The fingerprint comparison results came back quickly. They revealed that the Chen Yuankun before them wasn't actually Chen Yuankun, but rather his twin brother, Ding Zhuangzhuang.
Fang Rui placed the report in front of the fake Chen Yuankun, who was actually Ding Zhuangzhuang.
Ding Zhuangzhuang gave it a cold glance and retorted, "Yes, I switched identities with Chen Yuankun. So what? We were both tired of our lives, so we swapped. Is that a problem?"
"Why did you previously deny knowing each other?"
"I didn't want the identity swap to be exposed."
Fang Rui asked, "On the night of the 23rd, did you kill Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning, then frame the fake Ding Zhuangzhuang?"
"Of course not. I don't know why they died. Later, I heard my brother was hospitalized for drinking. I suspect he must have killed them because he hated those two people deeply. He must have drunk heavily out of fear after committing the murders."
"Why did he hate them?"
"Wang Yonghua was jealous of my brother's higher education, so he deliberately oppressed him, picked on him, made him do various menial tasks, and even forced him to clean toilets. My brother has strong self-esteem but a weak personality. He didn't know how to fight back and could only endure silently. He eventually developed depression. He told me many times how much he hated Wang Yonghua and wished him dead.
As for Sun Xiaoning, she was nothing but a loose woman. She claimed to like my brother, gave him encouragement and comfort, gave him hope; but behind his back, she treated several male colleagues the same way and had many boyfriends. Later, when my brother discovered she was with Wang Yonghua, his world collapsed. He had a mental breakdown and almost committed suicide by jumping into the river. I was the one who saved him."
Ding Zhuangzhuang seemed to have a good relationship with Chen Yuankun, constantly referring to him as "brother." This confused Zhang - why would he want to frame Chen Yuankun?
However, Fang Rui noticed many holes in his story.
"Why didn't your brother quit his job?" Zhang asked.
"Quit? He studied civil engineering. Do you know how difficult it is to find a decent job in his field that doesn't involve working at construction sites? Besides, that evil couple wouldn't have allowed him to quit!"
"How long have you known Chen Yuankun?"
"Three years. He went to Dongcheng for his graduation trip that year, where we met and recognized each other. Later, when I wasn't doing well in Dongcheng, he asked me to come here, saying he would earn money to support me. My brother is a good person - even if he killed someone, it was because others pushed him to it."
"When did you start switching identities?" Fang Rui asked.
"Six months ago. The company started an anti-corruption campaign then, and my brother had evidence of Wang Yonghua's embezzlement. He didn't have the courage to report it, but he couldn't bear being an accomplice either, so his depression relapsed.
I told him I would take his place at work, and he could do whatever he liked, like traveling. But I never expected him to choose to become a mechanic, a lower-class person."
"Why did you need to switch identities?"
"We were both dissatisfied with our lives and wanted to try each other's life, so we switched. My brother is a bookworm who can't do anything except study. His work life was unsuccessful, and he was played by women in relationships - he's a failure.
As for me, I just needed a degree and a decent identity. With these, I could become successful, just like now." Ding Zhuangzhuang's expression showed a hint of pride.
"The person who had the video conference with the sales representative on the night of the 23rd was the real Chen Yuankun, right? Although his hair was wrapped in a towel, we analyzed the footage frame by frame and saw some blonde strands." Fang Rui placed the photo in front of him.
Ding Zhuangzhuang calmly explained, "That's because that night, I was planning to disguise myself as a repairman to go on a date with Li Meijia. I had put on a wig, but suddenly received a message about a mistake with the goods, so I had to wrap my head and attend the meeting."
The explanation seemed reasonable. Fang Rui and his team didn't contradict it. They still didn't have enough evidence to prove he was the killer.
Ding Zhuangzhuang continued, "Officers, I know you suspect I'm the murderer. But where's your evidence?"
Seeing no response from Fang Rui and his team, he said smugly, "You don't have any evidence, do you? So let's not waste each other's time."
"The evidence is on that car refrigerator, isn't it?"
Ding Zhuangzhuang's expression froze momentarily before he smiled, "That's something you'll need to investigate. Officers, have you finished your questions? Can I leave now?"
"Certainly not. You're suspected of identity theft, and we'll place you under administrative detention," Fang Rui said.
Fang Rui planned to detain Ding Zhuangzhuang on this pretext to prevent him from committing more crimes, such as harming Chen's parents. Fang Rui remembered his expression at the hospital - he might not hate Chen Yuankun, but rather his biological parents.
Ding Zhuangzhuang's smug smile froze. He asked, "My brother voluntarily switched identities with me. Is that illegal too?"
"How can you prove it was voluntary?"
"I..."
"He's become mentally impaired. You can't prove it now, can you?"
All original paper contracts at Jianhua Company were kept in the company's archives. The police obtained all contracts handled by Chen Yuankun from the company's management. The handwriting on contracts from six months ago differed from those signed in the past six months.
Fingerprints were extracted from the contracts. The fingerprints on contracts from over six months ago matched those of Chen Yuankun in the hospital.
This further proved that the two had indeed switched identities six months ago.
Although Ding Zhuangzhuang admitted to switching identities with Chen Yuankun, he adamantly denied being the killer.
There wasn't enough evidence yet to prove who the killer was that night.
Fang Rui analyzed, "When we mentioned the car refrigerator, Ding Zhuangzhuang hesitated for a moment. There might be some clues on it, and he probably hasn't disposed of it properly yet."
"Could it be hidden in his house?" Zhang suggested.
Fang Rui obtained a search warrant and first searched Chen Yuankun's home but found nothing. The room appeared to have been thoroughly cleaned, spotlessly clean.
When Chen's Mother learned that the person in the hospital was actually Chen Yuankun, she was stunned with horror, mumbling, "Impossible, I couldn't have failed to recognize my own son."
"Didn't you notice anything different about your son recently?"
"I... I've been busy with business."
She continued mumbling, "This is retribution, all because of my sins!"
When they went to search his supermarket, they had barely reached the entrance when they saw an ambulance parked outside, with doctors and nurses carrying out a blood-covered man.
Chen's Mother threw herself onto him, crying loudly, "Husband, what happened to you? How did you get hurt like this?"
"What happened?" Fang Rui asked the nurse.
"He fell from a ladder while moving goods."
