Chapter 42 You Must Be Suffering So Much

Yu Dachang felt somewhat surprised; this was proving to be far too smooth.

He had originally anticipated that at least three vehicles would remain.

His next step was intended to be investigating the specific reasons why these external vehicles entered the residential complex in order to pinpoint the final target.

Now, however, that step was bypassed entirely.

"Are you sure there are no omissions?" Yu Dachang was still slightly uneasy.

"Don't worry, I deliberately reviewed it from the beginning before calling you." Lü Zhongxin's voice sounded extremely confident.

"Since the incident occurred on a Tuesday, vehicle traffic in and out was naturally sparse."

"And you narrowed the timeframe to within half an hour; only two vehicles entered or left the complex during that window."

"One of them was a taxi, so only that single vehicle fits the criteria."

"I've already pulled the vehicle owner's information. Do you want me to go make the arrest right now?"

Then there's no mistake... Yu Dachang breathed a sigh of relief.

He trusted Lü Zhongxin's competence; there was no way he would bungle the job.

As for making the arrest...

It wasn't time yet.

"Bring the case file back to the detachment first," Yu Dachang commanded in an authoritative tone.

"Wait for my word on the next move."

The car owner was not the real culprit, so he couldn't be arrested just yet... He would never do anything that amounted to startling the snake in the grass.

The true killer must share some close relationship with this external accomplice; the moment they made an arrest, the murderer would undoubtedly be alerted.

If the suspect was spooked and managed to escape, it would spell serious trouble.

Twenty minutes later, Yu Dachang met Lü Zhongxin back at the detachment.

"This is the vehicle owner's profile."

As soon as they met, Lü Zhongxin handed over a document.

Yu Dachang took it and quickly flipped through the pages.

Zhou Hongfu, male, 44 years old, occupation: construction contractor, residing at Building 7, Shanshui Yicheng Residential Compound...

"Shanshui Yicheng?" Yu Dachang felt as though he had seen those four characters somewhere before.

Lü Zhongxin also chimed in:

"Why does that sound a bit familiar?"

Yu Dachang ransacked his memory for the places he had visited over the past few days.

He was certain he had seen the name "Shanshui Yicheng" somewhere.

"I must have a pig's brain." Yu Dachang slapped his own thigh.

What was the point of racking his brain? He could simply look up the compound's name online.

Entering the office reserved for the special investigation team, Yu Dachang typed "Shanshui Yicheng" into the search engine.

A residential compound featuring a luxurious, imposing main gate and a classic, elegant exterior appeared on the screen.

Upon seeing those four words in the picture, Yu Dachang finally remembered.

They had passed by this compound yesterday on their way to Zhang Yan's home.

Because his mind had been preoccupied at the time, Yu Dachang had only glanced at it casually without paying much attention.

Now that he thought about it, that compound was located from Zhang Yan's home...

It was separated by merely a single street!

Everything aligned; Zhou Hongfu was that external accomplice.

"Master, go immediately to the detachment leadership and arrange for someone to keep tabs on this Zhou Hongfu," Yu Dachang said swiftly.

"He is a prime suspect."

"Got it, I'm going right now." Having taken only two steps toward the door, Lü Zhongxin turned back:

"Why not just bring him in directly?"

He believed that bringing the suspect in for direct interrogation would be simpler and more efficient, while also preventing any unforeseen complications.

Lü Zhongxin understood the principle of protracted nights bringing many dreams better than anyone.

"Because he is not the real killer," Yu Dachang explained.

"You haven't read the new crime scene investigation report yet. Aside from Zhang Yan and her parents, there are footprints belonging to two other people."

"The person who actually committed the murder is someone else."

Lü Zhongxin unconsciously scratched the back of his head.

Why was it itching so much?

By merely reading a crime scene report, you could determine who the real killer was and who the accomplice was?

If time wasn't so tight and the task so pressing, he really would have liked to thoroughly question Yu Dachang: Where on earth did you learn this trick?

Another day passed.

Only Yu Dachang and Qian Cheng remained inside the special investigation team's office.

Lü Zhongxin and another team member had taken a detail to monitor Zhou Hongfu.

The two team members investigating out of town were driving back and were expected to arrive at the detachment before noon.

The two team members staked out opposite the victims' home had only called him once over the past two days.

A man in his thirties had entered Zhang Yan's home.

Upon hearing the team members' physical description of the man, Yu Dachang instantly deduced that he was the biological younger brother mentioned by Zhang Yan's mother.

In other words, Zhang Yan's maternal uncle.

Because the uncle had visited once before, Yu Dachang had previously harbored suspicions about him.

To that end, he had specifically instructed Qian Cheng to pull the uncle's files, but after a single glance, Yu Dachang had ruled him out.

The social connections and personal information of Zhang Yan's uncle were exceedingly simple; the only complicated aspect was... his medical history.

Diabetes, glaucoma, atherosclerosis, polyneuritis, recurrent urethritis, and so on and so forth~

It took Yu Dachang a full two minutes just to read through the medical terminology of those ailments.

That such a person was still alive and capable of moving around independently was already a medical miracle.

He even felt that if a physical confrontation broke out, this uncle probably couldn't even beat his own niece.

Furthermore, Zhang Yan's uncle had no motive for murder.

Defying reason, lacking motive, frail and sickly... With all these conditions combined, Yu Dachang concluded that the uncle's visit to the home stemmed purely from concern for his sister.

Had it not been for the regular care and financial support provided by Zhang Yan's mother, the uncle would likely have passed away long ago.

Now, all Yu Dachang could do was wait.

"Everything that can be done has been done."

Standing by the window and gazing in the direction of Zhang Yan's home, he muttered to himself:

"Counting from the day you committed the act, today makes twelve days."

"You must already know the news that Kong Lingjie's attempt to take the fall failed."

"Right now, every single minute must be agonizing for you."

"Even every cell in your body is warning you not to show your face, yet you still want to go take a look."

"Even if it's just to catch a fleeting glimpse."

"For the past two days, you've been calculating, trying to figure out at which exact step your plan went wrong."

"You are gripped by panic because you know that was your only chance to escape the law."

"You aren't afraid of the police knocking on your door; you've even figured out how to handle police questioning."

"Oh right, you'll also fabricate an alibi for yourself, just like Kong Lingjie in the previous life."

"Deep down, the only thing you can't let go of is the crime scene."

"Because time was rushed, you couldn't clean it up completely and could only wipe away your fingerprints."

"With your professional knowledge, you know the forensics team will inevitably find clues when they arrive at the scene."

"So... you can't hold out any longer."

"In the previous life, you forced a dedicated, conscientious veteran detective to leap off a bridge."

"In this life, I am going to grind you down, making you restless, stripping away your peace of mind, robbing you of sleep night after night..."

"That hardly seems by-the-book~"

"No matter. Let me be self-indulgent just this once."

"Consider it done for the sake of my master from the past life, and for my past self who felt such bitter remorse."

"I am going to snap that tight string inside your brain!"

Qian Cheng sat in front of the computer, turning his head from time to time to glance at Yu Dachang standing by the window.

He could faintly hear the other man murmuring something under his breath.

The words were unintelligible, but judging by his profile, one could clearly sense a feeling of ease, pleasure, and anticipation.

What was he thinking about?

How could he wear such a strange expression?

"What were you muttering to yourself just now?" Qian Cheng couldn't help asking.

He found Yu Dachang extremely peculiar right now.

Clearly, the case hadn't been solved yet, and everyone else was working themselves to the bone, stressed to the limit.

Yet this chubby guy actually had the leisure to enjoy the scenery, and his mood seemed quite pleasant to boot.

"It's nothing," Yu Dachang replied perfunctorily.

He was indeed feeling very relaxed right now.

Every extra minute it dragged on meant the perpetrator suffered another minute of torment.

Yu Dachang was even relishing this moment, as he savored the thrill of a victor and the exquisite pleasure of watching his enemy suffer a fate worse than death.

His cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen, a trace of a smile crossing his face.

Answering the call, an anxious voice immediately came through the receiver:

"Someone just went into Zhang Yan's home, a young man..."

Yu Dachang immediately cut in:

"Keep your eyes on him!"

"No, listen to me finish first." The team member on the other end spoke with a hint of hesitation and uncertainty:

"That person is wearing a police uniform."