Rui said, "What if the person who killed the child and the one who dumped the body are not the same?" "Then what was the dumper trying to achieve? To draw our attention? Why not leave the body in the city center to create a media frenzy?" Fang Rui replied, "Let''s start by identifying the child. His appearance is distinctive, and with Down syndrome, such children are rare. It should be easy to find out who he is." At that moment, Wang called out, "Come and look at this!" Everyone gathered around and saw a symbol "?" drawn in the soil of the flower bed. The symbol was dark red, seemingly written in blood. After taking a photo of the symbol, Wang sprayed it with luminol, and it fluoresced. "This symbol was written in blood." Chapter 192 The small body of the deceased was laid flat on the cold autopsy table.Mu Mian¡¯s mood was heavier than usual, as this was the youngest human body she had ever dissected, and it was also a child with Down syndrome. Mu Mian did not start by dissecting the head of the deceased. Instead, she first cut open the chest and abdominal cavities, removing the internal organs. She began by examining the heart, scrutinizing it carefully. Chen Xue asked curiously, ¡°Mu Mian, why didn¡¯t you start with the head?¡± ¡°Because I need to determine the cause of death first.¡± ¡°The skull has been cut open, so shouldn¡¯t we first confirm if the cause of death was mechanical injury? It¡¯s possible the victim died from massive blood loss or brain tissue damage.¡± Mu Mian emphasized again, ¡°The wound on the scalp shows no signs of vital reaction. This means the scalp was cut after death. Additionally, the lividity on the body is quite pronounced. If the cause of death were massive blood loss, the lividity would be lighter. The deceased was a child with Down syndrome, who often suffer from various congenital diseases, the most common being congenital heart disease.¡± Lividity is formed by the deposition of red blood cells after death. If the deceased had lost too much blood, resulting in a significant loss of red blood cells, the lividity would appear lighter. Chen Xue said, ¡°Do you suspect the child died suddenly from an illness?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Mu Mian noticed that the deceased¡¯s ventricles were thicker than those of an average person, and one of the heart valves had an abnormal structure. Further pathological testing of the heart would be needed to confirm whether there were any issues. Mu Mian sent the heart to a testing facility for pathological analysis. Pathological testing is a tedious process and takes a considerable amount of time. This was why Mu Mian had chosen to dissect the internal organs first. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s time to examine the brain,¡± Mu Mian said excitedly. She carefully cut open the sutures on the head. The stitches were made with ordinary black thread, not medical-grade, but the knotting and sewing technique suggested the person who had stitched it had some clinical experience. After removing the sutures, Mu Mian carefully peeled back the scalp, separating the subcutaneous tissue to reveal the skull. The skull had already been sawed open with an electric saw. Mu Mian lifted the cranial bone and discovered that only half of the brain tissue remained inside the cranial cavity. The perpetrator had severed the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain, splitting the brain into two parts. They had then taken the left hemisphere of the deceased¡¯s brain. Chen Xue was stunned. ¡°The perpetrator actually took the brain tissue, and only the left hemisphere? Why would someone take the brain of a deceased child?¡± Chen Xue exclaimed in shock. Mu Mian replied, ¡°It could be for research purposes. They could make brain slices to observe pathological changes.¡± ¡°Then why only take half?¡± ¡°Maybe ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????the left hemisphere had some research value,¡± Mu Mian said as she removed the remaining half of the brain tissue, now deeply intrigued by it. Chen Xue looked at the brain and said, ¡°This reminds me of a famous medical experiment¡ªthe split-brain experiment. Sperry, in an attempt to treat epilepsy, severed the corpus callosum of a patient. While the patient¡¯s seizures stopped, they lost the ability to control their behavior. This patient became known as the ¡®split-brain person.¡¯ Could the perpetrator be replicating this experiment?¡± Sperry¡¯s split-brain experiment demonstrated that the human brain is divided into two hemispheres: the left hemisphere receives sensory information from the right side of the body and controls movements on the right side, while the right hemisphere handles sensory information from the left side and controls movements on the left. Severing the connection between the two hemispheres renders a person unable to control their behavior. ¡°But what value would replicating this experiment have?¡± Mu Mian wondered. ¡°The division of labor between the brain¡¯s hemispheres has already been thoroughly studied. Moreover, the perpetrator removed the left hemisphere after the victim¡¯s death. They wouldn¡¯t be able to observe any behavioral changes in a dead person.¡± ¡°True. Taking the brain of a dead person would only be useful for pathological research,¡± Chen Xue agreed. Mu Mian thought for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s another possibility: the perpetrator didn¡¯t want us to know what pathological changes had occurred in the left hemisphere, so they took it.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they destroy the entire body? The child¡¯s body was so small; they could have disposed of it in many other ways,¡± Chen Xue analyzed. Mu Mian looked at the cranial cavity, equally puzzled about the perpetrator¡¯s motives. She sent the right hemisphere of the brain for pathological testing as well, to determine if there were any abnormalities in the brain tissue. **Case Analysis Meeting** The pathological test results were not yet available, so Mu Mian simply reported the preliminary findings from the autopsy. ¡°Initial findings suggest two possible causes of death: first, sudden death due to illness. The child may have had congenital heart disease and died from a heart attack. Second, the brain may have developed a pathological condition that damaged vital centers. The pathological report isn¡¯t ready yet, so I can¡¯t determine the exact cause of death at this time.¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian continued, ¡°The perpetrator sawed open the skull and removed the left hemisphere of the brain. Both the suturing and the craniotomy were performed with precision, suggesting the perpetrator has extensive clinical experience. In fact, they might even be a neurosurgeon.¡± Mu Mian displayed a photo of the cranial cavity on the screen. Everyone stared in disbelief at the image of the skull, now missing half of its brain. Zhang asked, ¡°Why did the perpetrator only take half of the brain? Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to take the whole brain?¡± Mu Mian replied, ¡°I find it strange too. The perpetrator¡¯s actions are contradictory.¡± ¡°Could they be mentally unstable?¡± Lin Sen said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they might strike again.¡± Wang reported the forensic findings: ¡°In the flowerbed, we found two sets of footprints. One belonged to the sanitation worker who reported the case, and the other was a size 41. The shoe print pattern doesn¡¯t match any known brand. The child¡¯s clothing only had the fingerprints of the person who reported the case.¡± Fang Rui displayed a photo on the screen. In the soil of the flowerbed, the perpetrator had written a symbol, ¡°?,¡± in blood. The handwriting was neat, and the symbol was slightly larger than a thumb. ¡°Tests confirmed that the blood used to write the symbol belonged to the victim,¡± Chen Xue reported. The team searched online for the symbol but found no specific explanation. It seemed to be a symbol created by the perpetrator, possibly meaningless. Chapter 193 ¡°Why did the killer leave this symbol? Is it a provocation to the police? But this symbol doesn¡¯t seem threatening at all,¡± Lin Sen said.¡°This might be his criminal signature. Many criminals, especially serial killers, like to leave their unique mark at the crime scene,¡± Lin Sen explained. A criminal signature refers to the unique and personalized behavior an offender exhibits during the commission of a crime. These actions are not necessary for completing the crime but are done to satisfy a special psychological need. It¡¯s also crucial evidence in linking serial murder cases. Fang Rui asked, ¡°Lin Sen, do you suspect he¡¯ll strike again?¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t analyze his criminal behavior and motives using conventional investigative logic. It¡¯s highly likely that he¡¯s acting based on his criminal delusions, which often lack logic or realism. That¡¯s why his actions appear so chaotic.¡± Fang Rui and his team investigated the vehicles passing through the highway, but due to the heavy traffic, no useful leads were found. Fang Rui and Zhang then visited the gas station near the crime scene. The gas station was about 1,200 meters from the flowerbed where the body was discovered. Fang Rui first asked the gas station manager for the surveillance footage from the entrance and then began questioning the staff. ¡°Between ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????September 14th and 15th, did you notice any suspicious vehicles around here?¡± Fang Rui asked. The sanitation worker had reported the body on the morning of September 15th. One of the male employees, wearing glasses, replied, ¡°What counts as a suspicious vehicle? Speeding? Illegal U-turns? There¡¯s no traffic camera here, so a lot of drivers break the rules.¡± ¡°Yes! Tell me the license plate numbers or any distinctive features of the cars.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already reported them on the traffic app,¡± he said, opening his phone to show Fang Rui and Zhang his report history. ¡°These are the vehicles.¡± The employee¡¯s father had died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, so he harbored a deep hatred for traffic violations. Zhang noted down the car models and license plate numbers. ¡°Over the past two days, have you seen any cars parked along the roadside here?¡± ¡°Parking is prohibited here, and this area is mostly wasteland. Passengers wouldn¡¯t get out here. Even if a driver needed to stop urgently, they could park at our gas station or the nearby water station. Trucks often park there overnight.¡± A female employee suddenly spoke up, ¡°Actually, I did see a white car parked on the roadside one night.¡± ¡°When was that?¡± ¡°It was around 9 PM on the 14th. I remember it clearly because something happened at home that day, and I swapped shifts with a colleague. I was riding my electric scooter past that section of the road, just before the turn to the service road. ¡°From a distance, I saw the white car parked there. At first, I thought it had broken down, so I went over to check. But as soon as the driver saw me approaching, they started the car. The driver seemed like a beginner¡ªthey turned the steering wheel the wrong way and hit the curb. I¡¯m not sure if the car was damaged.¡± ¡°Do you remember the license plate number?¡± The female employee shook her head. ¡°No, it was too dark, and there were no streetlights. I only remember it was a white car with a green license plate.¡± ¡°Can you identify the car model?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t have a brand logo. Probably a generic domestic car, a very common-looking sedan.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information. If you remember anything else, please contact us immediately,¡± Zhang said, handing over his contact details. ¡°No problem. If I recall anything else, I¡¯ll definitely let you know.¡± Fang Rui and Zhang then visited the water station. However, since the water station was surrounded by a wall, the road was a blind spot, and the employees there couldn¡¯t provide any useful information. Following the female employee¡¯s description, Fang Rui and Zhang inspected the curbs along the road. Soon, they found a spot with white paint scrapes. The location was about 500 meters from the flowerbed where the body was discovered. Zhang found it strange. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he just park near the flowerbed? Carrying the body to the flowerbed would have taken a few minutes. Wasn¡¯t he afraid of being seen by passing vehicles?¡± Fang Rui was also puzzled. He speculated, ¡°Maybe after parking, the killer realized it wasn¡¯t a good spot to dump the body, so he moved further ahead?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s an identical flowerbed right here.¡± Fang Rui decided not to dwell on the question. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on finding that white car. Its front bumper is likely chipped, and with a green license plate, it¡¯s probably a white new energy vehicle. Let¡¯s have Li and the team check the surveillance footage for a car matching these features.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Fang Rui also asked the household registration department to investigate the victim¡¯s identity. The victim was a child with Down syndrome, with a very distinctive appearance. However, after Fang Rui¡¯s team issued a missing person notice, no one came forward to identify the body. There were also no recent reports of a missing child. Fang Rui sent people to visit major hospitals in Jiangzhou City. However, the pediatric staff at these hospitals all stated they had never seen the child. Logically, children with Down syndrome are prone to illnesses, and the victim was suspected to have congenital heart disease. It was unlikely he had never visited a hospital. Zhang said, ¡°We¡¯ve spread the word through multiple channels, and the local TV station aired the missing person notice, but there¡¯s been no feedback. This is very unusual. His appearance is so distinctive¡ªanyone who¡¯s seen him would remember him. How could no one recognize him? Could he be from out of town and just arrived here, so no one knows him?¡± ¡°But he must have a guardian. He¡¯s been missing for two or three days. Why hasn¡¯t his guardian reported him missing?¡± ¡°Could he have been trafficked?¡± someone suggested, but quickly dismissed the idea. ¡°But who would traffic a child with Down syndrome? No buyer would want a child with obvious health issues.¡± Mu Mian quietly interjected, ¡°There is a possibility. If someone wanted to study Down syndrome, they might buy such a child.¡± Zhang exclaimed, ¡°Could this child have been kept hidden for research, never seen by outsiders?¡± Chen Xue countered, ¡°This isn¡¯t a TV drama. Even if someone wanted to study Down syndrome, they could openly seek consent from the child¡¯s parents. There¡¯s no need to lock the child away.¡± Seeing that Fang Rui and the team were struggling to identify the child, Mu Mian decided to pass the time by matching the child¡¯s DNA with the police database. To her surprise, she found a match. The two DNA samples were strikingly similar, suggesting a likely mother-son relationship. Chen Xue leaned over and asked, ¡°Mu Mian, what are you doing?¡± Mu Mian switched her computer screen and pointed at it. ¡°I¡¯m writing my observation diary about my lab mice.¡± ¡°Oh, I saw you looking surprised and thought there was a breakthrough in the case.¡± Mu Mian sighed. ¡°I was surprised. Rainbow No. 7 has gained more weight than the other mice. It¡¯s no longer a genius mouse.¡± ¡°Are you going to abandon it?¡± ¡°Of course not. It may not be a genius, but it¡¯s a happy mouse now. Officer Zhang says happy people gain weight¡ªit¡¯s called ¡®a relaxed mind leads to a plump body.¡¯ Chen Xue, you¡¯re so thin. You must lack happiness.¡± Chen Xue smiled helplessly. ¡°Mu Mian, if you had to choose between intelligence and happiness, which would you pick?¡± ¡°Intelligence isn¡¯t a choice¡ªit¡¯s mostly determined by genes. But happiness is a choice. So, I can have both intelligence and happiness!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 194 After work, Fang Rui drove Mu Mian home. When they arrived at her doorstep, Mu Mian suddenly looked at him with a mysterious expression and said, "Fang Rui, let''s go to your place. I have something important to tell you.""Something important? What is it?" Fang Rui''s heart raced. He couldn''t help but wonder if Mu Mian was about to propose to him again. If she did, should he agree this time? "We''ll talk inside. This isn''t something that can be explained in a sentence or two." "Isn''t it just a matter of one sentence?" "Of course not. How can such an important matter be summed up in one sentence? Fang Rui, hurry up and open the door," Mu Mian urged. "Alright." Mu Mian had Fang Rui sit on the couch while she sat across from him. Fang Rui felt a little nervous. Mu Mian pulled out a black folder from her bag and handed it to Fang Rui. "Go ahead and open it. There''s a surprise inside." The folder had no writing on the cover. Fang Rui asked, "What is this? It''s not a marriage agreement, is it?" Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui and shook her head in disappointment. "Fang Rui, with such a special murder case happening right now, you''re still thinking about marriage? You''re so unprofessional!" Fang Rui retorted, "Then who was it that came to me in the middle of the night to discuss a case and ended up proposing to me? You have a history, so it''s only natural for me to misinterpret your actions." Mu Mian, feeling guilty, changed the subject. "Fang Rui, just read the report." "Can''t you just tell me the results?" "Of course not. I need to train your reading and comprehension skills, or your IQ might degrade like Rainbow Seven. Besides, seeing it for yourself will have a greater impact." After ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????reading the report, Fang Rui furrowed his brows. The report was indeed impactful. A child who should have died long ago had actually survived for over a year, only to become the victim of another murder case. Fang Rui exclaimed in shock, "How can this be Li Yan''s child? Wasn''t her child killed by Chen Hui and put into a jar? Why is this child still alive?" The DNA sample matching the child came from a victim named Li Yan, the first victim in the Cat Fetus Murder case. Mu Mian explained, "Li Yan was eight months pregnant at the time. If the child was born prematurely, it''s possible for it to have survived. Back then, I extracted DNA from the fetuses in the jar, and their DNA didn''t match the DNA of the three victims. The child of the victim wasn''t in the jar." Fang Rui asked, "Why didn''t you tell me about this back then?" "At the time, I thought it wasn''t important. The parents of those children didn''t care about them, so they wouldn''t care about their remains either. Besides, we weren''t close back then. You were always so harsh with me, and I was a little scared of you," Mu Mian said softly. "Was I really that harsh with you?" "Yes! You never smiled at me." "You were always asking me for corpses back then. How could I smile at you? And even though I was so harsh, it didn''t stop your interest in my corpses." "Later, I still asked you for them, but you started smiling at me often," Mu Mian said, tilting her head with a hint of pride. "You liked me back then, didn''t you?" "Yes. So when did you start liking me?" Mu Mian lowered her head. "I don''t know. But I just like you, really like you." Fang Rui quickly noticed a contradiction. He asked, "Mu Mian, if you thought the children''s remains weren''t important, why did you test their DNA? Didn''t you do it to help find their parents?" Mu Mian nodded. "Yes. But Chen Xue told me that their parents wouldn''t care about the children''s remains. I thought her words made sense, so I ended up going out for a meal with her." They both fell silent. Fang Rui asked again, "When did you and Chen Xue become so close?" Fang Rui had noticed that Mu Mian and Chen Xue had suddenly become very close. Given Mu Mian''s personality, making friends was incredibly difficult. Yet, Chen Xue had been unusually tolerant of her. "About a week after I started working. I don''t know why, but Chen Xue always invited me to chat. She taught me a lot about social norms, even did my horoscope, and bought me milk tea. Slowly, we became friends." They fell silent again. Chen Xue also had a motive for murder. Chen Shu''s mother had caused Chen Xue to lose her father and her happy family. But if Chen Xue''s initial intention in getting close to Mu Mian wasn''t pure, then her motive for killing Chen Shu wasn''t jealousy or hatred. It was more likely that someone behind the scenes had instructed her to do these things. She and Chen Shu might belong to the same organization. Chen Xue was afraid that Chen Shu, driven by emotions, would reveal the truth to Wang, so she poisoned Chen Shu. But Fang Rui couldn''t understand why Chen Xue would be so kind to Mu Mian if she was a mole. Was getting close to Mu Mian also part of her mission? Mu Mian felt a little sad. Chen Xue was a good friend to her, and she couldn''t believe that Chen Xue''s kindness was built on lies. She couldn''t accept that Chen Xue might be a murderer. "Fang Rui, could all of this just be a coincidence? Chen Xue... she wouldn''t lie to me, right?" But Mu Mian knew very well that making friends on her own was incredibly difficult. Mu Mian remembered her university days when she had a few good friends. They were kind to her, patiently listened to her scientific explanations, and tolerated her quirks. She thought she had finally made real friends. Later, she found out that those people had befriended her because her sister had given them many benefits. Mu Mian had confronted them, asking why they had deceived her. They all gave similar answers: if it weren''t for the benefits, no one would willingly take care of someone unconditionally. "Fang Rui, I should have realized. Someone like me, so troublesome, how could anyone willingly be my friend?" Mu Mian''s eyes grew moist. Fang Rui hugged Mu Mian and comforted her, "You''re not troublesome at all. Look, you even have a boyfriend now." "Fang Rui, are you lying to me too?" Mu Mian was scared. Even though she had learned to recognize lies, humans were too skilled at deception. Lies were nested within lies, truth and lies intertwined, and Mu Mian found it hard to distinguish between them. "Of course not," Fang Rui said, taking Mu Mian''s hand and placing it on his chest. "Mu Mian, feel my heartbeat. My heart won''t lie to you." "I believe you," Mu Mian said, resting her head on his chest and feeling his strong, steady heartbeat. "But Fang Rui, lies come from the brain, not the heart." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Mu Mian''s emotions gradually calmed down, and she thought of the person most affected by Chen Xue''s lies. "Fang Rui, what about Officer Zhang? If he finds out that Chen Xue has been deceiving him, how heartbroken will he be? He''s already planned the wedding and even invited me to be a bridesmaid." Fang Rui thought of Officer Zhang, who was always so cheerful. He couldn''t imagine how devastated Zhang would be if he learned the truth. Fang Rui said, "Let''s not let Chen Xue know that we suspect her. We''ll see if we can find some clues from her." Mu Mian asked, "Should we tell Officer Zhang?" Fang Rui hesitated for a moment before saying, "Not yet!" Zhang''s acting skills were poor, and his feelings for Chen Xue were so deep. If they told him, it would likely alert Chen Xue. Chapter 195 Mu Mian quickly composed herself and began analyzing the case with Fang Rui.If the children of the victims in the "Cat Fetus" case were still alive, the nature of the case would be entirely different. Fang Rui speculated, "So, Chen Hui''s true motive for committing the crime might have been to steal the pregnant women''s children, and placing cats inside the victims was just a diversion to throw the police off track. However, Chen Hui''s mental illness doesn''t seem fabricated. If his sole intention was to steal the children, wouldn''t he, as an obstetrician, have access to more discreet and safer methods?" Mu Mian agreed with Fang Rui''s analysis. Chen Hui''s mental issues were likely genuine; he truly believed he could be reborn as a cat. Mu Mian added, "Could it be that Bai Jing and the organization behind her are using Chen Hui to steal those children? But the same question arises: why wouldn''t they adopt a more covert approach? They could have simply bought the children or hired someone to abduct them after birth. That way, they wouldn''t attract our investigation." Fang Rui said, "It''s possible that the victims were also insiders, and they wanted to silence them. When we investigated Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, we found that the first two victims had repeatedly considered abortions. The hospital told us it was because they knew they were carrying girls and, due to their preference for sons, didn''t want to keep them. Now, it seems more likely that they knew there was something wrong with the babies they were carrying, which is why they wanted to terminate the pregnancies. But what''s strange is that Chen Hui was the one who stopped them from having abortions. This suggests that Chen Hui might also be an insider. Could he be part of that organization too?" Fang Rui decided to dig deeper into Chen Hui''s background. They used their phones to look up information about the hospital where Chen Hui had worked¡ªAnqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. Fang Rui said, "This hospital was once affiliated with the Jiangmiao Group, but about a year and a half ago, shortly after the ''Cat Fetus'' case concluded, it was sold off and severed ties with the Jiangmiao Group." "So, it''s highly likely that the Jiangmiao Group was using this hospital for illegal research." The next day, Mu Mian received the pathological test report for the deceased. Since the victim''s identity remained unknown, he had no name, so Mu Mian gave him one: Little Tang No. 1. Given that more than one child had gone missing in the "Cat Fetus" case, Mu Mian suspected that a second unidentified body might appear. At the morning meeting, Mu Mian reported the findings: "The pathological test results show that Little Tang No. 1 had a congenital heart defect, and his condition was severe. He most likely died of a sudden heart attack." "A sudden heart attack? So, the killer might not have directly caused his death but merely disposed of the body?" Mu Mian replied, "Not necessarily. The killer could have used physical means to induce the heart attack." The reason she mentioned physical means was that neither the toxicology nor blood tests revealed any abnormalities. "If the victim died of a heart condition, why would the killer remove half of his brain? If it was about the heart, wouldn''t they have taken the diseased heart instead?" Zhang asked, puzzled. Mu Mian explained, "Children with Down syndrome often have severe intellectual disabilities, so their brains might hold research value." Fang Rui said, "Since we can''t deduce the killer''s motive, let''s set that aside for now and focus on the existing clues. An eyewitness reported seeing a suspicious vehicle, so we''ll start by investigating that car." After the meeting, Zhang was surprised to find that Mu Mian had bought him milk tea and a small cake, while everyone else received coffee¡ªeven Fang Rui got coffee. Zhang was both flustered and flattered. "Mu Mian, why did you suddenly buy me cake? It''s not my birthday. This is so strange. Are you trying to ask me for a favor? Just say it¡ªI¡¯d never refuse you." Mu Mian gave Zhang a sympathetic look and then sipped her milk tea. She frowned; it was too sweet. She shouldn¡¯t have ordered it with sugar. "Oh no, did my little ones die?" Zhang rushed to check the glass tank where he kept his white mice, but they were alive and well, even more energetic than Mu Mian. Zhang turned to Fang Rui. "Boss, what''s wrong with Mu Mian? I''m feeling a bit uneasy. Why is she suddenly being so nice to me?" Fang Rui replied, "I don¡¯t like milk tea or cake." "Ah, I thought I was getting special treatment from Mu Mian. Turns out it''s just that," Zhang said, a hint of disappointment on his face, though he felt relieved. "Well, I¡¯ll enjoy it then. Honestly, this cake is pretty good. Mu Mian, where did you buy it? Send me the shop''s name." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian sent him the shop''s name. "What? Is this cake made of gold? Why is it so expensive?" Mu Mian sighed. She finally understood why Rainbow No. 7 seemed so happy. Being a little clueless did seem to make life easier. "Mian Mian, what''s wrong? Why are you sighing?" Chen Xue asked. Mu Mian pointed at the milk tea. "It''s awful." "Why didn¡¯t you ask me to order for you? You always like what I pick." "But I can¡¯t always rely on you to order for me," Mu Mian said softly. "Why not?" "Once you marry Officer Zhang, I can¡¯t keep bothering you." Chen Xue glanced at the engagement ring on her finger and didn¡¯t respond. Mu Mian took another sip of the milk tea. The sweetness filled her mouth, but she still felt a deep sadness. It seemed she was getting better at lying now. Fang Rui and Zhang went to Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital to investigate. Fang Rui didn¡¯t tell the team that the deceased was the child of Li Yan, a victim in the "Cat Fetus" case, and he didn¡¯t officially link the two cases. He fabricated a reason, saying that an informant had provided a lead¡ªsomeone had seen the child at Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. When Zhang saw the hospital''s sign, he exclaimed, "Isn¡¯t this the hospital where Chen Hui used to work?" They parked in the hospital''s lot. Zhang remarked, "This is a private hospital for sure. The doctors and patients'' families here must be wealthy¡ªlook at all these luxury cars." Fang Rui scanned the area and noticed that most of the cars were high-end brands. In the corner of the parking lot, he spotted a white domestic car with a green license plate, standing out among the luxury vehicles. Fang Rui walked over to inspect the car and noticed that some paint had been scraped off the right side of the front bumper. Zhang''s face lit up. "Boss, the paint on this car is chipped. Could this be the car the eyewitness saw?" "Send the license plate number to Li and check if this car appears in the surveillance footage." "Got it." Zhang took photos of the car from various angles and sent them to Li. Fang Rui and Zhang questioned the doctors and nurses at the hospital, but none of them recognized the child. Fang Rui then asked the receptionist, "Whose car is this?" The nurse looked at Fang Rui warily and hesitated to answer. "I need him to move his car." The nurse relaxed and said, "It belongs to Vice President Liu Qiangmin." Zhang was surprised. "Your vice president drives this kind of car?" It wasn¡¯t that Zhang looked down on it, but cars often symbolized social status. At a certain level, people were expected to drive something more prestigious. The nurse retorted, "What¡¯s wrong with driving this car? Don¡¯t look down on people. Our Vice President Liu doesn¡¯t care about superficial things. He¡¯s the face of our hospital, the ''top hand'' in obstetrics. With his income, he could buy any car he wants, but he prefers domestic cars over imported ones." "Sorry, sorry, I was just joking. I actually think domestic cars offer great value for money," Zhang said, immediately feeling a newfound respect for Vice President Liu. Just then, Li sent them a message. [This car with the license plate was captured by a traffic camera near the area at 8:42 PM on the 14th and again at 9:36 PM at another traffic camera. This means the car was in the area where the body was dumped between 8:42 PM and 9:35 PM.] This ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????matched the eyewitness''s testimony perfectly. Fang Rui found it strange. The distance between the two traffic cameras was less than three kilometers, and fifteen minutes would have been more than enough time to dump the body and flee the scene. Why had the killer lingered in this area for so long? Chapter 196 Fang ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Rui asked, "Where is Director Liu''s office?""On the third floor, left side, second to last room." Fang Rui and Zhang found Director Liu''s office and knocked on the door. A voice from inside called out, "Come in!" Director Liu''s office was simply decorated, with many banners hanging on the walls, such as "Skilled and Compassionate," "Grateful for the Safe Delivery of Mother and Child, Praising Medical Virtue," and "Exemplary Medical Ethics, Renowned Expertise." These banners reflected his excellent medical skills and moral character. Director Liu was a middle-aged man in his forties, not very tall, quite thin, with a receding hairline and a kind, approachable face. He was writing a report when he saw Fang Rui and Zhang. Frowning, he asked, "Who are you? What do you want?" They showed their badges and explained their purpose. Upon learning they were police officers, Director Liu''s frown deepened. "Officers, what do you need from me?" Fang Rui asked, "Director Liu, where were you between 8 PM and 10 PM on the night of September 14th?" "September 14th? Let me think... I got home a little after six that day and stayed in all evening. I didn''t go out." "Can anyone confirm that?" Director Liu grew angry. "What are you implying? Are you suspecting me?" Fang Rui said, "Why are you lying? Surveillance footage shows your car near the highway entrance on the national road around 8 PM that night." "That''s impossible! I haven''t left the city recently. How could my car be near the highway entrance? Are you sure you''re not mistaken?" Fang Rui handed Director Liu a photo from the surveillance footage. Upon seeing the photo, Director Liu was visibly shocked. He muttered, "This can''t be. My car couldn''t have been on that road. I''ve never been there! That''s not my car!" Fang Rui pressed, "You said you were at home that night. Can you provide any evidence to prove it?" Director Liu''s eyes darted nervously. He stammered, "I''m divorced, and I live alone. There''s no one to confirm my whereabouts." "Doesn''t your residential complex or elevator have surveillance cameras?" "No, I live in an older neighborhood. There are no cameras." As Fang Rui was about to press further, someone barged into the office. It was Director Wang, the head of the hospital. He had a beer belly and a stern expression as he entered. After understanding the situation, he said, "Officers, Director Liu is in charge of technical matters and doesn''t handle hospital management. If you want to investigate something, you should come to me. Why are you giving Director Liu such a hard time?" Zhang retorted, "We''re not giving him a hard time. We''re just verifying his alibi." "Director Liu is an honest man. What could he possibly have to do with a crime?" Director Liu chimed in, "I wasn''t there. It has nothing to do with me." "Officers, let''s discuss this in the meeting room," Director Wang said, noticing Director Liu''s nervous demeanor and quickly stepping in to defuse the situation. Fang Rui and Zhang had no choice but to follow Director Wang to the meeting room. Director Wang busied himself making tea, but Fang Rui interrupted him and asked directly, "Director Wang, does your hospital offer Down syndrome screening as part of prenatal checkups?" Director Wang insisted on serving the tea first. After sitting down on the sofa, he replied leisurely, "Yes, it''s a standard part of prenatal care. We also offer genetic screening to detect various hereditary diseases, in line with the eugenics policy." "Have any pregnant women at your hospital been diagnosed with Down syndrome in their fetuses?" "Of course! The incidence rate of Down syndrome is higher than one in a thousand. We detect several cases every year, but under medical advice, most women choose to terminate the pregnancy. So the child with Down syndrome you''re investigating couldn''t have been born in our hospital. You should check other hospitals." Director Wang assumed Fang Rui was investigating a medical malpractice case and was eager to distance the hospital from any responsibility. Zhang said, "But someone claimed to have seen the child at your hospital." "Who said that? Have them come forward, and I''ll confront them directly." Fang Rui asked, "Can you provide us with a list of the pregnant women who were diagnosed with Down syndrome?" "Well... that involves patient privacy. We can''t disclose that information. Officers, I''ve already told you, no child with Down syndrome was born in our hospital. You''re wasting your time here. You should check the public hospitals. Their patient base is more diverse, and it''s possible that some women didn''t undergo prenatal screening or that the screening failed to detect Down syndrome, resulting in such a birth." Fang Rui said, "If you don''t provide the list, we''ll have no choice but to obtain a search warrant." Hearing this, Director Wang immediately changed his tone. "As responsible citizens, we have a duty to cooperate with the police in solving cases. No problem, I''ll have the nurse in charge of records print out the list of pregnant women and their medical files. If you need any other data, just let us know. We''ll fully cooperate." Fang Rui quickly obtained the list of pregnant women, but Li Yan''s name was not on it. He had previously investigated Li Yan''s prenatal reports, which showed that her fetus was healthy. This proved that someone had tampered with Li Yan''s prenatal records. After leaving the hospital, Zhang said, "Boss, Director Liu is definitely lying. He probably wasn''t at home that night." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Let''s check out his residential complex." "Got it." Director Liu had previously worked at the First Affiliated Hospital of the City before moving to Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. He lived in a residential complex allocated to him by the First Affiliated Hospital. Since he owned the property, he was allowed to keep it even after changing jobs. "Seems like Director Liu is content with a modest lifestyle," Zhang remarked. "He''s a director now, yet he still lives in such an old neighborhood." Fang Rui noticed that the complex had surveillance cameras. He asked the security guard at the entrance, "Are these cameras operational?" "Yes, they were installed a few months ago." Fang Rui showed his badge and asked, "Can you help us pull up the surveillance footage from the 14th?" "Sure, no problem." The security guard, a chatty middle-aged man, struck up a conversation with Zhang while retrieving the footage. Zhang made up a story, "Do you know Director Liu? I heard he''s an excellent obstetrician. My relative wants to deliver at his hospital. Do you think we could schedule an appointment with him? Would a gift help?" "Don''t waste your time. Director Liu never accepts gifts." "He''s truly a doctor with high moral standards." The security guard chuckled but didn''t say more. Zhang asked, "Am I wrong?" "Not entirely. His medical skills are indeed good, but his character... well, that''s another story." "Why do you say that?" The guard lowered his voice, "He and his wife got divorced. Guess why? He had an affair with a woman in her twenties. If I hadn''t overheard his wife arguing with him, I''d never have guessed that someone who seems so honest could be like that!" "But he lives in this shabby place. He probably doesn''t have much money. What would the mistress see in him?" "Do you think a hospital director could be poor? Forget his salary¡ªjust think about the red envelopes and kickbacks he must receive. He may live in this dump and drive a beat-up car, but who knows? His house might be stuffed with cash." Zhang asked curiously, "How do you know he has cash hidden at home?" "Isn''t that how it always is in TV dramas? They look poor, but when you lift the mattress, there''s a pile of cash underneath." "..." "Director Liu''s son did terribly in school but still went abroad to study. Where did the money come from? As soon as he divorced his wife, she also went abroad and even bought a house there. Where did that money come from?" "Couldn''t his wife have earned it?" "His wife was a homemaker. How could she have made that much money?" Fang Rui asked, "Did you see Director Liu return home on the 14th?" Without hesitation, the guard replied, "No!" "How can you be so sure?" "I haven''t seen Director Liu drive back for several days. Ever since his divorce, he''s been coming back less often." The guard winked. "You can probably guess why." Zhang asked, "Do you know where he went?" The guard muttered, "I''m just a lowly security guard. How would I know?" "..." Zhang was speechless. Didn¡¯t you already know enough? After returning to the bureau, they carefully reviewed the surveillance footage from the neighborhood. The footage showed that Director Liu¡¯s car had not returned to the community. Chapter 197 After obtaining a search warrant, the police inspected Liu Qiangmin''s car. When Dean Liu learned that Fang Rui and his team were going to search his car, he stood in front of the vehicle, looking bewildered, and asked, "Officers, why are you searching my car? I haven¡¯t violated any traffic rules recently. Shouldn¡¯t traffic violations be handled by the traffic police?" "You are suspected of being involved in a murder case." "A murder case? How is that possible?" The forensic team carefully examined Dean Liu''s car. The scratches on the front of the car showed no signs of oxidation, indicating they were recent. The color and texture of the car paint were similar to the traces left on the curb. Wang collected soil samples from the tires and conducted a thorough inspection of the entire vehicle. "Boss, look, there''s blood in the trunk." Near the outer edge of the trunk, there was a small drop-like bloodstain. Dean Liu turned pale upon seeing the bloodstain. Pointing at it, he stammered, "How did this blood get in my trunk? Officers, I didn¡¯t do this. I have no idea how it got there." Wang collected a sample of the bloodstain from the trunk. After analysis, the blood was confirmed to belong to the victim. Dean Liu was taken to the interrogation room. Fang Rui placed a photo of the victim in front of him and asked again, "Dean Liu, are you sure you don¡¯t know this child?" Dean Liu carefully examined the photo of the child and shook his head. "I don¡¯t know him! This child looks so unusual. If I had seen him before, I would definitely remember. Officer, could someone have maliciously reported me? Tell me who it is, and I¡¯ll confront them." "Why is there blood from this child in your trunk?" Fang Rui pressed. Dean Liu vehemently defended himself. "The blood belongs to this child? I don¡¯t know how that happened. I¡¯ve never seen him before. And why would I want to kill a child?" Fang Rui continued, "On the night of the 14th, surveillance footage captured your car at the scene where the body was dumped. But you claim you were at home that night. How do you explain that?" "I... I was at home!" Dean Liu looked panicked. "Dean Liu, you¡¯d better stop lying! We¡¯ve already investigated your neighborhood. The surveillance footage shows you never returned home that day." Dean Liu hesitated for a moment before finally confessing, "I was at home, but it was at my girlfriend¡¯s place. Since my divorce, I rarely stay at my own house. I usually stay at my girlfriend¡¯s." "At your girlfriend¡¯s? Then why did you give us a false address earlier? Don¡¯t waste our time with lies!" "Officer, I¡¯m telling the truth this time. I didn¡¯t tell the truth earlier because she¡¯s my mistress, a recent college graduate. I was afraid people would gossip about my personal life and ruin my reputation. That¡¯s why I lied when you asked. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get involved in a murder case. If I had known, I would¡¯ve told the truth from the start." Fang Rui asked, "Can your girlfriend corroborate your story?" "Y-yes. I was with her the whole night." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Were you in the same room?" "O-of course!" Zhang interjected, "You¡¯re not lying again, are you? Why are you stuttering?" "I stutter when I¡¯m nervous. Officer, look at my nerves. I don¡¯t have the guts to commit a crime." "Where was your car parked on the night of the 14th?" "In the underground parking lot of my girlfriend¡¯s apartment complex. There are surveillance cameras there. You can check the footage. I drove there after work and left the next morning." Liu Qiangmin¡¯s girlfriend lived in Dongjiang Yujing, a mid-range residential complex in the city. While the property prices weren¡¯t exorbitant, the complex was new and had excellent infrastructure. Fang Rui sent Li and Old Zhang to the security office to retrieve the surveillance footage from the parking lot entrance, while he and Zhang went to Liu Qiangmin¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s apartment. The door was opened by a very beautiful young woman wearing a loose dress, clearly several months pregnant. She was Liu Qiangmin¡¯s girlfriend, Wang Yuqing, a 23-year-old dance major who had recently graduated from college. "Who are you looking for?" Seeing Fang Rui glance at her belly, she immediately covered it and took a few steps back, eyeing them warily. "What do you want with my baby?" Fang Rui and Zhang showed their badges. "We¡¯re police officers. We need to ask you a few questions." Upon learning their identities, Wang Yuqing closed the door behind her. Standing in the doorway, she said irritably, "I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. Why are you here?" Fang Rui asked, "Can we come inside?" "No, it¡¯s not convenient. I¡¯m alone here, and you¡¯re two men. How can I feel safe letting you in? If you have something to say, say it here at the door." Zhang pointed to the body camera. "We¡¯re police officers. The entire process is being recorded. What could we possibly do to you?" Wang Yuqing rolled her eyes. "Who knows? Every profession has its bad apples. Better safe than sorry." "..." Fang Rui asked, "Do you know Liu Qiangmin, the hospital dean?" Wang Yuqing replied, "Yes, he¡¯s my boyfriend." "Where was he on the night of the 14th?" Wang Yuqing answered without hesitation, "He was here, of course." Zhang questioned, "Are you sure? Can you prove it?" "Ever since I got pregnant, he¡¯s been coming here every day to take care of me. He was definitely with me that night. If you don¡¯t believe me, check the surveillance footage!" Wang Yuqing pointed toward the elevator exit. "There¡¯s a camera right there. Go take a look." After leaving Wang Yuqing¡¯s apartment, Zhang said, "I didn¡¯t think there was anything suspicious about her place at first, but the way she kept us out makes me think there¡¯s something she¡¯s hiding." Fang Rui agreed. "The moment she found out we were police, she shut the door. That suggests there¡¯s something in her home she doesn¡¯t want us to see." Zhang speculated, "Do you think she¡¯s hiding billions in cash that Liu Qiangmin embezzled?" "Cash is unlikely, but the interior decor might reveal Liu Qiangmin¡¯s true financial status." "We¡¯re ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????not from the economic crimes division. Why would she be so scared if it¡¯s not about money? Maybe Liu Qiangmin embezzled so much that they¡¯re paranoid." Fang Rui also found it strange. Even if the interior was luxurious, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean Liu Qiangmin was corrupt. As the vice dean of a private hospital, it was normal for him to have a high income. Why wouldn¡¯t they let them in? "Wang Yuqing¡¯s attitude is very suspicious. When we asked about her boyfriend¡¯s alibi, she didn¡¯t even seem curious about what case he was involved in. If their relationship wasn¡¯t good, why would Liu Qiangmin spend so much time with her? If it was good, why aren¡¯t they married? And she doesn¡¯t seem very concerned about him." Li retrieved the surveillance footage. After reviewing it, they discovered that at 6:23 PM on the 14th, Liu Qiangmin¡¯s car entered the underground parking lot. At 7:30 AM on the 15th, his car left the parking lot. The surveillance footage captured the driver¡¯s face. Although the image wasn¡¯t very clear, it was evident that the person driving into the complex was indeed Liu Qiangmin. Chapter 198 The underground parking lot had only one exit. The car couldn¡¯t have avoided the surveillance and left the underground parking lot. There was also surveillance at the entrance of the residential complex, which confirmed that Director Liu had driven out of the complex the next morning. This meant that after the car entered the underground parking lot at 6:23 PM, it hadn¡¯t left the complex that night. The elevator in the building where Wang Yuqing lived was also equipped with surveillance, which showed that Director Liu had taken the elevator upstairs at 6:31 PM and didn¡¯t leave until the next morning. All of this proved that Director Liu couldn¡¯t have driven out of the complex on the night of the 14th. So why did the car appear at the crime scene where the body was dumped? Fang Rui held a case analysis meeting. Li exclaimed in frustration, ¡°How is this possible? The traffic surveillance clearly shows that the car appeared on that road. Multiple cameras captured it, and the license plate was clearly visible. The car model matches too. But the surveillance from the complex also clearly shows that the car never left. How could the car be in two places at once?¡± Wang said, ¡°The car¡¯s trunk tested positive for the victim¡¯s blood, which proves it was the car used to dump the body. But Director Liu has an alibi. Could someone have stolen his car to commit the crime?¡± ¡°But how did they avoid the surveillance and steal the car?¡± Everyone was puzzled. They were so close to catching the killer, but suddenly, the suspect had an alibi. ¡°Could there be some underground passage in that complex that allows someone to secretly drive the car out?¡± someone asked. Wang replied, ¡°That underground parking lot has only one exit and one entrance, not even a ventilation window. There¡¯s no way the car could have left without being caught on camera.¡± Zhang suggested, ¡°What if the killer modified the car? Like adding stickers or changing the license plate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. I¡¯ve already taken screenshots of all the cars entering and leaving the complex on the night of the 14th, and there¡¯s no vehicle with a similar model.¡± Suddenly, Fang Rui realized why the killer had lingered at the crime scene for so long. Fang Rui analyzed, ¡°This white car is a very common model. It would be easy to buy an identical one. Could the car at the crime scene be a decoy, with the killer swapping the license plate for Director Liu¡¯s? The killer stayed at the crime scene for over half an hour, which is highly unusual. It¡¯s possible he was deliberately waiting for witnesses to see his car.¡± Zhang suddenly understood, ¡°I thought the killer was being careless, letting witnesses see his car and even hitting the curb, damaging the paint and leaving obvious marks. But he was actually trying to mislead us.¡± Wang said, ¡°But there was blood in the trunk of Director Liu¡¯s car.¡± Mu Mian added, ¡°The blood in the trunk was in a dripping pattern. If it had gotten there from the body being placed in the trunk, it wouldn¡¯t look like that. Also, when we found the victim¡¯s body, there was no blood on his hat. This suggests that someone might have deliberately dripped blood into the trunk.¡± Fang Rui said, ¡°So the killer likely had access to the car. Let¡¯s carefully review the parking lot surveillance and see if we can spot any suspicious individuals.¡± Lin Sen analyzed, ¡°If the killer wanted to frame Director Liu, why did he take the victim¡¯s brain and leave that symbol?¡± Fang Rui replied, ¡°Could he be trying to lead us to investigate Director Liu?¡± Zhang speculated, ¡°Could it be that Director Liu embezzled a lot of public funds, and the killer couldn¡¯t stand it, so he used a child¡¯s body to lead us to investigate him?¡± Mu Mian said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s about embezzlement.¡± ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± Mu Mian explained, ¡°My intuition tells me that this killer is someone with a strong medical ambition. He¡¯s not doing this for money. I suspect Director Liu might have done something unethical in his profession.¡± After the meeting, Fang Rui and Mu Mian stayed behind in the conference room for a private discussion. Fang Rui said, ¡°The chief had someone tail Chen Xue, but she hasn¡¯t shown any unusual behavior recently, nor has she met with any suspicious individuals.¡± Fang Rui had already reported to the chief that Chen Xue might be an undercover agent. The chief thought it was unlikely, but just to be safe, he assigned two newly transferred officers to follow her. Mu Mian said, ¡°I sent Chen Xue a link with a Trojan virus, and my hacker friend infiltrated her phone and computer, but we didn¡¯t find any useful clues. Chen Xue¡¯s inner world is quite rich¡ªshe loves watching dramas and gossip news. There¡¯s no one suspicious in her contacts either.¡± Mu Mian had been monitoring Chen Xue¡¯s phone for several days, but after work, all she did was call Zhang and watch dramas or gossip news. There was nothing unusual. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they had been wrong to suspect Chen Xue. But there were too many coincidences. When Mu Mian returned to the office, Chen Xue teased her, ¡°Mian Mian, why have you been spending so much time with Fang Rui lately?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s my boyfriend. You and Officer Zhang used to do the same.¡± ¡°Did we?¡± ¡°You two were always together.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I guess we set a bad example.¡± Example? Mu Mian suddenly realized that much of her understanding of love came from observing Chen Xue and Zhang¡¯s interactions. They had indeed set an example for her. Fang Rui investigated Director Liu¡¯s detailed background. He had worked at a public hospital for over a decade before switching to Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. His medical skills were excellent, so he quickly rose to the position of vice president. To Fang Rui¡¯s surprise, Director Liu had once been Chen Hui¡¯s mentor. The nurses said they had a good relationship, and Director Liu held Chen Hui in high regard. Fang Rui obtained a search warrant and conducted a search of Director Liu¡¯s girlfriend, Wang Yuqing¡¯s home. When a large group of police officers showed up at her door, Wang Yuqing looked annoyed. ¡°Officers, haven¡¯t I already testified for Director Liu? What are you doing here? This is my home. Even if Director Liu did something wrong, it has nothing to do with me. You have no right to barge into my house.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the search warrant.¡± Seeing the search warrant, Wang Yuqing grew nervous. She said, ¡°Officers, my house is a bit messy. If you¡¯re looking for something, I can help you find it. There¡¯s no need for you to come in.¡± ¡°Please cooperate with our work.¡± Wang Yuqing eventually let them in. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The interior of the house was simply decorated, with nothing extravagant. The place wasn¡¯t messy either; it was quite clean. There were no luxury items or anything suspicious. ¡°Why were you so adamant about keeping us out?¡± Zhang questioned Wang Yuqing. ¡°I¡­ I have social anxiety. I don¡¯t like people coming into my home.¡± It was a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment with two bedrooms and a study. Fang Rui noticed that both bedrooms had beds, and both showed signs of being slept in. ¡°Do you sleep in separate rooms?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m four months pregnant, so it¡¯s not convenient to share a bed.¡± Fang Rui found that the second bedroom was Director Liu¡¯s room. They searched the room but found nothing suspicious. ¡°What are these pills?¡± Someone found several bottles of medicine in Director Liu¡¯s drawer, labeled in English. Wang Yuqing took the bottles and examined them, then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what these are. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any illnesses. Why would he be taking these?¡± Fang Rui recognized one of the bottles. Lin Qianjie¡¯s drawer had the same pills¡ªthey were for erectile dysfunction. ¡°Take all these pills back with us.¡± Zhang tried to get some information out of Wang Yuqing. ¡°Director Liu is divorced now, and you¡¯re pregnant with his child. Why aren¡¯t you married to him?¡± Zhang noticed that Wang Yuqing wasn¡¯t wearing a ring, which suggested that Director Liu had no intention of marrying her. Wang Yuqing rolled her eyes. ¡°Why are you, a police officer, so nosy?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m just trying to advise you to see through this scumbag¡¯s true colors and not waste your time on him. You¡¯re pregnant, and he still won¡¯t marry you. Isn¡¯t he just using you as a baby-making machine?¡± Perhaps these words struck a nerve with Wang Yuqing. Her expression changed slightly, and she retorted angrily at Zhang, "What''s it to you? I''m happy to be a baby-making machine, is that so wrong?" "..." Zhang felt that Wang Yuqing probably didn¡¯t like Director Liu. But that was understandable¡ªhow could a young girl like her be interested in a middle-aged man? Was it his age? Moreover, there were rumors that the man might not even be capable! After ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????searching the place, they found nothing related to the deceased and had no choice but to leave. Before leaving, Fang Rui glanced at Wang Yuqing''s belly. A strange suspicion crossed his mind: if Director Liu was taking potency pills, could the child in her belly really be his? Would it even be a healthy child? Fang Rui asked, "Do you go for regular prenatal checkups?" "Of course. The baby''s father works at Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, so he arranges everything perfectly for each checkup." "Is your baby healthy?" "Absolutely. This baby is very healthy." Fang Rui found her response a bit odd. Shouldn¡¯t she have said, "My baby is healthy"? Why did she say, "This baby"? Chapter 199 The surveillance footage from the parking lot of Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital did not capture any suspicious individuals approaching Director Liu''s car, and the underground parking lot of Dongjiang Yujing Residential Complex was not equipped with surveillance cameras. Fang Rui suspected that the perpetrator likely tampered with Director Liu''s car trunk in the underground parking lot of the residential complex. However, after reviewing the surveillance footage, no suspects involved in framing Director Liu were identified. Director Liu was known for his low-profile and mild temperament, rarely getting into conflicts with others, let alone making enemies. Investigations into his social connections also failed to uncover any suspects. Most of the people he knew and interacted with were from the medical field, and many of his friends were surgeons. These individuals were skilled in performing surgical procedures and had the capability to cut open a skull and remove half of a deceased person''s brain. Since Director Liu had a solid alibi, the police had no choice but to release him. Fang Rui still found him suspicious, so he assigned Zhang and Dong, who often worked in the field, to keep an eye on him, also ensuring his safety. The medications found in Director Liu''s drawer were sent for testing. After the test results came out, Mu Mian said, "These medications are for treating issues related to sexual performance. If these are his, it''s likely that he has lost his fertility." Fang Rui looked at the test report in surprise and asked, "Then how did Director Liu get Wang Yuqing pregnant?" Mu Mian sighed, "Fang Rui, you''re being dense. Of course, it was through surgery. Artificial insemination can also result in pregnancy." "But he already has a son. The success rate of artificial insemination isn''t high, so why would he spend a fortune to have another child?" Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui and blinked. "What is it?" Mu Mian made a bitter face, "I can''t answer such a complicated question." Wang, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Well, no wealthy man would ever complain about having too many sons. The more children, the better." "..." Fang Rui investigated Wang Yuqing''s background. She came from a poor family and often took on part-time jobs during college, but she maintained her integrity and earned money through legitimate means. Her classmates and friends described her as having strong morals and self-esteem, making it unlikely that she would interfere in someone else''s marriage. Although Wang Yuqing had visited Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital multiple times for prenatal checkups, the nurses and doctors there were unaware that she was Director Liu''s mistress. They also had no idea how Wang Yuqing and Director Liu had met. Fang Rui contacted Wang Yuqing''s college roommate over the phone. She was Wang Yuqing''s closest friend, but they had rarely been in touch over the past six months. Fang Rui asked, "Do you know about Wang Yuqing and Liu Qiangmin''s relationship?" "Who is Liu Qiangmin? I''ve never heard Yuqing mention him." "He''s Wang Yuqing''s boyfriend, and she''s pregnant with his child. Didn''t you know about this?" "Yuqing is pregnant? That can''t be!" "You ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????weren''t aware of this?" "We haven''t been in touch much recently. Six months ago, Yuqing told me she found a job that only required her to work for ten months, and she would earn 600,000 yuan. I thought she had been scammed and advised her not to take the job. After that, she stopped contacting me. Could it be that she became someone''s mistress?" After hearing Wang Yuqing''s roommate''s account and considering Wang Yuqing''s strange behavior, Fang Rui began to suspect that Wang Yuqing might not be Director Liu''s mistress but rather a surrogate mother. This would explain why Wang Yuqing didn''t let them into her house¡ªshe was likely afraid they would realize she and Director Liu weren''t in a romantic relationship. She never referred to the child in her womb as "my child," possibly because the child was only being carried by her and didn''t belong to her. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui invited Wang Yuqing to the interrogation room. Wang Yuqing sat on the chair, visibly annoyed, and said, "Officer, I''m pregnant. On a rainy day like this, couldn''t you have come to my place to ask your questions? Why drag me here? If something happens to me and I lose the baby, can you afford to take responsibility?" Fang Rui asked, "What is your relationship with Liu Qiangmin?" Wang Yuqing replied irritably, "Officer, have you lost your memory? I''ve told you many times, he''s my boyfriend." Fang Rui continued, "Is the child in your womb yours?" Wang Yuqing''s expression changed slightly, but she quickly masked it by brushing her hair and rolling her eyes at Fang Rui. "Officer, why are you asking such stupid questions? The child is in my womb. If it''s not mine, whose could it be?" "Then please accompany us to the hospital. We need to conduct a paternity test to determine if you and the fetus are biologically related." "Officer, you have no right to demand this from me. It violates my privacy." "You are suspected of illegal surrogacy. We are asking for a paternity test to gather evidence. You are obligated to cooperate." Wang Yuqing turned pale and became visibly flustered. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally chose to confess. "Officer, I admit it. I am a surrogate for Liu Qiangmin. I don''t know who the child''s mother is, but the doctors implanted the fertilized egg into my body through surgery. To better care for the child, Liu Qiangmin bought me an apartment, and he lived with me to take care of me." "You''re so young. There are many ways to earn money. Why did you agree to something like this?" "I had no choice. My family is poor, and my father is sick. We needed a large sum of money for his treatment. I couldn''t just watch my father die! When I was at my wit''s end, I saw his job posting online. I thought, compared to selling myself, carrying someone else''s child wasn''t so bad. After all, women are meant to have children." "Liu Qiangmin already has a son. Why did he need you to be a surrogate?" "He told me his wife cheated on him, and his child isn''t biologically his. He desperately wanted a child of his own, but he''s infertile. That''s why he asked me to be a surrogate. That''s also why I dared to live with him. Since he has fertility issues, he couldn''t do anything to me." "How does he treat the child in your womb?" "Very well. He takes me to his hospital for prenatal checkups every two weeks, terrified that something might happen to the child. He also bought me a lot of nutritional supplements, saying I must give birth to a healthy child this time." "This time? Has he had other surrogates before?" "I''m not entirely sure, but I think so. He mentioned that this time he would personally supervise me to ensure there were no mistakes." "Is he very worried about the child''s well-being?" "He seems to have some mental issues. He''s extremely anxious about this child. He repeatedly emphasized that I must follow his dietary plan and wouldn''t let me go out casually." "Does he exhibit any other unusual behavior?" "Not really. He''s a decent person, just a bit controlling and overly concerned about the child. But that''s understandable. He''s infertile, and after going through the trouble of artificial insemination, he naturally wants to treasure this child." Chapter 200 After leaving the interrogation room, Fang Rui and Mu Mian discussed the case. Fang Rui said, "Could it be that the killer went through so much trouble to frame Director Liu just to let us know that Director Liu was involved in illegal surrogacy?" Mu Mian speculated, "Could he be using this child for some kind of experiment? A typical pregnant woman wouldn¡¯t need to undergo such frequent prenatal checkups." Fang Rui arranged for Wang Yuqing to have a prenatal checkup to see if there were any issues with the fetus. He also ordered a paternity test to determine whether the child was Director Liu''s. Under Fang Rui''s urging, the hospital expedited the results. The prenatal checkup results showed that the child was healthy, and the Down syndrome screening came back negative. However, the paternity test revealed that the child was not Director Liu''s; there was no blood relation between the fetus and Director Liu. Fang Rui decided to bring Director Liu back for questioning to find out what was going on. Since the night before last, Typhoon "Little Raccoon" had made landfall in Jiangzhou City, bringing continuous heavy rain. The city was shrouded in a gray haze, and the streets were flooded. Zhang and Dong had been staking out Director Liu for two days and a night. After being released from the police station, Director Liu had returned to work at the hospital and maintained a routine between the hospital and his home. Zhang couldn¡¯t help but admire Director Liu''s dedication to his work. Zhang quipped, "How does a workaholic like him even have time to have an affair?" Dong replied, "That¡¯s not unusual. Competence and character don¡¯t always go hand in hand. A lot of highly capable people lack moral integrity. We need to look at this objectively." "True, that makes sense," Zhang conceded. Dong then teased, "Zhang Qiang, when are you getting married? I¡¯m waiting to drink at your wedding banquet." "Soon, probably by the end of the year. You¡¯ll have to be one of my groomsmen. I plan to have a whole squad of groomsmen to make the wedding lively." "You¡¯re such a show-off." "Well, you only get married once. Might as well make it a grand celebration." "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s a blast. Wang is even more of a show-off than you, but lately, he¡¯s been quiet and not as lively. He¡¯s matured a lot. I think he¡¯s nursing a broken heart!" "Yeah, seeing Wang like this breaks my heart. Without him chattering away, the world feels too quiet." After Chen Shu''s death, Wang had been in a slump for a while, but he quickly regained his drive and threw himself into his work. However, he no longer enjoyed chatting with others and had lost his sense of humor. Dong glanced out the car window. "The rain seems to have lightened up a bit. Keep an eye out while I go grab some boxed meals. It¡¯ll be rush hour soon, and it¡¯ll get crowded." "Go ahead. I¡¯ll call you if anything happens. Oh, and grab me a bottle of water while you¡¯re at it." "Got it." Fang Rui called Zhang to instruct him to bring Director Liu back for questioning, but Zhang¡¯s phone kept going unanswered. Fang Rui then called Dong, Zhang¡¯s partner. Fortunately, Dong answered almost immediately. "Captain Fang, what¡¯s up?" "Why isn¡¯t Zhang answering his phone?" "I¡¯m out buying boxed meals. Zhang¡¯s still staking out the hospital entrance. He probably has his phone on silent and didn¡¯t hear it. I¡¯ll be back in the car soon. Do you need to relay something to him?" The sound of raindrops hitting the pavement created a chaotic, irritating noise. "Bring Liu Qiangmin back. We¡¯ve uncovered new leads and need to question him." "Got it. We¡¯ll bring him back right away." Fang Rui and Mu Mian were still discussing the case when Zhang called. "Boss, the suspect is likely..." Mu Mian leaned in to listen, but Zhang¡¯s voice abruptly cut off, replaced by a loud "bang." "Zhang, what¡¯s going on over there?" Fang Rui asked anxiously. "Officer Zhang, can you hear me?" The call ended with a series of beeps. Mu Mian said, "That sounded like a car crash..." Both of them felt a sense of foreboding. Fang Rui called Dong again, and the call connected quickly. Fang Rui and Mu Mian breathed a sigh of relief. If Dong could answer, Zhang was probably fine too. Fang Rui asked, "What¡¯s happening over there? Why did Zhang hang up on me?" "Captain Fang, Zhang just texted me saying Liu Qiangmin suddenly drove away from the hospital. He was worried about losing him, so he followed in his car." "Where is he now?" "I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve hailed a taxi and am trying to catch up to Zhang." The sense of unease grew stronger. Fang Rui¡¯s instincts told him that something had likely happened to Zhang. He kept calling Zhang¡¯s phone, but all he heard was the cold, automated voice. "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later..." Fang Rui contacted a friend in the traffic police, who informed him that a major accident had occurred near Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital, leaving two drivers seriously injured. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The friend sent Fang Rui photos of the accident. Fang Rui froze when he saw the familiar car¡ªit was Zhang¡¯s. The other car, which had been completely wrecked, belonged to Director Liu. Both of them had been involved in the crash. Fang Rui and Mu Mian were about to inform Chen Xue when her phone rang. "Hello, are you Zhang Qiang¡¯s girlfriend?" "Yes." "Zhang Qiang has been in a car accident and is currently in critical condition at the First Affiliated Hospital of the City. Please come as soon as possible." The words seemed to cast a spell, instantly petrifying Chen Xue. She stood frozen, unable to think or respond. "Can you hear me?" "Ma¡¯am, are you there?" When no response came, the person on the other end said to someone nearby, "This call isn¡¯t going through. Let¡¯s try the next one." Mu Mian spoke into the phone, "We understand. We¡¯ll be there right away." "Please hurry!" "Chen Xue, let¡¯s go to the hospital," Mu Mian said, her eyes reddening. She tried to reassure her, "Officer Zhang probably just had a minor accident. The roads have been terrible with all this rain. Accidents happen." Chen Xue remained silent. Mu Mian couldn¡¯t read Chen Xue¡¯s expression¡ªor perhaps there was no expression to read. But she could feel that Chen Xue was drowning in sorrow, overwhelmed to the point of suffocation. Mu Mian thought for a moment, then reached out and hugged Chen Xue tightly. "Chen Xue, Officer Zhang needs you right now. You can¡¯t lose your composure." Chen Xue clung to Mu Mian like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline. "Mian Mian, tell me Zhang Qiang won¡¯t die." "The ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????doctor didn¡¯t say his condition is critical. He¡¯ll be fine," Mu Mian said, her voice choked with emotion. "It¡¯s probably like last time¡ªjust a minor injury, like a sprained ankle." "Mian Mian, I never thought he could die." Mu Mian whispered, "Everyone dies eventually. But Officer Zhang won¡¯t die so soon. He¡¯s a Libra, and Libras have been having good luck lately." "Mian Mian, astrology is nonsense. But you¡¯re a genius. If you say he won¡¯t die, then he won¡¯t die." Chapter 201 Mu Mian practically half-carried Chen Xue into the car. Fang Rui drove in front, and together they headed to the hospital to check on Zhang. The heavy rain showed no signs of stopping, pattering noisily against the car windows, creating a foggy haze that blurred the road ahead. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Zhang''s parents were already there. They had signed the surgical consent form, and Zhang had been rushed into the operating room for emergency treatment. Chen Xue hadn¡¯t brought an umbrella. She had run through the rain to get here, her clothes completely soaked. Zhang¡¯s mother, seeing how drenched she was, quickly handed her own coat to Chen Xue. But Chen Xue didn¡¯t take it. She seemed lost in her own world, staring fixedly at the red light above the operating room door. ¡°Auntie, how is Zhang doing?¡± Fang Rui asked. Zhang¡¯s mother wiped her tears and choked back a sob. ¡°The doctor said the situation is very grim. Zhang Qiang¡¯s head injury is severe, and they¡¯re not sure if they can save him. They told us to prepare for the worst¡­¡± Director Liu had also been severely injured in the accident. His injuries were even more critical, and by the time he was brought to the hospital, he had already passed away. Mu Mian, as if trying to comfort them or perhaps praying, said, ¡°Officer Zhang will be fine.¡± The red light above the operating room remained lit. Inside, the doctors were doing everything they could to save him, while those waiting outside were consumed with anxiety. Fang Rui leaned against the wall in the hallway, filled with guilt. If he hadn¡¯t sent Zhang to follow Director Liu, this accident might never have happened. But years of professional training didn¡¯t allow him to show any sign of weakness. Once, he had been a talkative and clever young officer like Zhang. But as his older colleagues retired or fell in the line of duty, he had risen to become a captain, forced to mature and shoulder the responsibilities that came with it. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen a colleague seriously injured, and he knew it wouldn¡¯t be the last. In their line of work, injuries and sacrifices were all too common. But this time, it was his partner. Zhang might have seemed unreliable at times, but his personality made it easier for him to connect with people during investigations. In their work, he and Zhang had formed a complementary partnership. Mu Mian noticed that she couldn¡¯t read the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. No one was crying, but the air was thick with an overwhelming sadness that refused to dissipate. She took Fang Rui¡¯s hand and noticed it was trembling. Fang Rui was afraid, but why? He was always so brave. Tears welled up in Mu Mian¡¯s eyes. Although Officer Zhang was only fourth on her list of close friends, he was a very special one. He treated her like a normal person, joked with her, teased her about her quirks, and even took great care of her pet white mice. Fang Rui pulled Mu Mian into his arms and comforted her, ¡°He¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Fang Rui, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± She had so few friends. She couldn¡¯t bear to lose another. Zhang¡¯s mother turned to Fang Rui and said, ¡°Fang Rui, you two should go back to work. We¡¯ll stay here and keep watch.¡± Zhang¡¯s father added, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no need for all of us to stay. Zhang was following a suspect when the accident happened. This might not have been an accident at all. You should go investigate. We¡¯ll stay here and let you know if anything changes.¡± Fang Rui slowly composed himself. Zhang¡¯s parents were right¡ªthis might not have been an accident. He needed to get to the bottom of it and find out who was really behind it. Fang ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Rui and Mu Mian drove to the scene of the accident. The rain had lightened, but the sky remained dark and heavy. Fang Rui had also sent people to seal off Director Liu¡¯s home and office to prevent anyone from tampering with evidence. Mu Mian analyzed, ¡°It seemed like Officer Zhang was trying to tell us who the killer was. Could that be why the killer caused the accident, to silence him?¡± Fang Rui replied, ¡°Causing an accident requires timing. It couldn¡¯t have been random¡ªthis was planned. But Zhang must have stumbled upon something by chance. Director Liu¡¯s injuries were more severe, which suggests he was the primary target. But if the killer really wanted to eliminate Director Liu, why wait until we were closing in? And why lead us to investigate him in the first place?¡± ¡°Could it be that the person who caused the accident isn¡¯t the same person who disposed of the body? Maybe someone else is trying to stop us from investigating further?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± The accident had taken place on the road outside Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital. Mu Mian looked at the familiar sign and remembered that Chen Shu worked at this hospital. She wondered aloud, ¡°Why did Zhang suddenly say he knew who the killer was? What clue did he find?¡± They had been to this hospital before during the investigation. Zhang knew some of the doctors and nurses there, so it was possible the killer was someone who worked at the hospital. The accident site had already been cordoned off by traffic police. The rain had washed away most of the bloodstains on the ground. The wet pavement was littered with car debris and broken parts. Six or seven cars parked along the roadside had been damaged, and a large truck lay overturned on its side. The white car Director Liu had been driving was flipped over, its tires pointing skyward, the body of the car completely wrecked. Zhang¡¯s black car was in slightly better condition, but the front end was crushed, and the shattered windshield was smeared with blood. The dashcams in both cars had been destroyed, but the memory cards were still intact. Using footage from the dashcams and nearby surveillance cameras, the traffic police had already determined the cause of the accident. One of the traffic officers, Old Liu, recognized Fang Rui. ¡°Captain Fang, what brings you here?¡± ¡°What caused the accident?¡± Old Liu explained the situation. ¡°The white car and the black car were both parked in the roadside parking area when a large truck suddenly lost control and plowed into the row of cars. The two drivers who were still in their vehicles were seriously injured. One died on the spot, and the other is in critical condition.¡± ¡°What about the truck driver?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve taken him into custody. When we arrived at the scene, we noticed he reeked of alcohol. A breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol level was 85mg/100ml¡ªhe was driving under the influence.¡± Fang Rui asked, ¡°Can I join you in questioning him?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The truck driver, Li Xinyu, was in his forties and an experienced driver. But in recent years, he had developed a gambling addiction, racking up significant debts. His wife had divorced him as a result. He looked nervously at Fang Rui and Old Liu, stammering, ¡°Officers, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Look at your blood alcohol level¡ªyou were clearly driving under the influence. And those dark circles under your eyes? You were up all night drinking, weren¡¯t you? This is a case of drunk driving and fatigue!¡± ¡°Officers, it¡¯s my fault. Yesterday was my birthday, but no one was around to celebrate with me, so I drank alone and had too much. I wasn¡¯t planning to drive today, but a regular customer needed a shipment delivered urgently. I thought I was sober enough, so I took the job. I didn¡¯t expect the rain to make things worse, and that¡¯s how the accident happened. I tried to fix it. The truck was about to veer into oncoming traffic, so I yanked the wheel and crashed into the parking area. I thought no one was there, but two unlucky people had parked their cars and stayed inside.¡± Old Liu slammed his hand on the table. ¡°Unlucky? You hit them, and you¡¯re blaming their bad luck?¡± Li Xinyu slapped his own mouth. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Fang Rui said, ¡°Give me the contact information for that customer of yours.¡± ¡°Officers, the accident was my fault, not my customer¡¯s. He has nothing to do with this. You can¡¯t go harassing him.¡± ¡°Just give it to me!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t betray my customer.¡± Fang Rui sneered, ¡°There is no customer, is there? Tell me, who ordered you to crash into them?¡± ¡°Officers, you can¡¯t accuse me like this! I admit I caused the accident, but it wasn¡¯t intentional. I didn¡¯t mean to kill anyone. I have insurance¡ªit¡¯ll cover the damages for their families. I¡¯ll go to prison if I have to, but you can¡¯t frame me for murder.¡± ¡°You¡¯re deep in debt, aren¡¯t you? You need money, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I owe a lot of money, which is why I drove out in the heavy rain to transport goods. Officer, even though I desperately need money, I wouldn¡¯t break the law just to make a profit. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check my bank account balance to see if I¡¯ve received any payments.¡± Li Xinyu stubbornly insisted that he was driving under the influence of alcohol, refusing to admit that he had accepted any money. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 202 Mu Mian was waiting for Fang Rui in the lobby of the traffic police station. A female officer on duty handed her a cup of warm water. Mu Mian held the cup with both hands, quietly watching the ripples that occasionally formed on the surface of the water. ¡°Young lady, what¡¯s wrong?¡± the officer asked gently. Mu Mian whispered, ¡°I might lose a friend soon. I¡¯m really sad. I don¡¯t want him to die, but I can¡¯t stop death.¡± Just as the officer was about to comfort her, Mu Mian handed the cup back. ¡°Could you add some cocoa powder for me? Or some sugar¡­ I¡¯d like something sweet.¡± It seemed she didn¡¯t need much comforting after all. ¡°How about coffee powder?¡± the officer offered. Mu Mian shook her head. ¡°No, life is already bitter enough. I don¡¯t want coffee.¡± ¡°Alright then, wait a moment. I¡¯ll ask my colleague for some milk tea powder.¡± Mu Mian slowly sipped the overly sweet milk tea. Just then, she spotted Fang Rui and hurried over to him. ¡°Did the driver confess who was behind this?¡± ¡°No, he insists it was just drunk driving.¡± Mu Mian frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought the standards for drunk driving aren¡¯t flexible enough.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°The human body can build tolerance to certain stimuli. People who drink regularly have a higher alcohol tolerance than those who don¡¯t. So, even if someone¡¯s blood alcohol level meets the legal limit, they might not actually be drunk. And for others, it¡¯s the opposite.¡± Fang Rui nodded. ¡°His blood alcohol level was 85mg/100ml, just slightly over the limit. That can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± By the time they left the traffic police station, it was already 11 p.m. The rain had stopped, but the night was still shrouded in a heavy mist. Then, Zhang¡¯s mother called. ¡°Fang Rui, Zhang Qiang¡¯s surgery was successful, but he¡¯ll need to stay in the ICU for a few more days before he¡¯s out of danger. Don¡¯t worry about him too much. Get some rest.¡± Mu Mian could hear Zhang¡¯s mother crying. She felt that Officer Zhang wasn¡¯t as safe as they hoped. ¡°Auntie, what did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said¡­ even if Zhang Qiang pulls through, he might end up in a vegetative state¡­ How could someone so lively and talkative end up like this?¡± ¡°Auntie, Zhang Qiang will get better.¡± After hanging up, Fang Rui and Mu Mian stood by the empty roadside for a long time, so long that the rain began to pour again. Mu Mian had never feared death before. She saw it as an unchangeable law of nature, so she could face it calmly, whether it was her own or someone else¡¯s. But now, she felt a little afraid¡ªnot of death itself, but of its consequences. If she died, how heartbroken would her sister and Fang Rui be? Officer Zhang couldn¡¯t grieve anymore, and Chen Xue might mourn her, or maybe not. Suddenly, Mu Mian felt relieved that she didn¡¯t have many friends. If she died, only a few people would be sad. Unlike Officer Zhang, who had so many friends and family mourning for him. Fang Rui shielded Mu Mian¡¯s head from the rain. ¡°Mu Mian, it¡¯s raining. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Okay. Fang Rui, if you want to cry, you can. It¡¯s okay to cry. Tears aren¡¯t a sign of weakness¡ªthey just show how much you¡¯re hurting.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± After a moment, Mu Mian added, ¡°Fang Rui, I won¡¯t die so soon. I¡¯ll try to live a long, long time. You can¡¯t die quickly either.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Then Mu Mian thought of something else. They couldn¡¯t possibly die at the same time. One of them would inevitably be left behind. One of them would end up alone. Seeing the rain streaming down Fang Rui¡¯s face, she swallowed her words. The next day, Fang Rui and Mu Mian went to the home of the driver, Li Xinyu. He was a local who used to own a house in the old town, but he sold it to pay off gambling debts. His parents and son had moved to a rented place in the urban village. Fang Rui first asked Li Xinyu¡¯s neighbors about him. ¡°That son of theirs is completely useless. He¡¯s deep in debt, and not long ago, debt collectors were showing up at his door every day. It was terrifying.¡± ¡°Have they stopped coming recently?¡± ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve stopped.¡± ¡°Has Li Xinyu¡¯s financial situation improved?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gotten much better. At least they can afford meat now. When they first moved here, his elderly mother would only buy cabbage. But for the past month, Li Xinyu¡¯s been doing the shopping, buying fish and meat every day. I wonder where he got the money.¡± ¡°How¡¯s his alcohol tolerance?¡± ¡°He can hold his liquor really well. He¡¯s always drinking with his buddies at the street-side stalls downstairs. He can down several pounds of baijiu by himself!¡± Fang Rui and Mu Mian went to Li Xinyu¡¯s home. An elderly woman with graying hair and a hunched back opened the door. When she learned why they were there, her expression changed. She went to a chest in the room and pulled out a bundle of money, handing it to Fang Rui. ¡°Officer, my son must have committed a crime. This is the dirty money. I¡¯m handing it over. Can you reduce his sentence?¡± ¡°Granny, how do you know this is dirty money?¡± ¡°I know my son. How else would he suddenly have so much money? He must have stolen it. I haven¡¯t spent a single cent of it. Take it all.¡± The bundle contained about twenty to thirty thousand yuan. Just then, Mu Mian received a report. ¡°Fang Rui, he¡¯s lying. His alcohol metabolism data shows that he had just finished drinking at the time of the accident. It wasn¡¯t from the night before, like he claimed.¡± Fang Rui and Mu Mian took the money to the detention center. At first, Li Xinyu stubbornly denied everything. But when he saw the bundle of money, his eyes grew moist. ¡°You have a high alcohol tolerance. Even though the breathalyzer showed you were drunk, you were still fully conscious, weren¡¯t you? You deliberately crashed into them, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course not! It wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡± Fang Rui pointed to the money. ¡°Your mother told me everything. She wants you to confess, reform, and become a better person.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°We also found your debtors. They said you¡¯ve paid off all your debts.¡± Li Xinyu remained silent. ¡°Your ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????alcohol metabolism data shows that you had just been drinking at the time of the accident, not the night before like you said.¡± ¡°I confess! I owed over a million in gambling debts. I couldn¡¯t pay it back. Someone approached me, offering to clear my debts and give me another 1.5 million after the job was done. She told me that drunk driving would only get me a few years in prison. I was desperate, so I agreed.¡± ¡°Who did she want you to kill?¡± ¡°A month ago, she told me to crash into an armored truck and make sure everyone inside died. I was terrified¡ªthere were police officers in that truck! But I was so desperate for money that I agreed. Then they suddenly called it off, but they let me keep the money.¡± Fang Rui realized the truck must have been the one transporting Chen Shu. ¡°Later, she came to me again, asking me to kill two people at once¡ªthe drivers of a white car and a black car. She told me to make sure they both died in the crash. I had no choice but to stage the accident.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name? Any distinctive features?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a young woman in her twenties, quite pretty. But who would¡¯ve thought she¡¯d be so ruthless, even willing to kill police officers.¡± Fang Rui had someone sketch a portrait based on Li Xinyu¡¯s description. When Fang Rui and Mu Mian saw the familiar face, they both thought of the same person. Chapter 203 The person in the portrait actually bore some resemblance to Bai Jing. The hit-and-run driver, Li Xinyu, provided a detailed account of his meeting with the mastermind behind the incident. At the time, the girl had arranged to meet him in a desolate area where there were no traffic cameras and very few vehicles passing by, ensuring that no evidence would be left behind. When the girl met him, she checked his belongings to confirm that he wasn¡¯t recording audio or video before proceeding with the transaction. As a result, Li Xinyu had no evidence to prove that Bai Jing was the one who had instructed him. Fang Rui asked, ¡°Did she come alone?¡± ¡°Probably, but I¡¯m not entirely sure. She arrived in a car, and it seemed like there was someone else inside.¡± ¡°Did you drive to that desolate area alone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Was there a dashcam installed in the car?¡± ¡°I think so. I¡¯m not entirely sure, though. The car was borrowed from a friend, and I didn¡¯t check if it had one.¡± ¡°Was your car turned off at the time?¡± Many people tend to leave their cars running when temporarily parked, which is a bad driving habit. However, if the car isn¡¯t turned off, the dashcam would continue recording. ¡°No. The car consumes a lot of fuel when starting up, so I thought I¡¯d just grab the money and leave quickly, so I didn¡¯t turn it off. Why?¡± ¡°Take me to find that car.¡± ¡°Officer, since I¡¯ve confessed and helped you with the investigation, does that count as cooperation? Will you reduce my sentence?¡± ¡°That depends on whether you can successfully identify the mastermind.¡± Fang Rui had Bai Jing brought in. At the time, Bai Jing had just finished her class. When she saw the police coming for her, she remained calm, said a few words to her classmates, and left the school with the officers. As soon as Bai Jing entered, Li Xinyu pointed at her and exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Officer, it¡¯s her! This girl gave me a bag of money to bribe me into causing the accident.¡± Bai Jing looked at Li Xinyu coldly. ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just deny knowing me now! You forced me to cause the accident. If I didn¡¯t do it, you threatened to have my family killed. You left me no choice but to stage the crash.¡± Bai Jing turned to Fang Rui. ¡°Officer Fang, I don¡¯t know him. I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s framing me.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know you, how could he describe your facial features so accurately?¡± ¡°Maybe I just have a common face, or he¡¯s seen me somewhere and decided to frame me.¡± ¡°Officer, I¡¯m not lying. If I¡¯m lying, may I die a horrible death!¡± Li Xinyu swore. Bai Jing sneered. ¡°Do you have any evidence that I instructed you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You have no evidence. This is slander. I¡¯ll hire a lawyer to sue you for defamation.¡± Li Xinyu was drenched in sweat. He thought that by identifying the mastermind, he could get his sentence reduced. He didn¡¯t expect this girl to have such strong nerves, refusing to admit anything. He looked at Fang Rui. ¡°Officer Fang, it really was her. If you interrogate her properly, she¡¯ll confess.¡± ¡°Officer Fang doesn¡¯t solve cases that way. The police rely on evidence,¡± Bai Jing said with a smile, glancing at Fang Rui. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Officer Fang?¡± Fang Rui replied, ¡°Yes, we solve cases based on evidence. That day, you specifically chose a desolate area to meet Li Xinyu, and he drove there in a car.¡± Bai Jing looked at Fang Rui, waiting for him to continue. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°His dashcam was on the entire time, recording your meeting.¡± Although the footage from the dashcam wasn¡¯t very clear, it was enough to identify Bai Jing¡¯s face and the moment she handed over the money. Bai Jing frowned slightly. Li Xinyu looked at Fang Rui in surprise. So that was why Fang Rui had been looking for the car. He said, ¡°Officer Fang, thank you for proving my innocence. Girl, you can¡¯t deny it now, can you?¡± ¡°Miss Bai, when you used Chen Hui to commit murder, you might have escaped legal consequences, but if you keep doing it, evidence will eventually surface.¡± Bai Jing shot a venomous glare at Li Xinyu. If looks could kill, he would have been torn to pieces. She thought this fool would be easy to control, but he had turned the tables on her. Li Xinyu cowered behind Fang Rui. This girl was terrifying. He stammered, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I didn¡¯t know the dashcam was on. I didn¡¯t intentionally record evidence. Besides, you¡¯re the one who committed the crime. I didn¡¯t falsely accuse you, so why are you glaring at me?¡± Fang Rui declared, ¡°Miss Bai, you¡¯re under arrest.¡± In the interrogation room. Bai Jing sat quietly in her chair, showing no signs of nervousness. She even looked around the room with curiosity. Fang Rui and Lin Sen sat across from her. ¡°So this is what an interrogation room looks like. It¡¯s my first time here, but it¡¯s pretty much what I imagined,¡± Bai Jing said with a smile. ¡°Bai Jing, do you admit to instructing Li Xinyu to stage the car accident, resulting in the deaths of Director Liu and one of our officers?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already have evidence? Do you still need my confession? Just lock me up.¡± ¡°Why did you kill Director Liu?¡± Bai Jing remained silent. ¡°Why did you kill Zhang?¡± ¡°It was a warning. I had already warned you to stop, but you didn¡¯t listen. You had to pay a price.¡± ¡°Who is behind your organization?¡± Bai Jing continued to stay silent. ¡°Is it the Jiangmiao Group?¡± Still no response. Lin Sen decided to try a different approach. ¡°Do you know why you were caught?¡± Bai Jing¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Given how careful you are, it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯d make such a basic mistake. Why did you personally go to bribe Li Xinyu?¡± Bai Jing¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed she had realized that she might have been set up as a pawn. But she would never betray her organization, and the people behind her knew that well. Bai Jing said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Someone has to make sacrifices. I¡¯ll be that person.¡± After that, no matter what Fang Rui and the others asked, she refused to speak. Bai Jing¡¯s phone and computer yielded no useful clues. It was likely she had another phone for contacting her organization. While they couldn¡¯t get much out of Bai Jing, one thing was clear: she had killed Director Liu to silence him. Fang Rui and Mu Mian went to Director Liu¡¯s office at Anqi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. Li had already checked his work computer. According to the system logs, no files had been deleted recently. Director Liu¡¯s computer contained many files, mostly patient records and medical research papers. However, two files caught their attention: ¡°The ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Genius Brain Project¡± and ¡°Neuro-Rose: Maternal and Infant Group Test Records.¡± Judging by the file sizes, these documents were extensive, spanning at least a hundred pages. When they opened them, they discovered that the files were encrypted and required a password to access the contents. ¡°This kind of password is easy to crack,¡± Li said as he opened ¡°The Genius Brain Project¡± document. After typing for a while, he hit enter. ¡°Done.¡± Chapter 204 The computer screen suddenly flickered, and a pop-up notification indicated that the file had been opened. However, what appeared on the screen was a blank document. ¡°Oh no, the other party set up a program. If the file isn¡¯t opened with the correct password, the content will be immediately erased,¡± Li sighed helplessly. ¡°No wonder he didn¡¯t delete the file¡ªit had a self-destruct mechanism.¡± Fang Rui asked, ¡°Can the file content be recovered?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± After a while, Li spread his hands and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s completely corrupted.¡± They didn¡¯t dare to attempt forcibly opening another file again. Director Liu¡¯s social media had a lot of contacts, and they needed to go through them one by one. His chat history also needed to be sorted through. However, after a quick glance, they didn¡¯t find any useful leads. Although they couldn¡¯t see the file¡¯s content, judging by the file name, Director Liu was likely conducting some illegal experiments. This was probably the reason he sought a surrogate mother. Fang Rui asked Mu Mian, ¡°What is a ¡®Neural Rose¡¯? Is that a technical term? Is it some kind of drug or neural tissue?¡± Mu Mian replied, ¡°As far as I know, there¡¯s no such technical term as ¡®Neural Rose.¡¯ I¡¯ve never come across it before. It¡¯s likely a term they created themselves.¡± ¡°What about the ¡®Genius Brain Project¡¯? Could it be that they¡¯re trying to use drugs or surgery to make pregnant women give birth to genius babies?¡± Fang Rui speculated. If Director Liu was the executor of the Genius Brain Project, then the child in Wang Yuqing¡¯s womb was his experiment. But is it really possible to make someone give birth to a genius baby? Could it be that Li Yan giving birth to a child with Down syndrome was man-made? If that were true, their experiment would be downright inhumane. Mu Mian analyzed, ¡°The Neural Rose is most likely a drug that can make people smarter, but its effects are highly unstable, which is why they keep conducting experiments.¡± Fang Rui said, ¡°So the murderer who dumped the body and left a mark on the ground might be guiding us to investigate this matter.¡± Li chimed in, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he just report Director Liu to the police? Why go through all this trouble to guide us? Dumping a body is also a crime, right?¡± At that moment, the dispatcher called Fang Rui: ¡°Captain Fang, we just received a report. A child¡¯s body has been found in the wasteland near Star Home¡­¡± Fang Rui and his team immediately drove to the crime scene. The wasteland was overgrown with weeds, including tall, sharp-bladed silvergrass. Although it was a desolate area with few visitors, there was a fishpond nearby. The owner of the fishpond discovered the body while feeding the fish and reported it to the police. A child¡¯s body lay on its side in the grass. The child was about 1.3 meters tall and wore a blue knitted hat. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian put on gloves and turned the body over, revealing the child¡¯s tender face. Mu Mian exclaimed in surprise, ¡°The victim is Yuanyuan?¡± After the truth about the death of Star Home¡¯s director was uncovered, Yuanyuan had left Star Home and was sent to a disabled children¡¯s rescue center, where he received treatment and care. That facility was located in the new district, more than thirty kilometers away from here. Mu Mian removed his hat. Like the first victim, Yuanyuan¡¯s hair had also been shaved off, and his scalp bore a centipede-like suture line. Mu Mian said, ¡°The wound on Yuanyuan¡¯s scalp shows no signs of life reaction, just like Victim Tang. His scalp was cut open postmortem. Yuanyuan¡¯s time of death was within the last 12 hours.¡± Wang collected several footprints from the ground. One footprint was size 42, and the other was size 41. Based on the size, both footprints likely belonged to men. The size 41 footprint was quickly confirmed to belong to the person who reported the case. The other footprint likely belonged to the killer. ¡°Look here,¡± Wang said, pulling aside the weeds to reveal a layer of soil where a symbol ¡°?¡± was written in blood. ¡°This crime mark has appeared again. It seems the killer has struck once more.¡± Mu Mian placed Yuanyuan¡¯s body into a body bag and took it back for an autopsy. Fang Rui and Wang went to the facility where Yuanyuan had been adopted to gather more information. The facility¡¯s director was a middle-aged man with black-framed glasses and a receding hairline. He seemed somewhat impatient. ¡°Zhang Yuanyuan was a child under our care. He had autism. Half a month ago, he went missing. We¡¯ve been looking for him but couldn¡¯t find him. Officer, do you have any news about him?¡± ¡°He went missing, and you didn¡¯t report it to the police?¡± ¡°We did report it, but after searching for several days, the police couldn¡¯t find him. Although this child has autism, he¡¯s quite stubborn and often runs off. This isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s tried to escape. In the past, we¡¯ve always found him, but this time, for some reason, we couldn¡¯t locate him no matter where we looked.¡± Wang said in disbelief, ¡°So you just gave up and stopped looking altogether?¡± ¡°We searched for over half a month and couldn¡¯t find him. What else could we do?¡± Fang Rui asked, ¡°Do you have surveillance cameras here?¡± ¡°Yes, there are cameras in the hallways and at the main entrance. We saw Yuanyuan sneak out when the security guard wasn¡¯t paying attention, but we don¡¯t know where he went after that.¡± Fang Rui went to the security room to check the surveillance footage, but the facility only kept recordings for half a month. The footage from the day Yuanyuan went missing had already been overwritten. Wang analyzed, ¡°It¡¯s very likely that the killer abducted Yuanyuan. But he has autism¡ªhow could he have been so easily lured away?¡± ¡°The person who abducted Yuanyuan was probably someone he knew.¡± But as an autistic child, Yuanyuan likely didn¡¯t interact much with anyone outside the children at Star Home. Fang Rui suddenly thought of Lin Qianyan. He seemed to be friends with Yuanyuan, and Yuanyuan listened to him. But Lin Qianyan was just a child¡ªhow could he have orchestrated this? Mu ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Mian quickly completed Yuanyuan¡¯s autopsy. Like the first victim, the killer had sawed open Yuanyuan¡¯s skull, severed the corpus callosum connecting the two hemispheres of the brain, and removed half of the brain tissue. Unlike the last time, this time the killer had taken the right hemisphere. During the case analysis meeting, she reported the autopsy results: ¡°The external injuries on Yuanyuan¡¯s body show no signs of life reaction, meaning they were inflicted postmortem. There are no typical signs of mechanical asphyxiation or poisoning. It¡¯s preliminarily suspected that Yuanyuan may have died from an illness. However, we¡¯ll need to wait for the pathology report to confirm the exact cause of death.¡± Fang Rui asked, ¡°So it¡¯s highly likely that Yuanyuan also died from an illness?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then what was the killer¡¯s purpose in dumping the body this time?¡± Chapter 205 After work, Fang Rui and Mu Mian drove to the hospital to visit Zhang. Mu Mian had specifically gone to a gift shop to pick out a present and had the store owner wrap it carefully. Zhang had been moved to the ICU and was still unconscious. The doctors said his condition was very critical, and there was a high likelihood he would remain in a vegetative state. Chen Xue had taken time off and had been sitting outside the ward, waiting for Zhang to wake up. Mu Mian looked at Zhang through the glass. His head was wrapped in bandages, and he was hooked up to a ventilator, devoid of his usual energy. She shook the gift in her hand and whispered softly to Zhang, "Officer Zhang, do you want to know what''s inside this gift box? You¡¯ll have to get better soon so you can open it." Zhang remained silent and motionless, seemingly unmoved by Mu Mian¡¯s gift. Chen Xue sat quietly on a chair in the hallway. Zhang¡¯s parents had urged her to go home and rest, but she hadn¡¯t left. Mu Mian comforted her, "Chen Xue, Zhang will wake up. He still wants to marry you." Chen Xue stared at the ring in her hand and said nothing. Fang Rui spoke up, "We¡¯ve caught the person who hit Zhang. The mastermind behind it is Bai Jing, and it¡¯s likely connected to the Jiangmiao Group." Chen Xue continued to look down, seemingly oblivious to Fang Rui¡¯s words, her focus entirely on the ring in her hand. Fang Rui waited for her to come clean. If she was indeed part of the same organization as Bai Jing, and the organization had harmed Zhang, would Chen Xue betray them for Zhang¡¯s sake? Mu Mian reached out and hugged Chen Xue, comforting her, "Chen Xue, Zhang needs you right now. You can¡¯t collapse from exhaustion. You need to rest." "Alright, I¡¯ll rest tomorrow," Chen Xue forced a stiff smile and hugged Mu Mian back. "Chen Xue, you have to believe that Zhang will get better." "Thank you, Mu Mian. No matter what happens, you¡¯ll always be my best friend," Chen Xue whispered in her ear. Mu Mian felt a lump in her throat. She wasn¡¯t sure if Chen Xue was a bad person or if she was deceiving her, but in that moment, she believed that Chen Xue truly saw her as her best friend. When Mu Mian got home and was eating a sandwich, she thought about the two files again. The "Genius Brain Project"? Was someone trying to create genius babies? Mu Mian remembered her aunt¡¯s words: "You mustn¡¯t let Miao Miao become smart. Becoming smart will kill her." Did her aunt mean becoming a genius? She glanced at the book on her shelf, *Flowers for Algernon*, a science fiction novel her aunt had given her. In the book, the author described a surgery that could make people smarter. Was her aunt hinting at something? Mu Mian had read the book before, so when her aunt gave it to her, she hadn¡¯t bothered to open it again. She quickly flipped through it and found a note written in pencil on page 66: "The Neuro Rose? can make the brain bloom, but it can also make it wither." How did her aunt know about the Neuro Rose? How did she find out? Mu Mian grabbed the book and decided to go find Fang Rui. Shen Xiyin was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading. When she saw Mu Mian rushing out, she asked, "Mu Mian, where are you going so late?" "Sister, do you know what the Neuro Rose is?" Shen Xiyin closed her book and said, "No, I¡¯ve never heard of it." "What did our aunt used to do?" "She was a surgeon a long time ago. After that, she stopped working and focused on taking care of her daughter." Mu Mian asked, "Did our aunt ever research any drugs that could make people smarter?" "I don¡¯t know. I was very young when she left home. Dad never let anyone talk about her, so I don¡¯t know much about her." "Alright. Sister, I¡¯m going to find Fang Rui." "It¡¯s late. Isn¡¯t it rude to bother him?" "He¡¯s my boyfriend. It¡¯s fine." "Then ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????make sure to come back early." Mu Mian ran to knock on Fang Rui¡¯s door. When the door opened, she excitedly said, "Fang Rui, I know what that symbol means!" But it was Lin Sen who answered the door. Mu Mian frowned, "Brother-in-law, why are you here? Where¡¯s Fang Rui?" "He¡¯s cooking noodles." Mu Mian looked into the kitchen and saw Fang Rui cooking. So Fang Rui could cook? Why had he been eating instant noodles every day before? Mu Mian asked, "Brother-in-law, why are you here eating noodles at Fang Rui¡¯s place?" Lin Sen replied, "Eating noodles is just a bonus. I¡¯m here to discuss the case with Fang Rui." Mu Mian was annoyed, "Why didn¡¯t you invite me to discuss the case?" Just then, Fang Rui brought over a pot of steaming noodles. Lin Sen pointed at Fang Rui, "Ask him." "Fang Rui, why didn¡¯t you invite me to discuss the case? Are you trying to exclude me?" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We were planning to call you over after we finished eating." "Why didn¡¯t you invite me to eat? I already had a sandwich for dinner, but I could still have some late-night snacks..." Mu Mian looked at the pot of mushy noodles, "What is this? Noodles? How did they end up like this?" Lin Sen said, "Now you know why he didn¡¯t invite you to eat." Fang Rui shot Lin Sen a glare. Mu Mian was baffled, "Fang Rui, how did you manage to cook noodles into this shape?" Fang Rui didn¡¯t answer. What else could it be? The noodles were overcooked. He got another bowl for Mu Mian and placed it on the table, "Do you want some?" Mu Mian looked disgusted, "No! Even though my boyfriend made it, I can¡¯t eat noodles that look like this!" "Then I¡¯ll get you some snacks. You don¡¯t eat sweets or junk food, and I don¡¯t have any fruit... Should I make you some instant noodles?" "Forget it, I¡¯ll pass." Lin Sen, however, didn¡¯t seem to mind Fang Rui¡¯s cooking. He served himself a bowl and ate with gusto. Mu Mian watched him, puzzled, "Is it really that good?" "I¡¯m just here for the free meal. I don¡¯t have the right to judge," Lin Sen handed her an empty bowl, "Want some? Serve yourself." "Fine, I¡¯ll force myself to eat a little. It¡¯s my boyfriend¡¯s cooking, so no matter how bad it is, I¡¯ll try it." She had only eaten half of her sandwich earlier, and it had already been digested. Mu Mian was hungry, so she decided to try Fang Rui¡¯s noodles to save face. To her surprise... it wasn¡¯t bad. It had a strangely satisfying texture. Mu Mian served herself another bowl. Lin Sen remarked, "It tastes good because he used instant noodle seasoning." Fang Rui, holding a freshly made bowl of instant noodles, glared at Lin Sen, "Then stop eating!" After finishing their meal, Mu Mian said, "I know what that symbol represents. It¡¯s the Neuro Rose. If you look closely, it does resemble a simple drawing of a rose." Fang Rui asked, "How did you figure that out?" Mu Mian held up the book, "My aunt told me." Fang Rui analyzed, "Flowers? Could the flowers in this book refer to the Neuro Rose?" "*Flowers for Algernon* is a science fiction novel about a surgery that can make people smarter. The flowers symbolize the surgery. It explores what happens when someone with low intelligence suddenly becomes highly intelligent," Lin Sen looked at Fang Rui and sighed, "You really should read more." Mu Mian protested, "Fang Rui doesn¡¯t need to read that much. I¡¯ve read a lot of books, so I can explain anything he doesn¡¯t understand!" "..." Mu Mian showed them the line her aunt had written: "The Neuro Rose? can make the brain bloom, but it can also make it wither." Lin Sen tried to interpret it, "The blooming probably means the Neuro Rose can bring positive changes to the brain, while the withering refers to its severe side effects." Fang Rui asked, "How does your aunt know about the Neuro Rose?" Mu Mian replied, "I¡¯m not sure. But my aunt¡¯s daughter was named Miao Miao. She used to be a police officer, but she died of an illness." Suddenly, Mu Mian remembered something and added, "She was Jiang Yinian¡¯s cousin-in-law. The Jiangmiao Group might have been named after her. My aunt also said that Miao Miao mustn¡¯t become smart, because becoming smart would kill her. I suspect Miao Miao was also a victim." Mu Mian couldn''t figure out one thing. According to her aunt, Miao Miao was likely a victim of Neuro-Rose, so why would a company named after Miao Miao continue to research this drug? Fang Rui said, "I''ll ask the director tomorrow. Since Miao Miao was once a police officer, there must be a file on her in the system." When they mentioned Jiang Yinian''s name, Lin Sen exclaimed in surprise, "Mu Mian, Jiang Yinian was once a suspect in the murder of your parents. At the time, we discovered that the brake lines of your parents'' car had been cut, and your father''s computer had been stolen. It contained a lot of experimental data and research materials, all of which pointed to Jiang Yinian. However, we didn''t have enough evidence to prosecute him back then." Mu Mian was puzzled. "But my father treated Senior Yinian very well. If he really wanted the data, my father would have given it to him. My father once said that he wanted Senior Yinian to inherit his lab in the future. He had no motive to kill my father." Chapter 206 Fang Rui and Lin Sen discovered that the Neural Rose might be related to Mu Mian''s father. Jiang Yinian likely stole the research materials from Mu Mian''s father and continued the study. Fang Rui asked, "Mu Mian, does your sister know what your father''s research project was about?" Mu Mian shook her head. "I asked her, but she said she doesn''t know. My sister isn''t interested in these things; she never liked going to Dad''s lab. Whenever Dad tried to explain his papers to us, she would always find excuses to leave because she couldn''t understand them." Lin Sen asked, "Mu Mian, can you still get in touch with anyone from your father''s lab?" "No, they''ve all disappeared. After Dad passed away, they vanished and stopped responding to me. A friend of my sister said it''s a case of ''when the person leaves, the tea turns cold.'' Since Dad is gone, they no longer need to maintain a good relationship with me." Mu Mian felt a little sad. Those who had been kind to her in the past had mostly done so out of respect for her father or her sister. Suddenly, Fang Rui thought of a terrifying possibility. If such a drug truly existed and Mu Mian''s father was its original developer, could they have also used it on Mu Mian? It''s rare for someone with autism to recover so well¡ªwhy was Mu Mian the exception? If the Neural Rose had side effects, what would they be? Lin Sen also thought of this. He exchanged a glance with Fang Rui, but both of them tacitly chose not to ask the question. Mu Mian said, "We can visit my aunt tomorrow morning and see if she can tell us anything. However, her Alzheimer''s is quite severe, so I''m not sure if she''ll be able to remember anything." The next day, Fang Rui went to Director Wang''s office. "Director, do you know an officer named Miao Miao?" "There was a Miao Miao. She was my prot¨¦g¨¦, but she fell ill¡ªa very serious illness. It started with neurological blindness, then her memory began to deteriorate, her bodily functions declined, and eventually, she became vegetative. She passed away not long after. Her boyfriend, Little Jiang, loved her deeply. After her death, he committed suicide." "Why did she get sick?" "I don''t know. She suffered a minor head injury during a mission, but for some reason, her condition worsened drastically. The doctors described her symptoms with one phrase: ''Her brain is collapsing.''" "Director, do you know about the Jiangmiao Group?" "I think it was established by Little Jiang. After Ji Miao''s accident, he became a bit unhinged. He even believed in mysticism and tried to hire a master to perform rituals to bring her back to life. What about the Jiangmiao Group? It seems to be involved in a lot of charity work. It''s a model enterprise in the city and a major taxpayer." Fang Rui shared this information with Mu Mian and Lin Sen. They speculated that the Jiangmiao Group''s initial research on the Neural Rose was likely aimed at treating Miao Miao. However, after Jiang Yinian took over, the research''s purpose shifted, leading to unethical medical experiments. Lin Sen analyzed, "It''s highly likely that someone within their team betrayed them. They might be guiding us to uncover their experiments and stop them from continuing this research." Fang Rui and Mu Mian drove to the nursing home to visit Mu Mian''s aunt, Shen Min, for more information. The weather had been bad lately, so Shen Min wasn''t sunbathing on the lawn as usual. Instead, she was watching TV in her room. Mu Mian noticed that her aunt seemed to have aged a bit. Her clothes weren''t as clean and tidy as before, and there were traces of dried saliva on her collar. The photo album she always carried was also missing. "Auntie, do you remember me?" Shen Min opened her eyes, glanced at Mu Mian, and then looked away. "Auntie, do you remember Miao Miao?" Hearing her daughter''s name, Shen Min showed no reaction. It seemed she had forgotten everything. A nurse nearby said, "Her condition has worsened. She doesn''t recognize anyone now. She used to remember her daughter, but now even that memory is gone." Shen Min sat there, dazed and smiling gently. She had forgotten everything, even her daughter, but she seemed to be happier in her own way. The nurse added, "Don''t worry, Ms. Shen is a VIP client here. She will receive the best care." Fang Rui asked, "Who arranged for her care?" "Mr. Jiang Yinian. He''s also a shareholder in our nursing home, so we make sure to take excellent care of Ms. Shen." After leaving the nursing home, they returned to the police station. Mu Mian saw Lin Qianyan standing at the entrance. As soon as Fang Rui''s car approached, he walked over and stopped it. Fang Rui quickly hit the brakes. "Lin Qianyan, what do you want?" Lin Qianyan was holding a small whale plushie. He said softly, "Mu Mian, can I see Yuanyuan?" Mu Mian replied, "Yuanyuan is dead. You can''t see him." "Even his body would be fine." "Why do you want to see him?" "He has no family or friends. He died, and no one came to see him. He was so pitiful. I once promised him I''d give him a plushie, and now I want to fulfill that promise." Lin Qianyan shook the plushie in his hand. "I''ve already bought it. It''s such a childish thing, and it''s useless to me. I just want to give it to him." Mu Mian reached out her hand. "Give me the plushie. I''ll place it next to his body for you." Lin Qianyan refused. "I don''t trust you. I want to give it to him myself." "Was ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????it you who lured Yuanyuan out of the shelter?" "No." Seeing Mu Mian''s disbelief, he added, "Yuanyuan didn''t choose to be my friend. He preferred staying in that shelter over living with me. He hated me because I caused the death of his beloved ''Mother Director.''" Mu Mian took Lin Qianyan to see Yuanyuan''s body. When Lin Qianyan saw Yuanyuan''s pale, frozen body, he didn''t show any sadness. Instead, he curiously examined it. Lin Qianyan asked, "Mu Mian, you will catch the person who killed him, right?" Mu Mian countered, "Don''t you know who the killer is?" "It wasn''t my cousin Yinian. I pressed him for answers. It wasn''t me either. I don''t know who killed him. Why would someone kill an innocent autistic orphan?" "Yuanyuan might have died from an illness," Mu Mian said. Lin Qianyan placed the small whale plushie next to Yuanyuan. "I promised to give you a plushie, and I''ve kept my word. I don''t know if the heaven you talked about exists, but I hope you''ve reached it and reunited with your ''Mother Director.''" Mu Mian said, "Lin Qianyan, I think you can choose to be a good person. Stop doing bad things." Lin Qianyan looked at her and said, "Mu Mian, not everyone is as lucky as you. Goodbye, Mu Mian." Mu Mian watched as Lin Qianyan left. After leaving the police station, Lin Qianyan got into a car parked by the roadside. Jiang Yinian glanced at him and asked, "Lin Qianyan, do you want me to arrange for someone to steal Yuanyuan''s body and give it to you?" "Cousin Yinian, I''m not Mu Mian. I don''t like cold corpses." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But he''s dead, and I can''t bring him back to life. You could try to like it. I can have him preserved as a specimen, so he can stay with you forever in the form of a doll." Lin Qianyan retorted, "Why don''t you turn the person you love into a specimen? Is it because you can''t?" Jiang Yinian didn''t answer. "Cousin Yinian, have you found out who killed Yuanyuan?" "Yes. Don''t worry, I''ve come up with a perfect plan to avenge your Yuanyuan." Lin Qianyan corrected him, "You''re not doing this for Yuanyuan. You''re doing it for yourself." "Maybe. I hate being betrayed." Chapter 207 The crime scene where Yuanyuan''s body was dumped showed no suspicious traces. After investigating nearby towns, no eyewitnesses were found either. The road near the wasteland had no surveillance cameras installed, making it impossible to trace any leads through video footage. Fang Rui believed that since the murderer had managed to lure Yuanyuan out of the rescue center, the killer must have known Yuanyuan personally. Given that the killer was likely a doctor, they decided to start by examining Yuanyuan''s medical records. Fang Rui went to the prison to meet Li Min, who had been detained. She was once a staff member at Star Home and knew Yuanyuan well. Seeing Fang Rui, Li Min seemed uneasy. "Officer Fang, has something happened?" "Yuanyuan has passed away." Li Min covered her face and began to sob softly. Deep down, she had already sensed that Yuanyuan might not live much longer. Fang Rui asked, "Did Yuanyuan ever visit a hospital for treatment? Did he have a doctor he was particularly close to?" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "About a year ago, Yuanyuan contracted meningitis, and we sent him to the hospital for two weeks of treatment. The hospital was called Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital. Yuanyuan got along well with one of the nurses there, but he disliked doctors and was generally wary of strangers." "What was the nurse''s name?" "I think it was Chen Shu, or maybe Lin Shu. I can''t remember clearly. Director Zhang was the one who stayed with him during his hospitalization. I was only there for two days." "Who was Yuanyuan''s attending physician?" "It was a doctor surnamed Chen. I think he was the director of their department. I don''t remember his full name, but the nurses called him Director Chen." Suddenly, Fang Rui realized why Zhang had said he knew who the killer was. Could it be Director Chen? Some time ago, Zhang had mentioned that he planned to help Chen Xue reconcile with her father. He had even gone to Director Chen''s house to look for him. Could it be that Zhang had noticed something unusual during that visit and recalled a clue when he revisited the hospital, prompting him to call Fang Rui? Fang Rui and Wang went to Jiangzhou University Second Affiliated Hospital to look for Director Chen. The receptionist nurse said, "Didn''t I already tell you? Director Chen went out of town to attend an academic conference. He hasn''t returned yet." "It''s been so long. Hasn''t the conference ended?" "I don''t know. Director Chen took two months off, saying he was attending an important conference. We didn''t press for details." "Has he come back at all during this time?" "No, he hasn''t been to work at all." Fang Rui then had someone check Director Chen''s travel records using his ID number. The results showed that two months ago, Director Chen had taken a flight to Zheng City, and there were no further travel records after that. Zheng City isn''t too far from Jiangzhou City, but driving back would take at least eighteen hours. It was possible that Director Chen had secretly driven back or taken a taxi. At that moment, Fang Rui received a phone call. Old Zhang said, "Captain Fang, didn''t you ask us to investigate the sales records of that car model? We found a suspicious person. Someone bought that car at a dealership in a rural area of a neighboring city. He paid with a bag of cash and chose the car very quickly, without even asking about the specifications. We think this person is suspicious." The police had already investigated all car dealerships in Jiangzhou City, thoroughly checking the purchase records of the white car model matching the one owned by Director Liu. However, no suspicious individuals were found. Fang Rui then expanded the investigation to include surrounding cities, online sales channels, and second-hand car markets. After several days of investigation, they finally found a lead. Fang Rui asked, "Does the shop owner know the buyer''s identity?" "No, the owner said the buyer didn''t say much and didn''t reveal any personal information. But based on his accent, the owner thinks he wasn''t a local and seemed like an educated person." "Does the shop have surveillance cameras?" "They do, but the footage has been overwritten by now. It wasn''t saved." Fang Rui asked again, "Does the owner remember what he looked like?" "Captain Fang, hold on, let me ask him." Old Zhang spoke to the shop owner over the phone and then said, "The owner says he remembers. He has a strong impression of that person." "I''ll send you a photo. Ask him if it''s this person." "Okay." Fang Rui sent a photo of Director Chen to Old Zhang, who quickly replied, "Captain, the owner says it''s him. He remembers this person clearly because it''s rare for someone to pay with a large bag of cash." Now, the challenge was to find Director Chen''s hiding place. Fang Rui applied for a search warrant and planned to search Director Chen''s home first to look for clues. Director Chen lived in an old neighborhood near Dongjiang Yujing, on the fifth floor. When they arrived at Director Chen''s door, Fang Rui and his team noticed something unusual: the doorknob had no dust on it. Logically, if Director Chen hadn''t been home for two months, the doorknob should have been covered in dust. They rang the doorbell for a long time, but there was no response from inside. "We''ll have to break in." They forced the lock open, and as soon as the door was pushed open, a strong smell of blood hit them. They stepped inside and saw bloodstains all over the floor. A middle-aged man lay in a pool of blood. "The deceased is Director Chen," Wang said in shock. "How did he die?" Wang turned his head and saw a bloodied female body lying on the sofa, clutching a blood-stained knife. Fang Rui put on gloves and pushed the hair away from the female victim''s face, revealing a familiar face. Everyone was stunned. "Chen Xue? Why is she here? Did Director Chen kill her? But how did Director Chen die too?" "Could ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????it be that Chen Xue found out who the killer was before we did and killed Director Chen to avenge Zhang?" Fang Rui said, "I already told her last night that the mastermind behind Zhang''s hit-and-run had been caught." "Then what''s going on here?" Mu Mian was notified and quickly arrived at the scene. Fang Rui comforted her, "Mu Mian, Chen Xue, she..." Mu Mian froze, blinking her eyes, but the scene before her remained unchanged. Chen Xue was covered in blood, lying peacefully on the sofa as if she were asleep. She remembered Chen Xue''s promise from last night. Chen Xue had said she would rest well today. "Please keep your voices down. Chen Xue is asleep. She''s very tired and needs to rest." Mu Mian noticed a blanket on the sofa and picked it up, intending to cover Chen Xue with it. Fang Rui gently held her hand and said softly, "Mu Mian, Chen Xue is dead." Mu Mian couldn''t hold back her tears. "Why did she die? Just yesterday, she told me I was her best friend... I have so few friends. Why did she have to die?" Fang Rui held her tightly. "Fang Rui, I should have understood what Chen Xue meant. She wasn''t talking about resting; she knew she was going to die." Mu Mian blamed herself. "Why didn''t I stop her in time?" The others were also deeply saddened. Chen Xue was their colleague, and her tragic death left everyone heartbroken. Wang said, "Mu Mian, we can''t let our emotions take over. We need to investigate thoroughly and catch the person responsible for Chen Xue''s death. You don''t want her to die in vain, do you?" Chapter 208 Wang''s words had a comforting effect. Mu Mian tried her best to calm herself down. She had to catch the murderer who killed Chen Xue. They began to inspect the scene. The items and furnishings in the living room were relatively tidy, with no signs of a violent struggle. There were three splatters of blood and a trail of bloody footprints in the room, connecting the two bodies. The bloody footprints were quickly confirmed to belong to Chen Xue, as the size and pattern of the shoe prints matched the shoes she was wearing. Director Chen had been stabbed twice in the heart, each strike precise and fatal. There were no defensive wounds on his body, and the blood splatters were not chaotic, indicating that Director Chen had not resisted. Chen Xue had blood splatters on her hair, face, and clothes. She had been stabbed once in the chest, the blade piercing her heart, causing her to quickly die from excessive blood loss. From the scene, they deduced the sequence of events: Chen Xue suddenly stabbed Director Chen in the heart, and after he fell to the ground, she stabbed him a second time. After Director Chen died, Chen Xue walked over to the sofa and stabbed herself in the heart. Wang ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????asked in confusion, "Why did Chen Xue suddenly kill Director Chen? He was her father. Why would she suddenly commit murder?" Another person chimed in, "Could Chen Xue have been hypnotized? Otherwise, why would she suddenly kill someone?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian carefully examined Chen Xue''s body, going over it again and again. She noticed some minor abrasions in Chen Xue''s mouth and what appeared to be scratches in her esophagus. Had Chen Xue been forced to swallow something? In the autopsy room. Mu Mian opened Chen Xue''s abdominal cavity and removed her stomach. She cut open the stomach and found no food¡ªChen Xue hadn''t eaten for a long time. Inside, Mu Mian discovered a hard object wrapped in plastic. She picked it up and saw that the plastic film seemed to contain a piece of paper. Mu Mian first asked Wang to check for fingerprints. "No fingerprints," Wang reported. Mu Mian cut open the plastic film and took out the paper inside. It was a handwritten letter, the handwriting messy and hurried. [To Mu Mian: Is it you who performed the autopsy on my body? I think it must be. You''re so professional; you would calmly examine my body, notice something unusual, and find this letter. I was afraid they would destroy my letter, so I had no choice but to hide it in my stomach. I''m sorry, I deceived you. I''m not a good person. I was a mole they planted in the police force. They were afraid the police would discover the bodies of the experimental subjects, so they sent me into the City Police Bureau. If such bodies were found, I could alter the autopsy reports to cover up the truth. The plan was going smoothly at first. I had interned at the City Police Bureau before, and if nothing unexpected happened, I was sure to take over the position of the forensic examiner, Qin. But then, Mu Mian, your arrival disrupted my plans. So, at first, I didn''t like you. You''re a genius, and your brilliance was too dazzling, hurting me. At that moment, I realized that all my hard work paled in comparison to the natural talent you were born with. But to stay, I had no choice but to befriend you. I knew the director would assign an assistant to you, someone who didn''t understand social interactions, and as your good friend, I would be the best candidate. Sure enough, I became your assistant. To avoid raising suspicions, I even pretended to be clueless and joined Zhang in his antics. I acted like a cheerful, outgoing, and somewhat unprofessional forensic examiner, but in reality, I wasn''t like that at all. Though perhaps, I had once wished I could be an optimistic and cheerful person. The first task I received was to stop the police from investigating the missing fetal bodies. Originally, I didn''t even need to intervene, as most people wouldn''t care about those children''s bodies. But you were different. You even performed DNA tests on those fetuses. You wanted to help them find their mothers. This would expose the secret of their disappearances. I had to stop you from continuing the investigation. Fortunately, after spending those days with you, I had come to understand you well. I knew you cared deeply about being abandoned by your mother, so I deliberately misled you, stopping you from investigating the children''s whereabouts. The second task I received was to teach you about friendship and love. I was confused. I didn''t understand why they wanted me to do this. But I did it anyway. I deliberately got close to Zhang and made him fall in love with me. He was foolish and quickly fell for me. I deliberately used my relationship with Zhang to show you what love was, constantly guiding you to understand and experience it. Later, I seemed to understand why they wanted me to do this. You wanted to become a normal person, and to do that, you needed to have emotions. Your sister is an excellent therapist, but she protected you too well, depriving you of the chance to experience complex environments. That''s why you were always emotionally dull. I was simply a guide, helping you perceive emotions faster. I always thought of myself as a rational person, but at some point, I seemed to change. I started to enjoy my current life and even grew to like you as a friend. Your world is so simple; it''s enviable. It''s easy to get lost in a role you''ve been playing for too long. Zhang''s mother once said she didn''t think I loved her son. I vehemently denied it, and in that moment, I realized I had grown to like Zhang too. Emotions are uncontrollable. When Zhang''s mother tried to stop us from being together, I even thought about quitting my job. But quitting wouldn''t just mean leaving my job; it would also mean abandoning my undercover mission. And they wouldn''t allow that. Chen Shu''s appearance shattered my peaceful life. Because I received my third task: to kill Chen Shu. It was a risky move, as I knew I might be exposed. But I had no choice but to accept the mission. Chen Shu had been exposed. She didn''t want to live, nor could she continue to live. So when she entered the interrogation room, she gave me a look, signaling me to kill her. Do you remember the bag of rat poison you brought back from Lu Tian''s house? When we were testing for toxins, I stole a bit of it. I knew then that I would eventually use it. When Wang went in to see Chen Shu, I handed her a cup of water to give to Chen Shu. The water was laced with rat poison. Chen Shu knew there was poison in it. She would drink the water just before leaving the interrogation room, pretending to sip it during the interrogation to avoid suspicion. Then she would hold it in until the transport vehicle left the police station, where she would let the guards discover she had been poisoned. After Chen Shu died, I replaced the paper cup in the trash and smeared rat poison solution on her collar. After it dried, I sent her clothes for testing. It wasn''t a perfect plan, and I even suspected you already knew the truth. The final task I received was to kill my father. When the child with Down syndrome appeared, I knew there was a traitor among us. I immediately informed them. But I didn''t expect Zhang to get injured while tailing Director Liu. It was then that I learned the traitor was my father. Seeing Zhang lying motionless in bed, my heart turned to ash. I wanted to kill myself, but before that, I had to avenge Zhang. The organization promised me they would make Bai Jing, who acted without authorization, pay the price. In return, I had to kill someone for them¡ªsomeone I had long wanted to kill: my father. They kept their promise, and so did I. I finally avenged Zhang. Mu Mian, if Zhang dies, bury me with him. Choose the most beautiful cemetery for us. If he survives, tell him I was always lying. I never loved him. The engagement ring is in the drawer of Zhang''s hospital room. Please return it to him. Mu Mian, I''m sorry. I can''t betray my organization. I can only tell you this much. Please stop investigating this matter. Let it end here. You can''t defeat them. Mu Mian, don''t grieve for me. You will have more friends and a happy life in the future. Mu Mian, goodbye!] Chapter 209 The police searched Director Chen''s house. In his bedroom, Fang Rui noticed a photo frame containing a picture of Director Chen with a young Chen Xue and Chen Xue''s mother. The photo and frame appeared old, showing signs of age, yet they were well-preserved. Inside a drawer, Fang Rui found a photo album filled with numerous group photos, including pictures with patients and their families. On the back of each photo, the names of the patients were written. It seemed Director Chen used this method to document the more unique patients he had encountered. One particular photo caught Fang Rui''s attention¡ªit was a picture of Director Chen and Chen Hui, with a wheelchair-bound woman suffering from cerebral palsy seated between them. On the back of the photo, the name "Chen Minrong" was written. Fang Rui had previously investigated Chen Hui''s family background and knew that Chen Hui''s aunt shared this name. This suggested that Chen Hui''s aunt had likely been one of Director Chen''s patients. The drawer also contained several bottles of medication, commonly prescribed for treating depression. The bottles were nearly empty, indicating that Director Chen might have been suffering from severe depression. In Director Chen''s study, the police discovered a toolbox containing surgical instruments: scalpels, hemostats, an electric bone saw, and more. They sprayed luminol reagent on the tools, but there was no fluorescent reaction¡ªno blood was detected. The police continued their search, spraying luminol on the floors and walls of both the bedroom and study. Again, there was no fluorescent reaction, suggesting no bloodstains were present¡ªthis was not the location where the deceased''s brain had been dissected. Next, they inspected the bathroom. After spraying luminol on the tiles and walls, they still found no traces of blood. However, they noticed that the tiles appeared unnaturally white, with their patterns somewhat faded. Upon further testing, they discovered traces of hypochlorite, a bleaching agent that could interfere with the luminol reaction. Determined, the police examined harder-to-clean areas, such as the gaps between tiles and the corners of the bathroom. Finally, in the crevice where the toilet met the floor tiles, they detected bloodstains and successfully extracted a blood sample. DNA analysis confirmed that the blood belonged to Yuanyuan. This evidence strongly suggested that the bathroom was the site where the body had been dissected. The police also located a white car in the parking lot of Director Chen''s residential complex. Although the license plate had been changed, the car''s make and color matched the one seen in the surveillance footage. The car''s front showed no visible scratches, but upon closer inspection, Wang noticed signs of recent paintwork. No bloodstains were found inside the vehicle, but on the driver''s side floor mat, they discovered various types of soil and fragments of green grass. After analysis, one type of soil matched the soil from the first body disposal site, while the grass fragments were identified as a type of wild grass found in flower beds. This confirmed that the car had been used in the first body disposal case. The mounting evidence pointed to Director Chen as the perpetrator of both body disposal cases. On Director Chen''s desk in the study, Fang Rui found several crumpled pieces of paper. One of them bore a hastily scribbled note: "Neural Rose is a scam. There are no miracles! They''ve gone mad. I must stop them! Xue, I''m sorry, Dad." It seemed Director Chen''s mental state had deteriorated. His actions of disposing of bodies and leaving behind symbols might have been an attempt to draw the police''s attention and halt the research he opposed. Fang Rui thought of Chen Hui, who had also suffered a mental breakdown and killed multiple pregnant women. Could Chen Hui''s crimes have been motivated by a similar desire to stop the research? Even the Star Home case seemed to be guiding the investigation toward the Jiangmiao Group. Was all of this truly a coincidence? Despite a thorough search of the house, the brain tissue taken by Director Chen was never found. Fang Rui convened a meeting to conclude the case. The mood was somber. Although the perpetrator had been identified, the team had lost two colleagues. Zhang remained in critical condition at the hospital, while Chen Xue had killed the perpetrator and then taken her own life. Lin Sen analyzed, "In her suicide note, Chen Xue mentioned that Bai Jing had been sent to prison by their organization. Could the dashcam footage have been intentionally recorded for us?" Li added, "It''s possible they replaced the dashcam''s memory card. When I examined it, I noticed the card wasn''t the original, but since the video hadn''t been edited, I didn''t think much of it. Now it seems they deliberately provided us with evidence." Fang Rui realized that the opposing side had set up a perfect trap: Chen Xue, the disloyal mole, was dead; Director Chen, the betrayer, was dead; and the police had been trying to find a breakthrough through Bai Jing, but she had been imprisoned by her organization¡ªa blatant message that no leads would come from her. Fang Rui and Lin Sen visited Bai Jing at the detention center. She had been held for many days but remained in good spirits. Upon seeing Fang Rui and Lin Sen, she smiled and asked, "Why hasn''t Mu Mian come? Are you afraid she''ll learn the truth?" Fang Rui inquired, "Was Mu Mian also a subject of Neural Rose?" "I don''t know." "Why ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????did you assign Chen Xue the task of guiding Mu Mian to perceive emotions?" "I know nothing about Mu Mian. Asking me is pointless." Fang Rui pressed, "The memory card in Li Xinyu''s dashcam was replaced. Who do you think did it? Who knew you were there and recorded the scene?" Bai Jing frowned. She had suspected she was being discarded, and now she was certain of it. Bai Jing began to speak, "My mother was once a beautiful woman. She was wealthy, but her life was full of misfortune. She was deceived by men repeatedly until she met a psychologist. She thought he was her soulmate, but he swindled her out of her money and drove her to madness." "Do you know how painful it is to live with a madwoman? You can''t imagine it because none of you have a mother like that. I couldn''t even leave her because I loved her, because she needed me so much. Then, I met someone who helped me cure my mother. Though she wasn''t entirely lucid, she no longer dwelled on her past pain. She became happier, the kind of mother I needed." Fang Rui and Lin Sen understood that Bai Jing would never betray her organization. "Perhaps you think what we''re doing is evil, but we believe we''re creating miracles." Fang Rui retorted, "Miracles? What about Yuanyuan, who you killed? Was she just a lab rat? How many more Yuanyuans are there?" "Medical progress requires sacrifice. If you look back at medical history, you''ll find that every advancement is built on countless lives. These sacrifices are insignificant." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Jing refused to reveal more. After the case was closed, Chen Xue''s mother, accompanied by Chen Xue''s Aunt and Aunt-in-law, came to claim Chen Xue''s body. Chen Xue''s Mother wept softly, blaming herself, "It''s all my fault. I kept telling Xue how her father abandoned us. I repeated it over and over, making her hate her father." Chen Xue''s Mother had despised the man who abandoned their family, forbidding Chen Xue from seeing him and constantly reminding her that only her mother loved her, that her father hated her because she wasn''t a genius, that he wanted a brilliant child instead. She thought this would motivate Chen Xue to study harder, and indeed, Chen Xue excelled. But she never imagined that her hatred had warped Chen Xue''s psyche, leading her to commit such extreme acts. Chen Xue''s Aunt said, "It''s not your fault. It''s her irresponsible father''s doing. He deprived Xue of a father, and now he''s caused her death. He''s a curse!" Chen Xue''s Mother clung to her daughter''s body, crying, "Xue, he was your father. No matter how terrible he was, you shouldn''t have killed him." But Chen Xue could no longer respond. She had become a cold, lifeless corpse. Fang Rui said, "Auntie, please accept my condolences and take care of yourself." Chen Xue''s Mother still couldn''t come to terms with Chen Xue''s death. She tightly held onto Chen Xue, crying, "Xue, don''t leave me. How can I go on without you? Please wake up, please..." Fearing that Chen Xue''s Mother might collapse from grief, Fang Rui gently led her to the restroom. As he walked, Fang Rui thought of the photo frame. He wondered if Director Chen didn''t love Chen Xue after all¡ªperhaps he just cared more about his career. But Fang Rui decided not to mention the photo frame to Chen Xue''s Mother. Some things, even if known, wouldn''t change anything. Chapter 210 Although Director Chen''s case had concluded, they did not stop their investigation into the "Neural Rose." The next day, Fang Rui received a call from Zhang''s Mother: "Fang Rui, Zhang''s condition has improved a lot today. He can speak now." In the past few days, Zhang''s condition had already been improving. He had gradually regained the ability to breathe on his own and had been moved out of the ICU. The doctors said there was a high probability he would recover. Zhang''s parents had been afraid of disturbing Fang Rui and the others at work, and even more afraid of raising false hopes, so they hadn''t informed them earlier. Only when Zhang was able to sit up today did they finally notify Fang Rui. "By the way, Fang Rui, do you know where Chen Xue is? I haven''t been able to reach her on the phone. If you can get in touch with her, please let her know." Fang Rui was both happy about Zhang''s recovery and saddened by Chen Xue''s death. His voice choked as he replied, "Auntie, Chen Xue... she won''t be able to come." "Why? Is she sick? Then she should rest well. She can come whenever she''s ready." "Yes." Fang Rui didn''t tell her the truth. When their colleagues at the police station heard that Zhang had woken up, they all bought flowers and fruit baskets after work¡ªthe largest fruit baskets in the store and the biggest, most beautiful bouquets. They went to the hospital together to visit Zhang. Mu Mian''s eyes were swollen from crying. She said to Fang Rui, "If Officer Zhang finds out about Chen Xue''s death, he''ll be heartbroken." "Let''s not tell him for now." "But he''ll find out eventually." In the end, they all decided to keep the news of Chen Xue''s passing a secret. Zhang had now been moved to a general ward. When they entered the room, he was sitting there, staring blankly into space. Seeing so many people come in, he glanced at them, then looked away and continued to stare blankly. Their hearts sank. Could Zhang have lost his mental faculties? But they quickly reassured themselves¡ªat least he was alive. Zhang''s parents greeted them warmly as they entered. "Officer Zhang, this is a gift for you," Mu Mian said, placing a beautifully wrapped present on the bedside table. Zhang glanced at the gift and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who is Officer Zhang?" Mu Mian replied, "It''s you." "Am I called Officer Zhang?" "Don''t you remember your name?" "No. My mind is completely blank." Everyone turned to Zhang''s parents. Zhang''s Mother sighed and explained that Zhang had lost his memory. After Zhang woke up, the doctors had conducted tests and quickly reached a conclusion: "This patient is likely suffering from retrograde amnesia. He has forgotten his past. His temporal lobe is damaged, and since the temporal lobe is associated with memory, this injury could lead to memory loss." Retrograde amnesia typically refers to the loss of episodic memories¡ªmemories of past events¡ªwhile procedural memories, such as learned skills, remain intact. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Will his memories come back?" Zhang''s Mother asked, her voice trembling. "Probably ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????not. If the amnesia were caused by a concussion, there might be a chance, but his is due to brain damage. The likelihood of recovery is low. However, we will arrange for him to receive relevant treatments." "Will his ability to form new memories be affected?" "It''s hard to say at this point. But based on our experience, there will likely be some impact." Mu Mian felt deeply saddened. If Officer Zhang no longer had his past memories, was he still the same Officer Zhang? Zhang looked at Mu Mian and Fang Rui. They seemed familiar to him. He asked, "Are you all my good friends? Did I have so many friends before?" Everyone replied, "Yes, we''re your good friends and colleagues." Mu Mian introduced herself, "Hello, Officer Zhang. My name is Mu Mian." Fang Rui said, "Zhang, I''m Fang Rui." Wang Yu joked, "I''m Wang Yu. You used to call me ''Little Wang.'' You can still call me that." Zhang couldn''t help but laugh. "Your name is ''Little Turtle''? That''s such a funny nickname." "Hey, Zhang Qiang, it''s ''Little Wang''! ''Little Wang''! Zhang Qiang, you have to remember me, okay? We''re good brothers. You can''t forget me again." "Got it, Little Turtle." "It''s ''Little Wang''! Fine, call me whatever you want. But you have to remember me." "Okay, I''ll remember you, Wang Yu." "I''m Li Weiyi, the one you always teased for being single. Once you''re out of the hospital, we''ll play video games together on weekends like before. I promise I won''t call you bad at it." One by one, the others introduced themselves. They were reintroducing Zhang to their lives. Zhang carefully studied each face, trying to commit them to memory so he would recognize them the next time they met. He looked at them over and over, but he felt like someone was missing. Who was missing? Zhang asked Li, "Why was I able to tease you about being single? Did I have a girlfriend? Where is she? Why hasn''t she come to see me?" Li''s eyes reddened, and he quickly covered, "No, we always teased each other. If you had a girlfriend, would you still be playing video games with me?" Zhang asked again, "So, I''m single too?" "Yes." "That''s so sad." "Yeah. Me, Little Wang, and you¡ªwe''re all single and miserable." Zhang pointed at Fang Rui and Mu Mian. "So, are they a couple?" Wang teased, "Zhang, you''re still such a shipper!" Zhang looked down at the mark on his ring finger, a circular indentation where a ring might have once been. His head started to ache, and his heart felt hollow, as if a cold wind were blowing through it. He felt like he had forgotten someone very important, but all his friends and family were here. Who could be missing? Zhang asked, "How did I get hurt?" "A car accident." "Ah, let me guess why. You said I''m a police officer. Did I get into a high-speed chase with a criminal, and then we crashed, which is how I ended up in the hospital?" Mu Mian''s eyes welled up with tears, but she didn''t speak. Even though Officer Zhang had lost his memory, he was still the same goofy, imaginative person he had always been. Fang Rui said, "Yes, you''re a hero." "Wow, was I really that amazing?" "Very much so." "Why are your eyes all red? I''m awake now. Shouldn''t you be happy?" Mu Mian said, "We''re happy but also sad." "Hahaha, how can ''happy'' describe sadness? Your grammar isn''t great." "I never studied grammar." Zhang looked at the huge bouquet in Fang Rui''s hands and laughed. "You didn''t have to bring such a big bouquet! But I guess this means you''re my best friend." "Yes." Mu Mian added, "I''m also a very good friend of yours." "I can tell. You''re the one crying the most. Your eyes are all swollen. I must be your best friend." "Yes." Since Zhang had just recovered, they couldn''t stay too long and disturb his rest. After chatting with him for a while, they left the hospital. Outside the hospital gate, Wang and Li crouched by the roadside, silently crying. Zhang had lost his memory. He had forgotten everything, but he was still the same Zhang they had always known¡ªtheir dear colleague, forever. Chapter 211 On the surface, Jiangmiao Group appeared to have no issues, and Fang Rui and his team had no direct grounds to initiate an investigation. The bureau chief collaborated with the tax bureau, using a tax audit as a pretext to scrutinize all of Jiangmiao Group''s operations. The primary revenue of Jiangmiao Group came from its private hospitals and high-end rehabilitation centers, followed by the distribution of various medical equipment, and lastly, the patent fees from its pharmaceutical company. That pharmaceutical company had been operating at a loss for a long time, but Jiang Yinian continued to invest heavily in it. Over the past two years, it had gradually started turning a profit. They also discovered that Jiangmiao Group had made donations to numerous university medical laboratories. Recently, they had donated a significant sum to the psychology department of Jiangzhou University to fund a research project on adolescent cognitive abilities. Fang Rui and Lin Sen meticulously reviewed all of Jiangmiao Group''s business ventures. The psychology department''s project at Jiangzhou University caught Lin Sen''s attention. He wondered, "Why would Jiangmiao Group fund a project like ''The Investigation into Adolescent Cognitive Abilities in Jiangzhou City''?" Fang Rui asked, "Cognitive abilities? How do you even study that? Do they scan brains or something?" "Human cognitive abilities encompass many aspects¡ªmemory, attention, sensation, perception, and so on. Each of these has specific experimental paradigms for testing. For example, the cancellation test can be used to assess attention," Lin Sen explained. "What''s the purpose of such a study?" Fang Rui pressed. Lin Sen replied, "On one hand, it helps to understand the cognitive ability levels of adolescents in Jiangzhou City, providing data to support the implementation of educational policies. On the other hand, it establishes normative data for cognitive tests, which is useful for future research." He couldn''t help but add, "But honestly, it doesn''t have much scientific significance." Mu Mian chimed in, "Exactly. Because this data won''t be recognized internationally, it can''t be published in academic papers. It''s like many psychological assessment scales¡ªeven if someone in China develops new norms, people still rely on norms established decades ago abroad. That''s why I often question the rigor of psychological assessments." "..." Fang Rui was a bit lost. Lin Sen thought for a moment and said, "Actually, this is also a large-scale screening test. It can identify students with different levels of cognitive abilities." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fang Rui speculated, "Could Jiang Yinian be trying to select experimental subjects who meet his criteria?" They all fell silent. Mu Mian analyzed, "The experimental subjects we previously investigated¡ªautism patients, stroke patients, and infants with Down syndrome¡ªall had brain abnormalities. Could his next step be to use normal individuals as subjects?" Fang Rui recalled what Director Chen had written on the paper: They''ve gone mad! Fang Rui reasoned, "Could this be why Director Chen defected? If they were only experimenting on patients with pre-existing brain conditions, it wouldn''t be as cruel. After all, trying new drugs is also a form of treatment, even if the risks are higher. It still offers them a chance at recovery. But if they''re conducting illegal drug experiments on normal individuals, that would completely cross the line of ethical and moral boundaries." Lin Sen added, "Their ''Genius Brain Project''¡ªcould it be about selecting students with poor cognitive abilities and turning them into geniuses through drugs? There are quite a few pharmaceutical companies abroad that have researched so-called ''smart drugs,'' but those only temporarily increase cortical activity and come with significant side effects. The drugs Jiang Yinian is researching are likely even more immature and carry greater risks." Mu Mian sighed, "Jiang Yinian has changed. How could he believe he can create geniuses? Education and drugs can promote intellectual growth, but they can only create talent, not genius. Genius is determined by genes." Lin Sen said, "Xiyin mentioned to me a couple of days ago that the psychology department''s project at Jiangzhou University is wrapping up. They''ve already collected all the data and are in the processing phase. That means Jiang Yinian has likely already obtained all the test results." Fang Rui suddenly thought of Bai Jing and said, "No wonder Bai Jing suddenly went back to graduate school. Could her mission be to steal this research data?" Lin Sen replied, "Possibly. But getting his hands on this data would be incredibly easy for him. The testing was done using a cognitive assessment system, and all the data is aggregated in the backend with cloud backups. The company that developed the system definitely has all the data, and that company is also under Jiangmiao Group." Lin ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Sen recalled hearing about the project from Shen Xiyin. He remembered the name of the company that developed the assessment system¡ªit matched one of the companies listed in the business documents he had just reviewed. Mu Mian said, "The faculty in the psychology department at Jiangzhou University were all assigned tasks. My sister has been busy with this recently. She might have access to all the data." When Mu Mian returned home from work, she noticed that Shen Xiyin had come back early. "Sister, are you done with work?" Shen Xiyin was cooking and replied, "Yes, the tasks assigned by the department are finished." "Sister, do you have all the data from that research project?" Shen Xiyin paused while chopping vegetables and asked, "Why the sudden interest in this?" "We''re investigating a case, and I think it might be related to this." "The testing system only gave me partial access. I can only see the data for the school I was responsible for. Mian, I''m sorry, but this test was conducted with real names, so I can''t just show you the data. It involves the privacy of many students." Mu Mian insisted, "Sister, this case is important. Jiang Yinian might be using this test to screen for the experimental subjects he wants. We have to stop him." Shen Xiyin frowned, "What is he trying to do?" "We don''t know for sure. He seems to have a plan called the ''Genius Brain Project.'' We suspect he wants to create geniuses through neural manipulation." Shen Xiyin scoffed, "He''s truly insane." "Why has Jiang Yinian become like this?" Shen Xiyin said, "Mian, I can give you all the data. The department head isn''t very familiar with the system, so he gave me his account, which has full access to all the data." Shen Xiyin helped Mu Mian log into the system. "You can directly screen for the student list you need within the system." "Thank you, sister." Mu Mian took her laptop to Fang Rui''s place. Lin Sen was also there. They briefly reviewed the students'' scores across various indicators. The differences weren''t too significant. Mu Mian said, "We have the data, but what criteria would he use to select his targets?" Lin Sen suggested, "Let''s start by screening out the extreme values and investigate those students first. Maybe we''ll find some leads." "Okay." Soon, they had a list of students with the lowest cognitive ability levels. Chapter 212 The next day, Fang Rui sent teams to visit the parents of the students on the list, asking if they had recently given their children any medication. At the same time, they reminded the parents not to believe in the existence of any so-called "smart pills." To be on the safe side, Fang Rui also reported the situation to Director Wang. The director pondered for a moment and said, "Fang Rui, all of this is just speculation at this point. We have no evidence, and no case has been filed. Under these circumstances, it''s impossible to apply for a search warrant." "Director, what if he really is using those students to test drugs? That could lead to a major medical accident! The situation is critical, and we must stop him immediately! If you don''t agree, I''ll investigate on my own!" Seeing that the director remained unmoved, Fang Rui decided to leave and find another way. "Come back! Can''t you let me finish? You want to investigate his lab, right? I''ll contact the fire department later. We can use a fire safety inspection as a pretext to have the firefighters accompany you for a surprise inspection. That way, it''ll be legal." "Director, why didn''t you just get to the point earlier?" "I *was* getting to the point! You can''t just rush into things; you need to strategize." Director Wang waved his hand. "Go ahead and investigate." Captain Chen from the fire department knew Fang Rui and provided them with a few sets of firefighter uniforms. He glanced at Mu Mian and asked, "Is this young lady coming too?" "Don¡¯t you have a uniform that fits her?" "No, but it¡¯s fine. She can just wear her own clothes. If anyone questions it, I¡¯ll say she¡¯s a clerk, handling paperwork. Being a bit shorter won¡¯t matter." Mu Mian retorted, "I¡¯m not short. I¡¯m 158 cm, only 1.5 cm below the average height for women in Jiangzhou City. If I wear slightly higher heels, I¡¯ll reach the average height." "..." Jiang Yinian¡¯s private lab was located at Colenda Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of the Jiangmiao Group. The company was divided into a pharmaceutical factory and a research center. The research center was a four-story building with a futuristic design. Manager Liu, the head of the research center, came to greet them. "Didn¡¯t we just have a fire inspection last month?" Captain Chen replied, "This is a follow-up inspection. Last week, a lab at a university in the country caught fire, nearly causing casualties. So, the higher-ups have ordered us to conduct stricter inspections of labs in the city. Don¡¯t worry, this time it¡¯s just about rectifying issues. No fines¡ªyet. But if things aren¡¯t fixed by the next inspection, there will be penalties." "I haven¡¯t heard about that incident," Manager Liu said, his gaze lingering on Mu Mian. "There are so many news stories nationwide; you can¡¯t possibly know them all." "Alright. Just make it quick, so you don¡¯t disrupt our work." Once inside the building, they headed straight to the fourth floor, where Jiang Yinian¡¯s private lab was located. The lab was spacious, divided into multiple sections by glass partitions, making the entire space visible from the entrance. There were over a dozen employees working inside, all of them young. As she entered the lab, Mu Mian was stunned. The lab was almost identical to her father¡¯s. The placement of every instrument, the orientation of the windows¡ªeverything was replicated exactly. "What¡¯s wrong?" Fang Rui whispered. "He ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????copied my father¡¯s lab." Captain Chen and his team conducted a thorough inspection of the lab¡¯s fire safety equipment. To make it look convincing, he occasionally raised questions: "Has this fire extinguisher been inspected regularly? Really? Don¡¯t lie to me. If it¡¯s been inspected, where¡¯s the inspection record?" Fang Rui and Mu Mian carefully searched the lab but found nothing suspicious. All the experimental procedures appeared to be standard. During the search, Mu Mian noticed a lot of information. Based on the file names on the desks, they were conducting research on drugs for Alzheimer¡¯s disease. Although she couldn¡¯t see the full reports, Mu Mian suspected that Jiang Yinian was replicating the research her father had been working on before his death. The inspection went smoothly, but when they tried to inspect one of the offices, Manager Liu stopped them. "I¡¯m sorry, but this is our boss¡¯s office. It¡¯s off-limits to anyone without his permission." "But we need to check for fire hazards." "Well..." "Let them in." Jiang Yinian¡¯s voice came from behind them. Mu Mian and Fang Rui turned around, meeting his gaze. Jiang Yinian looked at Mu Mian and Fang Rui. "Mu Mian, Officer Fang, if you wanted to visit my lab, you could have just asked me. I¡¯d be happy to give you a tour." Manager Liu looked surprised. "You¡¯re police officers?" "Manager Liu, go back to your work. I¡¯ll handle this personally." Jiang Yinian said to Mu Mian, "You wanted to search my office, right? Go ahead." Mu Mian and Fang Rui entered Jiang Yinian¡¯s office. Mu Mian noticed that his office was also an exact replica of her father¡¯s. Mu Mian couldn¡¯t understand. If he had caused her father¡¯s death, why would he replicate his lab? Was it some kind of tribute? sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After Mu Mian and Fang Rui entered the office, Jiang Yinian closed the door behind them, shutting everyone else out. The walls of the office were made of one-way glass, allowing those inside to see out, but not the other way around. Mu Mian couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. "Senior Jiang, why did you cause the car accident that killed my parents? My father liked you so much. Why would you do that to him?" Jiang Yinian replied, "Mu Mian, it wasn¡¯t me. Will you believe me?" "No. I¡¯ve learned to recognize lies now. I think you¡¯re lying again." Jiang Yinian looked hurt. "No one believes me. But it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m continuing his research as a way to honor him." Mu Mian asked, "Are you talking about Neuro-Rose?" "I¡¯m referring to Professor Shen¡¯s final research project¡ªthe one on Alzheimer¡¯s drugs." Jiang Yinian glanced at the people outside. "I¡¯ve gathered many people to continue that research." "But it¡¯s already been proven wrong." "So what?" "They¡¯re all wasting their talents. You¡¯re misusing their abilities," Mu Mian couldn¡¯t help but point out. "I don¡¯t need them to produce results for me. But they¡¯re not losing anything either; they¡¯re getting paid well. Do you think they¡¯re passionate about research? If they were, they would have left by now." Mu Mian realized she couldn¡¯t understand Jiang Yinian¡¯s mindset at all. She pressed on, "What exactly is your Genius Brain Project?" "Mu Mian, don¡¯t you think the root of inequality among people lies in the inequality of intelligence? Intelligence determines ability, which in turn affects social status and income. If we could eliminate the gap in intelligence, wouldn¡¯t the world be a fairer place?" Fang Rui couldn¡¯t comprehend why Jiang Yinian would hold such an extreme view. He himself was a genius, a beneficiary of this so-called inequality. Why would he want to dismantle it? Mu Mian corrected him, "Senior Jiang, you can¡¯t achieve that." Jiang Yinian smiled. "I was just joking earlier. What Genius Brain Project? It sounds childish. Mu Mian, if you¡¯re interested in our research, feel free to look through the reports on the desk." Mu Mian didn¡¯t hold back and openly examined the reports on the desk. But after flipping through them, she realized there was no trace of Neuro-Rose here. This lab wasn¡¯t being used for experiments at all. It was just a place for Jiang Yinian to reminisce. He had gathered groups of people to repeat her father¡¯s research, only to fail again and again. Chapter 213 With ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Jiang Yinian''s permission, they thoroughly searched the laboratory but found no clues, ultimately returning empty-handed. Captain Chen from the fire department, however, had a fruitful visit. He compiled a full page of issues that needed rectification and patiently explained to Manager Liu how to make the necessary improvements. "Did you remember all the issues I mentioned? A small leak can sink a great ship. Fire safety is no trivial matter; it can''t be taken lightly. Keep this rectification notice safe. We''ll be back for a follow-up inspection," Captain Chen said. Manager Liu smiled as he took the notice. "No problem, we''ll make the changes," he replied, though inwardly he couldn''t help but grumble, *What are you really here for? Do you even know? Why put on such a convincing act?* Back at the station, Mu Mian remarked, "Jiang Yinian must have another lab." "Where could that other lab be?" someone asked. Lin Sen analyzed, "Labs require a lot of space. If he''s conducting illegal experiments, he''d need high levels of secrecy and security. He wouldn''t rent a space for it, so the lab is likely built on property he owns or trusts." Fang Rui added, "Then I''ll have someone look into the properties under his name." Lin Sen continued, "We should also investigate the properties owned by the Lin family." A few days later, the investigation into the students'' parents finally yielded some leads. Old Zhang reported, "Captain Fang, we''ve found some clues. One parent mentioned that someone approached her, offering a large sum of money in exchange for her son''s participation in testing a new drug. She refused, fearing it might harm her child." Fang Rui and Mu Mian went to visit the parent. Her name was Li Yushan, a single mother with limited education who made a living running a small food stall. Fang Rui and Mu Mian approached her stall. It was the weekend, and her son, Linlin, wasn''t in school. He sat on a small stool by the roadside, diligently working on his homework. Fang Rui first supported her business by buying a pile of her fried skewers, planning to share them with the team later. Then he began asking questions: "Was there someone who approached you, wanting your son to test a drug for them?" Li Yushan, busy frying chicken cutlets and strips, replied, "Are you the police? Your colleagues already came by, and I told them everything." "Yes," Fang Rui confirmed. "A few days ago, two people came to me. They said they had developed a drug that could enhance intelligence but needed clinical trials. They chose my son as a test subject. They offered me 200,000 yuan if I agreed. I was furious and chased them away. Hmph, my son is already so smart¡ªwhy would he need an intelligence boost?" Linlin, however, wasn''t particularly bright. He often ranked last in his class, struggled with homework, and was frequently called in for parent-teacher meetings. Despite this, Li Yushan believed her son was the best¡ªjust not great at exams, but otherwise well-behaved. "Do you have their contact information?" Fang Rui asked. "Yes, they gave me a business card, saying I could reach out if I changed my mind," Li Yushan replied, removing her gloves and pulling a card from her cash box. She handed it to Fang Rui. The card read: "Clinical Trial Recruitment Platform" and listed the recruiter''s name as Ye Yuanqing. It was a legitimate third-party company. Mu Mian crouched beside Linlin, curious about his homework. She had never seen a child write so slowly. He was meticulous, writing each stroke carefully, but the characters were messy, crooked, and often incorrect. "''Gan'' is written wrong here. You''re missing a stroke," Mu Mian couldn''t help but correct him. Linlin added a stroke to the character. Mu Mian noticed something was off. She examined Linlin''s homework and realized he frequently made mistakes¡ªmissing strokes, flipping characters, or writing them crookedly. She pulled out Linlin''s cognitive test results and quickly spotted the anomaly. The memory test had two sections: short-term and long-term memory. The short-term test used numbers, and Linlin scored highly. But in the long-term memory test, which used words, he scored zero. "Linlin, can you not read these characters?" Mu Mian suspected Linlin had dyslexia. It wasn''t that he wasn''t trying¡ªhe simply couldn''t write the characters correctly. Linlin shook his head. "I can read them," he said. "Then why can''t you write them correctly?" Linlin lowered his head and stayed silent. "Linlin, it''s okay if you can''t read them. Just tell me the truth, okay?" "Wah... Mom works so hard to pay for my schooling. I can''t not know these characters. I want to study hard so Mom doesn''t have to struggle, but I just can''t learn. I''m stupid! The characters are like bugs¡ªthey keep moving around, and I can''t understand or remember them." Hearing her son cry, Li Yushan rushed over and hugged him. "Linlin, what''s wrong? What happened?" "Mom, I''m not stupid!" "Linlin, of course you''re not stupid. You''re the best, Mom''s pride and joy," Li Yushan said, shooting a glare at Mu Mian. "But I always come last in class. I can''t write the characters right!" "You''ll get better when you''re older." Mu Mian, feeling guilty for upsetting the child, said to Fang Rui, "I didn''t mean to." "Let''s buy him some snacks to cheer him up." "Okay." Mu Mian went to the supermarket across the street and bought a pile of candies and cookies. On the way back, she dragged Fang Rui into a bookstore. "Fang Rui, Linlin might have dyslexia. He struggles to read text. I want to give him some picture books so he can enjoy fairy tales too. All kids love fairy tales," Mu Mian said. "Good idea." Mu Mian gave the snacks and books to Linlin. Li Yushan quickly said, "How much do I owe you? I''ll transfer the money." "This is a gift for Linlin," Mu Mian replied, handing the book to Linlin. "This is a fairy tale. Can you understand it?" Linlin flipped through the picture book, fascinated by the illustrations. It was his first time owning a fairy tale book and the first time he could understand one. "Thank you, sister." Before leaving, Mu Mian took Li Yushan aside while Linlin was picking wildflowers by the roadside. "Linlin might have dyslexia. It makes it hard for him to read and write. You might need to send him to a special school." Li Yushan was stunned. "Are you saying Linlin is really... slow?" "Linlin isn''t slow. It''s a condition. You should take him to a specialist and follow their advice." "Okay, thank you." But Li Yushan couldn''t afford to send Linlin for treatment. She didn''t have the money to cover the high costs. "Sister, this is for you," Linlin said, handing Mu Mian a bunch of wildflowers. "Thank you." As they left the food stall, Mu Mian asked, "Linlin''s mom loves him so much. How could she not realize he has dyslexia? Isn''t that common knowledge?" Fang Rui replied, "Mu Mian, many mothers don''t know about these conditions. They just think their child isn''t smart enough." After they left, Li Yushan watched Linlin, who was now engrossed in the picture book. She took out her phone and made a call. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 214 Through their investigation, Fang Rui and his team discovered that most of the parents they contacted were from single-parent families or impoverished households. Their financial situations were poor, and their children''s academic performance was subpar, so when they heard about this project, they immediately agreed. Fang Rui brought Ye Yuanqing, the recruiter from the drug trial platform, into the interrogation room. Ye Yuanqing had neat short hair. Although she was visibly nervous after being suddenly brought to the police station, she spoke in a composed and logical manner. "Officer, our drug trial project is completely legal. This new drug has already passed animal testing and has been filed with the drug regulatory authorities. The entire process is compliant and lawful." "Do you have the relevant documents?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes. I''ll have my colleague send them over shortly." "Who is the client for this drug?" "The company we signed the contract with is Colenda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd." This was Jiang Yinian''s pharmaceutical company. Fang Rui asked, "Can you provide some samples of the drug?" "Of course." "How do you find test subjects?" "The client has already provided us with a list. We just need to contact them." Ye Yuanqing provided the animal testing report, inspection report, and clinical trial application report for the drug. It was indeed filed with the drug regulatory authorities. Fang Rui also asked her to provide the signed contracts. Seeing Li Yushan''s name on the list, Fang Rui was somewhat surprised. The police tested the drug, and its components were found to be unproblematic. Lin Sen analyzed, "It''s also possible that this drug is just a front. During the testing process, they might give the children the actual target drug." Fang Rui realized how cunning Jiangmiao Group was. The contracts had many hidden clauses, and once the parents signed them, even if issues arose later, the company wouldn''t be held legally responsible. About a dozen parents had already signed contracts with the drug trial platform. The police who went to investigate tried to persuade them, but most were lured by the substantial trial fees and refused to terminate the contracts. A couple wanted to back out but were scared off by the hefty breach fees. Although they had discovered that Jiang Yinian had commissioned a third-party platform to conduct drug trials on the students, the trial project was compliant and the drug itself was unproblematic. This lead had reached a dead end. Jiang Yinian didn''t own many properties, but Lin Qianyan had numerous properties under his name. The police investigated these properties through various means but found no trace of Jiang Yinian''s laboratory. Fang Rui analyzed, "Jiang Yinian''s laboratory must be located in a sparsely populated, independent space. Villa areas and standalone low-rise buildings in the suburbs fit the criteria. But we can''t possibly search every villa and low-rise building. It would be inefficient and difficult to investigate." Lin Sen added, "The founder of Jiangmiao Group is Jiang Yinian''s cousin. Could there be villas under his name that haven''t been transferred? Maybe the laboratory was set up by his cousin." "That makes sense. I''ll have someone check if his cousin owns any properties." Fang Rui thought for a moment and asked, "Do drug laboratories consume a lot of electricity and water?" "Laboratories usually have many instruments, so they consume a significant amount of electricity." Fang Rui went to the police chief and asked for his help in collaborating with the power bureau. They wanted the electricity usage data for Jiangzhou City over the past two years to identify any buildings with abnormal power consumption. After investigating, they found that Jiang Yinian''s cousin didn''t own any properties. The power bureau staff sent them several large data files. Just receiving the files took a considerable amount of time. Wang, watching the download progress bar, couldn''t help but say to Li, "With so much data, it''ll take forever to find anything!" Li rolled his eyes, "Are you doubting my skills?" He turned to Fang Rui and asked, "Boss, should we skip industrial electricity for now and focus on residential usage?" "Agreed." Li wrote a program to calculate the average electricity consumption per community or village, then filtered out users with abnormally high usage, generating a list. The filtered results were extensive. "Let''s remove those in densely populated urban areas." The list shrank significantly. "Let''s ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????start with the villa areas." While browsing the list, Fang Rui noticed Ye Zeming''s villa area. It suddenly occurred to him that Ye Zeming''s villa area had strong privacy measures. Apart from surveillance cameras at the entrance, there were no public cameras inside. "Shen Min? Is that my aunt?" Mu Mian noticed that the owner of one villa on the list was Shen Min. This villa had high and stable electricity consumption. Fang Rui immediately took a team to the villa area. "I want to come too!" Mu Mian said. Fang Rui placed a hand on Mu Mian''s shoulder and spoke earnestly, "Mu Mian, stay here. I''m worried this operation might be dangerous." Mu Mian replied, "Aren''t you afraid I might get kidnapped? I think I''m safer with you. You''ll protect me, won''t you?" After some thought, Fang Rui decided to bring Mu Mian along. The villa area had been developed recently. The design was beautiful, but the occupancy rate was low. The developers had expected the area to become part of the new urban district, so they hastily built high-end villas. However, rumors about the urban development turned out to be false, and the city''s expansion bypassed the area, leaving the villas unsold even after significant price reductions. Fang Rui and his team drove to Shen Min''s villa. Several smart cameras were installed at the entrance. As soon as they approached, the cameras locked onto them and stopped moving. Fang Rui rang the doorbell, but there was no response. He rang it again. This time, footsteps were heard, and the door opened. A young man with messy hair, wearing glasses and a white lab coat, appeared. He looked nervous. "Who are you looking for?" "Do you know Jiang Yinian?" "What do you want?" Fang Rui said, "We''ve received a report about illegal electrical modifications. We need to inspect the premises." "That''s nonsense. Someone must have made a false report," the young man blocked the doorway. "This is private property. If you barge in, we''ll sue you for trespassing!" Wang had a quick idea and shouted, "Does anyone smell something burning? It smells like something''s on fire. Quick, everyone, let''s go in and put it out!" "On fire? Impossible!" Wang pushed past him, "Hurry, everyone, let''s go in! The burning smell is really strong!" Everyone entered the villa. Shen Xiyin had just seen off a visitor and was about to drink some water when her phone rang. "Xiyin, it''s me!" Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Xiyin''s expression turned to one of disgust. "What do you want?" "Xiyin, I''m upset. Mu Mian is being very disobedient. She actually brought the police to arrest me." Shen Xiyin''s face paled. "What have you done to Mu Mian?" "Her safety depends on your decision. There''s a car waiting for you downstairs. If you want Mu Mian to be safe, get in the car." "Jiang Yinian, let me hear Mu Mian''s voice. I need to know she''s safe." "Xiyin, if you don''t believe me, you can call Mu Mian and Fang Rui to confirm. But don''t call the police or speak to anyone else, or I can''t guarantee Mu Mian''s safety. You''re already under my surveillance." "Jiang Yinian, let me hear Mu Mian''s voice." Beep. Jiang Yinian hung up. Shen Xiyin immediately called Mu Mian. "Sorry, the number you dialed cannot be reached." She then called Fang Rui. "Sorry, the number you dialed cannot be reached." Shen Xiyin was instantly overwhelmed with fear. Jiang Yinian was a madman. Although he had promised her he wouldn''t hurt Mu Mian, the words of a madman couldn''t be trusted. Now even Fang Rui seemed to be in trouble. Jiang Yinian was likely planning to escape with her and Mu Mian, and the best escape route would be by water. Jiangzhou City''s foreign trade was prosperous, with many cargo ships heading abroad. Those ships would be the best means for an illegal escape. Shen Xiyin hurriedly left her office, accidentally knocking over a painting hanging on the wall. "Xiyin, what''s wrong? Why are you in such a rush?" Shen Xiyin didn''t answer. She couldn''t answer. She couldn''t let anything happen to Mu Mian. Chapter 215 Upon entering the villa, Fang Rui and the others were greeted by a lavishly decorated laboratory, strikingly similar to the one they had seen at the pharmaceutical company. Inside, a few young staff members were handling reagents. When they noticed the intrusion, they paused their work and turned their gazes toward Fang Rui and his team. The young man who had opened the door spoke up, "See? There''s no fire here. You need to leave! You''re trespassing on private property!" Fang Rui cut him off, "Has this laboratory been officially registered?" "I... I don''t know. I just started working here," the young man stammered. Fang Rui turned to the others, "Who''s in charge here?" The staff members exchanged uneasy glances and shook their heads. "We''re all new here, just started a few days ago. The person in charge isn''t here¡ªhe stepped out." "Who is the person in charge?" "We don''t know." Wang couldn''t contain his frustration, "You don''t know anything, yet you took the job? Aren''t you worried about being scammed?" "We just graduated with master''s degrees and couldn''t find good jobs. Then, suddenly, this high-paying position with great benefits came along, so we applied. At first, we thought the location was odd, but the work seemed normal, so we didn''t think too much about it." "..." The room was also equipped with numerous cameras, their lenses like cold, unblinking eyes, watching their every move. Wang speculated, "Jiang Yinian must have known we were coming to investigate. He probably hired a bunch of students to work here as a cover. It''s likely all the evidence has already been moved. He might even be planning to flee!" Fang Rui said, "I''ve already sent two people to keep an eye on him. Call in a few more to join them. Once we find evidence here, we''ll arrest him immediately." A sense of foreboding washed over Fang Rui. Would everything really go as smoothly as they hoped? "Got it. I''ll make the call now," Wang said, pulling out his phone. However, he found there was no signal. "Boss, the signal here is weak. I''ll step outside to make the call." Fang Rui and his team thoroughly searched the first floor of the laboratory. Just like before, they found nothing suspicious. The second floor served as both living quarters and office space. In one of the offices, they discovered stacks of experimental reports. One of the reports detailed research on children with Down syndrome. Mu Mian carefully examined its contents. Jiang Yinian and his team had attempted gene editing on fetuses diagnosed with Down syndrome, and Li Yan''s child had been one of their subjects. Gene editing on humans violated ethical guidelines and was strictly prohibited. The cabinet also contained numerous reports documenting Jiang Yinian''s illegal experiments, such as mind control through wearable devices, emotional deprivation experiments, human-animal hybrid gene experiments, and emotional inhibitors. Mu Mian also found meeting notes detailing ongoing experiments, including one called the "Genius Brain Project," which aimed to select students with low cognitive abilities and enhance their intelligence through drugs. After a thorough search, Fang Rui and his team discovered that the villa had a basement. The entrance was hidden in a corner of the garden, secured with a locked door that required a passcode to open. Fang Rui had brought along a professional locksmith. After inspecting the electronic lock, the technician sighed, "This lock is connected to a self-destruct mechanism. I suspect there are explosives beneath the house. If we force our way in, it could trigger an explosion. We only have three attempts to enter the correct passcode. If we fail, the lock will permanently seal." "How many digits is the passcode?" Mu Mian asked, noticing the keypad had both numbers and letters. It was likely a combination of both. "Probably five digits. It''s unusual¡ªmost people wouldn''t set such a short passcode." Fang Rui theorized, "The passcode is probably something of great importance to Jiang Yinian. Mu Mian, what do you think it could be?" Mu Mian pondered for a moment, "The most important things to Yinian would be his research and his sister. Her English name is Sally, which is exactly five letters." Mu Mian entered the five letters, but the smart lock emitted a harsh error tone. She ran through everything Jiang Yinian might consider important but couldn''t find anything that fit the criteria. Wang suggested, "Could it be a pinyin abbreviation? Though it doesn''t seem to match the length." "Mu Mian, is there anything that connects both his research and your sister?" Fang Rui prompted. Suddenly, Mu Mian thought of her father''s company. She entered five letters: SHEIN. The lock clicked open. Mu Mian explained, "My father''s pharmaceutical company is called SHEIN, which translates to ''Xiyin.''" A wide staircase led down to the basement. It was pitch dark, like a vast abyss ready to swallow everything whole. Fang Rui shone his flashlight inside. The beam of light revealed a small child''s body, preserved in formaldehyde. As the light swept across the room, they saw various human specimens, a horrifying sight. "Where did these bodies come from? Did Jiang Yinian kill all these people?" Wang whispered, his voice trembling. No one could answer with certainty. The young staff members were terrified. They had taken the job for the high salary, never imagining the villa concealed such gruesome secrets. One of them stammered, "We just started working here! We didn''t do anything!" Fang ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Rui and his team decided not to venture further. Instead, they called for technicians to check for flammable or explosive materials and to test the air for toxic gases. At that moment, Wang rushed in, holding his phone. "Boss, it''s bad news! Jiang Yinian has slipped away! He hired foreign bodyguards who attacked our surveillance team." Fang Rui immediately called the chief to report the situation. The chief coordinated with multiple departments to launch a joint operation to apprehend Jiang Yinian. Key transportation routes in Jiangzhou City were blocked, and teams were dispatched to monitor airports, high-speed rail stations, train stations, and highway checkpoints. As they left Jiang Yinian''s villa, Mu Mian couldn''t shake a growing sense of unease. She said, "If Yinian knew we were coming to search the villa, why didn''t he move the lab or at least take the documents with him? It''s like he''s given up trying to cover his tracks." Fang Rui shared her doubts. He had always felt as though someone was guiding their investigation into Jiangmiao Group and the Neuro Rose. If such a person existed, who could it be? Could they have influenced Jiang Yinian''s decisions? "Mu Mian, how was your sister''s relationship with Jiang Yinian?" "They used to be close, but after our father died, she grew to despise him." "And how did Jiang Yinian feel about your sister?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mu Mian frowned, "He said he loved her. But I don''t know what kind of love he meant. The definition of love is too broad... Fang Rui, I should call my sister." "Go ahead." Mu Mian dialed Shen Xiyin''s number, but the call didn''t go through. "Fang Rui, I can''t reach her!" "Don''t panic. Do you have her friends'' numbers? Try calling them." "No, I don''t. Fang Rui, I''ve been so neglectful. I don''t even have her friends'' contacts." Fang Rui reassured her, "Mu Mian, don''t be afraid. Let''s go to her clinic and look for her." When they arrived at the clinic, the receptionist told Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, your sister received a call and ran out. Did something happen? I tried calling her, but her phone is off." Fang Rui asked, "How long ago did she leave?" "About two hours ago." "Fang Rui, do you think my sister is dead?" Mu Mian''s mind was spinning, overwhelmed with fear. "Chen Xue is dead. If my sister dies too, what will we do?" "Mu Mian, we need to stay calm. It''s possible Jiang Yinian has kidnapped her. If he loves her, he won''t harm her. We''re already searching the entire city for him. We''ll find him soon." The search operation was not going smoothly. Traffic surveillance cameras had initially captured Jiang Yinian''s car, but upon investigation, it turned out the car was being driven by a designated driver. They then began analyzing surveillance footage from different areas, trying to trace Jiang Yinian''s whereabouts. Lin Sen also realized that something had happened to Shen Xiyin, and he immediately rushed to the clinic. When he saw Mu Mian''s tear-stained eyes, he was certain that Shen Xiyin had likely been kidnapped by Jiang Yinian. Mu Mian choked back her sobs and said, "I need to stay calm. My sister must have left us some clues." They went to Shen Xiyin''s office, where her desk was neatly organized, with no letters or notes left behind. The floor was also spotless, without a single scrap of paper. Lin Sen noticed a painting on the floor and picked it up to examine it. The painting depicted a bright and vivid scene of the ocean and a sandy beach, the kind of artwork commonly used as decoration in therapy rooms. Mu Mian said, "Is my sister trying to tell us she went somewhere by the sea?" Chapter 216 The sky had completely darkened, with no moon or stars in sight. The heavens were a heavy, oppressive black. Shen Xiyin was escorted by two armed foreign bodyguards onto a small yacht. Under the cover of night, the modest vessel was almost invisible. Jiang Yinian stood on the yacht, smiling at Xiyin. "Xiyin, I remember how much you love the ocean. The sea view in Jiangzhou City is beautiful, but it''s a shame it''s nighttime now. You can''t see its splendor." The ocean was pitch black, with waves glinting under the yacht''s lights before vanishing into the night. Shen Xiyin didn¡¯t want to waste words with him. She immediately began searching the yacht but found no trace of Mu Mian. She rushed up to Jiang Yinian and demanded, "Jiang Yinian, where is Mu Mian?" "Mu Mian is safe. You wanted the police to find evidence of my crimes, so I sent that evidence to her." Shen Xiyin breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave, but the two bodyguards blocked her path. "Xiyin, I once promised you freedom. But now, I must break that promise," Jiang Yinian said, his expression pained. "Why did you use the police to try and destroy me?" Jiang Yinian could accept that Shen Xiyin didn¡¯t love him. He was content to love her alone. But why did she have to be so cruel, going to such lengths to ruin him? Shen Xiyin shot back, "Jiang Yinian, it was you who bribed my family¡¯s nanny, wasn¡¯t it? You used photos of Jiang Yun to lure Mu Mian back to the country. You instructed Chen Xue to befriend Mu Mian, only to hurt her. And you planned to continue experimenting on her. I won¡¯t let you succeed." "I did all of this to fulfill your wish. Didn¡¯t you always want Mu Mian to become ''normal''? But you¡¯ve sheltered her too much. Her environment, her job, everything about her life was designed by you. In such a sheltered world, she could never grow. Look, in less than two years, Mu Mian has developed rich emotions. She¡¯s even fallen in love." "I told you not to interfere with Mu Mian¡¯s life." "So, you turned Director Chen against me? Bai Jing too, right? She actually stole my research reports for you. Xiyin, if you wanted the reports, why didn¡¯t you just ask me? I would have given you anything, unconditionally." "So what if I did? I didn¡¯t ask Bai Jing to steal from you. I didn¡¯t need her to. She assumed I did and acted on her own. Jiang Yinian, you¡¯re part of my father¡¯s legacy. I have the right to dispose of you." Shen Xiyin had used Bai Jing to reveal the truth about Neuro Rose to Director Chen. Director Chen had initially agreed to work with Jiang Yinian to save patients, but upon learning the truth, he completely broke down. Under Bai Jing¡¯s influence, he killed two test subjects and staged their deaths as part of a serial murder case to draw police attention. The patient with Down syndrome had severe congenital heart disease. Director Chen used high-frequency vibrations to trigger a heart attack, causing his death. Yuan Yuan¡¯s brain had already begun to deteriorate. Director Chen infected him with a virus that caused meningitis, accelerating his death. Even if the police investigated further, they would find no connection to Shen Xiyin. Bai Jing had carried out everything, and she would never reveal the truth. Even if she did, there was no evidence to implicate Shen Xiyin. Shen Xiyin said, "I originally planned to use the Star Home case to eliminate you. But you were too well-hidden. I had to dismantle you from within." In the Star Home case, Shen Xiyin first used Michelle, an autism therapist she had introduced to Jiang Yun, to drive a wedge between Lin Qianyan and Jiang Yun, deepening Lin Qianyan¡¯s hatred for Jiang Yun. Yuan Yuan often interacted with Lin Qianyan. Michelle used suggestive language to manipulate Yuan Yuan into drawing disturbing pictures, which he used to seek help from Li Min. Li Min, who already had severe psychological issues, orchestrated the murders of Director Zhang and Jiang Yun to protect the children. Michelle had once been Shen Xiyin¡¯s teacher and was now an employee at her therapy center. Michelle would never betray her. Shen ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Xiyin had orchestrated everything from behind the scenes, exploiting everyone¡¯s psychological weaknesses to achieve her goals. She left no trace. Legally, she was completely innocent! She wouldn¡¯t force Mu Mian to choose between her and Fang Rui, between justice and family. Jiang Yinian protested, "Do you still hate me for what happened to your parents? I didn¡¯t cause their car accident. I respected your father like he was my own. How could I have harmed him?" The sea breeze tousled Shen Xiyin¡¯s hair as she stood in the darkness, speaking softly, "Jiang Yinian, I know it wasn¡¯t you." Jiang Yinian looked at her in shock. In an instant, he understood, and his heart ached even more. "They committed suicide! My father had been showing signs of Alzheimer¡¯s. His memory was deteriorating, which is why he relied on you so much. When the drug he was developing failed, he lost all hope and decided to end his life. My mother loved him deeply. She chose to die with him. My father didn¡¯t want anyone to know about his illness or his suicide, so he staged an accident. That day, they deliberately crashed into a bridge, sending the car into the water." "Then why¡­" "Why did the police think it was murder? Before they left, I cut the brake lines on their car to make it look like a murder¡­ Don¡¯t you see? I wanted to frame you, to force you out of the lab." "Why go through all that trouble? If you wanted me to leave, you could have just asked. You know I could never refuse you." "Jiang Yinian, I was getting revenge on you!" "Why do you hate me so much?" "Why do you think? You¡¯re the one who told me about the Neuro Rose experiments. You¡¯re the one who made me realize how monstrous my father was and the legacy of evil I inherited. You told me that Mu Mian¡¯s recovery had nothing to do with me, that it was all because of Neuro Rose. You dragged me into hell, turning me into someone like you! Jiang Yinian, shouldn¡¯t I hate you?" Shen Xiyin still remembered the crushing despair she felt when she learned the truth. Her world had been turned upside down. Her beloved father had been conducting illegal experiments on healthy people. She had always believed it was her selfless love and professional expertise that had helped Mu Mian recover, only to discover that Mu Mian¡¯s progress was due to drugs. She began to question everything¡ªher family, her career¡ªbut the one thing she never doubted was how important Mu Mian was to her. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Later, she learned about Miao Miao and witnessed the devastating side effects of Neuro Rose. She had no choice but to inherit her father¡¯s work and continue his research. She couldn¡¯t let Mu Mian suffer the same fate. Even the slightest chance was worth any cost. To her, Mu Mian was both family and her greatest professional achievement. "Xiyin, who told you Mu Mian was a test subject for Neuro Rose? I never said that. Mu Mian is not a test subject for Neuro Rose. I¡¯m certain of that." The sea wind howled, churning the waves and creating a cacophony of splashing sounds. Shen Xiyin glared at Jiang Yinian in anger. "I heard my father say it himself. He even mentioned giving Mu Mian an improved version of Neuro Rose. You knew full well how dangerous that drug is, how it accelerates brain deterioration. Mu Mian would have suffered and died like Miao Miao. Jiang Yinian, you¡¯re complicit in this, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to destroy you!" "But Mu Mian couldn¡¯t have been a test subject for Neuro Rose. I¡¯ve seen her brain scans. Her brain is perfectly healthy. Neuro Rose research was halted for over a decade. It wasn¡¯t until after our research failed that your father had to restart it. There was no improved version of Neuro Rose back then." The creator of Neuro Rose was Shen Xiyin¡¯s aunt, Shen Min. Clinical trials revealed severe side effects, leading to the drug¡¯s discontinuation. Shen Xiyin¡¯s pupils dilated as realization dawned on her. Chapter 217 ¡°Shen Xiyin, Professor Shen lied to you. He likely said those things on purpose. He knew you cared about Mu Mian, so you would definitely inherit his laboratory and continue all his research for the sake of treating Mu Mian.¡± Shen Xiyin¡¯s father had once said that Jiang Yinian was not suitable for managing the laboratory¡ªhe was too capricious and lacked any moral boundaries. That¡¯s why Shen Xiyin was the best candidate to inherit it. Jiang Yinian would help her unconditionally, and she had the ability to make everyone listen to her. ¡°That can¡¯t be. My father wouldn¡¯t lie to me. Jiang Yinian, you¡¯re the one lying to me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shen Xiyin couldn¡¯t accept this. Her beloved father had deceived and manipulated her for the sake of his so-called research, forcing her to do what she disliked the most. Her father knew how she felt about medical research¡ªthat she found it cruel. He also knew what her dreams were, yet he had ruthlessly stripped her of all that. ¡°Xiyin, you know I wouldn¡¯t lie to you,¡± Jiang Yinian said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe that it was your love for Mu Mian, your refusal to give up, that created this miracle?¡± ¡°Autism can¡¯t be cured! How could love alone make an autistic person normal? Jiang Yinian, tell me, you¡¯re lying to me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°There have been many unexplained miracles in medical history. It wasn¡¯t just your love for Mu Mian, but also your professional skills. And it wasn¡¯t just you working alone¡ªyour parents, the therapists, they all worked hard too. Everyone loved Mu Mian. It was a miracle created by everyone together.¡± ¡°Then what do all these years mean? What does everything I¡¯ve done mean?¡± Shen Xiyin¡¯s world crumbled once again. ¡°Xiyin, Professor Shen wanted you to break the curse of your genes. What you¡¯ve done isn¡¯t meaningless. Once the effects of the Neural Rose are fully understood, there will be hope for treating many brain-related diseases. It will be another miracle in medical history.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to create miracles!¡± Shen Xiyin collapsed to the ground, staring at her hands, hysterical. ¡°What about all the experimental subjects who were sacrificed? The blood on my hands is there because of your lies. This is absurd!¡± ¡°Xiyin, the experiments you did abroad were nothing compared to what most pharmaceutical companies do. You have far more moral integrity than most. Ethics and morality are shackling the progress of science. True research should be free. It¡¯s not us who are wrong!¡± Tears streamed down Shen Xiyin¡¯s face, but she forced herself to smile. This was nothing. Her world had crumbled many times before. At least Mu Mian wasn¡¯t an experimental subject for the Neural Rose. Jiang Yinian remembered once asking Shen Xiyin what her birthday wish was. ¡°I hope Mu Mian can become a normal person. I hope my father¡¯s research succeeds. If I have to make three wishes, I hope everyone can be a little happier.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want anything for yourself?¡± ¡°I already have so much. There¡¯s nothing to regret.¡± Back then, Shen Xiyin hadn¡¯t met Lin Sen, hadn¡¯t lost her parents, hadn¡¯t taken over her father¡¯s laboratory and pharmaceutical company. She didn¡¯t yet know that her life would be filled with regrets. ¡°Xiyin, aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll end up like your uncle, suffering from Alzheimer¡¯s? You¡¯ll forget everything, lose that brilliant mind of yours.¡± The Shen family had a hereditary disease, a high likelihood of developing Alzheimer¡¯s. That was why Jiang Yinian had researched the Neural Rose¡ªhe wanted to change Shen Xiyin¡¯s fate. ¡°I¡¯m a little afraid. That¡¯s why I need to make sure Mu Mian becomes a normal person before I get sick. Once she can live independently, I¡¯ll be at peace.¡± ¡°Why is Mu Mian so important to you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s family. Family is important.¡± At that moment, two bodyguards noticed faint lights flickering on the distant sea. One of them said, ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a boat approaching us. We need to speed up and lose them. Can we accelerate?¡± The bodyguard was confused. If they had been speeding up all along, they would have already boarded the cargo ship. The contact had prepared everything for them. Once they were on the ship, they could evade the police. Jiang Yinian¡¯s thoughts returned to the present. He didn¡¯t respond to the bodyguard but instead looked down at Shen Xiyin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have told you the truth earlier. But I always thought that if you became like me, you¡¯d love me.¡± The bodyguard urged anxiously, ¡°Boss, if we speed up now, we can still make it. Once we¡¯re on the cargo ship, we¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°Shen Xiyin, come with me, okay? Let¡¯s fulfill your father¡¯s dream together. We¡¯ll make sure the world remembers him.¡± Shen Xiyin wiped her tears and looked at him calmly. ¡°Jiang Yinian, I won¡¯t leave here alive with you.¡± ¡°If you die, Mu Mian will lose her sister.¡± ¡°If I leave with you, she¡¯ll lose her sister all the same.¡± ¡°Boss, don¡¯t hesitate, or we won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± The bodyguard, hearing the sound of boat propellers in the distance, urged again. ¡°Shen Xiyin, will you remember me?¡± ¡°If the research makes progress, I¡¯ll include your name and my father¡¯s in the author credits of the paper. I¡¯ll make sure the world remembers you both.¡± Jiang Yinian gazed at her intently. ¡°Shen Xiyin, I don¡¯t need the world to remember me. I just want you to remember me.¡± The police had cordoned off the Jiangzhou City docks and dispatched coast guard units to search the entire sea. Fang Rui, Mu Mian, and Lin Sen boarded one of the boats, which also carried several snipers. Soon, the sea surveillance system detected a yacht heading toward the area where cargo ships were docked. Once Jiang Yinian boarded one of those ships, the search would become much more complicated. All the search boats closed in on the yacht. Two armed bodyguards stood outside the yacht. Seeing the approaching boats, they opened fire. Jiang Yinian, holding Shen Xiyin hostage, hid inside the cabin. The sky and sea were pitch black, making visibility poor. It took the snipers a while to aim, but they eventually shot one of the bodyguards. The other bodyguard quickly took cover behind the boat. Concerned for the hostage, the police didn¡¯t dare to advance recklessly, and the situation reached a stalemate. Soon, reinforcements arrived, surrounding the yacht. The remaining bodyguard was also shot by the snipers. Fearing that Jiang Yinian might harm the hostage, the boats stopped ten meters away, not daring to get closer. Jiang Yinian took a pistol from a drawer and, with Shen Xiyin as his hostage, stepped out of the cabin. He shouted to Fang Rui, ¡°Let me leave safely, or I¡¯ll kill her!¡± Shen Xiyin said, ¡°Fang Rui, just shoot. Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Fang Rui, while directing the snipers to aim at Jiang Yinian, tried to negotiate. ¡°Don¡¯t harm the hostage. What do you need to leave safely?¡± ¡°I need a helicopter!¡± Fang Rui replied, ¡°Okay, but it will take time to prepare. Don¡¯t harm the hostage in the meantime.¡± Jiang Yinian leaned close to Shen Xiyin¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Shen Xiyin, if you hadn¡¯t met Lin Sen, would you have loved me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But I met you first.¡± ¡°Jiang Yinian, the answer is still no.¡± Jiang ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Yinian¡¯s movements exposed his head. Taking advantage of his distraction, a sniper quickly aimed and fired. The bullet pierced through the air, striking Jiang Yinian squarely in the forehead. Warm blood splattered onto Shen Xiyin¡¯s face. Jiang Yinian slowly collapsed, his memories flashing back to the past. ¡°Jiang Yinian, you seem lonely. Can I be your friend?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Jiang Yinian, you¡¯re like Mu Mian¡ªyou¡¯re a genius. Geniuses are different from everyone else.¡± ¡°Jiang Yinian, even though you¡¯re a genius, you can¡¯t always look down on others. Intelligence is determined by genes. You¡¯re lucky to have a high IQ, but you can¡¯t despise those who aren¡¯t as smart. That¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°Jiang Yinian, you can¡¯t let your dark thoughts become reality. You need to be a good person. Can¡¯t control yourself? Then I¡¯ll keep an eye on you from now on!¡± ¡°Jiang Yinian, I¡¯ve fallen for someone. I¡¯m going to tell him. Wish me luck!¡± "Jiang Yinian, even if I become like you, I could never like you." Jiang Yinian looked into Shen Xiyin''s beautiful eyes. They seemed to glisten with tears, yet also seemed dry. He slowly closed his eyes. "Sister, I''m so glad you''re okay!" Mu Mian ran from the boat to Shen Xiyin''s side, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "You can''t die! If you die, I''d have to make myself a schizophrenic just to keep a version of you alive in my mind." "Mu Mian, I know, and that''s why I won''t die so easily." "Sister, I''m still so scared." Shen Xiyin held Mu Mian tightly in return. There was a time when she was afraid every day¡ªafraid that Mu Mian would become another Miao Miao, afraid of losing her. But now, she was no longer afraid. Mu Mian would live a healthy life, full of happiness and joy. Fang Rui stared at Jiang Yinian''s lifeless body, a sudden wave of panic washing over him. Jiang Yinian was dead. Did that mean all the secrets about the Neuro Rose would be lost? Was Mu Mian an experiment of the Neuro Rose? If Mu Mian turned out like Miao Miao, what would he do? Chapter 218 In that villa, a lot of incriminating evidence was found, enough to convict Jiang Yinian. Jiang Yinian''s illegal experiments also implicated many industries under the Jiangmiao Group. The hospitals and high-end nursing homes under his name were also shut down. However, they did not find the list of Jiang Yinian''s accomplices. The evidence in the villa could only point to Jiang Yinian, but not his accomplices. The materials found in his laboratory did not include experimental data on the "Neural Rose," nor any information about it. After Jiang Yinian''s death, everything about the Neural Rose became a mystery. Jiang Yinian''s death brought down the Jiangmiao Group, but would the people behind him continue their criminal activities? Jiang Yinian had prepared his will long ago, leaving all his assets to Lin Qianyan. Lin Qianyan was still a minor, but Jiang Yinian had cultivated a large number of loyal followers during his lifetime and established strict management systems to ensure that the operations of the Lin family would not be significantly affected by the change of heir. These loyal individuals handled Jiang Yinian''s inheritance for Lin Qianyan. After the conclusion of Jiang Yinian''s case, Fang Rui went to the clinic where Shen Xiyin worked to find her. The receptionist looked upset and said to Fang Rui, "Officer Fang, Sister Xiyin is resigning. You and Mu Mian should try to convince her not to leave. We¡¯ll all miss her so much." Fang Rui walked to the door of Shen Xiyin''s office and knocked. "Come in." Shen Xiyin was packing her things, as it was her last day at work. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see Fang Rui. "Fang Rui, I knew you¡¯d come to see me." "Sister Xiyin, do you really know nothing about the Neural Rose?" Shen Xiyin looked at Fang Rui seriously. "If Mu Mian were to become like Miao Miao, would you still love her unconditionally?" "I would. No matter what happens to her, I¡¯ll stay by her side," Fang Rui clenched his fists. Ever since he learned about the existence of the Neural Rose and Miao Miao''s tragic fate, he had been living in fear. What if Mu Mian was also a subject of the Neural Rose experiment? What if she turned out like Miao Miao? What would he do? Shen Xiyin continued, "What if she were to die soon, just like Miao Miao?" Fang Rui finally understood why Miao Miao''s boyfriend had committed suicide after her death. He loved her too much and couldn¡¯t bear to live without her. "I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯d die with her, or maybe I¡¯d live on to remember her." Shen Xiyin smiled. "Then whether Mu Mian is a subject of the Neural Rose experiment doesn¡¯t matter anymore, does it?" Fang Rui felt a surge of intense fear. "Sister Xiyin, is Mu Mian really¡­?" "She¡¯s not! If she were an experiment, she¡¯d be an experiment of love. It¡¯s the love of all of us, our refusal to give up, that created this miracle. And you, along with Mu Mian¡¯s friends, will continue to carry on this miracle." Fang Rui¡¯s face lit up with joy, but he sensed the underlying meaning in Shen Xiyin¡¯s words. "What about you?" "I¡¯m leaving. Mu Mian doesn¡¯t need me anymore, so it¡¯s time for me to pursue my own dreams." Mu Mian had been the most important person in her life, and she always would be, but Shen Xiyin had other important things to do. In ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????the past, she had done everything for Mu Mian. From now on, she would do it for herself and to save more patients. Fang Rui couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Sister Xiyin, were you the one guiding us in investigating the Jiangmiao Group all along?" "Fang Rui, if you want to continue investigating this matter, you can. But in the end, you won¡¯t find any evidence. You don¡¯t have to make difficult choices¡ªwhether to investigate or not, to uphold justice or ignore some evils. But please don¡¯t tell Mu Mian about your suspicions. I want to remain the kind older sister in her memories." Fang Rui had once investigated Shen Xiyin¡¯s connection to the cases but found no clues. "Fang Rui, there¡¯s a psychological dilemma called the trolley problem: There are two railway tracks. On one track, there¡¯s one person tied up, and on the other, there are five. A train is speeding toward them. You have a button that can switch the train¡¯s direction. Which track would you choose?" Fang Rui knew Shen Xiyin was hinting at something. The track with five people represented the victims of the Jiangmiao Group, while the track with one person represented those sacrificed to bring down the group. "What if the five people were replaced by fifty, five hundred, or even countless people? Would the choice still be difficult?" Fang Rui said, "I could choose not to press the button." "Wouldn¡¯t you feel guilty for not pressing it? People would still die, whether it¡¯s one person or five. The train has to run over one of the tracks." This was one of the reasons Shen Xiyin wanted to destroy the Jiangmiao Group. They were too insane and had no moral boundaries. Jiang Yinian used his resources to lure many doctors and researchers into helping him with illegal experiments. Older figures like Director Chen, who had encountered too many incurable patients, harbored intense psychological conflicts and longed for new treatment methods. So when Jiang Yinian told them he could break through the current limitations, they joined him without hesitation. Younger individuals like Chen Xue always wanted to surpass their elders. Jiang Yinian gave them the opportunity to stand on equal footing with their predecessors and even provided them with more resources. As a result, they were even more loyal to Jiang Yinian than their elders. But as long as Jiang Yinian, the mastermind, was dead, the others wouldn¡¯t be able to cause any more trouble. Shen Xiyin smiled. "Fang Rui, the optimal solution is to have someone else press the button for you. That way, you won¡¯t face moral condemnation." Fang Rui understood that Shen Xiyin was implying that everything had been done by others on her behalf, leaving no evidence. "Fang Rui, I hope you¡¯ll take good care of Mu Mian for me." "I will." Fang Rui drove back to find Mu Mian. He rushed into her office, where she was reaching for a file on the top shelf of a cabinet. Fang Rui ran over and hugged her tightly. "Mu Mian, I was so scared that you might also be a subject of the Neural Rose experiment, that you might end up like Miao Miao. But thankfully, you¡¯re not." Fang Rui held her tightly. Mu Mian frowned, puzzled. "Fang Rui, you¡¯re so silly. How could I possibly be a subject of the Neural Rose experiment? I¡¯m a genius. No drug could create someone like me. Besides, I regularly check my brain scans, and they¡¯ve always been healthy. "Fang Rui, don¡¯t you remember I¡¯m a medical professional? If someone injected me with drugs or made me take strange medications, how could I not notice? Have you become less intelligent?" Fang Rui didn¡¯t respond. After a while, Mu Mian reminded him, "Fang Rui, you¡¯re hugging me too tightly. I can barely breathe." Fang Rui only held her tighter, as if this could dispel the fear he had been suppressing all this time. "Fang Rui, you¡¯ve been hugging for too long¡­ Okay, just a little longer¡­ Really, it¡¯s been a long time." Wang, watching them, suddenly thought of Chen Shu. He felt a pang of sadness but quickly forced a smile. Life goes on. People will leave, but others will always come. After the case was closed, Lin Qianyan went to the police station with his bodyguards and personal assistant. As a relative, he was allowed to claim Jiang Yinian¡¯s body. Mu Mian led Lin Qianyan into the freezer and helped him locate Jiang Yinian¡¯s corpse. Lin Qianyan said to Mu Mian, "Mu Mian, my cousin Jiang Yinian didn¡¯t lose to you. He lost to himself." When Jiang Yinian realized that Shen Xiyin had orchestrated everything, he gave up resisting. Lin Qianyan didn¡¯t understand why Jiang Yinian, such a cold-blooded person, could love so irrationally. But Lin Qianyan took this as a lesson: he would never fall in love with anyone in the future! "If Jiang Yinian hadn¡¯t committed crimes, he would have been a medical genius," Mu Mian said regretfully. Lin Qianyan countered, "Even as a criminal, he still was." "Lin Qianyan, can¡¯t you try to be a good person?" Lin Qianyan didn¡¯t answer. Only naive people divide others into good and bad. In the real world, the lines are much more complex. Criminals aren¡¯t necessarily bad people, and those praised and supported aren¡¯t necessarily good. His bodyguards helped him load the body into a car. Lin Qianyan looked at Jiang Yinian''s lifeless body and sneered, "Yinian, I told you she didn''t love you. You were such a fool. Now, you''re dead. She''ll forget you, she''ll be happy with someone else, and you¡¯ll get nothing!" "Qianyan, are we heading to the funeral home now?" the assistant asked cautiously. "No, I¡¯m taking Yinian home." "But what about Mr. Jiang¡¯s remains?" "I¡¯m going to have him frozen. Help me find someone to build a cryogenic chamber, like the ones in sci-fi movies." The assistant was too shocked to speak. After a moment, she managed to say, "Qianyan, you should let Mr. Jiang rest in peace." Lin Qianyan murmured softly, "I never liked cold corpses before, but now I¡¯ll have to learn to." "You can¡¯t like a corpse!" "But I want to see him! I can¡¯t bring Yinian back to life now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I never will." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Qianyan, the dead can¡¯t come back to life!" "Medicine and technology are always advancing. What¡¯s impossible now might not be impossible in the future." Chapter 219 The sky was a clear, unblemished blue, the sun was radiant, and a gentle breeze caressed the earth. Mu Mian and Fang Rui went to the airport to see Shen Xiyin off. When Mu Mian found out that Shen Xiyin was leaving, she was deeply saddened. But then she remembered the words of her sister¡¯s friend: her sister deserved to live her own life. In the past, Mu Mian had stood in the way of her sister¡¯s dreams, but now she knew she had to respect her sister¡¯s choices. Mu Mian had considered going back with Shen Xiyin, but Shen Xiyin had refused. ¡°Mu Mian, even though we¡¯ll be apart, we¡¯ll always be family. Whenever you need me, I¡¯ll be there for you. You¡¯ll always be the person I love and care about the most.¡± ¡°What about Lin Sen?¡± ¡°He¡¯s third.¡± ¡°What¡¯s second?¡± Shen Xiyin patted Mu Mian¡¯s head and changed the subject. ¡°When you and Fang Rui get married, I¡¯ll come back for your wedding.¡± Mu Mian whispered, ¡°But he hasn¡¯t proposed to me yet.¡± ¡°You could propose to him.¡± ¡°He already said no.¡± Shen Xiyin smiled. ¡°That was before, wasn¡¯t it?¡± As the boarding time approached, Shen Xiyin said to Mu Mian, ¡°Goodbye, Mu Mian!¡± ¡°Goodbye, sister!¡± Shen Xiyin glanced around the crowd. Lin Sen hadn¡¯t come to see her off. But she had already prepared herself for this. She had hurt Lin Sen again, and it was her own fault. Once on the plane, Shen Xiyin turned off her phone. She took out a book, flipping through it restlessly, but couldn¡¯t focus on a single word. Just then, she noticed someone standing by her seat. ¡°Shen Xiyin.¡± She looked up and saw Lin Sen. Lin Sen sat down beside her and handed her a folder. Shen Xiyin flipped through the documents, her expression changing as she read. The files contained information about her pharmaceutical company abroad, detailing their recent research projects. Lin Sen knew everything now, including her true nature. Shen Xiyin looked at Lin Sen and said, ¡°Lin Sen, these things aren¡¯t illegal abroad. My lawyer can get me out of this.¡± Lin Sen remained silent, simply sitting beside her. ¡°Lin Sen, the plane is about to take off. If you want to leave, there¡¯s still time.¡± Lin Sen didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he reached out and tightly grasped Shen Xiyin¡¯s hand. ¡°Lin Sen, are you taking me back?¡± In the vast blue sky, a plane soared past, leaving a long trail behind it. Chen Xue¡¯s mother held a funeral for her. The funeral was lively, with most of her colleagues from the bureau attending. However, they had kept it a secret from Zhang Qiang. After learning that Zhang Qiang had lost his memory, his parents had hidden everything related to Chen Xue, locking it away in a cabinet. Photos and videos had also been deleted. Midway through the funeral, Zhang Qiang suddenly appeared, holding a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums. Wang, visibly nervous, asked, ¡°Zhang Qiang, why are you here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re all so unfair. Chen Xue was my colleague. How could you not invite me to her funeral?¡± Zhang Qiang¡¯s parents didn¡¯t want him to miss Chen Xue¡¯s funeral, so they had told him about it. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li turned to Wang and said, ¡°Wang, how could you forget to inform Zhang Qiang?¡± ¡°Ah, I just forgot!¡± Zhang Qiang placed the bouquet of chrysanthemums in front of Chen Xue¡¯s grave. ¡°Chen Xue, rest in peace.¡± Chen Xue¡¯s mother and relatives wept bitterly, while the other colleagues were also deeply saddened. Zhang Qiang looked at Chen Xue¡¯s portrait, seemingly emotionless. After the funeral, Zhang Qiang returned home as if nothing had happened. Once he locked the door, he covered his mouth and burst into tears. He turned on his computer and found a story on a website. He had lost his memory, but he had written a novel about his and Chen Xue¡¯s story. They were the main characters, so the plot was simple, and it had almost no readers. But the emotions in the story were genuine. As he read the words, memories seemed to flood back into his mind. Using his novel as a guide, he found a social media account called ¡°The Happy Life of the Little Forensic Scientist and the Little Police Officer.¡± There were only a few videos, but in them, Chen Xue and he were deeply in love. Back then, they had pretended to be a couple to catch a serial killer targeting couples, and through that, they had truly fallen in love. But he didn¡¯t want anyone to know that he still loved Chen Xue. He didn¡¯t want them to feel sorry for him. The fact that he loved Chen Xue was something only he needed to know. He would strive to live happily, because that¡¯s what Chen Xue would have wanted. After the case was closed, the bureau chief gave Fang Rui and Mu Mian a long vacation. Mu Mian and Fang Rui went on a trip. ¡°Fang Rui, there¡¯s a museum with a very beautiful mummy called the Loulan Beauty. Let¡¯s go there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They flew to a northern city and found the museum. Since it was a weekday, there weren¡¯t many people inside. Mu Mian wasn¡¯t interested in the other artifacts and went straight to the Loulan Beauty exhibit. The Loulan Beauty lay in a glass display, her skin wrinkled and dried. To most people, she held no beauty, but Mu Mian could see from her bones that she had once been a beautiful woman. After a while, Mu Mian bent down and rummaged through her bag. ¡°Mu Mian, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°Found it.¡± Mu Mian pulled out a photo of Chen Xue from her bag. She held the photo up to the mummy and whispered, ¡°Chen Xue, you said you¡¯d take me to see the Loulan Beauty. Now, we¡¯ve seen her together. She¡¯s truly beautiful. It¡¯s just a shame that only your photo is here with me. Chen Xue, I¡¯ll never forget you.¡± Mu Mian¡¯s voice choked with emotion. Fang Rui hugged her, offering silent comfort. As their vacation neared its end, Fang Rui took Mu Mian to the largest aquarium in Jiangzhou City. They watched the penguins, the dolphin show, and the colorful tropical fish. Finally, Fang Rui led Mu Mian to the whale exhibit. There was a beautiful beluga whale, happily playing with other fish. It opened its mouth, swallowing the smaller fish, only to spit them out moments later. Mu Mian loved the whale and enthusiastically greeted it. Fang Rui said, ¡°Mu Mian, do you remember the story of the 52Hz whale you told me?¡± ¡°Yes, but this isn¡¯t the 52Hz whale. It has many friends. That lonely whale has already disappeared into the deep sea.¡± ¡°Mu Mian, you once said that people with autism are like the 52Hz whale. Your frequency is different from others, so it¡¯s hard to connect with them. I can¡¯t become another 52Hz whale, but I¡¯ll try my best to be the island you can rely on.¡± Mu Mian stared at Fang Rui in surprise. Fang Rui pulled a ring from his pocket. ¡°Mu Mian, will you marry me and let me be your island?¡± His voice trembled slightly. Zhang, Wang, and Li suddenly appeared out of nowhere, cheering, ¡°Mu Mian, say yes! Say yes!¡± Mu Mian extended her finger and softly said, ¡°I will.¡± Fang Rui slipped the ring onto her finger and then held her tightly. ¡°Fang Rui, can I ask you something now?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°After you die, will I legally own your body?¡± ¡°?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­Yes.¡± ¡°What if your parents don¡¯t give it to me?¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Then I¡¯ll sign a body donation form for you.¡± ¡°Can you sign it now?¡± Mu Mian pulled a body donation form from the corner of her backpack and handed it to Fang Rui. The group of friends who had been cheering them on was stunned. They couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Mu Mian really never gives up, does she?¡± Fang Rui sighed and signed the form. ¡°Fang Rui, I love you so much, so very much. It¡¯s not because I want your body. I love you, and wanting your body is just an added bonus.¡± ¡°I know. Mu Mian, I love you too.¡± ¡°You only said ¡®love¡¯ once.¡± ¡°Mu Mian, I love you, love you, love you.¡± Behind them, the beluga whale swam back and forth, scattering the colorful fish like bursts of fireworks in the water. Mu Mian, the 52Hz whale who had once lost connection with the world, might never find another whale with the same frequency. But it didn¡¯t matter anymore¡ªshe had found her island. The End. Congratulations on finishing the story! Chapter 220 Upon entering high school, Shen Xiyin was plagued by a dilemma: What is the meaning of life? At that time, she voraciously read a lot of philosophical books and suddenly realized that life was dull, drab, and meaningless¡ªdull, drab, meaningless. Human beings will eventually die, and at the moment of death, everything they possessed becomes meaningless to the deceased. Her friends did not understand her confusion. They found life to be very meaningful, pursuing their passions vigorously¡ªromantic relationships full of fervor, participating in various activities, or preparing for university applications... But ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Shen Xiyin didn''t have such strong desires. She could effortlessly attain whatever she wanted, had no dreams, and could not comprehend the meaning of life. It was around this time that Mu Mian came to her home. Shen''s Father told her, "Xiyin, little Mian is going to live with us from now on. Do you mind?" "Not at all." This was her second encounter with Mu Mian. The first time she met Mu Mian, she was still a chubby baby. Now, though older, Mu Mian appeared like a soul-less doll, indifferent and unresponsive to the outside world. Shen Xiyin approached Mu Mian, offering her a piece of chocolate, "Little Mian, hello. Welcome to my home." Mu Mian lowered her head, staring at the patterns on the floor, offering no response. In that moment, Shen Xiyin realized that Mu Mian might not be a normal child. Shen''s Father told Shen Xiyin, "Xiyin, little Mu Mian might have to live with us permanently from now on. You two should get along well." "Dad, will Uncle Mu also be living with us?" The expression on Shen''s Father''s face became slightly unnatural, "He has something important to attend to." "Alright." Soon, Shen Xiyin learned that Mu Mian was a child with autism. Mu Mian didn''t speak, never made eye contact, disliked physical contact, but she was also very obedient. Her way of resisting others was to sneakily hide in the closet. Upon arriving at the Shen family''s home, Mu Mian wouldn''t eat, drink, or sleep. Whenever no one was watching, she would crawl into the wardrobe. The Shen family were at their wits'' end with Mu Mian''s behavior, and even the nanny was on the verge of resigning from the constant hassle. Everyone was on the brink of losing patience. When Shen Xiyin returned home from school, she found that Mu Mian was missing. She searched the room for a while before finally pulling open the wardrobe door, only to meet the gaze of darkened eyes and a slight upturned mouth. Mu Mian was smiling at her. Her smile was stiff, but her eyes sparkled. Mu Mian glanced at Shen Xiyin, quickly averted her eyes, and her smile faded from her small face¡ªher expectations were unfulfilled, as this was not the person she had hoped for. Shen Xiyin suddenly understood something and inquired, "Little Mian, are you waiting for your dad?" Previously, Shen Xiyin had always assumed that Mu Mian lived in her own world, much like being enclosed within a glass dome, isolated from the outside world. But in that instant, Shen Xiyin realized that perhaps Mu Mian could perceive the outside world, just not in the way a normal person would. Mu Mian didn''t answer. She shrank back into the closet, hiding herself in the darkness, finding comfort there. Shen Xiyin felt that the closet was like another world, with only Mu Mian, alone in the darkness. "Little Mian, you must be hungry. Wait a moment, I''ll get you something to eat." Shen Xiyin wasn''t sure what Mu Mian liked to eat, so she grabbed a bit of everything they had at home¡ªsnacks, fruits¡ªplacing them on the floor in front of the closet. "Little Mian, come out and have a bite, okay?" Mu Mian still showed no response. Shen Xiyin waited for a long time, but Mu Mian didn''t come out. She had no choice but to run and find her father. "Dad, has Uncle Mu abandoned Little Mian? She''s very sad, continuously waiting for her father to come and pick her up." Shen''s father''s expression was complicated: "Your Uncle Mu has gone to a faraway place. He is unable to care for Little Mian." "Is he... deceased?" "Yes." Shen Xiyin found Mu Mian utterly pitiful. She had no father; the only person who could understand and take care of her was gone. "Dad, what will become of Little Mian?" Without the mediator through which she communicated with the world, she could only live alone, trapped in her own world. Mu Mian was pitiful! "I promised your Uncle Mu that I would find the best therapists and provide her with intervention treatments. Xiyin, she will be your sister from now on. We have to take good care of her together." "Dad, I will!" The next day, Shen Xiyin discovered that one of the souffl¨¦ cakes she had placed on the floor was missing, as were a few strawberries. A sudden happiness swelled within her¡ªLittle Mian had accepted her food. "Little Mian, do you like this kind of cake and strawberries?" Mu Mian didn''t respond to her. Shen Xiyin helped Mu Mian unpack her luggage, where she found a notebook inside, recording some of Mu Mian''s habits: For example, upon arriving in a new environment, she had to be guided to inspect the environment repeatedly, over and over, until she was confident that the place was safe and no longer showed signs of stress. Mu Mian cared little about the taste of food but had high standards for its appearance; she wouldn''t eat sliced cucumbers but adored diced ones. Bringing Mu Mian to the bathroom, she would wash herself, but the water temperature had to be strictly between 35 and 37¡æ. Mu Mian enjoyed playing hide-and-seek and liked hiding in the closet. However, just knocking on the cabinet door three times would coax her out. This was her secret signal with her father. Mu Mian disliked any physical contact. If one wanted to hold her hand, she must be given gloves to wear... Shen Xiyin realized that this notebook was like a codebook, decoding Mu Mian''s thoughts. She wondered about the tremendous effort Uncle Mu must have gone through to compile this information. Mu Mian had a father who deeply loved her. Shen Xiyin recalled the last time she had seen Uncle Mu; he had recently gotten a divorce, looking gaunt and desperate, reluctantly approaching her father to borrow money. At that time, Shen Xiyin hadn''t known that Mu Mian had autism, entrusting Uncle Mu to give Mu Mian a doll. "Xiyin, Mu Mian doesn''t like dolls. But thank you anyway," Uncle Mu had said with a bitter smile. "What kind of toy does she like?" "Right now, I don''t know. Mu Mian has no favorite toys." "I will ask her the next time I see her." Shen Xiyin felt sad, for she would never see Uncle Mu again. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Xiyin went to the cabinet, following the instructions in the notebook by knocking on the closet door three times: Knock, knock, knock. When the third sound echoed, Mu Mian crawled out of the cabinet. Seeing Shen Xiyin, the light in Mu Mian''s eyes dimmed, and she tried to retreat back into the closet. But Shen Xiyin said, "Little Mian, your father entrusted me with taking care of you. From now on, I am your big sister." Mu Mian didn''t reply, but she didn''t return to the cupboard. "Don''t you believe me?" Shen Xiyin knocked three times on the cabinet door again, "Look, I know your secret signal with your father. Do you believe me now?" Mu Mian still didn''t answer, but after a few seconds, she nodded her head. Shen Xiyin was delighted¡ªMu Mian could understand her speech. This meant that Mu Mian''s world was not entirely closed after all. "Little Mian, sister will accompany you to explore this house, alright?" Mu Mian remained silent. Shen Xiyin slipped gloves onto Mu Mian''s hands and then led Mu Mian to inspect the room, prying the girl away from her closet. "This will be your room from now on, little Mian. Do you like it?" The room''s decor was an exact replica of Mu Mian''s former home, causing no disruption for the girl who inspected every corner meticulously. "Now let''s go outside and take a look. Don''t be afraid¡ªbig sister is here to protect you." Shen Xiyin led Mu Mian to inspect the exterior corridor. Mu Mian moved slowly, taking great care to examine each tile, each piece of furniture, retracing her steps and revisiting things over and over. Shen Xiyin patiently accompanied Mu Mian in her inspection, documenting areas that seemed uncomfortable for her. They had spent four hours studying every nook and cranny of the Shen family''s home. "Little Mu Mian, this house will be your new home from now on, a home where you will abide forever," Shen Xiyin assured. Mu Mian turned her head toward Shen Xiyin, apparently inquiring, what about my father? "Mu Mian, when you are grown, your father will return," Shen Xiyin lied with a kind heart. Methodically, the girl with gloves reached out, slowly grasping Shen Xiyin¡¯s hand in her gloved one. Shen Xiyin smiled and said, ¡°Mian, you¡¯ve accepted this place, haven¡¯t you?¡± Mu Mian patted her stomach. ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Mu Mian gradually adapted to her life in the Shen family, but she seemed to only understand what Shen Xiyin said. She rarely responded to anyone else. Shen''s father had hired many therapists for Mu Mian. When they evaluated her, she would sit there like a lifeless puppet, not giving any responses, leading to extremely poor test results. ¡°She is the most severe case of autism I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°Her condition is very bad. Her intellectual level is low, her sensory integration is severely disordered, and she¡¯s already six years old, yet she still hasn¡¯t spoken a single word. She has missed the optimal period for language development¡­ You need to prepare yourselves. Intervention therapy at this point won¡¯t bring much improvement.¡± Shen''s father showed little reaction to this news, as he had expected such a result. However, since he had promised Mu Wenzhou that he would take good care of Mu Mian, he would continue to provide her with the best intervention therapy, even if there was no hope of improvement. Upon hearing the therapist¡¯s words, Shen Xiyin quietly but firmly expressed her dissatisfaction: ¡°You don¡¯t know enough about Mian. How can you say her condition is so bad without truly understanding her?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve dealt with many autistic patients. I know their condition well.¡± ¡°Everyone is unique, and every autistic person is unique. You can¡¯t just base your diagnosis on your experience.¡± The therapist looked at Shen''s father: ¡°If you doubt my professional capabilities, why did you hire me in the first place? I¡¯m sure other therapists have said the same thing.¡± Shen Xiyin stared at him and said, each word clear: ¡°So, you¡¯re fired!¡± Shen Xiyin suddenly found something she desperately wanted to achieve: she wanted to become a therapist herself. She wanted to make Mu Mian normal. ¡°Xiyin, you can¡¯t be so disrespectful!¡± The therapist was actually a friend of Shen Xiyin¡¯s father. Shen''s Father quickly apologized and escorted him out. Shen Xiyin decided to go home and look up information about autism but saw Mu Mian standing motionless at the corner of the corridor. Shen Xiyin walked over to Mu Mian and crouched down to look at her. ¡°Did you hear what we just said, Mian?¡± Mu Mian didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you?¡± Mu Mian still didn¡¯t respond. ¡°He¡¯s wrong! There¡¯s nothing wrong with not speaking. People don¡¯t always need to communicate through words. You don¡¯t speak, and yet I know what you¡¯re thinking. You want to eat strawberries, don¡¯t you?¡± Mu Mian glanced at Shen Xiyin and shook her head. ¡°You want to build with blocks?¡± Mu Mian continued to shake her head. ¡°Do you want to play hide and seek?¡± Mu Mian paused for a moment and then shook her head. ¡°Mian, are you missing your dad?¡± Mu Mian didn¡¯t nod, nor did she shake her head. She had no idea what ¡°missing¡± was. All she knew was that someone very important to her was gone. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Mian. I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± Shen Xiyin promised. Later, Mu Mian gradually forgot about her father. One day, Mu Mian spoke her first words: ¡°Sister, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Mu Mian started going to school. Mu Mian made her first friend, though the friend had been bribed by Shen Xiyin. Eventually, Mu Mian found something she liked. One day, the nanny said to Shen Xiyin: ¡°Xiyin, Mian was playing with the corpse of a small animal. Could there be something wrong with her psychology?¡± ¡°Mian likes corpses? That¡¯s great, she¡¯s finally found something she likes.¡± Shen Xiyin¡¯s expression was calm. Aunt Zhang grabbed Shen Xiyin, her face filled with fear: ¡°Xiyin, but Mian likes corpses!¡± ¡°Aunt Zhang, there¡¯s nothing wrong with liking corpses. Mian likes corpses, so she can pursue a career that legally allows her to interact with them. She can become a forensic scientist, a specimen maker, a butcher, an undertaker, or even work at a mortuary¡­¡± The nanny left in resignation. Just then, Mu Mian walked over and handed Shen Xiyin a box: ¡°Sister, gift, for you.¡± Shen Xiyin opened the box and inside was a specimen of a small hamster. ¡°It¡¯s cute, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mu Mian looked up, proudly. ¡°Yes. But you can only turn corpses into specimens. You can¡¯t harm living things.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember. Sister, when you die, I¡¯ll turn you into a specimen too. That way, you¡¯ll exist forever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me!¡± Shen Xiyin felt she had found the meaning of her life. But only much later did Shen Xiyin realize that this had all been a trap. Mu Mian was the bait, and her father had used this trap to ensnare her entire life. Chapter 221 Lin Qianyan learned to speak at the age of six, but long before that, he had learned to think and had already realized that his parents did not love him. Because of his delayed language development and introverted personality, therapists had early on labeled him as autistic. After learning to speak, Lin Qianyan still rarely spoke, because he disliked language and despised talking to the foolish people around him. They always spoke to him in cutesy, childish ways, using baby words and silly tones. Lin Qianyan had no interest in responding to them. He continued to pretend to be autistic, so he could avoid going to school and dealing with these stupid people. His annoying father had passed away when he was very young, and his mother, Jiang Yun, occasionally visited him, but she was often impatient and showed visible disgust on her face. Jiang Yun believed he was autistic and couldn¡¯t interpret her expressions. But autistic people aren¡¯t idiots, and besides, he wasn¡¯t autistic¡ªhe was a genius. It was his cousin, Jiang Yinian, who told him he was a genius. When Lin Qianyan was ten, Jiang Yinian¡¯s company ran into trouble and he needed a lot of money. At first, Jiang Yun refused to invest, but Jiang Yinian convinced her by proposing a project for autistic treatment. After that, Jiang Yun would bring Jiang Yinian with her whenever she visited Lin Qianyan. Jiang Yun admired him, and they often discussed various matters, with Jiang Yun occasionally showing approval. Lin Qianyan grew furious. This sudden cousin had stolen the little attention Jiang Yun had previously given him. Lin Qianyan decided to get revenge. He slipped a blade into Jiang Yinian¡¯s shoe when no one was looking, planning for Jiang Yinian to get cut and bleed all over his feet when he changed back into his own shoes. Lin Qianyan enjoyed gore and violence, the sight of broken, dismembered bodies. These motifs frequently appeared in his drawings. ¡°Lin Qianyan, what are you doing?¡± Just as Lin Qianyan placed the blade, he saw Jiang Yinian standing behind him. Jiang Yinian glanced at the shoe in his hand. ¡°Lin Qianyan, one can do bad things, but they must not get caught. Otherwise, it¡¯s a foolish crime.¡± Lin Qianyan glared at him. ¡°So what if I get caught? My mother can smooth things over for me. Even if I killed you, I wouldn¡¯t be punished. I¡¯m a kid, autistic. The law can¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°I could also kill you. As long as no one knows it was me, I won¡¯t be punished either.¡± Lin Qianyan backed away in fear. Jiang Yinian seemed to understand what was causing his anger. ¡°Lin Qianyan, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take your mother¡¯s love away from you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the kind of son she wanted. But it doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t need her love. I just don¡¯t like you coming here. I hate you.¡± ¡°She treats me well because I have value. This world works that way. There¡¯s no such thing as unconditional love. If you want her to love you, you need to show her your value.¡± ¡°I have no value.¡± ¡°No, Lin Qianyan, you¡¯re a genius. Your life will be very valuable.¡± This was the first time Lin Qianyan had ever been affirmed. The person his mother called a genius told him he was one too. Lin Qianyan was puzzled. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Jiang Yinian didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Because I¡¯m valuable to you, right?¡± Lin Qianyan always felt that Jiang Yinian was looking at someone else through him. Jiang Yinian was kind to him because he was using Lin Qianyan as a substitute. Lin Qianyan soon found out who that person might be: Mu Mian. During the New Year, Lin Qianyan was taken back to the family home. It was crowded with relatives who had all come together. They all looked at him with disdain, as if he were an idiot. Lin Qianyan ignored them, because in his eyes, they were the fools. They were slaves to money. Cousin Jiang Yinian told him that once he inherited the Lin Family fortune, these people would become his slaves too. Lin Qianyan felt sleepy and wanted to go to bed. But there was no room or bed for him in this house. He climbed into Jiang Yun¡¯s wardrobe and decided to sleep there. Inside the wardrobe, he discovered a hidden drawer. He pulled it open and felt a hard box inside, an old biscuit tin. When he opened it, he found a stack of photos. One of the photos showed Jiang Yun holding a baby, smiling happily. The back of the photo had a date and address¡ªthis baby wasn¡¯t him. His mother had another child. His mother had loved another child. What value could a baby have? But his mother had smiled at her and lovingly touched her. So unconditional love did exist, just not for him. Lin Qianyan¡¯s world shattered. All the excuses he had made for Jiang Yun became a joke. Jiang Yun wasn¡¯t incapable of love¡ªshe just didn¡¯t love Lin Qianyan. He was a substitute for Mu Mian, an imperfect tool for inheriting the Lin Family estate. Lin ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Qianyan found Jiang Yinian and furiously demanded, ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°Mu Mian. She¡¯s your mother¡¯s child from her previous marriage.¡± ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°Why do you want to find her?¡± ¡°To kill her!¡± Jiang Yinian warned, ¡°Lin Qianyan, you must not hurt her.¡± ¡°Do you love her too? Why does everyone love her? I¡¯ll kill her, chop her up, and throw her into the sea so you¡¯ll never find her!¡± At this moment, Lin Qianyan was consumed by anger. It turned out that in Jiang Yinian¡¯s heart, he was just an imperfect substitute too. ¡°I don¡¯t love Mu Mian, but I love Shen Xiyin. Mu Mian is important to Shen Xiyin, so I won¡¯t allow you to hurt her.¡± Lin Qianyan was surprised. He had thought Jiang Yinian was cold and indifferent to everyone. Why would someone like him love someone? ¡°Lin Qianyan, I was once like you, with no friends. Shen Xiyin was willing to be my friend. She taught me how to get along with the world and showed me what love is. Sadly, her love wasn¡¯t meant for me.¡± Lin Qianyan said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you imprison her? Then you¡¯d have her, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But she wouldn¡¯t be happy. I want her to be happy, even if that means losing her.¡± Jiang Yinian spoke softly. Lin Qianyan found Jiang Yinian¡¯s reasoning illogical and foolish. But Jiang Yinian seemed a bit sad at the moment, so he relented, ¡°Fine, I promise you, I won¡¯t kill Mu Mian.¡± ¡°Lin Qianyan, do you want to have friends? I can help you.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be friends with stupid people. They¡¯re not worthy.¡± At Jiang Yinian¡¯s suggestion, Jiang Yun often took him to meet other autistic children, hoping he could befriend them. Lin Qianyan hated them, as they were even more foolish than normal people. But Yuanyuan was an exception. Yuanyuan was also foolish, but he would give Lin Qianyan handmade gifts, ugly though they were, it was the first time someone had ever made him a present. Lin Qianyan had received many expensive toys before, things he could buy himself with his own money. They weren¡¯t special at all. He hated those gifts. He didn¡¯t need friends, so he decided Yuanyuan would be his toy, to keep him company in this house. But Yuanyuan refused, wanting to stay with his headmaster mother. As Lin Qianyan spent more time with Jiang Yinian, he grew even more resentful of his mother. He proposed to Jiang Yinian many times that they kill Jiang Yun. That way, he and Jiang Yinian could take over the entire Lin Family fortune. With that money, they could do anything they wanted. He could even abduct Yuanyuan to be his toy. ¡°Lin Qianyan, you must not kill your mother.¡± Jiang Yinian rejected his proposal. ¡°Why not? I don¡¯t need her. She has no value. Why can¡¯t I kill her?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll regret it.¡± That didn¡¯t matter! Later, Li Min persuaded him and Yuanyuan to kill someone. Lin Qianyan was thrilled, acting alongside Li Min while getting Yuanyuan to kill his headmaster mother. Yuanyuan fell apart, but Lin Qianyan felt even happier. The world didn¡¯t need mothers. Yuanyuan didn¡¯t need one, and neither did he. So he killed Jiang Yun himself. The knife stabbed into Jiang Yun¡¯s heart again and again, and blood splattered onto his face. But he didn¡¯t feel sad or afraid. It should have happened long ago. Without this woman, he could live with Jiang Yinian, and he¡¯d have a new family. Jiang Yinian was the only family member he could accept. However, when Jiang Yinian learned what he had done, he was extremely angry. "Lin Qianyan, she is also my relative." Lin Qianyan didn''t quite understand Jiang Yinian''s reaction. "Aren''t you supposed to be happy? All of the Lin Family''s wealth is yours, you''ve gained so much money. You already have me as a relative, what more do you need? Why not kidnap Mu Mian as well? She''s my mother''s daughter and also our relative." Lin Qianyan thought, Mu Mian could barely qualify as a decent relative. Jiang Yinian didn''t respond to him. To punish him, Jiang Yinian still had him stay in that mansion, where he remained alone and desolate. Was he wrong? No, Jiang Yinian was the one in the wrong. He shouldn''t let emotions sway his rationality, as that would make him foolish. His prediction turned out to be correct. Jiang Yinian, for the sake of his love, had done something even more foolish. "Jiang Yinian, she doesn''t love you. By doing this, you''ll die." Lin Qianyan tried to stop his plan. "People always die, it''s an unchangeable law of nature. But a person''s thoughts can continue forever, achieving immortality." Why must people die? Couldn''t they just live indefinitely? Those who have no value should die early. "Jiang Yinian, I understand now. I am a continuation of your life. I will help you accomplish everything you haven''t finished." Jiang Yinian gave him a smile. "But I don''t need you to inherit my legacy. Shen Xiyin said that everything I''ve done is wrong. So let it end here. Lin Qianyan, your life belongs to yourself." "But the reason you treat me well is because you thought I would be a qualified heir, isn''t it?" Lin Qianyan knew that Jiang Yinian didn''t see him as a relative; he merely needed an heir, and Lin Qianyan just happened to meet the criteria. Thinking of this, Lin Qianyan couldn''t help but envy Mu Mian. She had so much love, while he had none. This felt so unfair. But the world is unfair. If you want something, you have to fight for it and seize it, not just wait for fate''s gifts. If Jiang Yinian had imprisoned Shen Xiyin, he would have already possessed love. "Lin Qianyan, I treat you well because you remind me of my younger self. But back then, I wasn''t so fortunate. Before meeting Shen Xiyin, my world consisted only of myself." Lin Qianyan stared at him with wide eyes, tears slowly welling up in his eyes. So, he wasn''t a substitute for Mu Mian, nor was he just an heir. In Jiang Yinian''s heart, he was also a relative. "Lin Qianyan, when you fall in love with someone, you''ll understand the decision I''ve made today." "But I will never fall in love with anyone," Lin Qianyan retorted. "Then you''re both lucky and unlucky." "Jiang Yinian, will I ever see you again?" "Lin Qianyan, goodbye!" Later, Jiang Yinian passed away. Lin Qianyan looked at the body inside the cryogenic chamber and spoke firmly: "Jiang Yinian, we will meet again!" Chapter 222 (1) Desensitization to Hugs After three months of effort, Fang Rui and Mu Mian finally managed to hug each other for a staggering three minutes. But only once. That one time was because Fang Rui was sick with a cold, lying in bed like a corpse. However, ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Fang Rui quickly discovered a bug in Mu Mian''s tactile sensitivity¡ªif he pretended to be a corpse, Mu Mian would hug him for a longer time. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But one can''t stay still pretending to be a corpse forever. After a while, Mu Mian noticed Fang Rui''s body temperature rising and his heart rate speeding up. "Fang Rui, corpses should be cold, but you''re too hot!" Mu Mian complained. "......" "Your heart is beating way too fast!" "......" "Fang Rui, why don''t you explain yourself?" "Corpses don''t talk!" Fang Rui replied in a hoarse voice. Later, Mu Mian gradually accepted the "corpse version" of Fang Rui¡ªwarm and with a heartbeat. Eventually, she accepted the "living version" of Fang Rui. In time, she fell in love with the feeling of hugging. "Fang Rui, I''m in a bad mood, I need to hug you." "Fang Rui, Li the Coroner took my corpse, I need to hug you." "Fang Rui, seeing Officer Zhang made me think of Chen Xue, I need to hug you." Wang and Officer Zhang were speechless, "Mu Mian, is Fang Rui a human battery? Why do you hug him and instantly feel recharged?" Mu Mian''s catchphrase became, "Fang Rui, I''m out of power, I need a recharge." (2) The Birthday Gift One day, finally, it was Fang Rui''s birthday, and Mu Mian presented the long-planned birthday gift. She wrapped the gift exquisitely, creating a sense of anticipation, but completely impossible to guess what was inside. Full of anticipation, Fang Rui opened the large box on the table, only to find another beautifully wrapped box inside. He opened that one, only to find another box... After opening five boxes, he finally saw the gift''s true face¡ªa plain, unremarkable hourglass. The design was simple, transparent glass filled with fine, white sand. "It''s beautiful, the sand inside is especially pure and white," Fang Rui complimented it wholeheartedly, then asked, "What does it symbolize?" "Fang Rui, do you know what an hourglass represents?" "Could the sand inside be diamond dust? Does it symbolize eternal love?" Fang Rui suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. Mu Mian corrected him gravely, "It represents time." "But it''s a countdown." Giving a countdown as a birthday present¡ªwasn''t that like a death countdown? Too inauspicious! Mu Mian froze for a few seconds, then snatched the hourglass, "I got it wrong, this isn''t the gift, I have to give you a new one!" Mu Mian was flustered¡ªit was already so late, all the stores were closed, and she couldn''t buy a new gift. What could she give Fang Rui? She couldn''t give him a specimen¡ªit would be too distressing. "No need for a gift, just give me a kiss." "But after the kiss, it''s over, and there''s no evidence that I gave you a gift." "Then you can kiss me every day." "Can I kiss you three times? I like the number three more." (3) The Missing Five Corpses on the Resume One day, Fang Rui suddenly thought of Mu Mian''s resume. He asked curiously, "Did you write that resume yourself?" "Yes, I spent a long, long time writing it. I even left a huge puzzle on it to ensure the chief would definitely hire me." "What are those five human corpses you didn''t list?" "Are you curious?" Mu Mian asked Fang Rui, "Come closer, I''ll tell you secretly." Fang Rui leaned in to hear her say, "You''re so silly. The other five corpses were mixed-race, so we couldn''t tell their ethnicity." "......" (Four) The Pre-Set Baby A long time later, long after Wang found a new partner and got married, even having a pair of adorable twin babies. Watching the soft, squishy babies, Mu Mian really wanted to beg Wang to give her a baby. If it weren''t illegal, she might have even considered stealing one. "Mu Mian, if you like babies so much, you can have one with Fang Rui," Wang suggested. Mu Mian shook her head, "No way! What if the baby I have isn''t cute?" "No, you two are so good-looking, your baby will definitely be cute." Mu Mian sighed, "If only we could set the baby''s parameters¡ªappearance, personality, gender... all chosen in advance. Wouldn''t that be perfect?" Fang Rui gently patted her head, interrupting her fantasy, "That idea is dangerous! What''s the difference between that and genetic editing? Besides, if we decide everything about the child, what fun would raising a child be?" On their way home, Mu Mian saw an ad: The latest 2029 robot baby is now available... Families, do you want a perfect baby? Hurry and buy one now! "Fang Rui." "Mu Mian, that ad is a scam!" "Buy one." "Alright." The cost of a robot baby was surprisingly low. Even with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, commercial robots weren''t common. The price was so cheap that it made one suspicious of its authenticity. Mu Mian placed the order, carefully filling out the robot baby''s parameter form, then excitedly awaited its arrival. Three days later, Mu Mian received a large package, with a beautiful card attached: ¡¾Dear Sister, this is a gift for you, I hope you like it.¡¿ Mu Mian tossed the card aside, then excitedly opened the package, revealing a very cute life-like doll, about a meter tall, dressed in a pretty dress. It was practically a mini version of Mu Mian. Mu Mian was very satisfied with its appearance. She charged the robot baby. After booting up, the robot baby opened its beautiful big eyes and gave a stiff smile, "Mom, hello, my name is... I don''t have a name yet, what should I be called?" One day, Mu Mian was watching TV when the robot baby suddenly started dancing around, "Big news, Author Bug Baby has a new story! Click the homepage to read for free. Everyone, come and check it out..." Mu Mian patted the robot baby''s head, puzzled, "Why is it saying such weird things? Has it contracted a virus?" Fang Rui said, "Robot babies aren''t reliable, let''s have a real baby instead!" Suddenly, the sky grew dark, and the lights went out.