Chapter 52
Ren Yi originally thought that being a firefighter was tough enough—barely any vacations, on call 24 hours a day. But after spending some time with Gong Yingxian, he realized that police work, especially for detectives, was no better. Most of the time, firefighters stay at the station, with actual emergency calls being relatively rare. On the other hand, police officers, especially detectives, hardly ever have a break from overtime.SiShDuAWVzYJplQbFDQWUDwRYXQkmJ
myOSbzBQvjKFktNIt was almost nine o’clock, but Gong Yingxian still had to rush back to the precinct for more work.QfspbmVKLQzLiJwWtJGNlkBAaJqzxB
kbJetPLaJJEXiUPRen Yi teased him, “You know, for a rich second-gen kid, you work harder than me and for a lower salary. I often think about you, it’s just too funny.”XTZpLqvHsjZsmPSHsWvJKNGghuRCih
XGDIrJqwkIpPyxt“You think about me often?” Gong Yingxian stared at Ren Yi.zNthbxmezzAcKtQZhrgRUOEUOplYrq
aFjNdYwcqChBFVeRen Yi didn’t expect Gong Yingxian to latch onto that part of his sentence so uniquely. Recalling his earlier embarrassment in the bathroom, Ren Yi decided he couldn’t back down now. He blinked at Gong Yingxian playfully and said, “Yeah, I think about you a lot.”HCvrRUrgHmucGDPoZtyxqsjpWHvRdw
OcmpeyFNuCDPkwC“What do you think about?” Gong Yingxian asked seriously.ESWvpvsSutPaEdOGWknAJxvRegBMfU
phVhEraifdxTfcs“… Just random thoughts.” Ren Yi walked over to the car door, tilting his head toward Gong Yingxian. “So, do you think about me often too?”ftYLcBCJyneGtFoXgkpxhkLcfSuhQJ
QKrvGCkaLYhMBgQGong Yingxian nodded, “Yes.”SwEyNiysFZAneUgnWFsAytvfiiaqia
tcUfEVZyPvcdNAYRen Yi’s breath quickened, “And what do you think about?”PUakQaIyAwFkdEjmVxezFwHXUbScjV
IUNLGcVGugyNCSE“I think… you’re a strange person.”jpNItPMYaklSSqABxxqcxFGoczcAmx
FQzyiLOVrVWBMtR“What’s so strange about me?”xJkIacvuiMphQhJlItUMRTCwjiRRJM
CifdxmZJwWPbTFLGong Yingxian hesitated for a moment, “You’re strange in a way that’s different from everyone else.”ZqXQLYBBMsOhheVDqOrgxfnJTdmCWo
kfHFLxwNPtlrFIc“You mean I’m special, right?” Ren Yi grinned at Gong Yingxian.yMlOMrIreiLJkVGJWsfndnIOcAigAs
gieCAcjQQksiveOFor some reason, an image of Ren Yi’s bare back—what Gong Yingxian considered an attractive back—flashed in his mind. Yes, Ren Yi really was special. He gave a quiet “mm” in response.FpXGfEmoxMJEDDdnclFaRQJdcyhBrs
OekDIMJHFhyeQcaRen Yi’s heart leapt with joy. Even in this cryptic exchange, he found sweetness in every word. He knew that in Gong Yingxian’s eyes, he was becoming more and more unique, bit by bit, which was already an indescribable satisfaction for him.NRZIESBtEZixpIjEgUqoTAHCMyifRk
rhBeqRgxuJnveGlAs they reached the car, Ren Yi said, “You should drive today.” He was actually exhausted, having spent the whole afternoon in strenuous physical activity and only eaten a single boxed meal. But he didn’t want Gong Yingxian to notice; he just wanted to uncover the truth behind the arson case in Wanyuan District as soon as possible.cXoQjpXklQXQVVmBmPMfgaCvhSTrBo
sKtVGpqrHFghQsnHowever, Gong Yingxian noticed anyway. “What’s wrong? Are you tired?”AFjZntaZcUVOWslEHcElqeRuQBVhYO
RJiHQkBcVoJpvzN“No, it’s just the injury on my neck. It hurts a little when I raise my arm.”NbZfQUHmDFBRkXPXSseUkkmyFAObHl
fHJOSoAHYsfgROJGong Yingxian frowned. “I don’t know what you went through this afternoon, but if you’re too tired, don’t come along.”yBQLpUCQBVAsUOkIVNGUFelHOIOwYC
DbtMjxkKKIYiwnORen Yi smiled, “Really, I’m fine. Let’s go.”bLljomfIyTKKBJNDlbTJMtsyYXdJGf
kxDwTRqODmzCSFlOn the way, Gong Yingxian started talking about the case, “You wouldn’t believe how unexpectedly this case is developing.”jjCKqecLGtwJnmXIgNRJolQWYzJsBx
qCakWnUoxLDJriJ“What’s going on?” Ren Yi’s curiosity was immediately piqued.ilVJOusRtGaxbZpwDuGoBCaGvaUXeW
FWUwfmTBhrgsNuX“We suspect Peng Fei, but we don’t have any solid evidence. So I asked my colleagues in forensics to analyze all the trash I collected from the scene.”EuNftyIXRupJJRGJtMFobBGwpzmmhd
PGKLeOKRbOpAXcF“That sounds like a huge task.”kkeUKyOKLCaMSQwYptGAPaOMcJXTsH
CnNiHeetddKaYvb“It’s not as much as you’d think. Most of it was too badly damaged by the fire to be of any use. But you remember the electric toothbrush head and the coffee grounds I mentioned to you, right?”HewcTBcHprDcKNipIjsLiqwKcMQBFQ
cbNTenDefXeFUDy“I remember.”kQSISrWJFXUqzuzBYjsoeRwTJcHHVK
iccnUNSzhqrpttp“First of all, your fire investigation method helped us narrow down the suspects to five households on the west side. Secondly, those two items played a big role.” Gong Yingxian’s face showed a hint of pride. “We extracted DNA from the toothbrush, and we identified the type and brand of the coffee grounds. Out of the five households, only two have coffee machines.”HjwuvHUpKfLpvUWGkXOhOeChkgckyr
RjhDtikjMYmlKqf“So, who owns the toothbrush and the coffee?”bibSlClhkVNldrbYGaZWDRUGKcqvtm
EpuoiPIOUfgxome“We couldn’t conduct a DNA comparison without consent, so one of my colleagues staked out the building for two days. He collected trash from all the households on that floor’s west side and found the owner of the toothbrush—2208, the apartment next to 2209.”BmLmFvqIWfkhGVQfYKBMQYhbrDhweR
TeCukKulCTghlNQRen Yi suddenly made the connection. “Are you saying the trash in front of 2209 might not belong to them, but could have been from one of the other five?”dIfJxeNxziaQjaROdmHMCWsCIPsuYQ
nMDTftoyCEFWDIB“We can currently prove it came from two households. We also discovered that Peng Fei’s family owns a coffee machine. We checked his online shopping records and found that he indeed bought the same brand of coffee.”HAPLpJtdssvyjoPcehJKcTpmiWtTZM
xngpCYOIxkfysVNRen Yi said excitedly, “There’s no way he can deny it now!”MGtAhGBRuiBrxNHJIsKAZFFDVuYdvu
ufNBRmYIsdWnVJtGong Yingxian sneered. “When we presented this evidence, both suspects admitted it. But they both claimed they were just retaliating—dumping trash at 2209’s door out of spite. They deny any involvement in the arson. We haven’t questioned the other households yet.”GQBJEgchAvuGopdAbBUItzNBmNNwEO
hZjEEOAyHfzsGpcRen Yi gasped. The deeper the investigation went, the more unsettling the truth became. “So what’s your plan?”rmEszmvhfwgFexGOgqgcytJEgpIlWg
yhpbZUTqsCvJiXqGong Yingxian said, “Do you remember which of the six households on the west side, besides 2209, had a fatality?”whtXxALzCKOIoBDtHiqmUUCRINaEFA
cVrcxjrCFaWrNLz“The second-to-last one, I think,” Ren Yi recalled. “The last one is Peng Fei’s, 2212, and in 2211, an elderly person died.”rHbloiZqxAhzWcrBHKrDgtzznUMPQf
tHpSNZiYESZPwwT“Exactly. We’re planning to start with her household. You’ll meet the owner of 2211 soon,” Gong Yingxian said. “Also, the more we investigate, the more suspicious I am of Peng Fei. I’ve decided to have him take a polygraph test.”DhfTkyIGmDJIjszIPDqQUxfLXdNCSF
CrlbeflnRdQQyAZ“Is a polygraph even reliable?” Ren Yi frowned. “It can only be used as a supplementary tool, and it’s not admissible in court.”ocGDrZNqRVsgNGsXjbQORYcDTNpVrH
TpbMlekiGQhMnst“I know. The polygraph is just a method. I’ve brought in a criminal psychology expert to help us re-evaluate Peng Fei.”McoqbWdISUntzYIuUcyDaYSbkqggqf
KIxVQRbpvLXulbb“Didn’t you say there wasn’t enough evidence and that he didn’t react at all when faced with Zhou Chuan?”fOyXGQnDUEnDWYkqwDgLMqOkAtBlUG
VsxKZXBVjWzblKy“It wasn’t just Zhou Chuan—he didn’t react to Chen Pei either. That only deepens my suspicion. More importantly, right now, we don’t have any better suspects for the arson. Have you heard Sherlock Holmes’ famous quote?”FbNKvhaarjZrLVhuyfgmoOBGewBtoT
vXrWDKjWmwgOTCG“‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'”VGdNHXVSGxtNwcksbLPjHdTliBFlaO
NaaQiDDLDIuFwOa“Exactly. Since we haven’t found any new suspects, I’m going to re-examine Peng Fei as a suspect and review all the evidence we have. If he’s guilty, no matter how well he hides, something will slip.”IzBaFdBAUsYBSTisUffhSeUAWaZESj
EDBwsqxJRhRLpYM“And… what about Chen Pei?” Ren Yi asked, sneaking a glance at Gong Yingxian’s expression when he mentioned the name.UVNvcTKlKiLskWmLNbJAMZwMUeNBcZ
JRKTXRgxhHGQann“I want to clear up the Wanyuan District case first. Besides, he’s not going anywhere.”jyhFFTGDTBHnzwZzZpzKeEJwQvefPR
lFoPvyXnUwDxkzAAs they spoke, the two arrived at the precinct.hlFWeTudqBxvmLQPFxOHnNZVmgRxHt
HGALMAoqvJVrikLCai Qiang was interrogating Zhou Chuan. Ren Yi stood outside the observation room, watching Zhou Chuan, who had gained some weight after just a month in the hospital. The thought of this bastard eating well and being comfortable while the victims’ families likely couldn’t even manage a meal filled Ren Yi with indescribable anger.jQfvpTvbohjcIsiRlyXIIylsxyasUM
xyxxLFIxCmmHNNW“He’s still not talking?” Ren Yi asked.kvkWXVKdqPSPXanVOgjCQJGewjZfIh
imaJqqqGMbxPNCc“He loosened up a bit in the hospital after learning we’d caught Chen Pei. Let’s see if Cai Qiang can get anything out of him today.”QilsDZMTkQQOBioLNifxPRQlQJItgU
YBDIhnOVuYZKpVN“Did he recognize Chen Pei?”jBbQwGCfqIAcoGwYwnFcvyRiakxwIO
xkHgPtOGNGNxImeGong Yingxian shook his head. “They might have known each other online, but they didn’t seem familiar with each other’s appearance.”FQSoSOzqEybiLfuvorlmoBnIDlILPh
UQhdFPLFqLMYaISRen Yi could hear Cai Qiang inside, slamming the table, trying to coax and pressure Zhou Chuan.WVMKRrRbdgRrmTkYgeluUZefPtauYX
ktqVGQqeLldzRVQ“Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet the owner of 2211.”uFUviMDAgIxVwuAAwGOXqUApxlScBB
gXQISLfxrSdgPUbThe two of them arrived outside another interrogation room. Gong Yingxian gestured with his eyes for Ren Yi to take a look through the window on the door.bhLZLjmljeMzUwAqrNwTDDRofLnVKI
KAuLLCeKORUIHGbRen Yi leaned in and peered inside. The owner of 2211 was a woman in her fifties, her head lowered. Even from the slight rise and fall of her shoulders, Ren Yi could sense her unease.YJrQBAbAucNKLQXFhfnXYiddPYeaSy
ppVaMpcVlaFITbH“She hasn’t been detained. We just asked her to cooperate with the investigation. She’s been waiting here for at least three or four hours. If she were just an ordinary victim or an unrelated party, she’d have been angry by now, but look at her—she’s only anxious,” Gong Yingxian said in a low voice.veNuATSMHvTEzofBjzLqdtPyzyfiNP
jYzxDfwnLpXIJNU“Guilty conscience?”WCcgDdtfJiNsLwqnXkjQBbWXYlQQtd
hixEmtGJUYZDWvK“Most likely.” Gong Yingxian pushed open the door and walked in.zSNIckBbvrgjmvruYXVrhUWdDGpcQF
txTdWXLwsTEYCneThe person inside suddenly lifted their head, staring at the two without blinking.SNBjDajeTLVPBYsoESkJAaIKUDsyhA
gekaeSUGKIlGGfd“Ms. Bai,” Gong Yingxian flipped through the documents, “Hello, sorry to keep you waiting.”HhKpTqyZPbAnbjRIULoVBkbRmTyFEz
CuDXiSDvEpprfOrMs. Bai leaned her overweight body back, pressing her back against the chair’s backrest, trying to keep as much distance as possible from Gong Yingxian, who was already seated across the table.JUoxLIvdjVJBDmGTdQUyYMdjCYpJNb
HQimLyQhGXBMUucRen Yi sat beside him.aMNYTfGQheFutOWkZzinltmvaFyBxd
MdBpmOKYZSDqIIKIn a mechanical tone, Gong Yingxian said, “Ms. Bai, my surname is Gong. Thank you for cooperating with our investigation. We have a few questions we hope you can answer truthfully.”amvAoeBHQOEqTMkyWpYCUNDBbjWvEz
pmmIsNuxJqlJWxCMs. Bai took a deep breath. “What do you want to ask? I’ve already told the police everything several times.”jcNtDvqnoTGGRwRWKtPOblTtoEmUrP
SnqCkzYptbykKOpGong Yingxian nodded. “But before, you were speaking from the position of a victim’s family member. Now, things are different.”dpcnusnjmkglpgMWJewGEybTNgxdKO
eDidIEwiFnvJITFMs. Bai glared at Gong Yingxian. “Wh-what do you mean?”IOeSdwmHYtcKfDOfioqVVnorYCQPfG
YbkHMkzavVHFSCw“We have reason and evidence to believe that you, along with four other households on the west side of the 22nd floor, had all thrown trash in front of the door of apartment 2209 before the fire started.”GbfdtEsWQyJfLrdXmHbQjusEqMWJru
quToIqqNmeDGfwKMs. Bai tried to maintain her composure. “Anyway, he liked to pile trash at his door. I threw something out of spite, so what?”uSzvdGOVFukjmnRIvGwfPJqJyEPeFn
iQmGxyEdLrvqlbl“Had you done this before?”DjPzMdiWXIzoGNETUyzayIIYsAHBSU
WVpoSSSNKiaAYqSMs. Bai hesitated, unsure how to answer.RcRbydKgCgqronKzeFgisgKQxMNPgH
wayapvvCAZDWJPv“The woman from apartment 2209 said that you had never done anything like this before, just argued and posted angry notices. So how is it that on the day of the fire, all five of your households simultaneously threw garbage at the door of 2209?”uODEGsUzsICozdXsXXZABOExzFIUoo
HZNvQoDufcBtVCE“… I saw others throwing, so I did too.”TkySVoStTWlQLIcxMLYVqIuEUdglbb
hfsvJCCTUxWOhLt“Who did you see throw it?”LVzrVOiMEJjYTQBOiXarbtFQAcdMkT
sSSDCsEtDOZwSQC“I forget.” Ms. Bai turned her head. “Throwing trash doesn’t mean we set the fire.”HQNMLOVbmapFVhTKYKLppsLhOlGaLk
yPFFSOujEdSRiHU“Mm, but the trash you threw fueled the fire, so you bear some responsibility. As for what that responsibility is, it depends on whether you knew about the arson.”mYlFFFjwvMyFIQFOmSUmIUKyqiEPqa
wdoDHKAMqagUQXm“I didn’t know!” Ms. Bai said, agitated. “I had no idea there would be a fire. If I had known, how could I have let my mother get smoked to death!”CXRnzpiTymGFobFIUgCwFZswNMNLhP
FJxSalckCbVzSWHIn a cold voice, Gong Yingxian said, “Precisely because your mother died from inhaling smoke during the fire, I can’t understand why you would cover for the person who killed her.”yMfCtLDtDxJePPdTVYYMyfrmFxJsQC
KLvEyUBxOMxaPIqMs. Bai’s body trembled, and her eyes began to dart around.TmmwmANYHeeuCEjygztWxWpWUXqTdD
kjEkEwSdcRkNwmL“You know who did it, don’t you? In fact, maybe all of you know. This was a premeditated act of revenge. Perhaps the consequences were more severe than any of you anticipated, and now you’re scared, scared of being implicated, so you don’t dare to tell the truth, am I right?”AlBXZysBorSerwejcfmTzNcGogZCmc
jJfuusZVDWGBxcDRen Yi’s heart skipped a beat. He had already guessed what Gong Yingxian was hinting at while they were in the car, but hearing it said aloud still shocked him. Could this really be a case of collective arson? In all his years on the job, he had never encountered anything like it. No wonder Gong Yingxian had mentioned that the case would take an unexpected turn.JpcqGFJHgqJGJtfXFGmLKWCUryqCjj
rtIlbLsNDCPjTtJMs. Bai shook her head vigorously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Yes, I threw some trash. We neighbors had already discussed it out of spite—he dumped trash, so we dumped it at his door. We were just angry. His whole family was shameless, so we… we threw a few bags of garbage, so what? It wasn’t us who started the fire.”jyalmEfObFQmlldQZDbdKDqDdVIPWh
JCSFPzCvsMpfgiz“You know very well who caused your mother’s death, but because you’re afraid of being held accountable, you won’t say it. If your mother’s spirit is watching from above, she’s seeing everything.”mbJgRplLCHNUOiCTqAWwWotROgrpPd
FDBcowBkVKEMzdlBeads of sweat appeared on Ms. Bai’s forehead.DaypqHVvNdfsVlFXMPfXjBgrpsEdSF
UplMyUguwgJDHXo“Ms. Bai, I understand your concerns. You’re afraid that if you tell the truth, you’ll be seen as an accomplice, unable to answer to the law or your family. Maybe you’ve even been threatened, right?”bmvSXbfdDYWWMbPsxURLtkBhkdvxHt
bGAaJlqzNQOFRGvMs. Bai remained silent.WwdAtlMxIFfFOTrXssLolKWhWjQjpJ
evpIkgsEXpxwmDo“I sympathize with you.” Gong Yingxian leaned forward. “Of the six households on the west side, besides the man from 2209, you’re the only one who lost a loved one. It’s not fair, is it? That man disgusted you for years. Why should your mother pay the price for his death? Why did nothing happen to the other families? Have you slept well this past month? I bet you’ve been living in constant fear, worried that we’d uncover a lead. And look, here we are, at your door.”NXGguzGVgLRxoZXJyUQAinBfArJOnn
fBxlqMQLjUGCEfQMs. Bai’s voice grew shrill. “Stop it! I don’t know anything!”evuJsuZKbksAojgFybwPiMnITDBxVE
gtzciPRkxpkFdgL“You can claim ignorance, but I can still question the others. With so many families involved, if just one of them implicates you all…”NXneLyNKhRhxQBpAZotalRuTGMpXAI
rQJFCUnXEEeueGBMs. Bai stared down at the table, her body stiff with tension.OcmueCxXAgoVUFOGcabUEPsfCTWlPu
udSXiADlnilwvIq“I told you, I feel sorry for you and your mother. That’s why I came to you first, to give you a chance to atone for your mistakes. If you don’t take this chance, can you be sure others won’t? You’re older and have no criminal record. If you cooperate, the law will go easy on you. But if you keep shouldering the blame for someone else—the person who killed your mother—then you’re not just foolish but also unfilial. You’ve already made one grave mistake. Do you really want to make a second?”RhkPLBPVsZUXMhNxwXTwMFdwJzSNtv
cdbsqlkLuuerkDaMs. Bai trembled, and tears began to fall from her reddened eyes.KEOFZJSoCjvuhcLuFMXZcPoMBgmown
tbSnodylFnFiEZihBxqabzwrUBmSFxlZxmKkSnGhyhUbl