In the other car.
Lin Chengfeng got into the driver’s seat, and Ye Xuan immediately opened the passenger door and slipped inside.
“Officer Lin, your police cars really need an upgrade—these seats are rock hard!” Ye Xuan complained with a look of disdain.
Lin Chengfeng rolled his eyes upon hearing this. “You paying for it?”
“I’d need money for that first,” Ye Xuan replied nonchalantly, then asked curiously, “By the way, Officer Lin, who is that Elder Zhou?”
Hearing this, Lin Chengfeng’s lips curled slightly as he looked at Ye Xuan with a half-smile. “Since you’re so clever, why don’t you take a guess?”
Lin Chengfeng was absolutely confident—even within the Public Security Bureau, aside from the bureau chief, no one knew about his relationship with Zhou Zhengrong!
Ye Xuan didn’t hesitate. After a brief moment of thought, he began analyzing: “Although Elder Zhou is quite old, his demeanor and presence are extraordinary. He’s clearly a highly experienced police officer. And even though he’s a forensic examiner, I suspect his rank is quite high. As for you, even though you’re the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division, you work at the municipal bureau… From this, it seems only someone at the bureau chief level would have the authority to assign you tasks. But judging from what I just witnessed, I could clearly sense your respect for Elder Zhou—and it wasn’t just respect for a superior.”
At this point, Ye Xuan glanced briefly at Lin Chengfeng before continuing his speculation: “Not only that, Officer Lin, you’re not from Chuan City, are you? Although you speak with perfect enunciation, I detected a hint of a Beijing accent. So I’d guess you’re probably from the capital.”
“Putting all these factors together, Elder Zhou must be a senior relative of yours. And the reason you came to Chuan City to serve as the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division is likely because Elder Zhou is here. Your family probably arranged for you to take this position specifically because of him.”
Lin Chengfeng was stunned, looking at Ye Xuan as if he’d seen a ghost.
He never expected Ye Xuan’s observational skills to be this sharp!
Just from his gaze and reactions, he could tell Zhou Zhengrong was a senior relative!
Moreover, Lin Chengfeng had joined the military at 16 and was now 26—he hadn’t spoken with a Beijing accent for ten years!
He had almost forgotten how to speak like a Beijinger!
Yet Ye Xuan could so keenly detect the Beijing flavor in his speech!
Was his ear made of a nose or something?
Seeing Lin Chengfeng’s unusual expression, Ye Xuan’s lips curled slightly.
It seemed his guess was correct.
Now it was Ye Xuan’s turn to tease: “Officer Lin, was my guess accurate?”
Lin Chengfeng nodded, unable to deny it.
“Correct. Elder Zhou is indeed a senior relative of mine—he’s my uncle.”
Ye Xuan was somewhat curious. “But Elder Zhou seems to be around sixty, doesn’t he? Why hasn’t he retired at that age?”
Lin Chengfeng didn’t respond, but a barely noticeable flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
It came and went quickly, soon suppressed by Lin Chengfeng.
Unfortunately, this moment was still captured by Ye Xuan.
Although Ye Xuan was naturally curious, he didn’t press further. He simply shifted his gaze forward in silence.
About ten minutes later.
The two police cars slowly pulled up at Building 6 of New City Community.
The criminal investigators took out flashlights, put on gloves and shoe covers, and headed upstairs.
The scene remained perfectly preserved.
Due to the police line still being in place, and the fact that someone had died in this stairwell, the residents of this building no longer dared to enter or exit through the fire escape of Unit 2. Instead, they took a few extra steps to use the fire escape in Unit 1.
Ye Xuan carefully observed the corridor between the 10th and 11th floors, as well as the body outline marked on the floor.
After observing for a while, Ye Xuan looked up and gestured with his thumb toward the 11th floor.
Soon, the corners of Ye Xuan’s mouth lifted slightly.
“So that’s how it is.”
Seeing this, Lin Chengfeng asked, “What is it?”
Ye Xuan pointed to the first step down from the 11th floor and said, “This spot is separated from the stairway leading to the 12th floor by a wall, making it a blind spot for people going up or down. If the victim had simply slipped and fallen after accidentally bumping into someone, his body would have instinctively struggled and twisted upward during the fall—that’s a natural human reaction. But the victim’s head directly hit the wall, which means he lost consciousness before he could even react.”
“In other words, the possibility of the victim accidentally falling after bumping into someone is ruled out.”
Hearing this, Lin Chengfeng frowned.
Meanwhile, the detectives beside him looked at Ye Xuan with blank expressions, as if they had heard something unbelievable.
Lin Chengfeng stepped over to the spot Ye Xuan had described. After observing the area for a moment, he nodded and said, “Indeed, if it were an accidental bump, the victim wouldn’t have had zero reaction. So now we can confirm that the possibility of accidental death is ruled out. This was a premeditated murder!”
Ye Xuan smiled and snapped his fingers, then walked over to the fire escape door on the 11th floor.
“Officer Lin, this stairwell isn’t large. The only spot where someone could have sneaked up behind the victim and pushed him down without being noticed is exactly where I’m standing now.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Chengfeng and the detectives immediately rushed over to Ye Xuan’s position.
Zhao Zongfei nodded seriously and responded, “Right, this spot isn’t far from the stairwell—just three steps away—and it’s still a blind spot for people going up or down. There was definitely an opportunity to commit the crime!”
Then Ye Xuan added, “And have you noticed? The elevator just happened to break down on the same day the murderer committed the crime.”
Li Xiaoran immediately replied, “According to the property management, the elevator malfunctioned due to a worn-out belt. This has happened several times before, so everyone is used to it.”
Lin Chengfeng looked at Ye Xuan and said slowly, “Are you suggesting that the elevator malfunction was deliberately caused, with the purpose of forcing the victim to use the stairs, making it easier to kill him?”
Ye Xuan smiled and nodded. “According to the maintenance records in the elevator, it was inspected just three days ago. What are the odds that it would break down again so soon after maintenance, and on top of that… a life was lost!”
“But how did the murderer know the victim would go downstairs? What if the victim hadn’t left his apartment all day?” Li Xiaoran asked, puzzled.
Ye Xuan replied calmly, “The murderer must be someone who knows the victim very well!”
Upon hearing this, the image of Wu Zhen suddenly appeared in everyone’s minds.
“You mean… his wife?” Lin Chengfeng asked, confused.
Ye Xuan nodded but then shook his head.
“The motive isn’t clear yet, but I’m certain the victim’s wife is somehow involved in this!”
Lin Chengfeng frowned tightly, looking at Ye Xuan with confusion as he asked, “Back at the police station, you only saw her briefly. How did you come to suspect her?”
“The deceased’s wife’s reaction was quite unusual. When she heard from Officer Lin that there were suspicious circumstances surrounding her husband’s death, her body trembled slightly, her eyes darted away, and her voice grew hoarse. These reactions are instinctive defensive responses. Clearly, she must know something, which is why she showed signs of guilt.”
“Moreover, the deceased’s wife’s foot showed signs of being sprained!”