Chapter 415: An Ironclad Alibi

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue got into the car. Lin Dongxue asked, “Do you think the evidence is still insufficient?”

“Definitely insufficient. Do you remember the surveillance around 11 PM?”

“Yeah… At 11 PM, Luo Zuyu left the room, went into the stairwell, and then a guy in a black hoodie came up from the first floor and exited on the 22nd floor.”

“Take another look at the scandal involving Luo Zuyu.”

Lin Dongxue took out her phone and looked at the paparazzi photos. She was shocked. In the photos, Luo Zuyu was wearing a black hoodie and a black baseball cap. She felt she had seen through the trap.

Chen Shi asked, “So, how do you think they’ll defend themselves?”

“The paparazzi photos will serve as Luo Zuyu’s alibi. They’ll claim he was out with someone that night and returned to the hotel at 11 PM… But how will they explain the person who left the room?”

“They won’t need to. They just need to prove Luo Zuyu wasn’t at the scene.”

“In reality, it was Luo Zuyu who left the room. Another person in the black hoodie went up. Let’s call him X. X and Luo Zuyu swapped clothes, hats, and necklaces in the stairwell. Then Luo Zuyu came back in the black hoodie, and X left in the red T-shirt.”

“Exactly. The surveillance resolution only shows body shape and clothing, and X has a similar build to Luo Zuyu. They know this game well. Most criminals give up when taken to the police station, but these people are different. They manipulate the law skillfully, backed by a strong PR team and connections. They’re ready to confront the police. This is just the beginning.”

Lin Dongxue frowned, “The paparazzi photos are fake or not from July 14th.”

“Let’s verify that now. Call them.”

Lin Dongxue made the call, but the person on the other end didn’t believe she was a cop and hung up after some mocking comments. Furious, Lin Dongxue said, “As expected. We’ll have to visit them in person!”

Two hours later, they arrived at the entertainment news office. The same guy who mocked Lin Dongxue over the phone greeted them. Lin Dongxue showed her badge, “Do I look like a fake cop? Take a good look!”

The guy rubbed his hands, grinning, “Officer, you can’t blame me. There are many impostors nowadays. I had to be cautious… Please, have a seat. Tea or coffee?”

“No, thanks. We need to ask about the entertainment news you published on July 16th, claiming Luo Zuyu was on a late-night date.”

“Yes, that was ours. It was trending on Weibo, with over a million shares…” He looked proud.

“We need to see the original photos.”

“Uh…” The guy hesitated.

“Didn’t you hear? We need the original photos.”

“Please, relax. How about a coffee? We have freshly ground coffee.”

He bolted, and Lin Dongxue called after him, but he was gone. She got up to chase him, but the other staff stood in her way, “What are you doing? Violence? We’ll expose you!”

Someone even aimed a camera at Lin Dongxue, making her grit her teeth in anger.

“They’ve been bought,” Chen Shi whispered.

Lin Dongxue said, “Bring your boss out!”

A middle-aged bald man, smiling obsequiously, came out, “Miss, that would be me.”

Lin Dongxue repeated her request, but he pretended not to hear, smiling oily, making Lin Dongxue raise her voice, “We demand to see the original photos of Luo Zuyu! Don’t waste our time!”

“Alright, alright. But do you have proper procedures?”

Fuming, Lin Dongxue almost drew her gun. “Cooperating with investigations is a civic duty. Or I can verbally summon you. Come with me.”

“Hey, hey, I’ll cooperate. What’s the case about?”

“Stop stalling!”

“No, we’re just journalists, you know. Professional sensitivity. Tell me about the case, and I’ll cooperate.”

Exasperated, Lin Dongxue reached for his shirt, but he retreated among his staff, who started yelling, “Police brutality!” Cameras clicked away.

Chen Shi stepped in, “Has someone already spoken to you?”

The boss, still smiling, said, “Handsome, I don’t understand. The news is online. Check it out. It’s everywhere. How could it be fake?”

Chen Shi chuckled at the logic, “Even widespread news can be false. Remember, making false statements carries criminal liability. Don’t jeopardize your company’s future for short-term gains.”

“Did you hear that? The police are threatening us,” the boss told his staff.

Chen Shi signaled, “Let’s go.”

Outside, Lin Dongxue kicked a lamppost, fuming, “Damn it. Without the original photos, we can’t refute the alibi.”

She squatted, thinking, “Wait, the woman with Luo Zuyu can prove it.”

Chen Shi shook his head, “Unlikely. They’ve thought of that. Let’s go back to the hotel.”

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, Lin Qiupu was pounding the table, his hand hurting, while Luo Zuyu kept smirking. The lawyer sternly reminded, “Stop intimidating my client.”

Lin Qiupu asked, “Where were you on the night of July 14th?”

Luo Zuyu lazily said, “Don’t you watch the news?”

“I’m asking you!”

The lawyer interjected, “Officer, surely you know that just yesterday, news broke that my client was on a date with a woman on July 14th. That’s his perfect alibi!”

“What’s perfect about it? Who’s the woman? Can she testify?”

Luo Zuyu folded his arms, “That’s my private business.”

“You have no privacy here.”

Shrugging, Luo Zuyu laughed, and Lin Qiupu, furious, pounded the table, “If you keep this attitude, don’t blame me for being tough. Remember, your drug test came back positive for meth.”

The lawyer whispered to Luo Zuyu, who shrugged again, “Her name is Su Xiaowei. I was with her that night. Satisfied, officer?”