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

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Ye Sangsang pulled open the freezer drawers one by one—first the father's drawer, then the mother's, and finally the child's.

Her gaze slowly traced every inch of the three bodies, taking in the crisscrossing, densely packed wounds that marred their skin.

The grotesque and terrifying sight did not make her flinch in the slightest.

She extended her hand, only to realize she hadn’t worn gloves. She turned back, picked up a pair, and meticulously put them on.

Her gloved fingers traced over the scars.

Gradually, the contorted visages of the victims came alive in Ye Sangsang's mind, transforming from lifeless forms into real, breathing people.

The image of Song Jiaqi appeared before her. He had entered the scene and stood in the shadows, waiting.

When the family entered, he had seized the young girl.

He had strangled her, and the girl’s mother, too distraught to bear it, had fainted. The father had charged forward, desperate to fight back, but was immediately killed by Song Jiaqi, who slit his throat with a single stroke.

As he watched his gruesome handiwork, the malice in his eyes only deepened.

He began to dismember the bodies.

Ye Sangsang's hand rested on the girl’s fingers.

He had started with the fingers—the easiest part to sever.

Next came the arms, the legs, the feet. His sharp tools combined with the brute strength of a grown man meant that even some of the hacking motions went unnoticed by the neighbors, who were likely busy cooking their dinners.

Once he had finished with the limbs, he turned to the torso, cutting it open from the middle and methodically removing and chopping up the internal organs.

The girl’s mother had been remembered mid-process and was also killed by Song Jiaqi.

Given that the sink wasn't in a sealed environment, the decomposition under the weather's influence would accelerate, hastening the discovery of the bodies.

So, he had chosen the washing machine.

And ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‍for dark, twisted reasons.

Ye Sangsang leaned in closely to examine the fingers, noting that more than half of them had been cut more than once in the same spot. It was clear from the shaky, rough technique that the killer had been nervous and uncertain at first.

He had been frightened.

This was his first time committing such a heinous act.

But once he realized there was no going back, the malice lurking within him had burst forth, and he had begun to work with a more deliberate, vicious determination.

After closing the girl’s drawer, Ye Sangsang turned her attention to the father’s body.

Her long eyelashes fluttered, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on the corpse, her tea-colored irises narrowing slightly.

This time, he had started with the legs. She deduced this from the different post-mortem reactions caused by the varying times of dissection, as well as the degree of patience a person would exhibit over time.

Generally, the earliest parts dismembered would be the most fragmented, while the later parts would become more consistent as time went on.

After the legs, he had used an ax to sever the head and then sliced through the throat, cutting downward toward the abdomen. There had been a pause before continuing to the lower abdomen, where he had then emptied the internal organs.

At this point, he had been in his small, isolated house, with blankets laid out, so there had been no fear of being discovered.

He had worked methodically from the limbs to the torso.

Ye Sangsang closed the father’s drawer and turned to the mother’s body.

The process had been identical.

She turned and picked up the file on a decade-old case—the 1994 massacre of a family of five.

At that time, Zhou Jianguo was not a new forensic examiner. Although the forensic system was still in its infancy, he had previously been a police officer who had handled many cases and had experience examining bodies, so the records from that time were quite detailed.

Photos of the crime scene had been taken, which were part of the public security bureau's internal archives, allowing Ye Sangsang to clearly see the specifics of the victims’ conditions from back then.

The first victim had been the child, who had been found dead underneath a tree in the yard.

The killer had apparently been well-acquainted with the family’s routines and had chosen to strike at noon.

After killing the child, he had moved to the kitchen and killed the wife, who had been bent over the sink washing vegetables.

The cramped kitchen had made it impossible for her to notice the intruder—or perhaps she had noticed but had assumed it was someone there to help and had not bothered to look back.

Once the wife was dead, the killer had moved on to the husband, who had been repairing appliances.

Next had been the paralyzed grandfather, and finally the grandmother, who had been washing clothes in the bathroom.

The entire process had been remarkably smooth.

Afterwards, the killer had dismembered the bodies and taken their heads.

The scene had been extremely gruesome, and the neighbor who had come to borrow a little rice that evening had been so horrified that she fainted on the spot, only to regain consciousness and immediately call the police.

Ye Sangsang flipped through the documents, then paused.

Her gaze fixed on a family photo taken before the murders, her expression faltering.

She reached out, clipping the photo onto a stainless steel board used for reports, then grabbed a few sheets of blank paper.

On her desk, she picked up a pencil and began to sketch.

【What’s Sister Sangsang doing?】

【Could there still be unanswered questions about the case? Didn’t the police capture Song Jiaqi? The case file seems pretty thorough… there shouldn’t be any misinterpretation, right?】

【Sister Sangsang must have her reasons. I feel like there’s more to this case. I’ll just wait for the resolution.】

Ye Sangsang was completely absorbed in her work, undistracted by anything else.

Soon, the images of the five family members began to take shape on the paper—though not as portraits, but rather as skull drawings.

Ye Sangsang looked at the illustrations with a small smile.

However, skulls alone couldn’t serve as evidence.

She returned her attention to the autopsy reports.

Her eyes then rested on a small line of text.

The ink on the ten-year-old, typewritten page had faded, and the added handwritten notes made it difficult for Ye Sangsang to read clearly.

Then she thought of Zhou Jianguo.

Just at that moment, Zhou Jianguo walked in and saw Ye Sangsang. He immediately said, “That rookie detective who’s always following you around—I saw him sitting outside, but he won’t come in, no matter how I call him.”

“Hmm? I don’t know. Maybe he’s thinking about something. Come help me with this—what does this say?”

Ye Sangsang picked up the archive and asked.

Zhou Jianguo took a look at what Ye Sangsang was holding, his expression immediately turning serious. He took the file, frowned, and read carefully before replying, “This part here describes the order in which the killer attacked. Ten years ago, the killer seemed to have learned butchering techniques; after cutting off the head, he would start at the throat and move downward to the abdominal area, pausing briefly before continuing forcefully to the lower abdomen. He avoided the internal organs, showing remarkable calmness and skill.”

“Compared to this recent case, that killer would even take out the bones and chop them separately. He was very composed, with no hesitation in his actions.”

Ye Sangsang looked at Zhou Jianguo, her mind made up. She said slowly, “We’ve overlooked something.”

“What?” Zhou Jianguo asked curiously.

Ye Sangsang pointed at the sequence and said, “Back then, you labeled it as a dismemberment case, a massacre case, and even mentioned the use of cotton bedding to muffle sounds. You released many details to the public, asking for leads.”

“But there’s one thing you didn’t mention—how the killer disposed of the torso.”

“You mean the two cuts from the throat through the chest, abdominal area, and down to the lower abdomen!”

“If it were you, how would you go about removing the internal organs?”

Ye Sangsang asked Zhou Jianguo directly.

Zhou Jianguo pondered for a moment before responding, “I’d probably just slice open the stomach and remove them directly…” He paused, looking at Ye Sangsang with a sudden realization. “We never mentioned that, so how did this person know about that specific technique?”

“There aren’t that many coincidences in this world,” Ye Sangsang said, pausing briefly. “Nothing about this is coincidental.”

Zhou Jianguo frowned. “So, you’re saying this isn’t just a case of mimicry?”

He hadn’t suspected that the two cases were connected to the same person, as the skill levels differed significantly. Five years ago, he had believed the killer might have studied anatomy or practiced dissecting things in secret.

“I think Song Jiaqi is still worth investigating. He’s the murderer, but he may not be the only one,” Ye Sangsang said, looking at the skull drawing. She didn’t mention this as a hypothesis because it lacked concrete evidence and might mislead the investigation.

Zhou Jianguo pondered for a long time. Just on the basis of those two cuts, it still didn’t seem enough.

“The case is already being prepared for transfer to the prosecutor’s office. This habit of using the knife isn’t a strong enough angle for a breakthrough,” he said.

“There’s one more thing…”

Ye Sangsang looked at him and said with certainty.

Zhou Jianguo looked at Ye Sangsang in confusion. What other breakthrough could there be?

【Curious, how will this case proceed?】

【What details has Sister Sangsang noticed that we missed?】

【I’m really curious. Who is the real mastermind behind this?】

Ye Sangsang smiled at him and suddenly brought up a name. “Zhou Jianguo, have you seen Song Jiaqi’s wife?”

“I saw her at the front door once. It was shortly before she was about to leave. I remember Xu Wan seeing her off and asking Xu Wan a few questions,” Zhou Jianguo recalled, then looked at Ye Sangsang. “What does she have to do with this case? She’s already been sent back to her family home. The police have questioned her, and she definitely has an alibi; otherwise, they wouldn’t have let her go so easily.”

For the police, they wouldn't overlook the possibility of accomplices. Everyone in the surrounding area needs to be interrogated, and their statements must corroborate each other.

If Song Jiaqi's wife were suspected, even slightly, she would be detained for further questioning.

Ye Sangsang didn't interrupt him when he raised questions, as it would be impolite.

After he finished speaking, she said, "Do you think the child Song Jiaqi's wife is carrying is his?"

Ye Sangsang's words made Zhou Jianguo pause, his brow furrowed as he pondered.

He had seen that woman before. On the surface, she seemed upright and didn't appear to be the kind of person who would cheat. However, as a law enforcement officer, one couldn't judge someone based on appearances, so he wasn't sure.@@novelbin@@

Ye Sangsang continued, "She didn't terminate the pregnancy and didn't file for divorce. There's a high chance the child is Song Jiaqi's. She might be waiting for him to realize his mistake and return."

"But Song Jiaqi is infertile, isn't he?" Zhou Jianguo asked, puzzled.

Ye Sangsang looked at him and said, "Actually, some infertility issues aren't absolute. There's always a chance."

"I believe the key lies in why Song Jiaqi went for a second check-up after his initial examination. He likely suspected that the first test might have been wrong. Deep down, he probably trusts his wife, so he chose to get tested again. If the results were normal, he would have brought her back."

"But the results still showed he was infertile," Zhou Jianguo emphasized.

Ye Sangsang shook her head. "There's a reversal of cause and effect here. If Song Jiaqi's wife was indeed carrying his child, he wouldn't have been diagnosed as completely infertile. At the very least, it would have been labeled as low sperm count. With low sperm count, doctors would say the chances are slim, not that it's completely impossible to conceive."

"I don't get it," Zhou Jianguo said.

Ye Sangsang continued, "I'm just hypothesizing, but we can ask the doctor who made the diagnosis. The goal here is simple: if our hypothesis holds, then the entire motive behind the crime falls apart."

"Why would Song Jiaqi kill an entire family of three? And why target them specifically? Where did he get their address? What made them his target?"

Zhou Jianguo was stunned, frozen in place, unable to speak for a moment.

The situation now is that if they question the doctor about Song Jiaqi's medical records, they might unravel everything.

But unraveling everything means starting the investigation from scratch. However, based on the crime scene and other evidence, there are no signs of anyone else's involvement.

No… that’s not right…

Zhou Jianguo suddenly looked up, connecting the dots, his eyes sharp as he stared at Ye Sangsang.

"Your meaning is… Song Jiaqi was being manipulated from behind. The knife techniques… they match the case from ten years ago… The same person was orchestrating everything?"

Zhou Jianguo wasn't stupid. After careful thought, he reached the same conclusion.

【Wow, terrifying. The murderer from ten years ago is back.】

【At first glance, Song Jiaqi's crime seems like a clumsy imitation, but he was just a tool?】

【If Song Jiaqi trusted his wife, even if the doctors said there was a slight chance the child was his, he wouldn't have acted. If our hypothesis holds, Song Jiaqi had no motive to commit the crime!】

Understanding Ye Sangsang's reasoning, Zhou Jianguo leaned on the desk, his lips tightening.

If there's even a chance this hypothesis is true, then the killer's methods have reached a whole new level.

Once a hypothesis is proposed, it must be pursued, especially when it involves the murderer from the ten-year-old massacre.

After some thought, Zhou Jianguo decided to make a call. But then he reconsidered and said, "Never mind. This shouldn't wait. Sangsang, you go with Qiu Guoqing to the hospital."

Ye Sangsang's observational skills were too sharp. She had already noticed that Song Jiaqi's dissection methods were deliberately confusing. Even with that, she still saw through it. She should go along!

As a coroner, Zhou Jianguo couldn't leave his post, so he hurriedly called Qiu Guoqing.

Don't let his profession as a coroner fool you—everyone in the bureau calls him Brother Zhou.

If it weren't for his love for the frontline forensic work, he would have been promoted long ago. But even without seeking advancement, his rank isn't low.

Even if it's just a hypothesis, Zhou Jianguo wouldn't let it slide. He called Qiu Guoqing directly, instructing him to investigate thoroughly.

【You can tell how much he wants to crack this case.】

【It's been obvious before—this case is his obsession.】

【He’s relentless in seeking justice for the victims, always thinking about it. It's great to have such a dedicated police officer!】

Ye Sangsang placed the skull sketch aside.

Zhou Jianguo saw it but didn't say anything, simply putting it away.

Ye Sangsang had her reasons for doing so; he would just store it properly.

As they stepped out, Ye Sangsang immediately noticed Xu Wan sitting on the stainless steel bench. Her hands rested on her knees, her posture straight and upright, her expression revealing a mix of frustration and sadness.

There was also a hint of despair.

Her attention wasn't on Ye Sangsang at all, and she sighed every few seconds.

Ye Sangsang approached her, and only then did Xu Wan react, quickly turning her head toward Ye Sangsang.

Upon seeing Ye Sangsang, she stood up abruptly.

"Sister Jing!" she called out.

Ye Sangsang looked at her. "What are you doing here?"

The place was relatively secluded, and given the peculiar nature of forensic work, most people wouldn't come here without a reason.

Xu Wan scratched the back of her head. "Well, I just felt like coming."

She couldn't reveal her true identity, so she could only give this vague explanation.

Ye Sangsang didn't press her for details.

"Where's Captain Qiu? I need to see him about something," Ye Sangsang asked.

Xu Wan immediately volunteered to take Ye Sangsang to find him.

【The way the anchor is acting, it looks like you're into him.】

【Laughing so hard, she’s almost exploding because she can't say his name.】

【Poor thing, she’s really worried.】

Seeing the live chat, Xu Wan’s face turned bitter. Wasn’t she miserable enough? Sob sob sob.

Xu Wan was also curious about why Ye Sangsang wanted to see Qiu Guoqing.

Soon, outside the interrogation room, Ye Sangsang waited for a few seconds before Qiu Guoqing came out.

Seeing Ye Sangsang, Qiu Guoqing softened his stern expression from questioning the suspect. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I still have a suspect to interrogate. How about this—I'll send Old Zhao with you and Xu Wan. I trust you can handle it."

"Alright," Ye Sangsang agreed without hesitation.

Xu Wan was full of question marks. What was she supposed to do? Where were they going?

Unfortunately, no one was there to clarify. Soon, Old Zhao in civilian clothes arrived.

Ye Sangsang and Xu Wan also changed into casual attire before setting off with Old Zhao, who drove them to the hospital.

Xu Wan was utterly confused, but since the instance was almost over, she figured there was no point in asking, so she held back.

It wasn't until a few minutes into the drive that she realized something was off. Curious, she looked at Ye Sangsang. "Where are we going?"

"The hospital," Ye Sangsang replied succinctly.

Xu Wan's mouth gaped open, looking suspiciously at the two of them. What were they doing at the hospital?

Was there a storyline like this in the instance?

Or were they going there to act out a scenario where they were sick and needed to visit a doctor?

Her simple mind was filled with big questions.

Ye Sangsang saw her expression and could basically tell what she was thinking, raising her suspicion once again about why Xu Wan was even playing this game.

It seemed like she wasn't enjoying it at all, just constantly getting scared.

【Hahaha, she's totally acting like me! If I ever play a game, I'll probably be like this too.】

【Awww, she’s so cute and clueless. Is she really a detective?】

【Laughing so hard, the contrast between her and Sangsang is just too much.】

Old Zhao in the front seat also found it amusing but didn't explain anything.

Teasing her a bit was fun, so he decided to wait until they reached their destination to reveal the purpose.

So it wasn't until they reached the hospital that Xu Wan finally found out why they were there.

She was completely stunned, still unable to process it, clearly shocked.

It was around five o'clock in the afternoon, close to the time when doctors were about to finish their shifts. As they walked in, the doctor was wearily wiping his glasses.

Seeing someone enter, he quickly cleaned them and put them on his face.

After wearing his glasses, he sat down and looked at the visitors.

Old Zhao promptly showed his credentials, "Police officers, we have some questions we'd like to ask."

The doctor glanced at the credentials and nodded, then seated himself in the office chair of the clinic.

The three of them also sat or stood on the opposite side of the doctor.

The clinic wasn't very large, probably only about five or six square meters, with most of the decor being white or blue. There was a sink and a mirror, standard equipment for a clinic, along with an examination bed, making everything simple and ordinary.

The doctor's name was Wang Ping, aged over fifty, and he appeared to be a very calm and composed middle-aged man.

"What would you like to ask?"

He shifted slightly to straighten himself up.

Ye Sangsang, currently serving as a forensic scientist rather than an investigator, stood to the side, playing the role of a silent observer.

Xu Wan was feeling quite nervous, as a rookie she had no idea what questions to ask.

Luckily, Old Zhao took over, directly taking out a prepared photo of Song Jiaqi from his bag, standing up to hand it to Wang Ping, "We've inquired before, and this person, Song Jiaqi, was treated here. We'd like to know the specifics of his health condition. If there are any examination records, we also hope you can print and sign them for us."

Printing and signing would make it legally binding.

Hearing this, Wang Ping nodded readily.

"Let me check," he said, taking the photo and examining it carefully. After a while, he nodded, "Yes, Song Jiaqi. The police have already asked me about him."

Wang Ping tapped on the computer and pulled up the medical records for a closer look.

Ye Sangsang's vantage point allowed her to see the computer screen, so she directly looked over.

After reviewing the computer, Wang Ping slightly tilted his head, his gaze landing on Ye Sangsang before turning to Old Zhao, "I've checked. He has oligoasthenospermia. He was diagnosed with it two years ago here at our hospital. The other day, he came again, saying his wife was pregnant."

"At first, he didn't want to talk about it, looking quite frustrated. It was only after questioning that he mentioned his wife's pregnancy."

Old Zhao’s eyes flickered, "What’s the difference between oligoasthenospermia and azoospermia?"

"Oligoasthenospermia means the sperm motility is below 50% within a certain standard. Azoospermia, as the name suggests, means the sperm count within a certain standard is over 90% dead."

"His survivability rate after the check-up is only 12%, which is quite low. So, it's a pretty standard case of oligoasthenospermia, the results were similar both times."

Wang Ping explained in great detail, occasionally moving the mouse to confirm he hadn't misremembered Song Jiaqi's information.

Old Zhao nodded, asking the crucial question, "So, is there a possibility of pregnancy? I mean, could Song Jiaqi have made his wife pregnant?"

"Yes, there is, but the probability of natural conception is quite low. However, such cases do exist." Wang Ping added, "That's what I told him before. He seemed quite happy when he left."

"I also told him that the child was hard to come by and that he should trust his wife."

At this point, Wang Ping sighed.

Those who were well-informed mostly knew how this story would end.

As expected by Ye Sangsang, the expressions of the three people at the scene relaxed somewhat.

If the hypothesis held, then this case would need further investigation to uncover the person behind it.

Old Zhao asked Wang Ping a few more questions, such as how Song Jiaqi had looked after hearing the news.

Wang Ping said he had seemed quite normal, a bit puzzled but not as furious as when he had entered.

He opened a drawer, pulled out some white paper, placed it in the printer, and started printing the medical records.

After a series of zipping sounds, the records were printed.

Wang Ping pulled out a pen from his coat pocket and swiftly signed his name.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation. Sorry to have disturbed you from your shift," Old Zhao said, taking the printed records with a smile, though his eyes showed a bit of gravity.

This case was getting complicated!

Ye Sangsang's gaze landed on the drawer Wang Ping had opened, her eyes locking onto a small silver knife, about the size of a palm, with a pointed tip that hadn't been sharpened. What stood out was the handle, which featured a perfectly carved skull, looking like a work of art.

As Wang Ping was about to close the drawer, he noticed Ye Sangsang's observation and glanced at the knife inside, "Isn't it exquisite?"

"Indeed, it's very beautiful," Ye Sangsang honestly praised.

Wang Ping closed the drawer and stood up, ready to leave for the day.

Seeing that Ye Sangsang had nothing more to say, Old Zhao got up and walked out.

As they left the clinic, Xu Wan said, "I'm going to the restroom."

Ye Sangsang pointed to a bench nearby, indicating she should wait there.

"Any gains?" There were hardly any people around, and Old Zhao, holding the medical record sheet, sighed.

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment, "No."

Old Zhao sighed, realizing he had been hoping against hope.

If this case were so simple to solve, they wouldn't have spent ten years running in circles without any leads.

Ye Sangsang gazed down the hospital corridor, recalling the skull-shaped knife handle she had seen earlier.

The knife's shape, though unusual, wouldn't be odd if it were for collection, as it was smoothly designed and aesthetically pleasing. Regularly handling it would also be enjoyable.

The skull, in particular, was exquisitely carved.

However, the knife was placed next to some paper, partially covered, so she only saw half of it, not very clearly. She had wanted to ask Wang Ping if she could hold it to get a better look, but by the time Wang Ping had closed the drawer, suggesting it further would have been intrusive.

After her thoughts, Xu Wan came out of the restroom.

"Let me tell you, I almost went into the wrong restroom. Luckily, I saw a man in a wheelchair going in beside me, so I realized and looked up to find I had gone to the wrong one," Xu Wan's face was full of embarrassment, her cheeks red to the roots of her neck.

If it had been in private, it would have been fine, but the problem was that this was in front of a live broadcast with so many people watching.

Why couldn't the live stream be turned off as soon as she entered the restroom area?!

Ye Sangsang was silent for a moment.

[Hahaha, Sangsang's silence is deafening, Xu Wan, did you forget something?]

[Sangsang's live stream currently has 650,000 people watching in real-time, with the edited playback getting at least several million views, not to mention retransmissions. I'm embarrassed for her hahaha!]

[Laughing to death, can this cute girl give her name after the live stream? I want to know who she is!]

The live stream was filled with merriment.

Ye Sangsang shook her head, and everyone returned to the bureau.

Xu Wan only realized what had happened afterwards, completely in a daze.

The case circled back to the starting point, with any ideas of closing the case now gone, as the motive for the crime had been overturned.

However, the good news was that they could now investigate Song Jiaqi, as if Ye Sangsang's analysis was correct, Song Jiaqi must have had some contact or observation of the deceased family of three.

They began investigating Song Jiaqi's whereabouts for at least the past half month, while also checking the surveillance footage near the deceased's home, going back at least half a month.

Since that was the maximum storage time for the surveillance footage.

Additionally, they investigated Song Jiaqi's social circle.

Song Jiaqi's information, along with other investigation materials, filled up three tables.

Most importantly, there was the small-time criminal who had killed Song Jiaqi. If someone had instigated him, then the criminal's appearance was too convenient.

He had just happened to be there when Song Jiaqi needed to be silenced.

But the criminal firmly claimed it was a random event.

Having been to jail before, he was already an old hand and quite difficult to deal with.

Even Ye Sangsang was a bit surprised; these interrogators had some serious skills, yet the criminal had withstood all the pressure and hadn't broken.

The person behind the scenes was really good at choosing their people.

For three consecutive days, there was no progress at all, except for a few minor details that showed nothing out of the ordinary.

Ye Sangsang and Xu Wan, without any communication, skipped over a part of the timeline but still found no leads.

Even she couldn't help but exclaim that this case was crafted quite perfectly.

The killer had left no trace at all. If it weren't for a few suspicious points, everyone would have doubted that there was no such person.

Another evening, Qiu Guoqing stood with his hands on his hips, tossing the case files onto the desk.

"Could it be that there isn’t even such a person? Maybe it's just a copycat crime, and Song Jiaqi just happened to run into them, coincidentally knowing them from before and finding out where they lived, then maliciously committing the crime at their house," one police officer suggested.

Because after wasting so many police resources over these days, there was still no result.

Today marks the deadline set by the city for solving the case, after which everyone involved will be held accountable.

It's not that they don't want to solve it; the pressure is just too great.

Old Zhao stood up and declared, "This case is undoubtedly connected to the decade-old mass murder. We can't be toyed with; this case must be solved!"

"But how?" a police officer sighed.

The others voiced their frustrations as well.

Qiu Guoqing slammed his hand on the table and glanced around the room.

Those who met his gaze immediately looked down.

“Use your heads! As police officers, should we just accept being fooled? The culprit is probably laughing at us from the shadows! If we don't catch him, the next time something similar happens, we'll be the laughingstock of police forces nationwide! They'll call us incompetent and confused!”

His deep voice struck like thunder, each word resonating in everyone's hearts.

But soon, his tone softened.

"I know. I'll take the heat for a few days. We must uncover the truth. Eight lives—we cannot ignore the truth."

After speaking gently, he headed to the supervisor's office.

The sound of arguing soon filled the air, lasting for about ten minutes. When he emerged, the media issue had been resolved, and they were granted another ten days to focus solely on solving the case.

Ye Sangsang stood in the corner, her live broadcast filled with screams as viewers realized that even police officers could quarrel.

The chat was abuzz with discussions.

Qiu Guoqing began summoning everyone for a meeting to organize their findings.

Ye Sangsang was about to leave when Qiu Guoqing asked her to stay.

Everyone scattered, standing or sitting in a circle as Qiu Guoqing recounted their recent discoveries.

Over the past few weeks, Song Jiaqi's routine has been quite regular, mostly a three-point-line: home, work, and occasional drinks with friends.

Most of his friends advised him to move on, suggesting he could divorce and find someone with children.

Others, however, urged him to simply let it go, claiming that raising someone else's child could work out in the long run.

There were no notable oddities in his behavior.

Ye Sangsang, who was initially standing, was pulled down by Xu Wan to sit and listen.

Apart from his social life, Song Jiaqi's job involved driving a garbage truck.

It's worth noting that he also handled waste collection for the residential complex where the victims lived.

"This is a key location," Qiu Guoqing looked at Old Zhao. "You take the team tomorrow to ask around. See if anyone has met him before or if he was overheard mentioning the victims' address, perhaps with Song Jiaqi around."

Old Zhao nodded.

Qiu Guoqing also assigned each team to investigate smaller details thoroughly.

The most challenging part was dealing with the local delinquents, something Qiu Guoqing hadn't anticipated.

"There's another angle: Song Jiaqi's wife," Ye Sangsang interjected.

Qiu Guoqing turned to her. "We've been monitoring her, including investigating her finances."

"I was referring to searching her home," Ye Sangsang clarified.

There was a moment of silence.

Ye Sangsang stood up and approached the whiteboard with Song Jiaqi's timeline. "What we're missing is crucial: lack of sufficient surveillance. Many of his movements remain uncertain."

Everyone nodded, agreeing with the point.

There were time gaps with no visuals, making it impossible to know what he did or who he met when he was alone.

"The missing piece is why Song Jiaqi was told to kill. "Ye Sangsang picked up a marker and added a question mark next to 'motive.' "I think it was for money. It's the only plausible reason, though we lack evidence."

"But the thing is, Song Jiaqi probably hasn't told his wife a thing. If he received money, it's likely hidden very secretly. He might be waiting for the right time or entrusted someone to inform his wife about it."

"So his wife is completely unaware."

Qiu Guoqing nodded. "Alright, we'll get a search warrant tomorrow morning and take a look."

No matter what, they had to investigate!

"Why though?" Xu Wan whispered in Ye Sangsang's ear.

Ye Sangsang gave a cold smile as her gaze landed on Xu Wan's head. "Because he was ordering goods."

Xu Wan was caught off guard, shivering involuntarily.

[SKULL IMAGE! I get it now—they want a skull!]

[Did they hire someone to kill?]

[Why not do it themselves?]

"Why not do it themselves and risk paying someone else to get caught?" Xu Wan whispered again, "And why would the mastermind pay Song Jiaqi to kill? Isn't that strange? Song Jiaqi was supposed to be living a peaceful life."

Ye Sangsang looked down at her legs. "Not doing it themselves means they're probably incapacitated. As for why Song Jiaqi agreed, that's something we'll only know once we find the mastermind."

Xu Wan widened her eyes, a spark of realization flashing in them.

"So that's why the killer hasn't struck again?"

Having played similar games, she knew that most psychotic killers don't just stop after one murder.

Ye Sangsang's reasoning made perfect sense to her.

The reason behind Song Jiaqi's involvement would only be clear once the truth surfaced.

After chatting for a while about the case, the meeting wrapped up, and everyone left.

Xu Wan happily walked home, her bag swinging in her hand.

Ye Sangsang also stood up, thinking that tomorrow might bring the results they've been waiting for.

If not, she might need to visit a doctor to investigate that trinket.

Xu Wan seemed distracted during the case, so Ye Sangsang shifted her focus to other timelines.

The next day, Ye Sangsang went to work as usual. Today was a big day, so she didn't skip any timeline throughout the morning. As for Xu Wan, she remained inactive, allowing Ye Sangsang to skip through timelines at will.

Ye Sangsang tapped idly on her desk, pondering the identity of the killer.

As the clock struck ten, Ye Sangsang waited for updates while handling her work.

Suddenly, the office phone rang.

She held a pen, tapping on a piece of paper, as she listened to the call.

Two seconds into the call, her hand froze.

"Xu Wan is dead?"