Chapter 503: Yue Chao’s Secret

Lin Dongxue asked, “Did you two ever go on dates?”

Yue Chao nodded, “Yes, we did.”

“What exactly did you do?”

“We just walked around, ate food, watched movies… Those days were the happiest and most joyful times of my life. When I heard she was killed, I can’t describe how I felt. I would have traded my life for hers!”

Yue Chao took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, then lit another cigarette and shook his head sadly.

For a moment, Lin Dongxue felt some sympathy for him. She continued, “Did Yan Qilin ever say she liked you?”

“Yes, she did.”

“What did she say exactly?”

“I asked if she liked me, and she said yes. Isn’t that enough?”

“Did you ever hold hands or kiss?”

“We hadn’t gotten that far, but she did hold my hand to take pictures together. I still have those photos!” Yue Chao took out his phone to show them. There were several pictures of him with Yan Qilin, taken during their dates.

Lin Dongxue held the phone and looked through the photos, while Chen Shi leaned in to see if they were genuine or photoshopped.

Lin Dongxue whispered to Chen Shi, “Do you have any more questions?”

“I’m itching to get out for some fresh air,” Chen Shi replied.

The two of them stood up to leave. Lin Dongxue said, “Thank you for providing these clues.”

Yue Chao remained seated, still lost in his sorrowful memories. He said, “Do you know why I sent that banner? It’s not just because you detained me for a day. It’s because six years have passed and you still haven’t caught the killer. I hate your incompetence. When will you catch the killer and avenge her?”

“We’re doing our best.”

Yue Chao’s face showed a hint of disappointment. It was probably the last thing he wanted to hear from the police, but until the case was solved, they couldn’t reveal anything.

Leaving the company, Chen Shi sighed, “This is a complete Rashomon. Everyone has their own version of events.”

Lin Dongxue said, “One thing I can be sure of is that Yan Qilin didn’t actually like Yue Chao. She was using him to break up with Zhang Jinlei. The Zhang family tried everything to split them up, and as a girl, she couldn’t handle it anymore.”

“I agree.”

“So, what next? Should we see Zhang Jinlei?”

“Do you think he’s a suspect?”

“I was thinking, Zhang Jinlei is so obsessive. If he knew Yan Qilin was with his rival and she was breaking up with him, would he have reacted violently?”

“Maybe love turned to hate? But as I said, people hide the most damaging details about themselves. Even if we see him again, we might not get anything new.” Chen Shi glanced at his watch. “Let’s gather everyone for a meeting.”

Back at the station, everyone was waiting in the office. Chen Shi summarized the current findings. The truths they had uncovered from the people involved surprised everyone. Some raised doubts: “If the number is just a ticket code, why has it appeared on different victims for six years? Maybe Yue Chao is a major suspect?” “Someone is definitely lying. We should bring them all in for detailed questioning.” “Though the events from six years ago are complex, they boil down to a love triangle. For a murder case, that seems weak. This case was classified as a serial killing, so we shouldn’t limit our focus to the first case.” “But all the subsequent murders mimic the first one. I agree with Chen Shi; the first case is crucial.”

The room was filled with debate. Chen Shi interrupted, “What progress do we have?”

“I verified Zhang Jinlei’s alibi for August 7th. Traffic cameras showed him entering a bar, and patrons confirmed he ordered a bottle of Red Label and sat in a corner.”

“How much did he drink?” Chen Shi asked.

“Not sure.”

Another officer reported, “Xiao Ran’s alibi also checks out. A security guard saw her with a fire at around 9 PM on the 7th.”

Old Zhang said, “We found the victim Cai Yating’s car. It was abandoned in the suburbs with the keys still in it. The car had collision damage, likely from a large vehicle.”

Chen Shi asked, “What make and color is her car?”

“A red Xiali.”

Chen Shi nodded. “I need everyone to investigate Yan Qilin’s character. Was she cunning or innocent? The involved parties give conflicting accounts. Expand the scope and talk to her former classmates, teachers, and neighbors.”

Old Zhang asked, “Is that all we’re looking into, Little Chen?”

“Just focus on that.”

The team dispersed. Chen Shi borrowed Lin Dongxue’s notebook, wrote a few lines, and handed it to her. “Check these for me.”

Lin Dongxue glanced at it. “Some of this might be hard to verify.”

“Just do your best.”

She studied Chen Shi curiously. “You seem confident now.”

“It’s just a hypothesis. We still need evidence to confirm it.”

“Still keeping secrets?”

“I’m not keeping secrets! I have several hypotheses. Which one is correct still needs evidence.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Chen Shi reviewed surveillance footage related to the case. When he noticed something significant, he excitedly searched on his computer, then texted Lin Dongxue: “Check on a silver Mercedes. No plate number. See who among the involved owns it.”

Then he headed to the technical team, saying excitedly, “Old Peng, I have something to show you.”

Peng Sizhuo, who was briefing his team, was dragged over by Chen Shi and made to sit down. Chen Shi plugged in a USB drive and played a video. After watching, Peng Sizhuo asked, “What’s special about this?”

Chen Shi rewound and paused. “This red Xiali is Cai Yating’s car!”

Then he rewound further and paused again. “The silver Mercedes left, and the Xiali followed. Cai Yating was tailing it.”

The camera angle only showed the top half of the cars, and a person was barely visible inside. Peng Sizhuo raised his eyebrows. “No license plate. How do you know it’s her car?”

“The key is the time: 8 PM. It matches the body disposal time from our salt penetration experiment. Two pieces of evidence confirming the same timeframe!”

“Body disposed of at 8 PM, died at 9 PM. The killer manipulated the time of death? Maybe using dry ice, but that leaves no trace.”

“What if someone bought dry ice?”

“Who bought it?”

“Don’t know yet. Still investigating.” Chen Shi patted Peng Sizhuo’s shoulder. “I’m heading out. See you tomorrow!”

At the door, he remembered something. “Oh, I need something from you.”