Chapter 25: Another Murder Case Emerges

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

The "Samurai" hairstyle guy had only committed petty theft in the past, serving a year for a relatively large amount. Seeing blood flowing from the rusted iron door of the rented room, he let out a piercing scream like a squeaky toy before fainting cleanly onto the ground.

His fragile inner self stood in stark contrast to his wild, rebellious appearance. Ye Sangsang looked down at the person on the floor: ...

[Ahhhhh, I want to scream too!]
[This is a suspense crime game, right? Right! It’s not a horror game, is it!]
[People are dying again and again!]

The audience felt just as much like screaming as the guy on the floor. People were dying too frequently; it felt like *Final Destination*, where death followed wherever they went. It was hard to imagine if they, as players, would behave any differently than this "Samurai" guy.

Ye Sangsang continued to watch him. After a dozen seconds, noting his thick blue hair and thin frame, she decided to pinch his philtrum to see if he was alright. If he woke up, he was fine. If not, she would call an ambulance.

Fortunately, he hadn't fainted completely. As soon as she pinched his philtrum, he slowly came to. However, his nerves were truly weak; he curled up against the wall, legs trembling, shivering uncontrollably.

Zheng He had already taken out his carry-on gloves and was trying to see if he could push the door open. Ye Sangsang, having dealt with the "Samurai," began calling for backup. Looking at the scene inside the room, she couldn't help but sigh; criminal investigators in this era were like spinning tops, constantly rotating without rest.

The victim had been killed with a single strike. It was clear the person had tried to open the door to escape before dying. But the carotid artery had been severed, and blood loss was too rapid; dizziness had set in so quickly that they had died before even touching the doorknob. The body was wedged against the door, allowing Zheng He to push it open only by a gap the width of a palm.

The two did not crowd in; they even pulled the "Samurai" further away to avoid compromising the scene.

"Based on my assessment, the time of death is only about four hours ago," Zheng He said, crouching down to lift the victim’s wrist. The joint moved with his action, showing only a slight stiffness. He was confident in his assessment of the *rigor mortis*.

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyelids, observing the movement of the arm, and nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Which means the time of the victim's death coincides with when we saw Team Leader Qin?"

She didn't have much of a personal connection with Qin Jiang; for Ye Sangsang, the truth was more important. Thus, she calmly analyzed the timeline, hoping to find the truth within it.

At this, the "Samurai" turned red in the face. "What are you talking about! You want to frame Brother Qin! Don't think that just because you're a woman and a police officer, I won't hit you!"

"You're too noisy," Ye Sangsang remarked flatly.

The "Samurai" opened his mouth but shut it dejectedly. He really didn't dare.

Zheng He ignored him entirely and continued, "Did this person know their killer, or did they think the person knocking was someone they knew?"

The two possibilities seemed similar, but the actual difference was vast. The first meant it was an acquaintance, someone with an appointment like Qin Jiang, so they opened the door to greet them. The second meant they mistook the killer for an acquaintance, resulting in an "open-door-to-death" scenario.

It was a "simple" murder case, but it was exactly such simple, clean cases that were the hardest to investigate.

Soon, the forensic examiner arrived in a hurry, exhaustion visible on their face. After setting up the cordon and opening the door, Ye Sangsang and Zheng He put on shoe covers and entered. The room was a single unit; on a small table sat an ashtray and two cups of finished tea. Clearly, the victim hadn't had time to clear these away before the killer arrived.

Ye Sangsang took out an evidence bag and used tweezers to place the cigarette butts inside. Next were the tea cups and the fingerprints in the room.

They needed to handle everything with extreme precision, leaving no clue behind. Then, they sprayed reagents to detect if there were any wiped-away bloodstains in the room.

Zheng He wasn't idle either; he found the victim's phone, lifted the fingerprints, and opened it to check the victim's recent contacts.

The "Samurai" had finally pulled himself together, but before he could fully stand, he saw the victim's pale, livid face through a gap in the white sheet. Unable to handle such a stimulating sight, he fainted again. This time, Ye Sangsang ignored him. He’d wake up when he woke up.

[Hahaha, Mr. Tough Talk.]
[Sister Sang: Sometimes I want to call the police too.]
[I think Sister Sang was just afraid he’d die from shock.]
[To the one above, I think you hit the nail on the head, hahahaha.]

Ye Sangsang scanned the scene diligently, while the live stream engaged in earnest banter.

After finishing, they began interviewing the surrounding neighbors and searching nearby sewers and trash cans. Some killers liked to dispose of their weapons after the deed. Finding the murder weapon reduced the difficulty of solving the case by one.

This was what being a criminal investigator was like—climbing mountains, wading through water, or even digging through trash heaps and septic tanks. It was nothing like the dramatic, high-stakes police chases people imagined. Those did happen, but the former was far more frequent.

Perhaps the god of luck had descended; in a drain two hundred meters from the scene, the two found a knife. Zheng He fetched a steel bar to pry open the drain, and Ye Sangsang, wearing gloves, knelt down and endured the stench to fish out the dagger, carefully placing it into an evidence bag.

It still had a trace of blood on it. If it held the killer's fingerprints, that would be perfect.

However, Ye Sangsang was puzzled. If Zhao Tianman was the killer in the dismemberment case, why kill Lin Xue? And with such a clean, efficient method, it felt like silencing a witness.

Unable to fathom it, Ye Sangsang chose to think it over slowly. Do not be too hasty; impatience could lead one into a vicious cycle.

Handing over the dagger, Zheng He and Ye Sangsang returned to the hospital to see if Qin Jiang had woken up. If he had, the answer to Zhao Tianman’s death might be found.

Entering the ward, Team Leader Chen and the others were there, but Qin Jiang showed no signs of waking.

"Stop investigating Qin Jiang's case. This matter has its own conclusion. You are only to investigate the killer of the dismemberment case; leave the rest alone," Team Leader Chen said, looking at the three of them.

Zheng He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but ultimately stayed silent.

Gu Ling looked at Team Leader Chen. "You don't believe Qin Jiang."

"This is already the best possible outcome," Team Leader Chen looked at her with a stern expression.

Gu Ling had a stubborn streak; hearing this, she turned her head away, unwilling to continue.

Team Leader Chen fixed his gaze on Ye Sangsang. "I know you have drive, but it's hard for people to balance so much. Just focus on Zhao Tianman, find his tools and location, and close the case."

"The truth, sometimes, is not that important," he added.

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyes. "Sometimes, acting on impulse can be counterproductive."

Team Leader Chen took a deep breath. He sensed a thick air of rebellion and, rubbing his temples, urged, "No matter what, stay out of it!"

"Understood," Ye Sangsang replied decisively.

She was not a person who kept her word at all costs; she did things based on her mood. If the other party insisted on a promise, she would give one.

Gu Ling glanced at Ye Sangsang. Zheng He remained silent throughout. The room was left with only the "beep-beep" sound of Qin Jiang's heart monitor.

Team Leader Chen stood up, but as he exited the room, he looked back at the three of them. "Don't you dare defy me behind my back, or I'll give each of you a disciplinary notice!"

Ye Sangsang didn't respond to this; she was a rather self-centered person.

"Are you really going to drop it?" Gu Ling asked once she was sure Team Leader Chen had left. "Even though you haven't been with Team Leader Qin for long, he's been really good to you these past two days."

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment. "I didn't promise, nor did I promise not to defy him."

Zheng He raised both hands. "It's just a matter of convenience. Let's look into it. I believe in Brother Qin's character."

The three reached an agreement.

[Hehehe, the trio is formed.]
[The internet detective streamer next door is still looking for suspects. Qin Jiang has gone out, and it feels like the paths are diverging.]
[I've watched the other side occasionally; because of the different paths, that internet celebrity detective didn't see Qin Jiang fall. He only saw him at the hospital and immediately concluded that Qin Jiang was a suspect.]
[I'm so curious, what is the truth? It's driving me crazy!]

Especially with the paths diverging, the live stream was curious about who was on the right track. Ye Sangsang clearly had no other thoughts. After informing the audience, she went offline.

Her time was up; it was time to return to her normal life.

It was another ordinary day, only the sunlight outside the window was brighter. The weather had been much better these past two days. Taking medication, eating breakfast, sitting in the garden to get some air and read—if one ignored the background, Ye Sangsang's life could be considered an ideal retirement.

She was a person without much emotion; she felt no resentment, no sorrow, no hatred. It wasn't that she was "numb," but rather that she lacked these emotions naturally. While she didn't consider it an illness, others did.

She sat in the shade, her features picturesque, her porcelain-white skin and waterfall of black hair causing someone entering the gate to stop in their tracks, standing frozen.

A nurse stepped forward, blocking the view. "Sir, please move along."

"...Alright," the man said.

The nurse walked forward. The man’s questioning voice rang out. The nurse said nothing.

Ye Sangsang looked up, her gaze falling on the man who had spoken, her eyes deep and inscrutable. There were always some people who took an interest in her. She disliked such people; they felt like flies trying to land on her, buzzing and annoying.

At that moment, a message arrived from her lawyer.

Lawyer Gao: Soon. Also, the matter of the caretaker has been resolved.

Ye Sangsang: Good.

She had thought today would remain peaceful, but clearly, it would not.

After her lunch nap, Ye Zhe arrived with an aggressive aura. Ye Sangsang was lying in bed, using a tablet to read the news.

"Ye Sangsang, hand over the equipment," Ye Zhe said loudly as soon as he stepped into the room.

She closed the tablet and watched him quietly. "I didn't expect you to actually dare to come."

"Why wouldn't I dare? Do you think you're still the Ye Sangsang you once were? Now, you're just a useless person!" Ye Zhe twitched the fat on his face, looking at her with disdain.

Ye Sangsang looked at him and lowered her eyes. "Indeed."

"Hand it over. It was something I applied for in the first place." Ye Zhe reached out, demanding the device directly.