Chapter 325: A Slip-Up

After stocking the shelves in the morning, Ji Changxin sat at the entrance of the convenience store, lighting a cigarette. He had quit smoking years ago but started again yesterday. The looks from the two detectives made him feel that he wouldn’t escape this time.

But that didn’t mean he planned to give up without a fight. Struggle he would.

“Mr. Ji! Mr. Ji!” The store manager rushed out. “Didn’t I tell you to put the near-expiry bread in the front? Why did you just randomly place them?”

Ji Changxin sat on an electric bike, his face darkening as he turned to the manager, noting the unnoticed pressure mark on the manager’s neck. “I’ll finish this cigarette and then go in.”

“Who allowed you to smoke during work hours? If everyone was like you…”

“I said, I’ll finish this cigarette and then go in!”

The manager felt his authority challenged, pointing a finger at Ji’s nose. “Don’t pull rank on me. You’re still on probation. Without my approval, you can’t get this job!”

“Go to hell!”

Ji flicked the cigarette butt away and lit another one.

The manager’s face turned from red to white as he went inside to call the regional manager to complain.

Ji Changxin felt a surge of satisfaction just then. A car pulled up, and he recognized it as the police, the same two from yesterday. That bitch Gu You wasn’t with them. Old Zhang approached, “Mr. Ji, we have a few more questions.”

“Go ahead.”

“On May 7th, were you at the Chenghai Road subway station for a while?”

Ji Changxin had already prepared for this question. To appear natural, he had self-hypnotized and rehearsed the fabricated scenario in his mind.

He calmly replied, “I got off there.”

“What time?”

“Around six, I think. I quit my job that day, had some drinks, got on at Anping Road, and got off at Chenghai Road.”

“It seems you don’t live there!”

“The subway accident caused all passengers to get off. I had to walk the remaining stop.”

Old Zhang didn’t expect him to be so composed. Prompted by his partner, he decided to approach from another angle, “But a passenger claimed you molested a girl on the subway that day and was beaten by a brave young man. You hurriedly got off at Chenghai Road around 6:15, five minutes before the accident. That doesn’t match your story.”

Ji Changxin shook his head, “I didn’t do that. I boarded at Anping Road at 5:50 and got off at Chenghai Road at 6:20. I was on my phone the whole time… You must have the wrong guy.”

Old Zhang knew he was lying, but Ji Changxin was too natural. To uncover the lie, they’d need to check the Anping Road surveillance, wasting valuable time. So Old Zhang said, “What if I bring that person here to confront you?”

“Fine.”

“Mr. Ji, do you think your lies are clever? To me, it’s like a child’s fib. Denying everything won’t help you in the end,” Old Zhang pressed.

Ji Changxin smiled, “I’m not lying. Check if you want.”

“I believe we’ll meet again,” Old Zhang said, frustrated, as he left.

Back in the car, Old Zhang received a call from Gu You, “Officer Zhang, did Ji Changxin deny everything?”

“Miss Gu, how did you know?”

“Knowing him for years, I know his sly nature. I have something to help you. Connect your phone to the nearby Wi-Fi.”

“Just send it directly.”

“This should be enough to bring him in.”

A moment later, Gu You sent a video. Old Zhang and his partner watched in surprise. It was footage of Ji Changxin molesting Gu You for ten minutes after hypnotizing her.

“Perfect, now we have a reason to arrest him!”

They rushed back into the store. Ji Changxin was stocking items when he saw the police return. He looked shocked. Old Zhang cut to the chase, “Why were you fired that day?”

“I quit. Being a psychologist is exhausting.”

“Really? How about you look at this?” Old Zhang showed the video.

Ji Changxin hadn’t expected Gu You to give the video to the police. He gritted his teeth, crushing a bag of bread in his hand. Old Zhang kept repeating, “Mr. Ji… Mr. Ji…” until Ji Changxin snapped out of it.

Ji Changxin glared at Old Zhang. “Come with us.”

“What if I say no?”

“You don’t have a choice!” Old Zhang pulled out handcuffs.

Ji Changxin stepped back, “Police can’t ignore someone in distress, can they?”

“What?”

Ji Changxin started humming a tune, and the store manager and two employees suddenly dropped what they were doing and ran towards the street.

Old Zhang was shocked. Clearly, Ji Changxin had hypnotized them all!

“Help! Help!”

Old Zhang shouted, running after them. His partner wrestled a staff member to the ground, struggling to control the slender girl.

Old Zhang pushed another back, noticing a pressure mark on the neck. “Wake up! Wake up!” But the worker, eyes blank, pushed forward like a wind-up toy with incredible strength.

The manager stood in the middle of the road, causing cars to screech to a halt. Drivers honked and cursed.

Amid the chaos, Old Zhang saw Ji Changxin drive away in his car, waving mockingly.

Infuriated, Old Zhang couldn’t chase after him and called Lin Qiupu, “Captain Lin, we’ve got big trouble. Send more people quickly!”

Meanwhile, at the school, Lin Dongxue received a text, “Ji Changxin is on the run!”

“No way! Is it really him? Should we help?”

“No need. Captain Lin is already on it.”

Fan Lixue’s class was having PE on the field. Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong waited at the edge when Song Hui, the boy from before, approached, “Officers, looking for Fan Lixue?”

“Can you bring her over?”

“Sure, wait a moment.”

Soon, Fan Lixue arrived. Lin Dongxue noticed a new scar on her face, hidden by her hair. “Did someone hurt you?”

“Aren’t you here for the case? That’s none of your business.”

Lin Dongxue gently said, “If someone is bullying you, we can protect you. Please tell us.”

Fan Lixue hesitated but ultimately said nothing. Lin Dongxue thought the girl was too closed off and decided to let it go.