Ye Sangsang pulled up the case file related to Lin Xue—not the one about his death, but the one about his previous imprisonment.
If she could confirm Lin Xue's circumstances, then the logic behind his death would also become clear.
Twelve days had passed since the game mission began, and Ye Sangsang still had no leads on the real culprit. Even she was starting to feel some pressure.
The case file was dense and disorganized, and because several years had passed, reading it was as distressing as the case of Qin Jiang's wife and child. Perhaps it was because, in her era, everything was done electronically, and paperless offices were the norm.
She had an almost photographic memory, but "almost" because she felt that after taking medication, her mind wasn't as sharp as before, and her memory had also weakened, no longer allowing her to retain everything at a glance.
Page by page, Lin Xue's history began to emerge.
Like the punk, he had been involved in theft, but he had been part of a gang and was caught red-handed, leading to a three-year prison sentence.
Just like the punk, he had immediately dropped to the ground and covered his head when caught, narrowly escaping a beating.
It was worth noting that in the early 1990s, society was quite rough.
In summary, it was a rather unremarkable criminal record.
However, among the names of the gang members, Ye Sangsang spotted a somewhat familiar name.
Zhao Tianman? So that's how they knew each other.
Ye Sangsang felt she needed to review Zhao Tianman's case file as well.
After discussing it with Gu Ling, Gu Ling went to retrieve it for her.
Once she finished reading, Ye Sangsang continued with Zhao Tianman's file.
The person who knew the real culprit, the one who had stayed at his place—who was it? The suspect was truly cunning; despite having stayed and slept there, they had left no fingerprints or hair behind.
Zhao Tianman's case file was even thicker; this was his third time in prison.
But perseverance paid off, and Ye Sangsang finally found a familiar name hidden within the stack of documents.
The familiar name was naturally one she had seen before.
"Feng Yude," she read aloud.
Gu Ling leaned over her shoulder to look at the name. "What about this name?"
"Tell us," Zheng He said, now thoroughly impressed by Ye Sangsang. Despite being a newcomer, she was a "monster" in the best sense of the word.
Of course, "monster" here was a compliment.
[Quick, quick! My brain isn't great, so explain it plainly.]
[Watching Sangsang go through these files, I'm dumbfounded. I need to know too.]
[Just be straightforward, like me: Wife, tell me!]
Ye Sangsang looked at the two expectant faces, and perhaps the live-stream audience as well, and slowly began, "He was the kidnapper who abducted and brutally murdered Qin Jiang's wife and child."
Both Gu Ling and Zheng He were visibly shaken, their scalps tingling as they turned to look at the case file.
"So, Zhao Tianman and this Feng Yude knew each other many years ago, and Zhao Tianman also knew Lin Xue?" Gu Ling analyzed.
"Which means Lin Xue likely knew Feng Yude as well," Zheng He added, pointing to Lin Xue's name. "So, the motive behind killing Lin Xue isn't as simple as it seems, right?"
Ye Sangsang lowered her gaze, pondering quietly before speaking. "I think Captain Chen might know these people—Zhao Tianman and Lin Xue. He's probably very familiar with them, which is why he initially told us to stop investigating. The killer also knew that Captain Chen was aware of their existence, so they deliberately killed them to force Captain Chen to intervene and create this wrongful case..."
[This is truly a masterstroke!]
[If it weren't for Sangsang finding the breakthrough, would this case have just ended like this?]
[I apologize; I previously doubted Captain Chen, thinking he had no basis for judging Qin Jiang's guilt. I never imagined he was also part of the killer's plan, being used for his knowledge.]
[Am I the only one who thinks the killer really hated Qin Jiang to the core?]
The live-stream audience was stunned by this sudden revelation, and even the question about Captain Chen had been answered.
Gu Ling and Zheng He exchanged glances, feeling a mix of realization and frustration.
Often, what they considered unreasonable made perfect sense to others, didn't it?
Thinking this, both of them wore bitter smiles.
Ye Sangsang didn't say much. She looked at Lin Xue's file and added, "One more thing—I suspect Lin Xue and Zhao Tianman were involved in the kidnapping of Qin Jiang's wife and child. It's been seven or eight years, so it's not easy to investigate. We'll need to work overtime."
Of course, Captain Chen would need to be questioned, but he likely didn't know much. If he had known about someone with such a deep hatred for Qin Jiang, he would never have stopped the pursuit of justice.
So, questioning Captain Chen wouldn't yield many clues; they would have to rely on themselves.
Zheng He and Gu Ling quickly agreed. The most direct approach would be to question someone like Zhao Tianqi, Zhao Tianman's only living relative.
They would also need to visit the families of the kidnappers to gather information.
Finally, they would need to confirm the DNA of the deceased.
Fortunately, the technical team was already working on the comparison, though the workload was heavy and progress slow. They might have to wait until the afternoon or evening for results.
Ye Sangsang and Zheng He went out to conduct interviews, while Gu Ling went to question Captain Chen and Zhao Tianqi.
By splitting up, they could save time.
They also needed to inform Captain Chen that the case was far from over.
Under the blazing sun, Ye Sangsang and Zheng He arrived at the home of Feng Yude, the kidnapper from years ago.
Following the address, they drove to the neighborhood and made their way to the third floor. Zheng He knocked on the door.
An elderly man with graying hair opened the door, looking momentarily stunned before stepping aside when he learned they were police officers.
"Are you here to inform me about my granddaughter's death?" the old man asked as he walked inside.
Ye Sangsang and Zheng He exchanged glances. Among the missing girls, one was indeed the kidnapper's daughter.
Zheng He marveled inwardly at Ye Sangsang's intuition.
Though they were certain, they couldn't say anything without concrete evidence. Instead, they said, "We're here to ask if your eldest son knew these individuals."
He placed two photos on the glass coffee table in front of the old man, gesturing for him to take a look.
The old man, perhaps hardened by life's trials or simply numb, sighed and picked up the photos, examining them closely.
After a while, he called out to his wife in the kitchen, "Old woman, come take a look. Do you recognize these two?"
A slightly hunched figure emerged from the kitchen, standing beside her husband and picking up the photos.
"I recognize them. That one's Zhao Tianman—a petty thief. The other one, I think his surname is Lin. Back then, they used to roam the streets with our good-for-nothing eldest son."
"Why? What happened?" the old woman asked Ye Sangsang and Zheng He.
Ye Sangsang lowered her gaze and said, "There are some matters we're investigating. Do you remember if these two had any involvement when your son kidnapped that mother and child?"
The room fell silent. Even though Feng Yude had been a troublemaker, he was still their child. Mentioning his death brought a somber mood.
After a moment, the old man on the sofa spoke, "No, it was all that wretched boy's doing."
"Though, back when the police came to investigate, they asked the same question," the old woman added.
Ye Sangsang shifted her line of questioning. "During that time, did you see these two? Or was it that all three of them hated the husband of the kidnapped woman? Can you tell me more about their grudge?"
Although the case file had some details, she wanted to understand the actual grievances more clearly.
She felt there was more to it than met the eye.
The old man thought for a moment and recalled something, "Before the kidnapping, I don't know about all three of them, but Zhao Tianman had already been arrested. I only know that my son and Lin Xue were close. They went out to handle some business. Qin Jiang was investigating them at the time. I once overheard them saying something like 'we'll stop after this.'"
With their son dead, the old man held nothing back; there was no point in hiding anything now.
"Thank you. One more thing—before your granddaughter went missing, did anything unusual happen? Did she meet anyone new?" Ye Sangsang asked.
The two elderly people, upon hearing about their granddaughter, showed a hint of sorrow on their faces. The old woman said, "I'm not entirely sure, but I know that during that time, she was always holding her phone, often smiling. About half a month ago, she went out in the evening and never came back. We thought she went to buy something, but her phone became unreachable, so we reported her missing to the police."
Ye Sangsang noted down the details and said, "We will actively search for your granddaughter..."
"La la la la..."
At that moment, Zheng He's phone rang.
Zheng He stood up, instinctively stepping outside to answer the call. However, the next second, his expression froze, and he turned back to look at the elderly couple sitting on the sofa in the living room.
He felt a pang of reluctance but still spoke up, "The DNA results are out. The deceased is confirmed to be your granddaughter..."
The couple was momentarily stunned, asking for confirmation.
Zheng He repeated his words.
Upon realizing that their granddaughter had met with misfortune, tears immediately streamed down their faces.
Zheng He comforted them and contacted their second son before leaving and returning to the station.
Now, the clues they had pointed to the fact that Feng Yude and Lin Xue not only knew each other but that Qin Jiang had also discovered something they were involved in back then.
It might not just be due to past grievances but also because Qin Jiang's investigation had interfered with their interests, leading to the kidnapping of his wife and child.
The identity of the deceased was also confirmed—Feng Lian, the daughter of the kidnapper Feng Yude.
"Pull up her call records and see who contacted her. Also, check her social media accounts, like QQ. Get someone to hack into them and look at the chat history," Zheng He instructed, skillfully organizing the next steps.
The suspect's phone was missing, leaving only these avenues to explore.
When the two returned to the station, Gu Ling also came back with the interrogation records.
"Zhao Tianqi confessed that back then, Zhao Tianman was very close to Feng Yude and Lin Xue. The three of them seemed to have drawn a bunch of blueprints and had guns. However, Zhao Tianman was arrested for theft before they could act," she paused, "As for Lin Xue, he doesn't know much, but the guy is no good—seemingly timid but actually very money-hungry."
"Could they have been planning to rob an armored truck? But Qin Jiang discovered and thwarted their plan before they could carry it out. Holding a grudge, they kidnapped his family. Lin Xue was definitely involved, but being cowardly and cunning, he might have turned sides midway without going through with the killing," Zheng He speculated.
Gu Ling nodded, "Since Qin Jiang was investigating privately, not many people knew about it."
"Alright, let's confirm our suspicions. Start with Feng Lian and see who contacted her!" Zheng He said with renewed determination.
Ye Sangsang suggested, "We can also check if anyone was with Zhao Tianman when they rented the place where the murder occurred."
If so, that would be another lead.
As for Zhao Tianqi, Ye Sangsang picked up her sketchpad and decided to see exactly who he had encountered.
They had been too busy earlier to create a suspect sketch based on the witness's description.
Gu Ling and Zheng He agreed and divided the tasks among themselves.
Ye Sangsang walked through the hallway and found Zhao Tianqi still in the interrogation room.
Zhao Tianqi seemed somewhat intimidated by Ye Sangsang. He felt as though this girl could read minds, easily seeing through his thoughts.
"Officer Ye," he finally spoke up.
Ye Sangsang sat down, arranged her sketchpad, and placed her pencil on the paper. "Alright, describe the person you saw in Zhao Tianman's house. What did he look like?"
"...Okay," Zhao Tianqi nodded and began a vague description.
His description was unclear because, although they had met and talked more than once, it was always in dimly lit settings or at night under the small building of a scrapyard.
The person had resonated with him, and their conversations were very pleasant. He seemed to understand Zhao Tianqi's inner frustrations.
Zhao Tianqi kept talking, and Ye Sangsang didn't interrupt, just listened while her pencil moved swiftly across the paper.
Half an hour later, Ye Sangsang put down her pencil.
She looked up at Zhao Tianqi, stood up, and walked over to him, handing him the sketchpad. "Is this the person you described?"
Zhao Tianqi took it in confusion, his eyes widening as he looked at the drawing.
"You... how did you know he looked like this?" Zhao Tianqi exclaimed in astonishment, muttering, "I guess I wasn't mistaken that day..."
Ye Sangsang lowered her gaze, "Double-check and see if there are any details that don't match."
"Oh, okay, okay," Zhao Tianqi quickly scrutinized the drawing.
After a while, he shook his head, "It's exactly the same, very accurate."
[Ahhh, I'm so curious about what the sketch looks like!]
[Super intelligent system, turn the camera over!]
[Hurry up, I'm dying to know!]
Perhaps sensing the audience's anticipation, the super intelligent system turned the camera, focusing it on the sketchpad in Ye Sangsang's hands.
[!!! How could this be!]
[This person...]
[So, Sangsang's previous sketch wasn't wrong, right?]
The sketch in Ye Sangsang's hand was strikingly similar to the earlier suspect sketch from the N Street surveillance footage.
In other words, the person bore a resemblance to Qin Jiang.
This was somewhat eerie.
Ye Sangsang didn't say much, simply turned and left with the sketchpad.
Zhao Tianqi scratched his head, utterly baffled by how Ye Sangsang had managed to draw such an accurate likeness.
Back in the office, Gu Ling rolled her chair over to Ye Sangsang, "How's the sketch?"
"Let me see?" Zheng He put down the documents he was holding and came over.
Ye Sangsang laid out the sketch.
The two sketches fell into the view of the other two. Gu Ling and Zheng He exchanged glances after seeing them.
The two drawings were nearly identical.
They had witnessed Ye Sangsang's skills firsthand and knew she wouldn't deliberately sketch Qin Jiang. If they wanted to pin the crime on him, there was no need to create another sketch.
The existence of a second sketch confirmed that Zhao Tianqi had also seen this face.
"I get it. During the confrontation, Zhao Tianqi might have thought Qin Jiang wouldn't shoot... thinking it was a double act, so he ran.
But Qin Jiang was a cop. How could he allow an armed, dangerous suspect to escape? He probably aimed to incapacitate, maybe targeting the thigh, but Zhao Tianman stepped in and took the bullet."
This speculation left the two in silence.
It was undeniably persuasive.
Ye Sangsang looked at them, "This case has gotten more complicated." She pointed at the two sketches. "If my sketches are accurate, you can see that the two faces have slight differences. This suggests the killer was imitating Qin Jiang, meaning they have some skill in disguise."
"The lead's gone cold again!" Gu Ling said with frustration.
Zheng He's expression turned serious. Disguise and transformation meant they didn't even know the suspect's true appearance.
Earlier, they had tried logging into the QQ account, only to find all records deleted. The account, unregistered under a real name, had been deactivated half a month ago, making it impossible to trace the user.
The phone number was also a prepaid, unregistered SIM card, now deactivated, leaving no way to trace it.
Could they really close the case by pinning it on Qin Jiang?
Or perhaps the existing evidence wasn't enough to prove his innocence.
Zheng He ran his fingers through his hair, frowning deeply. They had gone in circles without any breakthroughs.
This case was proving to be extremely challenging.
Ye Sangsang held the sketches, her gaze calm, "Announce publicly that the case is closed, and the killer has been caught."
Without waiting for their response, Ye Sangsang activated time freeze and performed another operation.
To test her theory, she attempted to submit a case closure request in the game.
In this holographic game, investigators could choose to close the case at any time.
However, it had to be after completing the task, such as having ironclad evidence or the killer being sentenced.
Now, she wanted to see if the game system would recognize Qin Jiang as the killer.
She guessed it would.
Sure enough, the next second, the game system popped up a notification.
[Player has submitted a case closure request, compiling evidence...]
[Is Qin Jiang confirmed as the killer?]
[Yes or No.]
Ye Sangsang selected "No" and chose to report an error.
The instructions stated that if there were doubts, players could select "No" and then report an error.
Ye Sangsang proceeded to report the error.
[Error report received... Error confirmed... Fixing in progress...]
[Ding, the system has triggered the completion of the game instance "Carnival of Brutality," but there is a case error. A server-wide announcement is being broadcast...]
[Ding, the repair is complete. The game instance "Carnival of Brutality" has initiated a derivative deduction, and the case completion date has been extended by 10 days.]
[Thank you to the players for fixing the internal testing bug. The erroneous case content has been resolved, and a reward of 1 non-attribute point has been issued.]
At the same time, in another live stream, the host with the ID "Internet Detective" was preparing to officially submit the conclusion for the game instance.
Sitting at his office desk, his face was brimming with confidence.
He was determined to secure first place for this case! He extended his finger, ready to click and submit the conclusion.
However, instead of the expected submission screen, a game announcement popped up.
After reading the announcement, his smile froze.
A new game notice appeared before him.
[Ding, the newly added bug for the "Carnival of Brutality" instance has been fixed. The game instance "Carnival of Brutality" has initiated a derivative deduction, and the case completion date has been extended by 10 days.]
[Thank you to player: [Ye Sangsang] for fixing the internal testing bug and resolving the erroneous case content.]
[If you have any questions, please contact Star Ring Games at the official hotline: 10092123.]
