Chapter 261: Wang Daji’s Secret

Peng Sijue was startled, “How did you find him? Dragon City is huge. It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”

Chen Shi explained the situation with the three photos to Peng Sijue. “…The photo of ‘me’ inside wasn’t actually me. Zhou Xiao was trying to expose my false identity. Just then, Wang Daji got caught soliciting prostitutes, and I tracked him down.”

“You told a massive lie to everyone.”

“And you were part of it,” Chen Shi replied with a smile.

“Zhou Xiao wanted to reveal your true identity. The best way would be for Wang Daji to die, leaving his body at the police station, making it impossible for you to explain… But it was Hou Yue who killed Wang Daji? Wait, Wang Daji had a suspicious burn mark. Does that mean…”

“Zhou Xiao got to him first!”

Peng Sijue immediately started walking out. Chen Shi got into his car, and on the way back to the station, Peng Sijue said, “Winter Snow resembles Han Luoxi a bit.”

“In what way? One’s a rookie, and the other was a top student at the police academy.”

“I mean in appearance. You’ve always liked this type, haven’t you? Even back in the academy, you chased after girls like her.”

“Ugh…” Chen Shi was speechless. Peng Sijue clearly knew him well.

“Remember that one time…”

“Alright, alright!” Chen Shi quickly interrupted. “Song Lang is history. Don’t bring it up.”

They arrived at the station and found Tao Yueyue in Lin Dongxue’s office doing her homework. Lin Dongxue said, “I have to work late, so I brought her here.”

“Any progress on the case?”

“We found something on Hou Yue’s computer…”

“Tell me later. I have something to do with Peng. Yueyue, I’ll take you home later.”

Lin Dongxue was confused. Wasn’t he very interested in the case before? Why the sudden shift? Watching them leave together, Lin Dongxue felt a pang of jealousy. Were they having an affair?

Peng Sijue took Wang Daji’s body and belongings from the morgue to the forensic lab. Under the shadowless lamp, Chen Shi felt a pang of sorrow looking at Wang Daji’s corpse. “Rest in peace, brother.”

“Even if he hadn’t been killed, he wouldn’t have lived long… late-stage kidney cancer.”

Chen Shi’s eyes widened, seeming to understand something.

They examined Wang Daji’s burn mark. Peng Sijue used a magnifying glass. “It was inflicted not long before death. Initially, I thought it was from contact with a hot object during the body’s transportation.”

“This length matches a branding iron,” Chen Shi concluded.

They meticulously examined Wang Daji, checking every nail and clothing seam. Finally, Peng Sijue found something on the sole of Wang Daji’s shoe. He looked through a microscope and said, “It looks like human skin.”

“The branding was on his abdomen, so he must have kicked Zhou Xiao in the face while on the ground.”

“I’ll send it for testing.”

Chen Shi felt invigorated. This could be a breakthrough in capturing Zhou Xiao. Of course, if Zhou Xiao was a group, they’d only be catching one member.

Chen Shi took Tao Yueyue home. Everything was as they’d left it. Tao Yueyue had cleaned up Wang Daji’s things. Chen Shi praised her.

Tao Yueyue said, “Uncle Wang left a phone for you.”

“Where is it?”

Tao Yueyue handed it to him. Chen Shi played the video. In it, Wang Daji was crying his eyes out. “Officer Song, I lied to you… My brother was just killed in a fight with some thugs. It had nothing to do with Yu Hua Pharmaceuticals. We never worked there as security guards. There was no USB drive. I made all this up after investigating on my own.

“I found out I had gallbladder inflammation a few months ago. It wasn’t deadly, but after months of medication, the doctor suddenly told me I had kidney cancer! I’m only in my thirties! I didn’t believe it at first, went to several hospitals, and then found out online that this company’s drugs had killed people. But the whole country uses their drugs. Damn it, I’ve been through so much since I was sixteen, never thought I’d end up like this. I’m not willing to accept it.

“That day, I wasn’t investigating Hou Yue. I wanted to kill him and the boss of Yu Hua Pharmaceuticals. I wanted to rid the world of scum… But I couldn’t do it. Then I met you. I thought it was fate. Officer Song, I know you’re amazing, but you only investigate murders. I hoped you’d bring me justice, so I made up this lie. I’m so unwilling to accept this… Thank you. By the time you see this video, I’ll have left Dragon City to find a beautiful place to die quietly.”

Chen Shi was speechless for a long time after watching the video. Finally, he said, “Idiot, why didn’t you tell the truth!”

If Wang Daji hadn’t lied about the USB drive, Chen Shi wouldn’t have confronted Hou Yue, and Hou Yue wouldn’t have come to silence him. It was a butterfly effect. But Wang Daji’s death led to Hou Yue’s conviction.

Perhaps there really was a higher power at work.

Though they only knew each other for a few days, Chen Shi felt a bond with Wang Daji. He watched the video again and then deleted it.

Tao Yueyue said, “I didn’t like him… but he was quite pitiful.”

“I’ll fulfill his wish and bring him justice.”

Feeling a mix of emotions, Chen Shi went to bed early. The next morning, he was woken by a call from Lin Dongxue, who urgently said, “We found Hou Yue! But…”

“What?”

“He’s been killed!”

Chen Shi rushed to the station. Hou Yue’s body lay on the autopsy table, bearing the classic “Zhou Xiao” style killing marks, including the branding and a fatal stab to the chest. Peng Sijue said, “This time, the target was clear. Hou Yue stole his ‘prey,’ so he took revenge.”

“This guy’s incredible, finding Hou Yue before the police… Peng, don’t talk about ‘prey’ in front of the captain.”

“I know my limits.”

Lin Qiupu and Lin Dongxue entered. Lin Qiupu had just received the news and was shocked. “This is the second time. Why does he intercept our suspects? Has he turned over a new leaf, becoming a vigilante?”

“We’ll only know the truth once we catch him,” Peng Sijue said calmly.

“It looks like the case is closed. How do we handle this?” Lin Dongxue asked.