Chapter 423: The Only Hope

Chen Shi asked Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong to get help from the IT department to see if they could find any clues in Luo Zuyu’s other songs. After much persuasion, a male officer finally agreed to help, mainly because of Lin Dongxue. He ended up sitting in front of the computer for three hours while Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong supervised him.

At 9 p.m., Chen Shi came in with some food and asked, “How’s it going?”

The officer sighed, “Chen, I really need to go home now. My wife has called me several times.”

“Which song are you on?”

“The fourth one.”

“Finish this one and you can go. Want some wontons?” Chen Shi offered.

The officer sighed again and continued analyzing the audio tracks. The IT office was filled with computers, and the smell of overheated CPUs hung in the air. Lin Dongxue whispered to Chen Shi, “Why are you so late?”

“Hungry?”

“Not really, we just ordered takeout.”

“I just contacted Ling Shuangshuang’s friend and got an audio sample from her.”

“It’s done!” the officer exclaimed. “You can use the computer now; I really need to leave.”

“Sorry!” Chen Shi pushed him back into the chair. “One more favor. Analyze this audio sample and see if it matches the same person. Have some chocolate.”

The officer groaned but took the USB drive from Chen Shi. After comparing the voiceprints, he said, “It’s the same person.”

“Could you write a report for us to use as evidence?”

“Chen…”

Chen Shi realized he was pushing it, “Okay, you can go home now.”

Lin Dongxue added, “I’ll treat you to a meal sometime!”

The officer gave a weary smile and left. Lin Dongxue reported, “We analyzed a few songs and found suspicious female voices in two of them, both processed.”

“It seems this new song we have is just a demo, so the mixing wasn’t fully done. That’s lucky!” Chen Shi grabbed a piece of paper and started jotting down notes. “This guy has mixed victims’ screams into his songs before. We need to verify these points: confirm Luo Zuyu is the singer, check the original source of the audio at the studio, and identify each scream. That way, the evidence will hold up in court.”

“That’s a lot of work. We’ll need to beg our colleagues for help again,” Lin Dongxue said, shaking her head with a smile.

“You’re pretty; someone will help. Let’s call it a day. It’s getting late.”

Xu Xiaodong took on the tough task. The next day, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue visited the actress again. Seeing the police, Su Xiaowei was defensive. “I’ve told you everything. Why are you here again?”

Chen Shi was direct. “Miss Su, I believe you haven’t told us the truth.”

“Ridiculous! Why would I lie?”

“People lie for gain or to avoid harm. You and Luo Zuyu are under the same company. He’s been smooth sailing thanks to his connections, while you’ve struggled for ten years with little success. Most people don’t even know your name. I guess Luo Zuyu’s sister-in-law offered you a tempting deal to testify falsely, right?”

Su Xiaowei’s lips tightened, her brows furrowed, and she clenched her arms. These signs didn’t escape Chen Shi’s eyes. She was obviously nervous.

“That’s just your baseless assumption. It’s normal for colleagues to help each other.”

“What help? How?”

Su Xiaowei was flustered. “Of course… just telling the truth to the police. I was with him on the 14th.”

“What was he wearing?”

“A black hoodie, jeans, and a baseball cap.”

“So, you knew each other well enough to date. Can I see your private chat records?”

Su Xiaowei glared at Chen Shi. “No, Sister Ji told me not to make my relationship with Luo Zuyu public.”

“Really? How about coming to the station with us again?”

Su Xiaowei bit her lip, sweat beading on her forehead. Chen Shi didn’t press further, sensing she was on the edge of a meltdown.

After an awkward silence, Su Xiaowei finally said, “I have a performance today. I’ve told you everything. I’m sorry.”

“Alright, we’ll see you later.”

Outside, Lin Dongxue asked, “Are you giving up?”

“Let her digest it, then we’ll apply more pressure.”

“She’s a struggling actress in her thirties. Do you think she’ll refuse such a deal?”

“What about you?”

Lin Dongxue thought for a moment. “Your logic is too rational. She’s a woman. You need to be more emotional in your persuasion.”

“You do it, then.”

“Sure, but let’s know more about her first!”

“Exactly. Let’s check her recent call records. Her lies will unravel!”

Lin Dongxue sighed and laughed. “I meant we should understand her background.”

“Both approaches!”

Back at the station, they began researching Su Xiaowei. Online information was scarce, but Lin Dongxue found out through registration records that she came from a single-parent family and only got into the Central Academy of Drama at twenty-two, indicating she had faced many setbacks.

As Lin Dongxue pondered how to persuade Su Xiaowei, Chen Shi walked into the office and dropped a stack of papers on her desk. “Where did you get these?”

“I asked for outside help. Are these enough?” Chen Shi said, drinking some water.

The papers contained scattered details about Su Xiaowei’s life. Lin Dongxue was impressed. Chen Shi said, “Her call records revealed two things: first, she has no private connection with Luo Zuyu; second, she received several calls from a TV director since last night. They’re filming in the suburbs today. If we go now, we can catch her during lunch when she’s more relaxed and easier to persuade.”

“You really make every second count,” Lin Dongxue laughed.

“Su Xiaowei is our only hope now!”