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

Ye Sangsang clicked the information again to check the cause of Shen Lingling's death.

Bashed in the head with a blunt object, resulting in fatal injuries.

During her first act of resistance, she was injured in the arm, and in her opinion, these people were cruel but did not intend to kill her.

But for Chen Yu, they were brutally severe, with injuries to the abdomen and broken ribs, aiming to kill him.

And if she put herself in the position, if her prey escaped, her first reaction would be to eliminate the person immediately.

The first escape, the other party even allowed them to bandage and take medicine afterward, which was quite unexpected.

She had thought about this many times but couldn't find any answers.

From the criminal's perspective, unless there was an insurmountable bottom line, her choice would definitely be to kill the person as quickly as possible.

Unless, in addition to money, they also sought bodies.

They had committed sexual assault several times, but that wasn't a valid reason. She had seen a case where four criminals had tortured a couple, sexually assaulting the wife and eventually dumping her body, which took eight hours.

Their time frame seemed more normal.

Perhaps they found the female victim attractive and did it out of jealousy?

The four criminals in the case she saw had similar intentions.

Same circumstances, vastly different time frames.

Qiu Fu hadn't yet killed or hidden the body.

Knowing that the other party left after cleaning fingerprints and traces, why not dispose of the body?@@novelbin@@

Unless everything was an excuse, a cover-up, to hide an even more sinister purpose beneath.

Early control was to prevent mistakes.

And if the purpose was to obtain body organs, then everything... made sense.

That's right, this was Ye Sangsang's hypothesis.

But with an idea, it could be treated as a lead to investigate.

Speculation was speculation, yet Ye Sangsang also thought of another issue.

The small object she took from the other party's bag, when she woke up and gave her statement, Jiang Li had mentioned that it was a homemade bullet.

He didn't know where the brass bullet came from, so Ye Sangsang saw it as a brass-colored metallic object.

This object was crucial in classifying this case as a robbery-homicide.

Because the item hidden in the bag clearly indicated they wanted to commit another major crime.

Such as robbing a jewelry store, a cash transport vehicle, and so on.

Lack of money could be because their weapons were insufficient, and they wanted to get money to buy new weapons.

With four people, they needed at least two weapons, and if they could rob enough money, they might obtain weapons through some channels.

Ye Sangsang had speculated that they might have wanted to pull off a big heist and then go their separate ways, changing their names and hiding to live.

After pondering, Ye Sangsang wondered if she was overthinking it.

This home invasion robbery-homicide might just be a case of them wanting to pull off a big job.

But this didn't explain those three days or all the strange aspects in between.

Every word spoken by a person tends to have a purpose, especially in their situation at the time, and she felt the other party wasn't speaking nonsense.

Ye Sangsang stretched out her hand and lightly tapped several times on the bed rail.

Then suddenly realized, was she overcomplicating things?

If there were doubts, then start investigating straightaway.

Whether it was a single motive or multiple motives, it made no difference to her, right?

And the matter of organ donation was simple; it just required asking.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Ye Sangsang deep in thought, Jiang Li thought she might be recalling unpleasant memories and feeling upset, so she inquired and then paused, thinking of comforting words, "Don't..."

But before she could finish her comforting words, Ye Sangsang snapped back to attention and looked at her, "It's nothing; I was just thinking about the case."

"Could you help me sit up? I want to ask about something."

Her current body couldn't do much, so she needed Jiang Li's help.

This police officer was highly efficient, not overconfident or arrogant, someone she could trust.

"Okay," Seeing Ye Sangsang was fine, she agreed and stepped forward to help Ye Sangsang sit up on the hospital bed.

Ye Sangsang nodded to her in appreciation and said, "About the case, can I ask a few things?"

Jiang Li nodded.

She greatly admired Ye Sangsang, who was both brave and intelligent. If the other party had questions, she would answer as much as she could.

After Jiang Li nodded, Ye Sangsang used the copy time freeze card she had received as a system reward for the first time.

She wanted some data related to organ donation. The system didn't provide this information, presumably due to some private reasons or confidentiality.

Regarding Chen Yu, he was just data in an immersive game setup, so anything the system didn't know, he wouldn't know either.

This information could only be obtained from actual people present in the copy.

As for who the actual people were, they were naturally the closest family members, like Shen Lingling's parents, who could know such private information.

Initially, she wasn't certain, but after entering the copy and observing their behavior, she confirmed her thoughts.

Getting someone to investigate was just to confirm if it was like this.

Originally, she thought they just came to see their daughter, and as long as they didn't hinder her, she didn't mind, and even willingly cooperated.

Now it seemed it wasn't entirely a bad thing.

She could directly ask the things she wanted to know.

Soon, the couple she could inquire with entered.

Seeing Ye Sangsang sitting up, the couple, Shen Jianghe and Jiang Qiuyu, didn't notice Jiang Li and everything else frozen by the freeze card, their eyes entirely focused on her.

Jiang Qiuyu quickly approached and asked with concern, "Aren't you feeling well? You should lie down; be careful your wounds reopen."

"Yes, lie down; if you're not feeling well, you should rest more," the man beside her also quickly said, his eyes full of worry.

The concern in their eyes was genuine; they truly loved their daughter very much.

Ye Sangsang looked at them and, after considering her words, asked, "Did she sign an organ donation consent form?"

【Ah? That question feels a bit strange.】

【Is she asking about Shen Lingling? But the people in front are NPCs, game data; how could they know.】

【I feel Sangsang wouldn't ask such a question without reason; she must have her reasons.】

Upon hearing Ye Sangsang's question, the couple looked at each other in confusion, which then turned into surprise.

"You...recognized we aren't NPCs?" Shen Jianghe tentatively asked.

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment and replied, "Your emotions...were too intense, not grief, but the excitement of a long-awaited reunion, which wasn't hard to discern..."

"I'm sorry; you must be very bothered," Jiang Qiuyu twisted the corner of her clothes, unable to speak, her expression and movements awkward and embarrassed.

After all, they had entered, disturbed someone else's copy, and treated her as their daughter while she acted as their daughter, fearing she might feel deceived.

The company had instructed them not to be recognized, not to overdo it.

They thought they acted pretty well, but didn't expect to be exposed so quickly. Would they be sent out? They only wanted to see their daughter!

Thinking of this, tears involuntarily welled up in Jiang Qiuyu's eyes as she couldn't help but gaze at her daughter's face.

They hadn't seen their daughter in over twenty years.

【!! They are Shen Lingling's real parents?】

【Ah! Sobbing!!! The victims' parents, Star Ring Company, you're killing me!】

I recall earlier hints that during Star Ring's use of others' portraits and privacy authorization, some victim families had proposed wanting to see the victim... Perhaps Shen Lingling's parents' authorization condition was to see her once, without financial compensation.

Ye Sangsang looked at her and said, "I'm not bothered by this; what I did was originally part of my plan, and you didn't disturb me. I pointed this out just to ask about the matter concerning Shen Lingling I mentioned earlier."

Upon hearing Ye Sangsang's words, the couple hastily wiped away their tears.

They knew Ye Sangsang was very capable and might help catch their daughter's killer, so they quickly composed themselves, not wanting to cry in front of her.

Although it had been over twenty years, they remembered everything about their daughter very clearly.

Jiang Qiuyu quickly replied, "Yes, she did. The hospital notified us that our daughter had signed a donation agreement. After seeing the agreement, under the persuasion of Red Cross staff from the Organ Donation Management Center, we followed Lingling's wishes and donated her usable organs."

The couple looked at each other, their eyes full of heartache and reluctance.

At the time, they didn't want to agree, but since it was their daughter's wish, they chose to respect her decision.

Alright, thank you for your answers," Ye Sangsang released the time freeze on her; it was just a waste of a skill.

[Aaaaaaaaaah! I thought of something bad!]

[That boy! His mother was silent after that! At that moment, I thought it might be a disease that would require an organ transplant! Holding onto Shen Lingling's life, could it involve the murder of four people, or does someone important to the four people need an organ? And coincidentally, Lingling is a match.]

[I'm older, and in 2012, smaller cities weren't that developed yet. Privacy wasn't as protected as it is now. If someone really wanted to know who signed an organ donor card, it wouldn't be impossible to find out with some effort.]

The audience in the live stream had remarkable imagination, and the comments were filled with speculation, making it highly engaging.

In the game, the two characters reined in their emotions and continued to care for Ye Sangsang. After she assured them that everything was fine, they felt relieved and continued their roles as NPCs.

As for their own speculations, they decided to wait for the outcome, trusting Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang looked at Jiang Li and asked, "Officer Jiang, do you think their motive was genuinely just to rob and kill?"

"Judging from the process, they indeed committed a robbery and a murder, and they were psychologically twisted," Jiang Li replied, looking at Ye Sangsang. "Do you think they had another motive?"

Whether it was for 50,000 or just a few thousand, some home invasion killings are just for petty sums. So after discussion, they classified it as a robbery-murder.

Ye Sangsang's question made Jiang Li carefully consider her response.

She was asking if Ye Sangsang had any new ideas, and if so, it would be a good thing for them.

Ye Sangsang's previous deduction had proven accurate, indicating that her approach was feasible. Jiang Li was more than willing to listen to her thoughts.

Looking at Jiang Li, Ye Sangsang went through her deductions—from the possibility that the suspects wanted to obtain organs to the possibility that they might also want to acquire weapons to commit bigger crimes. She laid out all her thoughts.

Investigating the organ angle would be simple, and even if it didn't lead to anything, it wouldn't waste much time or manpower.

Jiang Li fell silent for a while after listening, her mind piecing together the suspects' previous confessions.

Ye Sangsang's reasoning wasn't entirely without basis. If it were true, then the suspects were indeed devious.

"I think the key is Qiu Fu. This person is extremely cunning and devious. If there's involvement with organ donation, then the robbery and the bigger crime they're planning are likely just a cover for their true objective," Ye Sangsang analyzed seriously.

Jiang Li nodded and clasped her hands, deep in thought.

A few seconds later, she frowned and said, "But how do we confirm that's their objective? And if they're planning a major crime, we still need to focus most of our attention on that."

Robbing a wealthy place like a jewelry store or a bank would inevitably lead to intense conflict, and safety is no small matter. If their theory is true, the police would need to prepare in advance.

"Verifying whether they're after an organ isn't difficult. We could start by…" Ye Sangsang's voice trailed off.

Jiang Li nodded in agreement, impressed by Ye Sangsang's quick thinking.

She said, "Don't worry, I'll confirm it as soon as possible. Then we'll tighten surveillance on key areas like gold shops and banks. If our theory is correct, it will yield results."

As for convincing the higher-ups, Ye Sangsang's evidence, the bullet, would be enough to sway them.

Thinking of the bullet, Jiang Li couldn't help but marvel at how Ye Sangsang embodied both boldness and meticulousness.

"Furthermore, I'll ask the other teams in the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the surrounding cities if they've encountered any cases related to firearms. If we find any leads on firearms trafficking, then our speculation might not just be speculation," Jiang Li said to Ye Sangsang as she turned back.

She mainly wanted to reassure Ye Sangsang, showing that she wasn't rigidly sticking to the existing clues and waiting passively, as that would make her seem somewhat useless.

Ye Sangsang smiled shyly, "Okay, thank you."

Jiang Li turned and walked out the door, instructing the officers outside to pay extra attention to the safety of the couple.

If it really involved organs, the other party might not give up and could come back again.

Alternatively, they might be pushed to desperation by the police's actions and decide to take revenge on the couple.

After chatting, Ye Sangsang sat back on the hospital bed.

Shen Jianghe and Jiang Qiuyu sat on the side, feeling a bit awkward. With just the three of them, continuing their roles felt a bit strange.

Out of longing, they occasionally glanced at the face of Shen Lingling, whom Ye Sangsang was portraying.

"Don't feel too much pressure. Just act as you normally would," Ye Sangsang said first.

The couple exchanged a glance and hesitated before nodding to Ye Sangsang.

After a while, Ye Sangsang's portrayal of Shen Lingling helped the couple break free from their other thoughts, and their acting gradually returned to normal.

Ye Sangsang guessed that Jiang Li had probably already deployed undercover officers to investigate.

The city wasn't large, and the best place for transplantation would be the hospital she was currently staying in.

Her suggestion to Jiang Li was to find patients in need of organ transplants, especially locally, and likely those who were hospitalized and waiting.

If organ transplantation was indeed the goal, then Qiu Fu must be the mastermind.

He was cautious by nature and would ensure that his plan was foolproof.

How to ensure there would be no delays? After all, no matter what organ, it needs to be transported and transplanted into the recipient within a very short time.

And the Organ Donation Administration would allocate the organs to the most suitable recipients and at the best distances to avoid wasting them for any reason.

So they had a high chance of waiting near the hospital, and an even higher chance of being hospitalized and waiting, ensuring they received the organ first.

Simply investigate, find the likely recipients, and then trace back to see if they had any connections with Qiu Fu and the four suspects.

Whether it was for hire or for a loved one, the only certainty was the destination. Investigating the source was the best way to confirm this.

As for the Organ Donation Administration, Ye Sangsang guessed they weren't involved because their role was to coordinate between hospitals.

If Qiu Fu and his group had that kind of influence, they wouldn't need to resort to murder to get priority for other donations.

Shen Lingling hadn't undergone any matching tests, and organ donation doesn't require pre-matching; the most they would know is the blood type.

Ye Sangsang also wondered which organ the other party wanted from Shen Lingling, assuming it was true.

The person in need must be close to death, or else they wouldn't be in such a rush.

While Ye Sangsang was pondering, two undercover officers sent by Jiang Li had arrived at the hospital administration.

The hospital cooperated fully, providing the records of all patients currently waiting for organs.

Although the city was small, there were quite a few people waiting.

Investigating required patience. They couldn't just look at a few cases; they had to go through all of them to ensure nothing was missed and to keep detailed records.

Taking a deep breath, the two officers began examining one case after another.

They marked the important ones and copied the details to continue their investigation.

Hundreds of cases later, over an hour had passed.

"There are three people. Once we check these three, we should be able to confirm it," a female officer said.

The male officer replied, "Yes, but I'm really impressed. I wonder how Team Leader Jiang thought to check this."

"You don't get it! It was the victim who suggested it. Earlier, when we found their rented place, she suggested they might be using 'the light under the lamp' strategy," the female officer said enthusiastically. "If the suspects weren't so cunning, we would've caught them."

The male officer was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed, "Honestly, after learning the details of the case, I couldn't help but admire the victim. Under such circumstances, she managed to plan her escape. I read the case description and found it too intense. I don't think I would've had the courage."

“Exactly. So careful and so brave. She escaped from four people and even brought along someone!” the female officer exclaimed.

The male police officer nodded, looking at the information in his hand. "Alright, alright, let's stop talking. Let's focus on investigating these three files first. Be careful not to reveal anything or let them suspect. Otherwise, given how cunning these people are, even if we find something, we might not be able to catch them."

The female police officer "um"ed in agreement.

The two picked up the medical records and started with the wealthy family.

Wealthy people, when facing some insurmountable problems, often might resort to some dark tactics.

Coincidentally, their daughter was hospitalized.

The two decided to start by asking the nurse about the patient's condition in the ward.

Under normal circumstances, nurses are not supposed to disclose such information, but as they were police officers, the nurse cooperated fully.

After hearing the nurse's account, they decided to abandon further investigation.

This was because the family had already decided to donate a kidney to save their daughter, and the surgery was being scheduled.

However, the decision had only been made that noon, and the consent forms had not yet been signed, so it was not reflected in the medical records.

The two exchanged a glance and moved on to the next case.

It involved a young boy who had been hospitalized thirteen days prior due to a heart condition, which had worsened after a few days of a cold.

It was said that the cold had exacerbated his heart condition, and if he did not receive a heart transplant soon, he might die within a few days.

When they questioned the head nurse, they were told that the boy had been discharged from the hospital.

Since he had been discharged, they could only proceed with investigating the third case.

The third case involved a young man with heart problems who required a heart transplant to survive. He had been selected for investigation because he had been hospitalized just a few days ago.

Moreover, his blood type matched Shen Lingling's, so he had been included as a potential target.

The nurse did not know much, only that the family was still holding out hope.

The two pretended to be visiting family members and probed a few questions, discovering that the family was not well-off and had never interacted with others.

They then called back to the station to confirm, finding that their recent activities had no connection to Qiu Fu's group.

Now, only the second case, the young boy, remained.

After obtaining all the identity information registered by the boy at the hospital, they returned and began an intense investigation.

The ID number represented the person's origin, which could not be changed even upon relocation of their household registration (hukou).

Perhaps, it was fate.

At the same time, the police officers sent to investigate the four individuals in another province just so happened to have returned with information about them.

The boy's hospital registration had listed the identity information of a woman.

Although the woman's identity information showed a Qingcheng address, the first few digits of the ID number were identical to Qiu Fu's.

This proved that they were from the same place.

To transplant a heart to treat the boy's illness, they had to register real identity information. Since the identity was verified, coupled with Ye Sangsang's conjecture, the theory that they were killing for organs seemed plausible.

"Same blood type," the female police officer pointed out, looking at the blood type data of the two.

The male police officer picked up the phone and called the police still in Qiu Fu's hometown, asking them to look up the woman's specific identity. They were almost certain that this woman was connected to Qiu Fu.

Confirmation was needed to be absolutely sure, as this was only their speculation based on inference.

The other side quickly agreed, and since they were just at the local police station in Qiu Fu's street, they immediately inquired.

Some widely circulated local gossip was well-known.

Before the police officer could answer, a middle-aged woman who had come to handle some business directly interrupted, "Ji Cui! I know her! She and Qiu Fu were in an affair. She even made Qiu Fu quit his job and leave with her! It caused quite a scandal back then. My family lived near Qiu Fu's, and I knew all the details."

The police immediately delved deeper, and the police officer beside them nodded in agreement.

He mentioned that there had been a police intervention because Qiu Fu's original wife had stormed over and beaten Ji Cui, who then reported the incident.

Although it ended in mediation, such incidents were not common locally, so it was easily remembered, though the specific names had faded from memory.

After thanking the woman, the police relayed this information to their colleagues.

The two police officers investigating the organ donation were shocked, their backs tingling with a chill.

This meant that the boy was likely Qiu Fu's child.

The purpose of their actions was not robbery or murder but to cover up the fact that he wanted the boy's organs.

They had seen many cunning crimes, but without a hint, they would never have thought of this angle.

After reviewing the materials, the female police officer called Jiang Li and shared all the findings.

Jiang Li was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone before quickly saying, "Wait, I'm coming back right away."

"Okay," the female police officer hung up.

The two didn't take a break but continued collecting information, trying to unravel how the boy's birth information and the victims' donation details had been leaked.

All of this was crucial for the case, requiring a complete chain to connect the dots.

Once they apprehended the suspects and obtained their confessions, they could close the case.

Ye Sangsang also received the news at the same time. After delivering the news, Jiang Li specifically reminded her, "Be extremely careful and ensure you are always under the protection of our police officers. If the boy is truly Qiu Fu's son, the suspect might take another risk."

Of course, this was based on the assumption that they were unaware that the police had discovered the organ donation scheme.

Having confirmed her suspicions, Ye Sangsang looked at the couple.

They were also in the hospital room, and upon hearing this, their faces turned pale.

Jiang Qiuyu clutched her heart, clearly having difficulty bearing this heartbreaking news.

[How could they accept a donation in real life? What a despicable family.]

[If it were the child of the person who killed me who received the organ, I think I'd be resurrected out of anger.]

[So the earlier story about Shen Lingling being beautiful, being jealous of the couple's happiness, wanting to destroy them, and inflicting three days of torment, leaving one of them dead while the other survives, was all a lie, just to cover up their real motive!]

Sister Sang must catch them! I'm going to report this to the authorities! We must apprehend these despicable people!

The live broadcast exploded with reactions. The speculations had become reality, and both Shen Lingling's parents and the audience found it unbearable.

They all petitioned for the investigation to be relaunched, insisting that the perpetrator be brought to justice!

For the first time, some even felt that exposing the young boy to public outrage was a relatively light punishment.

Ye Sangsang looked at the couple and asked, "Do you know where the heart went?"

It wasn't about knowing the identity information but some vague details, like whether the recipient was male or female, or their age.

In small cities in 2012, strict regulations were not in place yet, so minor details might occasionally leak out to comfort the families of the deceased.

She asked this mainly to find out if it had been given to the boy.

The couple supported each other, an instinctive gesture as they were now in their seventies.

They carefully recalled everything from that time, wanting to know if their daughter's heart had been given to the son of the person who had killed her.

"The Red Cross mentioned something. The recipient personally wrote a thank-you letter to us," Shen Jianghe's eyes lit up with excitement, though it quickly turned to sadness as he thought of something.

"Being able to write a thank-you letter means the recipient wasn't a child."

"I remember, too," Jiang Qiuyu confirmed, holding her husband's hand. "I remember the handwriting was very good. The letter also described the feeling of the heart beating. I still have that letter."

"Thank goodness..." Ye Sangsang could only say this.

Mainly because she didn't want this to escalate because it wasn't necessarily the boy.

Under the double-blind system, their assumptions remained just that – assumptions.

[Thank goodness... thank goodness it wasn't. Otherwise, I'd be furious on Shen Lingling's behalf.]

[Thank you to the double-blind system, or maybe thank fate, for letting them miss the chance.]

[It's nice. The recipients should thank Shen Lingling and her parents for giving them a chance to live.]

The room fell silent for a moment. Ye Sangsang comforted them and then felt that everything truly began to get interesting.

She was curious how, in reality, they had managed to disappear without a trace.

Soon, Jiang Li arrived at the hospital. They decided to have the hospital make a call, tricking the woman and the boy that a potential donor had been found and urging them to come back to the hospital.

As for the ethics of this, as long as the goal was achieved, it wasn't unethical. Besides, it was merely a possibility.

Control over the two captives might lure Qiu Fu out. Once he's caught, it'll all be over.

The target had just been discharged from the hospital today, making such a move a bit abrupt. So, Jiang Li waited until the next day.

At Jiang Li's request, the head nurse made the call herself.

After the call was made, Jiang Li pretended to return to her bureau but secretly changed into civilian clothes and waited in a car outside the hospital.

The hospital was heavily patrolled, with officers stationed from the departments to the inpatient lobby.

If the target showed up, there would be no chance of escape.

As time passed, Jiang Li began to feel nervous. She wasn't sure if the target would notice their setup.

After all, Qiu Fu was too cautious and cunning. If he didn't show up, it would complicate things later.

Ye Sangsang was also waiting. She even slowly walked down with the support of her husband and wife, waiting for the target's arrival.

The police initially wanted to dissuade her, but Ye Sangsang quietly mentioned that she had come out the day before, which silenced them.

The couple naturally followed, more eager than anyone for the person who killed their daughter to be captured.

In the garden outside the inpatient building, Ye Sangsang found a quiet spot where she could see the main path through the greenery.

The three of them chatted aimlessly, with Ye Sangsang still wearing a mask.

To see clearly, she even put on Shen Lingling's glasses.

Two undercover police officers maintained a distance of about three to four meters from the couple to avoid drawing attention from other patients.

Over twenty minutes later, after a taxi passed by, Ye Sangsang spotted Qiu Fu in full disguise.

She raised an eyebrow; he really valued his son.

His full disguise wasn't to observe others but to change his appearance with a fake beard and ordinary clothing.

By his side were Ji Cui and their son, both wearing masks for the child.

He cautiously scanned the surroundings, finding nothing unusual, and then led them toward the hospital's inpatient lobby.

When Ye Sangsang looked over, she happened to see the outline of something at his waist as the wind blew past.

She stood up and walked to the officer responsible for her safety, "Call Jiang Li and tell her not to act yet; he's carrying a gun."

The officer was startled and quickly moved behind a tree to make the call.

Ye Sangsang watched as he entered the building, hoping the nurses could come up with a plausible explanation soon.

Of course, this wasn't a major concern. Even if it seemed suspicious, it wouldn't matter.

After all, the target would be caught before the transplant could take place.

Jiang Li quickly received the information and ordered all undercover officers to remain still, especially those in the department and the inpatient area.

With so many people in the hospital, any action could lead to significant casualties, and they couldn't afford the responsibility.

However, she acted swiftly, ordering some undercover officers to withdraw and head to various intersections, planning to follow and catch the target in one go!

After speaking, Ye Sangsang looked at Shen Jianghe and Jiang Qiuyu. Taking advantage of another officer's inattention, she picked up a roughly nine-centimeter-long flat stone from the ground and stuffed it into the wide sleeve of her fleece jacket. "Let's go back," she said.

"Alright," the two suppressed their excitement and quietly helped Ye Sangsang return.

She walked back to the inpatient lobby leisurely, then waited for the elevator with their support.

Perhaps it was sheer coincidence, but as the elevator "dinged," Ye Sangsang glanced up and spotted Qiu Fu behind the crowd.

She showed no change in expression, standing calmly as if waiting for the others to exit before they entered.

Noticing that Ye Sangsang hadn't noticed him, Qiu Fu pulled down his hat and breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped out with his child.

[I have a feeling that Ye Sangsang, with her strong sense of vengeance, is about to make a move.]

[So tense! Hahaha!]

[My heart is racing. I'm afraid he'll act, but I feel like Ye Sangsang would be even more ruthless.]

Qiu Fu's family stood at the back of the elevator, so they were the last to exit.

As the crowd surged out, Ji Cui instinctively shielded their son.

Qiu Fu glanced at Ye Sangsang again, finding her calm and unbothered, and fully relaxed.

Soon, he was about to pass by Ye Sangsang.

At that moment, Ye Sangsang silently pulled out the flat stone she had hidden in the bulky fleece sleeve of her thick coat and slammed it hard against Qiu Fu's temple.

Before he could react, she kicked him, forcing him to the ground and pinning his arms behind his back.

She half-knelt, pressing down hard on his struggling body.

Only then did she lean down and whisper in his ear, "Even if you turned to ash, I'd recognize you." What's with all the pretense?

Qiu Fu tried to struggle up, but found himself utterly pinned down by Ye Sangsang.

With a strength of 10, equivalent to that of a normal adult male, there was no way he could break free under such restraint.

The scene shocked those around, scattering in fright.

Ji Cui tried to help, but quickly found the middle-aged couple supporting Ye Sangsang rushing over.

Perhaps knowing it was a game, the usually gentle and mild-mannered couple began ferociously beating him.

When Jiang Li arrived with reinforcements, Shen Jianghe, who had picked up the stone, had already smashed it against Qiu Fu's head as he tried to struggle.

He didn't strike Ji Cui, as he hated Qiu Fu even more.

The police pulled the bloodied Qiu Fu up, while Ye Sangsang and the others were moved to the side.

"You were too impulsive," Jiang Li noticed something amiss earlier but hadn't expected Ye Sangsang to act directly.

Ye Sangsang, pale-faced, collapsed beside Jiang Li, pretending to faint under her disapproving gaze.

Jiang Qiuyu immediately broke free from the restraint to support Ye Sangsang. "She was a bit impulsive. I apologize on her behalf. She overdid it; I'll take her to see a doctor."

[This coordination... Jiang Qiuyu, as a teacher, is really quick on her feet.]

[They knew Ye Sangsang was strong and deliberately followed to seek revenge.]

[Ye Sangsang really doesn't let anyone off. She didn't give the target a chance to escape.]

What could Jiang Li do? She could only urge them to take Ye Sangsang back quickly. She needed to interrogate Qiu Fu and arrest the other three as soon as possible.

Ye Sangsang had indeed torn a small wound but didn't worry too much, simply waiting for the doctor's treatment.

The couple trembled with excitement, their hands shaking uncontrollably.

Ye Sangsang let them be, not skipping over their emotions.

Soon, Qiu Fu confessed everything.

The other three were caught.

As Ye Sangsang had guessed, if they hadn't been caught, they planned to rob a cash transport van at a relatively remote bank that afternoon.

They had already bought the weapons.

Ye Sangsang didn't pay it any mind. The game had ended, and she was curious about what would happen in reality.

After saying goodbye to Shen Jianghe and Jiang Qiuyu, who also wanted to know the outcome, Ye Sangsang clicked on the task settlement.

[Congratulations, Player Ye Sangsang, for completing the "Redemption: Crime and Violence" case scenario. Task Evaluation: SSS.]

[Congratulations, Player Ye Sangsang, for earning the SSS-grade task reward: 1 attribute point, freely assignable to in-game body stats.]

[Thank you, Player Ye Sangsang, for your contribution to the game's completeness. Capturing the criminal and uncovering the truth.]

[Bonus gift for Player Ye Sangsang: Time Freeze Card X1.]

Ye Sangsang closed it. These rewards were insignificant to her.

What intrigued her the most was whether they could be caught in reality and what their fate would be.