Chapter 729: Exposed

Chen Shi called Captain Peng Yue to send a few technical police officers over to examine the evidence. However, he couldn’t reach him. Lin Dongxue speculated, “Isn’t Captain Peng still dissecting Xiao Wei’s body? Should we wait until tomorrow?”

“The night someone climbed out of this window, the crucial point isn’t the marks on the window frame, but that suspicious fiber on the pipe. Can’t we just retrieve it ourselves?” Chen Shi suggested.

“That doesn’t seem safe. I just checked; the fiber is on the fifth floor, reaching out from the bathroom window would be too risky,” Lin Dongxue replied.

“Then let’s go to the fifth floor!” Chen Shi insisted.

Lin Dongxue sighed, “Alright.”

They knocked on the door of the fifth-floor resident and retrieved the small piece of fiber wedged on the pipe outside the window, storing it in an evidence bag. Chen Shi exclaimed, “Once we identify who left this, we’ll know who killed Duan Lin!”

“Why not the dismemberer?” Lin Dongxue questioned.

“Uncle said that on the morning of the 24th, when he returned, the door was open. He checked; there were no signs of forced entry. It was opened with a key, likely by someone with a spare key—possibly Duan Lin’s boyfriend. After Duan Lin’s suicide, her boyfriend came to clean up, took her phone, then the dismemberer arrived. The boyfriend panicked and escaped through the bathroom window. Later, the dismemberer dismembered Duan Lin in the bathroom, cleaned up before dawn, and took the body parts away.”

“Did the dismemberer see the boyfriend?”

“Apparently not.”

“Then how did they know he was among those nine people? And how did they know about Duan Lin’s suicide?”

“Yeah, how did they know?” Chen Shi’s eyes lit up. “I understand now. They’re also one of those nine people!”

Lin Dongxue widened her eyes in surprise. “That seems plausible… But this reasoning hinges on Uncle not lying this time.”

“As long as we verify the waiting room’s surveillance, we’ll know if he lied…” Chen Shi interrupted.

“Should we head to the bus station now?” Lin Dongxue asked.

Checking his watch, Chen Shi replied, “No, let’s meet Zhang Xiao!”

Calling Zhang Xiao, he learned he’d finished work and was waiting for a bus on a certain street. Chen Shi advised him not to wander and that they’d arrive soon.

Thirty minutes later, they met Zhang Xiao, who had just finished work, dressed more formally with a scent of shoe polish. Upon seeing Lin Dongxue, he greeted her warmly. Chen Shi said, “Let’s find a place to talk.”

“There’s a Starbucks nearby,” Zhang Xiao suggested.

At Starbucks, Zhang Xiao skillfully ordered a variety of food and drinks, appearing quite familiar. Chen Shi wondered if he was taking advantage. After ordering, Zhang Xiao asked, “Aren’t you two ordering?”

“We’re not. You eat, you pay,” Chen Shi replied.

“Oh, why are the police so stingy?” Zhang Xiao teased. “Let’s talk business. What were you doing on the night of the 23rd?”

“I was having dinner with friends,” Zhang Xiao replied.

“All nine of you together?” Chen Shi inquired.

“No, just me, XX, XX, XX, XX, and XX—six of us.”

“Why just you six?”

“Because we were already together. Forgot to mention, XX and I are from the first batch. The other three are from the second batch, while Xiaosi, Xiaowei, and Daniu are from the third batch.”

“Why categorize like that?”

“Because this setup is like a training class. Xiaosi and the others hadn’t graduated yet; they were still attending online classes.”

“Who teaches these online classes? Do you have teachers?”

“It’s usually video lectures. Sometimes, I even act as a lecturer and personally guide new students,” Zhang Xiao said proudly.

Lin Dongxue took notes in her small book as Zhang Xiao mentioned a few lecturers’ names.

At that moment, the server brought the food Zhang Xiao had ordered. He deliberately acted hospitably, saying, “Let’s eat together. You’ve come to ask me questions; it’s normal to buy me a coffee, right?”

Glancing at the table filled with coffee, tiramisu, sandwiches, and pudding, Chen Shi chuckled, “I can treat you to a coffee if you order just one. I can’t afford all this.”

“Then can you pay for this coffee?” Zhang Xiao grinned.

Chen Shi thought to himself, this guy is quite shrewd. “Just answer honestly, and a coffee won’t be an issue.”

“Ask away.”

“After the dinner, where did you go?”

“I went home!”

“Where was the dinner?”

“At Caiyuanzi Restaurant.”

“Till what time?”

“Past ten.”

“Did you take a taxi alone back?”

“Yes.”

Chen Shi extended his hand. “Let me see your taxi records for that day!”

Stopping eating, Zhang Xiao looked up from his cake, a hint of panic on his face as he replied, “Deleted!”

“It’s okay. Just let me see your phone.”

“I really deleted it.”

“In fact, I’m not a policeman but a criminal investigation consultant. My main job is driving for ride-hailing services. I’m very familiar with this system. Let me see your app; even if you deleted it, I can find your records.”

Zhang Xiao remained silent, frowning deeply. He hadn’t realized he was crushing the cake into crumbs with his right hand.

This detail did not escape the notice of Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue. Lin Dongxue thought, this might just crack the case.

“You are Duan Lin’s boyfriend, the one who drove her to suicide, right?” Chen Shi asked slowly.

“No, no, no!” Zhang Xiao vehemently denied. “I don’t know her. I have a girlfriend now. If you don’t believe me, I’ll call her right now.”

“That doesn’t prove anything. For someone like you, having several girlfriends is normal.”

“What do you mean… What do you mean!” Zhang Xiao stood up abruptly. “Look down on PUA and just say it. With my looks and family background, which woman wouldn’t want to dump me? Two years ago, I even held a woman’s hand. If it weren’t for PUA, I’d still be single! In short, you’re all jealous of my popularity with women. Birds of a feather flock together. They’re all big men, all animals thinking with their lower halves. Who looks down on whom? Do you dare to bet that you haven’t cheated behind Lin Jing’s back?”

Suddenly, Zhang Xiao started making a scene, speaking incoherently, attracting the attention of many customers in the café. Chen Shi watched coldly, knowing his anger stemmed from guilt.

“Can we talk like adults…” Lin Dongxue tried to intervene.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiao collapsed to the ground, convulsing, frothing at the mouth. Initially, Chen Shi thought he was acting, but it didn’t seem like it. He said, “Call an ambulance quickly!”

Half an hour later, Zhang Xiao was taken to the hospital. Lin Dongxue remarked, “Isn’t this illness a bit too coincidental?”

“It is indeed too coincidental. However, we already know that Zhang Xiao is Duan Lin’s boyfriend.”

“Could he be in danger?”

“Danger?” Chen Shi thought of something. “Yes, the killer is among that group. When he lied earlier, the killer already saw through him! Maybe tonight, the killer will come looking for him!”