Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn’t Seem to Be Acting

It seemed straightforward, but when it came to actually investigating, it was a headache.

Ye Sangsang was in charge of the queries related to Zhou Xue. She looked through his resume, contacted the school, and confirmed which organization had sponsored him.

This organization was a local charity in their city, specifically helping underprivileged families and promising young students.

They had a special program for supporting talented students, called the Flower Project.

The Flower Project had been running for ten years, one of the earliest charity initiatives in Zhongzhou, and was said to be backed by the Yuancheng Chamber of Commerce.

Ye Sangsang contacted the Flower Project's coordinator to obtain details about the sponsorship for Zhou Xue and Ye Hua, including the duration and reasons behind it.

Next, she requested Ye Hua's call records to confirm the frequency of their meetings.

Their last contact was three days ago, just two days before Ye Hua's death.

Ye Sangsang drove to investigate the place mentioned, confirming that Ye Hua and Zhou Xue had indeed spent the night drinking together, leaving inebriated.

Their relationship seemed genuine, and Ye Hua's death did not benefit Zhou Xue in any tangible way.

The contradiction lay in the conflicting reasons Yu Qingqing and Ye Hua had argued about.

As Ye Sangsang pondered, Yang Hao entered with Ye Hua's bank statements.

The papers were spread between them, and Ye Sangsang flipped through them carefully.

The records were simple: royalties were deposited into the account.

Some were withdrawn in cash—most people still used cash, as online payments weren't widely adopted—likely for daily expenses.

The rest was sent to the charity organization that had sponsored Zhou Xue, every month without fail.

Ye Hua's royalties were substantial, befitting his status as a suspense writer.

However, financially, they did not live as well as they appeared.

Their lifestyle was not as affluent as it seemed on the surface.

The last royalty deposit had been two years ago. Given their dwindling financial situation, it was reasonable that Yu Qingqing and Ye Hua argued over finances.

Yang Hao looked surprised: "There isn't much money in the account, but the monthly donations haven't stopped. Is he that committed to charity? With those royalties, no wonder they could afford a villa. But looking at this, if I were Yu Qingqing, I'd definitely try to stop the donations."

Not that they didn't have goodwill, but survival came first. Yang Hao tended to believe Yu Qingqing's side of the story.

Ye Sangsang frowned, showing a momentary look of doubt. "Yu Qingqing seems... off. All concrete evidence points to Zhou Xue, yet she comes out completely clean, too clean..."

For now, both parties seemed truthful, but Ye Sangsang couldn't be sure if either was hiding something.

As for Zhou Ya, if he had a mental illness, he might not need a motive to kill; he might act on impulse.

Ye Sangsang pondered, feeling there was more she didn't know.

Her fingers tapped the documents as she picked up the files on Zhou Xue and Yu Qingqing, which were quite different.

Zhou Xue hailed from a poverty-stricken town, barely able to eat in his early years. Without sponsorship, he would have followed his brother's path after finishing compulsory education, working in construction.

The photos showed a quiet, handsome young man, with an air of youthfulness. If he were fairer, he would fit the era's ideal of a "flower boy." However, his expression in the photos was somewhat hesitant, lips pressed together, not meeting the camera's gaze—likely his first time in front of a lens.

He wasn't wearing glasses, possibly because he wasn't nearsighted then.

Later, he performed well in his local high school, scoring well enough to enter Yuancheng University, graduating only two years ago, thirteen years younger than his brother.

His internship was at a local publishing house, which led to a full-time editor position, and eventually, he became Ye Hua's editor.

During his university years, he was quite active, even serving as the basketball club president.

The photos were from when he was about sixteen. Ye Sangsang stared at the documents with her usual sharp gaze.

She picked up her phone, tapped the camera button, and aimed it at Yang Hao.

"Click."

The sound of the shutter startled Yang Hao. Confused, he didn't speak, sensing Ye Sangsang was deep in thought.

After taking the photo, Ye Sangsang examined it closely, frowning slightly.

Then she looked up and said, "Stand up."

Yang Hao, a cooperative young police officer, complied, though puzzled by Ye Sangsang's request.

Ye Sangsang prompted, "Smile at me."

Yang Hao obliged, smiling at her.

She continued directing him, and Yang Hao followed suit, suppressing his curiosity.

After three minutes, Yang Hao's expression shifted to one of helplessness and frustration.

"Alright," Ye Sangsang said, frowning as she put down her phone. Perhaps she was overanalyzing; maybe people inexperienced with photos look this way.

But something felt off about Zhou Xue's photo.

Unable to figure it out, Ye Sangsang set aside the documents and picked up Yu Qingqing's file.

Yu Qingqing's background was smoother. Her parents were teachers, and she graduated from a vocational college, which was a respectable achievement in that era.

After graduation, instead of working, she immediately started a relationship with the nine-years-older Ye Hua.

It was said to be love at first sight, a headlong rush into his arms.

A beautiful woman and a talented man, making a good match.

They had been married for five years, with no children, likely embracing the increasingly popular "DINK" lifestyle.

The files showed they rarely argued, leading a wealthy, harmonious life in others' eyes.

Given the lack of Yu Qingqing's presence at the scene and her flawless alibi, Ye Sangsang rubbed her temples. If one of them were guilty, it would take significant effort to catch them.

"Sigh, I can't see anything, Director Ye. Where's the breakthrough?" Yang Hao said, pressing his hand to his forehead.

After skimming Ye Hua's records, he saw nothing unusual—occasional business trips, vacations for inspiration, or gatherings with friends, the rest spent in their villa.

Economically and socially, everything appeared normal.

Ye Sangsang stood up. "What if we assume everyone is the murderer? If the three collaborated, framing Zhou Ya, the supposed 'psychopath,' and then clearing his name, it could be a perfect murder."

[New perspective opened up.]

[Yes! Maybe Ye Hua's death is linked to all of them!]

[I wonder why they would go through with it—on the surface, they didn't seem to have major conflicts.]

The live stream viewers buzzed with discussion.

Yang Hao echoed, "All three are murderers?"

"Yes, if all three did it, it would maximize their gains," Ye Sangsang replied directly.

Ye Hua's death left Yu Qingqing with his substantial real estate holdings.

And by doing this, they all could escape conviction, perfect.

But a critical question remained: why would Zhou Xue participate? This theory lacked a foundation.

Yang Hao paused. "Hypothetically, let's say Zhou Xue could control Zhou Ya, and Yu Qingqing wanted to kill her husband. They could have teamed up—but why would Zhou Xue take such a risk?"

Was it for money? But with just two houses and a couple of thousand in the bank, was it worth it?

Ye Sangsang considered for a moment and decided to table the thought, as it lacked solid evidence.

There was still a major mystery: Why would Zhou Ya, or perhaps Zhou Xue, kill Yu Qingqing?

Ye Sangsang checked the time; it was the third day.

They had called the local police station in the victim's hometown two days ago to notify the family. Given the distance between the two cities, the family should arrive by this afternoon to identify the body.

Thinking of them, she saw a colleague enter, announcing that the victim's family had arrived.

The deceased was already unrecognizable. She walked out, reminding them to prepare themselves mentally.

The visitors included the parents of the deceased and the husband who had beaten her away.

The deceased's parents, walking at the front, wore expressions of grief, while the husband following behind showed a sense of indifference. It seemed he didn't care much about the woman's life or death.

According to the construction site manager, the woman had fled her hometown because she couldn't take the beatings anymore.

The deceased was around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. It was fortunate that they didn't have children.

Ye Sangsang and Yang Hao led them to the place where the body was kept. First, the family members had to identify the deceased, followed by DNA testing to confirm the identity.

As they entered the room, the middle-aged couple stepped forward, supported by each other.

Ye Sangsang, wearing a mask and gloves, lifted the coverings from the deceased's face and then the rest of the body.

Because the body had been well-preserved in the concrete, it hadn't completely decomposed. Some facial features were still faintly visible, though the flesh was mangled and quite terrifying.

The two who approached to view the body forced themselves to endure the stench and the horrific state of decomposition. They also examined the height, hands, legs, and clothing.

In this era, people tended to be frugal, especially in ordinary households. Money was tight, so they couldn't afford many clothes.

Thus, clothing was sometimes a key factor in identifying a body.

Due to the horrifying state of the corpse, all three—the couple and the husband who occasionally peeked in—couldn't help but rush out to vomit repeatedly.

This was a physiological reaction, unrelated to emotion.

After carefully observing, Ye Sangsang covered the body with a white sheet and led the three out, then asked them, "Well, is she your daughter?"

In fact, Ye Sangsang hadn't fully believed this was the woman who had gone missing from the construction site. It was just a coincidence that she knew Zhou Ya, and the age fit. Zhou Ya had said it was her.

But fundamentally, Zhou Ya's words shouldn't be trusted.

That's why she had contacted them to identify the body. If confirmed, they would proceed with DNA testing to determine if the deceased was indeed the woman who had gone missing from the construction site.

The first to speak was the middle-aged woman who had been crying earlier. After thinking carefully, she shook her head. "No, I know my daughter well. This corpse doesn't look like her."

The middle-aged man beside her hesitated, not quite sure. He looked like he wanted to say something, then muttered, "She never wore skirts."

The husband spoke up. "I’m sure it's not her. I once broke her right leg, and we even went to the hospital for treatment. But this left leg doesn't show any signs of fracture. Since this isn't my wife, you police must find her for me! It wasn't easy for me to marry this woman.

The husband's words made the middle-aged couple's faces turn pale, but after muttering a few times, they still didn't speak. In their view, once a daughter is married, she belongs to someone else's family. Whether she’s beaten or scolded is a matter between husband and wife.

Ye Sangsang looked at him coldly. "We only investigate the dead. If you want to find your wife, do it yourself."

After sending them away, Ye Sangsang's expression showed a hint of confusion.

If this wasn't the missing woman, then where had she gone?

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment and contacted the construction site manager, asking for phone numbers of workers familiar with the woman.

She questioned them carefully and soon sighed helplessly.

One of the female workers revealed that the woman had actually gone to another province to work in a factory. A fellow villager had told her husband that she was there.

Hearing the news, the woman had fled without even daring to take her luggage, only taking some money and leaving overnight.

She had previously kept quiet out of fear of getting into trouble and gave Ye Sangsang the woman's new phone number.

Feeling somewhat apologetic for causing the police extra trouble, she expressed her regret.

Even though Ye Sangsang hadn't encountered such a situation before, she knew that cases like this were common. There were always people who couldn't communicate properly.

After hanging up, Ye Sangsang began searching for the identity of this corpse.

She compared it with other missing persons to see if there was a match, ensuring someone could identify the body.

There were no identifying items on the corpse. The death occurred three months ago, and most of the surveillance footage was no longer available.

They had to rely on this tedious method.

Recalling that she could do forensic sketching, Ye Sangsang found a pencil and some paper, then began reconstructing the deceased's appearance from memory.

Yang Hao, who was beside her, was stunned. "Sister Lan can do this?"

Ye Sangsang explained that she had learned it in her leisure time.

After half an hour, Ye Sangsang produced a sketch.

After comparing it with missing persons, they found no matches.

Not giving up, the two immediately took the sketch and headed to the area where the victim had been found to conduct interviews.

If Ye Sangsang hadn't guessed wrong, the person should have lived nearby. There were few people out at night, so if she wasn't from the area, it was unlikely she would have walked such a distance.

If she had taken a taxi from afar, she wouldn't have needed to get off near the construction site, as it was quite dangerous.

After asking several streets, no one recognized the sketch.

It wasn't until they headed towards the university district that they finally found someone who recognized it at a hotel.

Ye Sangsang secured the sketch and asked, "Do you recognize her?"

The receptionist nodded. "Yes, she was a university student nearby. She once came here to book a room with someone. Because of the age difference and some conflicts we had, I remember it clearly."

Ye Sangsang smiled slightly. "Does the hotel have their identification information?"

Facing the police, the receptionist nodded confidently. After all, nowadays, booking a hotel required registering identification information, and they had come more than once.

She pulled out a thick manual registration book, flipping through it for a while until she found an entry from about four months ago.

"That's her," the receptionist pointed at the name.

Ye Sangsang quickly took out her phone and snapped a photo, then memorized the name and ID number.

"Did she commit a crime?" the receptionist asked curiously.

Ye Sangsang's gaze fixed on her.

The receptionist immediately fell silent, realizing that she shouldn't have asked. In the past, she hadn't questioned police when they came, but this time, she couldn't suppress her curiosity about what had happened to the woman.

After obtaining the possible identity information of the deceased, Ye Sangsang continued to inquire about the man who had accompanied her, including his name and identity information.

The receptionist cooperated fully, pointing to the entry below.

Ye Sangsang took a photo of it and thanked the receptionist before leaving.

Back at the station, they began verifying whether this was indeed the girl. Using the ID number, Ye Sangsang accessed the deceased's full identity information.

The girl's name was Ning Yuanyuan, and she was a year younger than previously estimated, currently twenty-two years old. She was a senior at Yuancheng University.

As for the other ID number, it belonged to a middle-aged man.

However, Ning Yuanyuan was a student at Yuancheng University.

This was Zhou Xue’s alma mater. It seemed there were no completely unrelated people, only information yet to be discovered.

Everything indicated that the three individuals were connected.

Ye Sangsang began investigating Ning Yuanyuan's social relationships. It was very unusual that her family hadn't reported her missing, as they couldn't get in touch with her.

Using the number Ning Yuanyuan had left behind, Ye Sangsang called the village phone of Ning Yuanyuan's mother.

After a long wait, someone finally picked up. Ye Sangsang informed them to come to the Criminal Investigation Brigade in Yuancheng.

The person on the other end hesitated, asking if Ning Yuanyuan had done something wrong. Ye Sangsang paused and then informed them that they were coming to identify a body.

A call that took nearly half an hour to get through made it clear why the family hadn't reported her missing. Contacting them required money, and they probably wouldn't actively spend it to reach out to their daughter.

But how to explain the situation at the school?

After notifying them, Ye Sangsang headed to Yuancheng University.

She stopped by the university area to grab some food, ensuring her body wasn't left in a state of hunger.

Arriving at 5:30 PM, most students had finished their classes, and the campus was filled with people.

Ye Sangsang located Ning Yuanyuan's college and, through the counselor, obtained information about her dormitory.

Of course, the counselor couldn’t avoid being questioned by Ye Sangsang. However, as the identity hadn't been fully confirmed, Ye Sangsang didn't elaborate on what had happened to Ning Yuanyuan.

The counselor managed many students. She had only heard that Ning Yuanyuan had gone out to look for a job. Since the second half of her senior year had few classes, she hadn't paid much attention to where Ning Yuanyuan had gone or what she had been doing.

Ye Sangsang then moved on to the dormitory. Only two girls remained; the third, having a local home, had already returned.

"Do you know who Ning Yuanyuan usually hung out with?" Ye Sangsang sat down and asked the two.

The two girls, knowing that Ye Sangsang and Yang Hao were police officers, sat upright and straight.

The thinner girl adjusted her glasses and said, "Actually, from the very beginning when she moved into our dorm, she didn't seem very interested in getting along with us. She's pretty and cold, and initially, we wanted to build a good relationship, but over time, we grew tired of trying to warm up to her."

The other girl nodded vigorously, her expression tense, clearly showing the nervousness one would naturally feel when facing the police.

"Did you ever see her get close to anyone? Any rumors, that sort of thing?" Ye Sangsang asked, although the question seemed similar, the underlying meaning was different.

The other girl scratched her head and then shook it.

The girl who had just spoken thought for a moment, "One of our other roommates mentioned seeing a car pick up Ning Yuanyuan. There were rumors on the school forum that Ning Yuanyuan seemed to know someone wealthy and was possibly being kept by him. But these were just rumors, we didn’t know for sure."

"Could it be that her family was well-off?" Yang Hao asked.

This was a question Ye Sangsang had deliberately asked.

The girl almost immediately shook her head, "How could that be? Ning Yuanyuan didn’t even have a phone when she first arrived on campus, and she dressed and ate very poorly. It was clear her family wasn’t well-off."

Ye Sangsang nodded, taking out a business card. "Thank you, this is my number. If you think of anything else, feel free to call us."

The girl nodded and accepted the card with both hands.

She looked at Ye Sangsang, wanting to ask something but hesitated, likely knowing that Ye Sangsang wouldn’t answer.

After gathering this information, Ye Sangsang skipped ahead in the timeline, waiting for Ning Yuanyuan’s parents to come and identify the body.

To her surprise, it wasn’t Ning Yuanyuan’s parents who arrived, but her brother. He explained that they were busy harvesting rapeseed oil at home and couldn’t make it, so he came instead.

The fact that the girl was not valued highly by her family, while surprising to Ye Sangsang, wasn’t entirely shocking given the times.

She led him to identify the body, and he quickly confirmed it was Ning Yuanyuan.

The brother seemed somewhat sad, and Ye Sangsang asked a few questions, getting the answers she needed before asking the parents to come for a DNA test.

The brother agreed and, after leaving, made a phone call.

Ning Yuanyuan had one more thing in common with Zhou Xue: both had received scholarships. Otherwise, given their families' attitudes, neither would have been allowed to attend university.

Supporting a college student was a heavy burden for families of that era, even with government grants, scholarships, and financial aid.

In the minds of many parents at the time, spending money on a girl’s education was seen as a "losing proposition" because they believed she would marry into another family, bear children for others, and they wouldn’t receive any benefit from it.

Ye Sangsang understood the logic behind this mindset, and while it should have been coldly rational, she felt a bit of complexity in her heart.

"Sangsang, about the person who was with Ning Yuanyuan when she checked into the hotel..." Yang Hao asked.

Ye Sangsang replied, "We need to find that person and see who it really is."

They went to the address associated with the ID card, but the results weren’t what they expected.

The person whose ID was used was a bedridden patient who had sold his ID a few years ago for 100 yuan.

As for who bought the ID, the person said they couldn’t remember.

The trail went cold.

Ye Sangsang, however, thought of the description the hotel staff had given of the man. He must have been somewhat wealthy and influential, otherwise Ning Yuanyuan wouldn't have chosen him.

Why had he killed Ning Yuanyuan? Had she angered him, or had she done something?

She felt that understanding why Ning Yuanyuan died was a crucial clue.

At that moment, a colleague ran over, "Sangsang, Zhou Ya is having a fit, he's acting erratic in the detention room."

Hearing this, Ye Sangsang immediately stood up.

What she had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Earlier, she had felt that the lead regarding Zhou Ya had gone cold, so she hadn’t pushed further, because in his semi-conscious state, he wouldn’t reveal anything.

As Zhou Xue’s brother, Zhou Ya wouldn’t divulge any information to the police, only admitting everything was his own doing.

Killing someone while having a mental illness made the case not only reasonable but also didn’t require a motive.

Ye Sangsang stood up, "Let's go, let's go ask him!"

She knew that he was likely lost in his own world. What she had been waiting for was his fit.

Because of hallucinations, if she used the right approach, he might reveal some unexpected clues.

Interrogating a mentally ill person, Ye Sangsang wasn’t sure if it would achieve the desired result, but if she didn’t try, she’d get nothing.

Before going in, she had already thought of a breakthrough.

Interestingly, it came from Zhou Xue.

The two quickly arrived at the interrogation room, where the police officers on either side of Zhou Ya controlled him, forcing the struggling Zhou Ya into the interrogation chair.

Zhou Ya’s eyes bulged, his sclera bloodshot, and he yelled and resisted, with an air of defending justice.

Once seated in the interrogation chair, he still tried to rise, murmuring something under his breath.

"Zhou Ya, where did you hide the weapon? The weapon you used to kill Ye Hua," Ye Sangsang asked, her tone becoming harsher and more commanding.

Yang Hao was momentarily taken aback. Ye Sangsang’s question was a bit odd, too direct and the tone felt strange, familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before.

Zhou Ya, upon hearing Ye Sangsang’s words, lifted his head, his eyes filled with confusion, and slowly shook his head, "I don’t know!"

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment and looked at him, "I’m your brother, Zhou Xue! Don’t you recognize me? I asked you to get rid of the thing you used to kill Ye Hua, where did you throw it?"

She wasn’t entirely sure of her guess, but if she didn’t try, she would seem too weak.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Zhou Xue reminding her that his brother didn’t know anyone, she would have hesitated over who to call, as only the right name could align with his fantasy world and get the information they needed.

Zhou Ya was stunned for a moment, then continued to act erratically, with the sound of handcuffs and various objects clattering in the interrogation room.

Yang Hao listened to Ye Sangsang’s tone, his expression stunned for a long time, inwardly marveling at her skills.

[If it weren’t for her softer, more feminine voice, I would have thought it was Zhou Xue speaking.]

[Sangsang is really trying to trick him!]

[I wonder if it will work, but it doesn’t look promising.]

Ye Sangsang continued to ask.

But Zhou Ya still shook his head.

Ye Sangsang realized it might not be Zhou Xue.

There was no disappointment on her face.

She sat there quietly, and the room fell silent, with Yang Hao also sitting dumbfounded, unsure of what was happening.

After a while, Zhou Ya started muttering something under his breath, his voice very soft. In his hands, he gestured as if speaking into a receiver, his face showing various expressions as if he were in conversation with someone.

Ye Sangsang listened closely to his words, not missing a single syllable.

"I… I am… only Wang Shi… trust… be wary, learn… don’t… don’t speak… hehehe…"

She then left the room, brought Zhou Ya’s phone, and pressed a few buttons outside before handing it to Yang Hao to give to Zhou Ya.

After a while, Zhou Ya’s phone rang.

Seeing his brother’s name on the screen, Zhou Ya quickly answered the call, covering the receiver and glancing around cautiously, speaking softly, "What is it?"

"I’m Wang Shi, the person you’ve been in contact with. Where did you throw the weapon you used to kill Ye Hua?" the voice on the other end of the line asked.

Zhou Ya, as if receiving a signal, replied, "East Third Bridge, I threw it off the bridge, no one will find it."

Inside the room, Yang Hao’s eyes widened like saucers.

[!!! Why did he say that!]

[Wow? Is this how you interrogate someone?!?]

[Why did he just tell them!]

Many viewers in the live broadcast were stunned, not understanding the reasoning behind this interrogation method and how Zhou Ya suddenly cooperated.

Ye Sangsang continued to ask, "You’ve done well with your task, those bad guys know there are corpses at their hometowns."@@novelbin@@

"I did a good job! I told you, they won’t notice!" Zhou Ya replied, smiling and quite proud.

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment and said, "You’ve executed your mission well; I’ll apply for a reward for you."

"Don’t worry, I will always do whatever the boss asks! Clear out anyone he wants gone!" Zhou Ya’s voice rang out.

Ye Sangsang then hung up the phone.

At that moment, Yang Hao also came out of the door. He looked at Ye Sangsang and asked, "Sister Lan, how did you know that using this method could find the murder weapon and determine that Zhou Xue was involved in this case?"

Ye Sangsang couldn't very well explain that in the hallucinations of many mentally ill individuals, they construct an entire world. Within this world, they fantasize and perform actions that seem ridiculous to outsiders. To them, however, everything is perfectly rational; they are communicating with the world they have created.

Realizing that such an explanation might not be very convincing, she thought for a moment and said, "I just happened to take a chance. Zhou Xue is the only person Zhou Ya is familiar with, so I thought I might try using his name to see if he was an important figure in Zhou Ya's hallucination."

"It didn't work, but when I mentioned the name Wang Shi, I realized that this might be the name of the person Zhou Ya trusts and who directs his actions in his hallucination. If I had called the wrong name or if he had a completely different set of identities in his fantasy, I might not have gotten any useful information. This time, it was just a lucky fluke."

Yang Hao understood. Essentially, it was about exploiting the other person's illness to gain their trust.

He asked, "Should we go look for the murder weapon now?"

"Let's go," Ye Sangsang nodded.

Dong San Bridge wasn't very high, and the river beneath it wasn't deep, but due to the recent rains, the water was murky.

To address this, Ye Sangsang requested support, and a total of six people went down into the river to search for the murder weapon.

[**Being a police officer is incredibly demanding!**]

[**You think that's tough? In reality, there are cases where corpses are dismembered and dumped in lakes to feed the fish. That's when the real work begins.**]

[**We've been searching for more than half an hour. Are we going to be here for a while?**]

The water reached just above the knees, and after bending down for a prolonged period, everyone felt their backs stiffen when they tried to straighten up.

Nevertheless, finding the murder weapon was paramount. After stretching their backs, they continued to search by bending over in the area around the bridge. If they didn't find anything there, they would have to expand the search to a larger section of the river.

After an hour of searching, Ye Sangsang's pale, wrinkled fingers touched something that felt different from the stones in the river. Taking it out to inspect, she exclaimed, "Copper! We've found the murder weapon!"

Upon confirming that it was indeed a copper ornament, Ye Sangsang raised her voice to alert the others, signaling that they had found the weapon and could stop searching.

Everyone turned to look. Ye Sangsang quickly placed the item into a bag, preparing to take it back to the forensic lab.

Yang Hao, taking off his gloves, also accepted the white gloves Ye Sangsang had just removed. He tilted his head to examine the item and remarked, "It's like a medal, but the base is quite small. Still, it being made of pure copper makes sense."

Ye Sangsang didn't comment. She thanked the other officers who had helped with the search and then returned to the station with Yang Hao.

The forensic investigators would analyze the item to confirm whether it was indeed the murder weapon.

As for Zhou Xue, Ye Sangsang was waiting for confirmation from the forensic team that the copper ornament was indeed the weapon used to kill Ye Hua.

Once confirmed, if the ornament bore Zhou Xue's fingerprints, he would become a suspect.

However, the content from the interrogation room could not be used as evidence to arrest Zhou Xue.

During the interrogation of Zhou Ya, calling out Zhou Xue's name had no effect. The name on Zhou Ya's phone was also Wang Shi, which Ye Sangsang had changed outside the interrogation room. Therefore, it couldn't be used as evidence to arrest Zhou Xue.

Under such circumstances, obtaining an arrest warrant would be impossible.

Regarding the murder weapon, Ye Sangsang had an inexplicable feeling that it held key clues.

While waiting, she pondered Zhou Xue's motive for the murder.

Zhou Xue had been financially supported by Ye Hua from high school through college. In traditional terms, Ye Hua was akin to a second benefactor. What could have driven him to such hatred that he wanted to kill Ye Hua?

Could it be similar to the previous case involving Qin Jiang, where the saying "great kindness is akin to great enmity" applied?

Although Xu He had claimed that he was seeking parental approval, Ye Sangsang believed that his true motive was jealousy over Qin Jiang's perfect life. Out of twisted jealousy, he chose to destroy everything Qin Jiang cherished.

This didn't contradict his quest for parental approval—it just revealed the complexities of human nature.

Perhaps Zhou Xue, after receiving Ye Hua's support for so long, began to feel resentful and unsatisfied, eventually succumbing to jealousy. He then conspired with Yu Qingqing, directing his brother Zhou Ya to kill Ye Hua?

After thinking for a while, Ye Sangsang received confirmation from the forensic lab that the copper trophy they had recovered was indeed the weapon used to kill Ye Hua.

After spraying it with luminol, traces of blood were revealed, and fingerprints were also extracted.

A comparison showed that one of the fingerprints belonged to Zhou Ya, while two other fingerprints were somewhat faint due to the river's flow. If not carefully extracted, they might have been missed entirely.

Ye Sangsang retrieved the paperwork from Zhou Xue's and Yu Qingqing's statements and indicated that it should be used for comparison.

Once it was proven that the fingerprints on the murder weapon belonged to all three individuals, they could arrest the suspects based on the fingerprints alone.

The fingerprint comparison would take time, and Ye Sangsang waited patiently before finally receiving confirmation.

The fingerprints on the concealed part of the weapon indeed belonged to the three individuals.

With the evidence in hand, Ye Sangsang went to the team leader's office to apply for an arrest warrant.

This was direct evidence, and obtaining an arrest warrant would be much more feasible.

Due to certain reasons, police cannot arrest and interrogate individuals without very solid evidence and relevant evidence.

This is why, in TV dramas, when the police arrive to arrest the suspects, the villains collapse onto the ground. It's because they know the police have very solid and reliable evidence against them.

As Ye Sangsang expected, the team leader quickly approved the arrest warrant.

Ye Sangsang led her colleagues to the publishing house where Zhou Xue worked. They presented the arrest warrant and handcuffed him with silver cuffs.

Yang Hao, his face showing mixed emotions, handcuffed Yu Qingqing and led her away from her residence to the station.

The two met in the corridor of the detective squad.

Ye Sangsang observed the two suspects as their expressions shifted from panic to calm. Then she ordered the officers to take them into separate interrogation rooms.

Perhaps very soon, she would be able to uncover the whole truth?