Less than twelve hours had passed since Zhou Yi was reborn and returned to 1997.
Although he had confirmed this was reality and not a dream, his memory and brain had yet to fully adapt to certain information gaps—prices, for instance. Even though this was a life he had already lived, in truth, it would be difficult for most people to accurately recall the commodity prices from over two decades ago on such short notice. The only thing that left a deep impression on him was the pack of Daqianmen cigarettes he bought for Wu Yongcheng. It cost one yuan and eighty cents.
Upon hearing Zhou Yi’s final remark, Wu Yongcheng’s expression instantly grew solemn. He knew Zhou Yi had discovered something amiss. This kid really was not simple.
"If I remember correctly, the base salary for a grassroots police officer like you is two hundred and eighty, with fixed annual increments based on your years of service. Coupled with various subsidies, you should be making just over four hundred," Wu Yongcheng said, pointing at Chen Yan. "Chen has been on the force two years longer than you, but since we’re the City Bureau’s detachment and the Major Crimes Brigade, our allowances are considered the highest in Hongcheng. Chen should be making over six hundred a month."
Chen Yan nodded. "Six hundred and forty."
"I just make a little more than you guys." Wu Yongcheng scratched his head but didn’t state a specific number. However, this wasn’t what Zhou Yi cared about. Wu Yongcheng knew it, and Zhou Yi knew it too.
"Zhou Yi, what exactly did you find? Just spit it out," Chen Yan couldn’t help but say.
"Brother Yan, where did you get those documents?"
"I asked the hospital’s security department to fax them over."
"Zhang Xinli’s marital status hasn’t been updated on her profile."
Chen Yan nodded. "Right, I asked about that when I requested them. The hospital archives are generally updated once a year."
"Yeah. So her address hasn’t been updated either, right?"
"Right."
"Which means Zhang Xinli didn’t move because she got married. The place they are living in now is where Zhang Xinli lived before."
Chen Yan asked in confusion, "Is there... a problem with that?"
Wu Yongcheng took a fierce drag of his cigarette, frustrated by his subordinate’s denseness.
"Logically, after getting married, the woman should move into the man’s home. But Zhang Xinli said both she and her husband are from out of town, so there’s no such thing as moving into the man’s home. Instead, they’d live wherever is more convenient."
Chen Yan nodded, half-understanding.
"The fact is, the man moved into the woman’s place. That’s why the woman’s address hasn’t changed; it’s still her original address."
"Are you saying this apartment belongs to Zhang Xinli?"
SNAP. Zhou Yi snapped his fingers.
"You finally get it, Brother Yan. Exactly. The apartment belongs to Zhang Xinli, so the man moved in after they got married."
"Wait, why couldn’t Zhang Xinli have just rented this place? Maybe she got used to living there, found it convenient, and refused to move, so the man compromised and moved in with her."
Zhou Yi’s lips curled up. "Then do you remember what I asked her when I came out of the bathroom?"
"You asked her what brand the toilet..." Chen Yan paused mid-sentence, a look of sudden realization washing over his face. "I get it! You wouldn’t buy a toilet for a rented apartment because it’s a basic fixture. If she was renting, she would have said she didn’t know and that the landlord bought it."
Zhou Yi patted his shoulder. "You can be taught."
Praised, Chen Yan instantly felt quite proud, but then suddenly felt that something wasn’t quite right.
"Furthermore, she lied," Zhou Yi added.
"Lied?"
"She said she casually bought the toilet at a small roadside shop. But I looked at it; that toilet is a major imported brand. You have to go to a specialty store in a shopping mall for that. You can’t buy it at a small roadside shop."
Wu Yongcheng chimed in, "It’s not just the toilet. Many of the furniture and appliances in her home aren’t cheap."
"Captain Wu is right. Those furniture and appliances, along with the layout of the room, further prove that this isn’t a rental. Then the biggest question arises: given Zhang Xinli’s job, how could she possibly afford an apartment like this?"
This actually wasn’t Zhou Yi grasping at straws. According to the case files of the March 16 case, the relationships among hospital colleagues had only been one of the routine investigative directions. Moreover, to facilitate questioning all the relevant hospital colleagues, the hospital’s security department had provided some support by specifically finding a conference room to serve as an interrogation space. Therefore, naturally, there hadn’t been any information like what they had just gathered.
Chen Yan frowned and fell silent, beginning to doubt himself. He, Captain Wu, and Zhou Yi had all entered Zhang Xinli’s home together. The information they heard and the scenes they saw were exactly the same. Why did Zhou Yi instantly notice the anomalies? And judging by Captain Wu’s expression, he had noticed them early on as well. Only he himself had failed to think that deeply. Zhou Yi was younger than him and had just recently become a police officer. Not to sound prejudiced, but Chen Yan also had a higher educational background than Zhou Yi; he was a legitimate graduate of a prestigious university.
Right as Chen Yan was doubting himself, Zhou Yi had already seen through his thoughts. He offered some encouragement. "Brother Yan, don’t be discouraged. I actually only figured it out thanks to Captain Wu’s hints."
Little did Chen Yan know, residing within the body of this young man named Zhou Yi was the mind of a veteran detective far more experienced than even Wu Yongcheng.
Wu Yongcheng was momentarily stunned, but immediately caught on. "Ah, yes. I told Zhou Yi to go look at her bathroom."
However, Chen Yan was not as fragile as Zhou Yi thought. He quickly adjusted his mindset and smiled. "Zhou Yi, I’ll have to learn a lot more from you in the future."
Zhou Yi glanced at Wu Yongcheng. "I wouldn’t dare. Captain Wu hasn’t even agreed to transfer me to the City Bureau."
Having just finished the butt of his cigarette, Wu Yongcheng couldn’t help but cough twice. "Depends on your performance. By the way, Zhou Yi, can you drive?"
"Yes."
"Alright then. Chen, give your car keys to Zhou Yi. He’s coming with me to the power supply bureau to find Zhang Xinli’s husband. You head back to the bureau immediately and check two things. First, Zhang Xinli’s family background. Second, the status of this apartment—did Zhang Xinli buy it, and if so, what was the source of her funds? The sooner the better!"
"Yes, sir. I’ll head back and verify it right away."
"Oh, right. Have Qiao come keep watch, then have Biaozi take some men and search the entire route from Shangyang Lane to here. If Zhang Xinli really is the killer, the murder weapon either hasn’t been disposed of yet, or it was thrown away last night."
On the road, Zhou Yi drove toward the district power supply bureau Zhang Xinli had mentioned.
"Zhou Yi, did you find something else that you haven’t mentioned?" Wu Yongcheng pulled out a Daqianmen cigarette, lit it, and asked with narrowed eyes.
"Heh, nothing escapes your eyes, Captain Wu."
"Let’s hear it."
"It’s not that I was hiding it on purpose. It doesn’t count as a discovery—just some speculations based on small details that still need verifying. I checked the bathroom in Zhang Xinli’s apartment and noticed that their toiletries were completely separated."
Wu Yongcheng asked, puzzled, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Captain Wu, you might have gotten married early when people weren’t so particular. When young people get married nowadays, they care at least a little about a sense of ceremony. Things like toothbrush cups and towels are replaced with new ones, and they come in matching pairs. But in Zhang Xinli’s home, one set of towels and toothbrush cups is new, while the other set is visibly old. Furthermore, these items were placed noticeably far apart. For a newlywed couple who just got their marriage certificate, that’s incredibly abnormal."
Zhou Yi’s words piqued Wu Yongcheng’s interest. "Are you saying Zhang Xinli doesn’t love her newlywed husband?"
Zhou Yi nodded. "She might even detest him."