The wooden building had long since deteriorated, and as soon as Qin Siyang left, the entire structure went up in flames.
The raging fire was completely unmanageable.
By the time the fire brigade arrived, all they could do was watch helplessly as the fire consumed everything.
In just half an hour, this wooden building, which had stood for thirty or forty years and witnessed the apocalypse, was reduced to ashes.
While inspecting the ashes, the fire brigade discovered a charred corpse with a knife, blackened by the fire, still lodged in it. They immediately contacted the police bureau.
Upon receiving the report, the police bureau quickly dispatched personnel to the scene.
Leading the team was Inspector Aoluofu.
Aoluofu kicked at a piece of blackened wood, which shattered into pieces on impact.
Surveying the area, he shook his head:
"Fires like this seem to be common lately."
Luo Yilianna said, "Yes, as my Scent Sniffer Sequence becomes more widely known, people realize that only fire can completely erase the scent they leave behind. So, criminals especially like to use fire when committing crimes."
"Criminals? This fire wasn't an accident? Have you already surveyed the scene?"
"Yes, Inspector Aoluofu. Among the ashes, there's a charred corpse with a knife in its chest, hands bound behind its back. It appears to be a murder."
"Take me to see it."
"Alright."
Both were Sequence Ability Users, with physical prowess far beyond ordinary people. They kicked aside some charred planks as they made their way to the disfigured corpse of Liu Dazhi.
Aoluofu crouched down, took out a cigar, snipped the end with a small pair of scissors, and lit it with a still-burning piece of wood nearby.
He took a puff of the cigar and carefully examined the corpse.
"On the surface, it does look like he was bound and then stabbed directly in the chest. Give me a pair of gloves."
A police officer handed Aoluofu a pair of white gloves.
With the cigar in his mouth, Aoluofu put on the gloves and began to manipulate Liu Dazhi's body.
"This person's jaw is broken, seemingly from a heavy impact. Any clues?"
The police officer shook his head: "No, the fire destroyed much of the evidence. Judging by the deformation of his bones, it seems to be the result of a baseball bat strike."
"This area is quite impoverished; baseball bats are rare. Even if there were any, they would likely be wooden. So, we can't find the murder weapon."
Aoluofu nodded, agreeing with the officer's analysis.
"Do any of the neighbors know anything?"
"Yes. The deceased is Liu Dazhi, a net café attendant at a nearby internet café. The incident occurred between 7:20 and 7:25. Before the fire, his neighbors heard someone knocking on his door, asking him to take out the trash, which led to a dispute."
"Based on the timeline, the person who entered Liu Dazhi's home, killed him, and robbed him should be the one who knocked."
"Do we know what that person looks like?"
The officer shook his head: "No one saw them. It was too early, and many people weren't awake yet. Those who heard Liu Dazhi arguing with someone were early risers heading to work."
Aoluofu didn't respond immediately, pondering for a moment before asking:
"Was Liu Dazhi's household the best off in this building?"
"No. There are two female workers from a cosmetics factory in this building, both earning more than Liu Dazhi. They both have mobile phones and were the ones who called the fire department."
"One is married, the other lives alone."
Hearing this, Aoluofu shook his head: "Let's not rush to label this as a home invasion robbery."
"Why?"
Aoluofu didn't answer right away, squinting as he took another puff of his cigar: "If it were a home invasion robbery, why not target the single cosmetics factory worker instead of Liu Dazhi, a regular net café attendant?"
"Perhaps it was a spur-of-the-moment decision?"
"A spur-of-the-moment decision? This person doesn't seem like it. First, they argued to get Liu Dazhi to open the door, then entered to kill, rob, and set fire, all with practiced skill and clear intent."
"If it were spur-of-the-moment, they would have waited for someone to leave alone, then tied them up and robbed their house."
Luo Yilianna asked, "Inspector Aoluofu, do you mean someone wanted to kill Liu Dazhi?"
"I'm just saying it's very possible. We need to investigate further to know for sure. By the way, you said he was a net café attendant?"
"That's right."
Aoluofu glanced around: "Running an internet café on the edge of a Safe Zone likely means he's not just an ordinary resident. Let's talk to him; maybe we'll find something."
Wang Defa was idly sitting in the internet café when Aoluofu and the others arrived.
"Oh, officers, what brings you to my little internet café? Is there anything I can assist with?"
Wang Defa's face was respectful, but internally he wondered which of his actions had been exposed, bringing these police officers here.
Operating an internet café here, he had done numerous Gray Zone activities, any of which could land him in trouble with the police bureau for years.
"We're not here because of you, just to ask about someone."
"Who do the officers want to know about?"
"Liu Dazhi, you know him, right?"
"Oh, he's our net café attendant. He's off today, resting at home. Do you need him for something? He doesn't have a phone or computer, so I can't reach him. You might have to come back tomorrow."
Aoluofu shook his head: "No, we're not looking for Liu Dazhi. We're here for you. Because earlier today, Liu Dazhi was murdered."
"Murdered?" Wang Defa's eyes widened: "He's just a fat nerd, why would anyone kill him?"
Aoluofu observed Wang Defa's seemingly genuine surprise and asked, "Do you know if he offended anyone recently?"
Wang Defa was baffled: "He's just a net café attendant, handling fees and starting computers. Who could he offend? Even if he did, who would kill him?"
He had mentioned Liu Dazhi to Qin Siyang earlier that morning but instinctively dismissed the possibility that a Sequence Ability User would go to the trouble of killing a fat nerd attendant.
Aoluofu continued, "The scene suggests it might have been a home invasion robbery. Do you have any clues about that?"
"Officer, a home invasion robbery is about money and murder. You're asking me, but how would I have any clues?"
Aoluofu felt Wang Defa was likely not a suspect but still asked, "Were you at the internet café all day today?"
"Yeah, I've been here the whole time. You can ask the people using the internet here; they can all vouch for me."
"That's right, Boss Wang has been here the whole time."
"Yes, I can confirm that. If Liu Dazhi is dead, it has nothing to do with Boss Wang."
"Boss Wang, I remember you were called away for a bit this morning?"
A young man with a pockmarked face said with a smile.
Wang Defa frowned, recognizing the young man as someone he had scolded for overdue internet fees.
He hadn't expected him to cause trouble in front of the police today! Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Wang Defa squinted at the young man, thinking about how to teach him a lesson.
Aoluofu heard the pockmarked young man's words and asked, "Wang Defa, is what he said true?"
"It's true." Wang Defa didn't care. In his view, Liu Dazhi's death had nothing to do with Qin Siyang.
"Who came to see you, when did they come, and how long were you gone?"
"My memory's a bit fuzzy, ah, I don't know why my head hurts, I can't remember. You should ask that pockmarked young man; he probably remembers better than I do."
This time, Wang Defa was no longer so enthusiastic about Aoluofu's inquiries, feigning a headache to avoid the topic.
Liu Dazhi's death had nothing to do with him; that was a certainty. He would cooperate just a little.
This white-haired inspector was asking about his private affairs. Didn't he know what it meant to run an internet café in a slum? Any private matter, if exposed, would be too much for the inspector to handle, let alone something he could casually discuss!
Aoluofu noticed Wang Defa's expression and showed a displeased look.
Wang Defa pretended to hold his head, peeking through his hands with one eye, glaring coldly at Aoluofu, full of warning.
Aoluofu knew Wang Defa had a complicated background and couldn't be pushed too hard without evidence.
More importantly, Wang Defa seemed unrelated to Liu Dazhi's death.
So, he approached the pockmarked young man: "Excuse me, do you remember when the boss left and how long he was gone?"
The pockmarked young man rolled his eyes and said, "He left around seven and was gone for about an hour! I heard you say Liu Dazhi was killed? Maybe it was him!"
"That's nonsense!" said someone next to the pockmarked young man: "Boss Wang started my computer at seven-something, and he was here the whole time. How could he have left for an hour?!"
The pockmarked young man shrugged: "I must have remembered wrong."
Wang Defa clenched his fists at the bar, realizing this pockmarked young man was jumping around too much, thinking he was just an ordinary internet café owner.
Hearing the person next to him clear things up, Aoluofu asked, "So, what time did you start your computer? Can I see?"
The person checked the login information and said, "Seven-thirteen."
"Alright, thank you."
The fire started around seven-twenty, leaving Wang Defa no time to commit the crime.
Aoluofu glanced at Wang Defa, who was no longer interested in cooperating with the investigation, and said, "Boss Wang, if you have any leads, feel free to contact us."
"Not seeing you out."
Wang Defa was no longer interested in talking to Aoluofu and the others.
Aoluofu left with the officers.
"Inspector Aoluofu, this internet café owner is suspicious," Luo Yilianna suggested beside Aoluofu.
"Of course he's suspicious," Aoluofu said, lighting another cigar. "But his issues, you can't investigate. Before I return to the Sigma District, I can't investigate either."
"But..."
"No buts. Luo Yilianna, don't be curious about everything. Focus only on the cases that have already happened. That's my advice to you, and I hope you remember it."
Luo Yilianna looked into Aoluofu's deep eyes and nodded.
After Aoluofu and the others left, Wang Defa took out his phone and went to the storeroom to make a call.
"Hey, Old Snake, it's me. Are you free now? I need you to take care of someone."
"Yeah, the price is the same as before. Don't worry, no one who comes to my internet café is decent. Even if you take them all out, the police bureau won't trace it back to you..."