Chapter 576: The Phoenix Man

“Why would you say such a thing! Ah!”

Chen Shi swung a water bottle through the air and then fell to his knees, holding his head and muttering, “No! I’ve killed someone! I’ve killed someone!”

He turned and saw Lin Dongxue standing at the door, watching with interest. Chen Shi quickly composed himself, “I was reenacting the crime to see if I missed anything. How long have you been here?”

“I got here when you ‘killed someone.'” Lin Dongxue waved the file in her hand, “Want to see this?”

They sat down, and Lin Dongxue noticed a cigarette butt in the ashtray. She sniffed Chen Shi, “You smoked? Is this case so tough you need to smoke?”

“No, today is a special day.”

“A special day… Oh, I remember. Last year you came to my house around this time acting strange, saying it was the death anniversary of a friend. Is this friend very important? Can you tell me now?”

“Just guessing. I never said it was a friend’s death anniversary!”

Lin Dongxue persisted, “What secrets are you hiding? Can’t you tell me now?”

“Well…”

“Just a hint!”

“Sorry!”

Lin Dongxue pretended to be angry. Chen Shi tried to soothe her, “Are you mad? I’m not hiding it on purpose, just waiting for the right time.”

“I’ve told you everything, but I know nothing about your past. It’s not fair!”

“I’ll tell you everything one day.”

This time, Lin Dongxue was truly upset. His words didn’t work anymore, but since it was work hours, she didn’t argue, “Just read the file!”

Opening the file, Chen Shi was surprised, “You work fast, digging this up so quickly.”

“I got this from the Education Bureau. Maybe it’ll help. Are we calling in Yan Ke now?”

“It’s a bit early for that. Let’s just visit him.”

They drove to the school. On the way, Chen Shi said, “Are you still mad?”

Lin Dongxue looked out the window, “Let me be quietly mad. Don’t bother me.”

Chen Shi smiled wryly, feeling helpless.

At the school, Mr. Yan was free. The three of them talked in a teacher’s lounge. Chen Shi asked, “Were you and Ms. Lin always on good terms?”

“Always good.” Mr. Yan observed their expressions. “Of course, couples argue, but it’s always minor.”

“Rumor has it you two were having issues recently.”

“Who said that!”

Lin Dongxue cut in, “We’re the ones asking questions.”

Chen Shi, uncharacteristically, said, “A staff member at the Education Bureau mentioned it.”

The hint was clear enough. Mr. Yan’s expression changed. He sipped his water and slowly said, “Yes, we had a disagreement.”

“What was it about?”

“During a public lecture, a female deputy director expressed her appreciation for me and invited me to dinner. As a deputy director, I couldn’t refuse. She then asked me to do something. She suspected the principal of the sixth school of embezzling funds meant for teachers’ bonuses but had no proof. She asked me to anonymously report it. I did, as it was in my best interest.”

Chen Shi asked, “Best interest meaning your bonus or career advancement?”

Mr. Yan remained silent.

Chen Shi continued, “Your report led to the principal losing his committee seat and facing reassignment. The Education Bureau is in an uproar, though it seems calm here. The principal is being protected by someone—Ms. Lin’s father, an old classmate of his. The bureau chief is retiring soon, and the female deputy director and Lin’s father are the main contenders. This issue could prevent Lin’s father from succeeding. If the female deputy director becomes chief, it would greatly benefit you, right?”

Seeing no point in hiding, Mr. Yan said, “Even without this, Lin’s father had no chance. His connections in the bureau are weak. That’s why I sided with the female deputy director. I don’t want to be a teacher forever. I want to be a leader, at least a principal. A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general is not a good soldier!”

“So, you dated Ms. Lin to…”

“Yes, she’s the deputy director’s daughter, but I found out later that Lin’s father couldn’t help me. You may think it’s opportunistic, but I’m from a poor family. I’ve seized every opportunity to get where I am. Once, at Starbucks, I told her that while a cup of coffee cost her 30 yuan, it cost me 20 years to sit there with the deputy director’s daughter. Our arguments stemmed from this disparity. She thought I was too ambitious. This issue finally led to a major fight.”

Mr. Yan’s calmness while recounting this convinced Chen Shi that someone was guiding him, ready to sacrifice pawns if necessary.

“How serious was the fight?” Chen Shi asked.

“We argued constantly.”

“No physical altercations?”

“No, I never hit her. She did bite me once in a heated argument.” Mr. Yan showed them a bite mark on his arm.

“On the 30th, you stole Mr. Liu’s Chunghwa cigarettes.”

“No…”

“We found your fingerprints.”

Mr. Yan frowned, “I admit, I took a pack. I was upset and smoked one.”

“Do you know where your ashes fell?”

Mr. Yan’s expression turned wary, “Where?”

“On Ms. Lin’s bloodstains!”

Mr. Yan bit his finger, not speaking for a long time.

“Explain, Mr. Yan.”

“There’s nothing to explain. I didn’t know. I did smoke, but I didn’t know where the ashes fell. Who would notice that?”

“But Ms. Lin was in the office, bleeding. Why? An accident? A fight? You smoked afterward, and the ashes fell on the fresh blood. Does this not suggest a violent incident?”

Mr. Yan raised his voice, “Don’t use leading questions! We just argued. She broke some things. I smoked alone in the office. I didn’t notice any blood!”

“What was she wearing that day?”

“A red dress, denim jacket, and a butterfly hair tie.” Mr. Yan recited, matching the doctored surveillance footage.

Hearing this, Chen Shi suddenly laughed uncontrollably. Mr. Yan watched him with fear, wondering if he had made a mistake…