For three consecutive days, the interrogation sessions proceeded in an orderly fashion. Meanwhile, various investigative tasks were also steadily underway…
"Based on the interrogation and our investigations, we can preliminarily confirm that the three cases within the wind power residential complex series are unconnected. In other words, these three cases are all isolated incidents," stated Gao Xiaofei, who clearly hadn't slept well, forcing himself to speak energetically at the case analysis meeting. "In the murder of Wang Huan'an, the suspect Liao Yuan can be said to have planned it meticulously. In the case of the peeping tom's murder, the suspect Shui Gang acted out of revenge. As for the drone case related to the wind power residential complex, the suspect Chang Suo provided assistance to Liao Yuan under threats and promises of benefit. Finally, the murder of Fang Xin should have no connection to the aforementioned cases."
"If Ping'an were here, he would surely say, then why did Shui Gang protect that bracelet with his life?" Yu Shijie remarked. "It's too early for Captain Gao to draw conclusions. Although this round of interrogations has yielded much, and it seems we've solved two of the three murder cases, I have a premonition that these cases are definitely linked, but we haven't found the connection yet. And in terms of the evidence chain, apart from the video provided by Chang Suo, we have almost nothing else."
"But Liao Yuan confessed, Chang Suo confessed, and their accounts are consistent with our investigation and evidence collection," Gao Xiaofei said, sounding somewhat displeased with Yu Shijie's statement. "The case has dragged on from early summer to autumn. We don't have time for hypotheses anymore. I suggest we notify the legal affairs department to transfer the case of Wang Huan'an and the peeping tom group to the procuratorate."
“Not advisable. I'm not opposing you, but I have my own considerations. For instance, we haven't questioned Liao Yuanchao yet!" Yu Shijie stated.
"Liao Yuanchao's heart condition has recurred, and he's been hospitalized these past few days. Why don't you, sir, personally go to the hospital and question him?" Gao Xiaofei countered.
"Alright, let's leave it at that for today. Everyone has been working non-stop these past few days. Fortunately, the case has finally made some progress. Everyone go home early to rest, get a good night's sleep, and we'll discuss it tomorrow," Xiang Wanfeng said, licking his dry lips. "Frankly, I can't take it anymore. Besides, I'm also very curious about how that rascal Ping'an is doing and if he has any ideas."
The Dàchuān Expressway in early autumn, winding like a thousand twists along a great river, with countless tunnels and bridges, makes it a dream destination for self-driving enthusiasts. This road is also the only passage from Shān Hé Province to the southwestern Sichuan Province.
Driving an RV with a beautiful woman, Ping'an had been driving south for three days, heading towards the legendary culinary capital of the southwest.
Inside the RV, Ping'an, wearing sunglasses, sat in the driver's seat. He irritably removed the earbud from his left ear and then put it into his right.
"The case isn't this simple, believe me. Give me a little more time, I'm already holding a strong hand!" Ping'an whispered.
After ending the call, Ping'an glanced at the rearview mirror. Qiao Yiyan on the bed was sleeping soundly, showing no signs of waking up.
"Hello, don't scold me yet!"
"Has Su Tang started school?"
"How's her mood?"
"What I mean is, why don't we ask for half a month's leave for her first?"
"Stop scolding, I'll explain it to you later!"
"I called, but she didn't answer. What was I supposed to say?"
"No, no, no! Don't hang up!"
At some point, a large raindrop splattered against the car window.
Ping'an hung up the phone, helplessly removing his earbuds.
The air in the southwest was good, but the rainfall after autumn had been too much. Compared to the dry Héchuan City, Ping'an, a proud man of the northwest, couldn't stand the humid climate here.
Since it was raining outside, Ping'an decided not to push forward. Although it wasn't even five in the afternoon, he wanted to rest early today. Coincidentally, he passed a service area and steered the car in slowly.
Qiao Yiyan slept for quite a while, from afternoon until dark. When she woke up, she found the car parked at the service area. She pulled back the curtain and saw Ping'an sitting outside the RV, staring blankly and drinking beer under the awning.
It had been three days of being alone with a man, a first for Qiao Yiyan. To be honest, this trip had allowed her to rest thoroughly, and there were unexpected gains. For instance, she never knew Ping'an could play the violin; his music was captivating.
Thinking of the music, Qiao Yiyan quietly walked out of the car and suddenly hugged Ping'an from behind.
"Hey!" Disregarding everything, she first kissed him fiercely, then lazily tilted her head and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Hmph, you slept comfortably, but I'm tired from driving all afternoon. Let's stay here tonight," Ping'an said with a smile, patting Qiao Yiyan's arm.
"How far is it to Qian Shan City from here?" Qian Shan City, the provincial capital of Sichuan Province, was also their destination for this trip.
"Not far now, only six hundred kilometers. We'll get there by tomorrow afternoon," Ping'an reassured her.
"I really miss my hard wooden bed. All my bones feel straight when I sleep on it!" Qiao Yiyan stretched.
"What hard wooden bed? It's not stable at all. It creaks and squeaks, affecting my performance," Ping'an said with a mischievous grin.
"Then let's not buy a bed in the future. We can just find an open space and roll on the ground. That won't make any noise," Qiao Yiyan retorted playfully, her eyebrows quivering.
The sun set, dark clouds covered the sky, and in the small service area, sparse lights flickered on, resembling a serene and peaceful paradise far from the city.
"Darling, can we just stay here? I like the simplicity of this place," Qiao Yiyan said after they had finished joking, sitting outside with Ping'an watching the rain.
"If it weren't for those cases, staying with you like this forever wouldn't be so bad," Ping'an said.
"Do you resent your cases?" Qiao Yiyan asked.
"It's not that I resent the cases, but I can't let go of the truth," Ping'an replied.
"Is the truth that important? You're almost obsessed with your cases," Qiao Yiyan said with sudden sadness.
"Isn't that the joy of solving cases?" Ping'an countered.
"If I said, for the sake of me, let go of these cases, forget everything, and we run away together, would you be willing?" Qiao Yiyan asked, looking at Ping'an sincerely.
The last glimmer of light on the western horizon gradually disappeared. The dark sky seemed like a pot lid, perfectly covering the entire world. Unbeknownst to them, the sparse raindrops had turned into streaks of rain, striking the car roof with a crisp sound.
"This is my destiny," Ping'an sighed.
"Don't you want to take your fate into your own hands?" Qiao Yiyan retorted, unwilling to back down.
"Then can you grasp your own destiny?" Ping'an asked.
A gust of cool wind, passing through the curtain of rain, brushed past the lady's long hair.
Qiao Yiyan's eyes were filled with affection, and she grabbed Ping'an's arm.
"Am I not trying to grasp my destiny right now?" she said.
A scent of braised beef noodles drifted from somewhere. Ping'an suddenly smiled and said to Qiao Yiyan, "Darling, I'm hungry. Shall we eat first?"
Following the aroma of braised beef noodles, less than ten meters behind the RV, in a shabby van, a person tightly wrapped in a trench coat greedily lifted the paper lid of a boxed meal and took a sip, feeling warmth spread throughout his body.
"Damn you, Ping'an..." He glanced at the couple showing affection in front and said fiercely.
The school year had begun, but her aunt still hadn't returned. It was said that by relying on the belief of "time reveals a person's true heart," she had successfully conquered her future in-laws.
It was rumored that she might get married by the end of the year.
Thinking of this, Su Tang's nose suddenly twitched with emotion.
If her aunt really got married, then she would have to live with her annoying master. And wouldn't that annoying woman also move in? How would her own miserable life continue?
"Su Tang, stand up!" Before she could dwell on her sadness, Su Tang, whose mind had wandered, was harshly called out by the teacher.
She cast a sideways glance at the empty desk beside her, and Su Tang suddenly and intensely missed the lovely Jiaozi. Usually, if she zoned out, Jiaozi would always give her a "reminder" before the teacher noticed. But it had already been three days since school started, and she hadn't reported yet.
Thinking of Jiaozi, Su Tang couldn't help but sigh with emotion – what a wonderful family! Why did it shatter overnight? After finally reconciling again, why did she become the child of a murderer?
Thinking of the child of a murderer, Su Tang inevitably thought of her master again. Perhaps around Jiaozi's age, he had lost the person he loved most and became the child of a murderer. She wondered if anyone had mourned for him then like she was mourning for Jiaozi now.
"Su Tang, you stand outside the classroom! You dare to space out right in front of me? Your attitude is also a problem." The teacher's scolding suddenly pierced Su Tang's ears. Realizing what was happening, and without time to explain, she grabbed her schoolbag, followed the teacher's pointed finger, and strode out of the classroom.
The weather was nice today. Since she was already out, why not go see Jiaozi!
With this thought, Su Tang ran towards the school gate without looking back.
Jiaozi was not as sad and haggard as Su Tang imagined. Unaware that her most concerned little friend, Su Tang, was on her way to her house, she was currently sitting opposite her father, staring blankly with an expression of disbelief.
Ever since Liao Yuan surrendered and confessed, the lawyers hired by the family hadn't brought any good news. The legal counsel for the group company, by leveraging connections, had successfully obtained a note from a helpless high-ranking official, using the excuse that "as the leading enterprise in the city, Fengdian Company must provide an explanation for the departure of key leaders." They then visited Liao Yuan in prison and coldly demanded that he clarify the inheritance of his shares.
"Nonsense! Your master is the worst person! He's the son of the CEO of the An Corporation. Don't think I don't know that An Corporation is planning to acquire our Fengdian. Otherwise, why would someone like your master, who would have known my mother was a murderer long ago, delay his actions? It's all about profit! He wanted to wait for my father and mother to seize power so that he could further control them, and then An Corporation would seize the opportunity to completely swallow us..." Jiaozi spoke wildly. "What a scheme! Your master is just a common man. It's a pity you don't know. No wonder you'll never get anything. Your master will kick you away like a piece of trash, just like me, just like me..."
It was only at this moment that Su Tang suddenly realized Jiaozi had gone mad.
Picking up her backpack, she opened the door, and without a word, Su Tang fled downstairs as if running away.
In the living room downstairs, Yang Jie looked helpless.
"Don't listen to the child's nonsense. She's just having trouble accepting it," Yang Jie said, stepping forward to comfort Su Tang, who was visibly frightened. "Your master is also a good person. Don't wrong him. Study hard, live well, and everything will get better."
Su Tang naturally couldn't listen to Yang Jie's comfort. At this moment, all she wanted was to leave.
Jiaozi's words, though frightening, were not enough to make Su Tang terrified.
What truly scared her was something she saw on Jiaozi's bed—something she shouldn't have seen.
On her way home, Su Tang walked and thought. She stopped at a crossroads, and a helpless smile appeared on her usually tense face.
"Heavens, Master, what kind of troublesome case have you taken on!" From terror to confusion, and then to a smile, Su Tang looked at the darkening sky and realized it was about to rain. She murmured to herself, "Alas, it looks like this detective will have to step in again. Master, don't blame me, you weren't considerate enough this time..."