Chapter 26

The beautiful policewoman walked up to him, took off her mask, and revealed a face of extraordinary beauty, though her expression was half-smiling, half-not. Clearly, she had seen Liu Biyun’s actions just now. Fortunately, she didn’t expose him, but pointed to a few buildings and asked, "Are you Liu... Liu Biyun from Chang’an Police Station? I heard you are familiar with this area. What are those buildings over there?"

"Reporting to the leader, those two buildings are part of the Plum Blossom Community. That one is from the An Tai Community."

The beautiful policewoman nodded. "The technical team has already examined the scene. From the impact marks, these bodies all fell from over there—meaning these buildings are all suspects. But the most likely one is the building in the Plum Blossom Community, as it directly faces this parking lot."

Looking in the direction the policewoman pointed, Xu Yan was frightened again—she was talking about the building he lived in!

Liu Biyun glanced and said doubtfully, "Leader, that’s not possible! Look, that building is across the street, at least 200 meters away. How could someone fall 200 meters?"

Zheng Qiuyi shook her head. "It’s not impossible. For example, a catapult device could be installed on the roof."

"Oh, I see... But, leader, who would go to such lengths? It’s so complicated. I might as well put the bodies in a van and bury them in a deserted hill outside the city."

Being contradicted by a community police officer, Zheng Qiuyi looked somewhat displeased. She frowned slightly but still patiently said, "With the advanced technology today, criminals have more sophisticated methods. They might set up a decoy to trick us. Since it’s possible, we need to investigate. Xiao Liu, you are familiar with this area. You will lead the way. We need to check both communities, focusing on residents above the sixth floor and the rooftops. See if there are any clues. Also, ask the security guards if they noticed any suspicious people entering last night."

"But, Chief Zheng, these two communities have already been checked by the district police this morning..."

"Then check again. See if anyone has moved large equipment in or out of the communities in the past two days, if anyone has been working on the rooftops, or if any residents have been making a lot of noise. Also, ask if any residents heard any disturbances last night, such as fighting or arguing sounds—these are the key points to ask about. And, get the property management to copy the surveillance footage and entry logs from yesterday to today, and bring them back to the station for review." The policewoman’s voice was not loud, but her tone was firm and unyielding.

Liu Biyun’s face turned grim. "Chief Zheng, both the Plum Blossom Community and the An Tai Community are large, with hundreds of residents. This kind of investigation will take a whole day."

"I’ll call in more officers to help. We’ll divide into several groups. The on-site investigation is almost done, so we can spare some manpower—don’t worry, I’ll go with you. If we can’t finish, we’ll work overtime at noon."

Hearing that Zheng Qiuyi would go with them, Liu Biyun’s face turned even more grim: This kind of peripheral investigation was the most tiring and boring work, like looking for a needle in a haystack. It consumed a lot of manpower and time, often in vain. If he were with ordinary officers, he could find ways to slack off, but with Zheng Qiuyi, it would be a disaster. Everyone in the Jincheng Police Department knew that this "Lipstick Tiger" was a notorious workaholic. If he were in her group, he might not even be able to go home tonight.

At this moment, Zheng Qiuyi noticed Xu Yan standing beside her. "Xiao Liu, who is this young man?"

Xu Yan was nervous, but Liu Biyun answered for him, "Hehe, Chief Zheng, this is Xiao Xu, a student from Shudu University. He came to see the commotion. I was just asking him about the situation."

"Chief Zheng, coincidentally, Xiao Xu is a resident of the Plum Blossom Community. He lives on the fourth floor... Would you like to ask him about the situation?"

Hearing that Xu Yan was a resident of the suspected building, Zheng Qiuyi’s expression changed. She thought Liu Biyun was too irresponsible. If there was a suspect, why didn’t he remind her? How could he discuss targeted work in front of a suspect? Fortunately, when she heard that he lived on the fourth floor, not above the sixth floor, and was a student from Shudu University, not one of the key suspects, she relaxed.

Liu Biyun excused himself, and Zheng Qiuyi asked Xu Yan a few questions with a gentle tone, asking if he had heard any unusual noises last night, if there had been any fighting or arguing sounds, if anyone had been renovating recently, or if anyone had been living on the rooftop. Xu Yan answered, "No, I didn’t hear anything, didn’t notice anything, and don’t know anything," to get through it.

Zheng Qiuyi didn’t get angry. Perhaps, such fruitless investigations were already a common occurrence for her. After finishing, she extended her hand to Xu Yan, "Xiao Xu, right? Hello, I heard you are a student at Shudu University. Thank you for supporting our police work. Xiao Xu, don’t talk about what you heard today to others."

The weather was a bit hot, and they had been in the sun for a long time in the parking lot. Sweat was already beading on Zheng Qiuyi’s forehead. Standing close to her, Xu Yan smelled a strong, pleasant fragrance, unsure if it was perfume or her natural scent. He quickly shook her hand, which was small but had very smooth skin, and his mind wandered. "Leader, please rest assured, I won’t say anything."

Hearing Xu Yan call her "leader" like Liu Biyun, Zheng Qiuyi smiled and took off her sunglasses to wipe the moisture. At this moment, Xu Yan saw that this formidable "Lipstick Tiger" looked like a college student. Her eyes were beautiful, with delicate eyebrows, but she looked a bit tired.

"Actually, I am also a graduate of Shudu University. You should call me senior, even though I might not be older than you. Well, I won’t keep you. College student, go about your business."

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Xu Yan bought breakfast at a shop downstairs and then went home. The first thing he did when he got home was to check the living room. After circling the room, he saw that the furniture was neatly arranged, the floor was clean, and there were no signs of a struggle or blood. He felt a bit relieved.

Xu Yan knocked on the guest room door, "Xuan Yun, are you there?"

The door opened, and Zhu Youxiang appeared, dressed neatly. Seeing Xu Yan, she was a bit surprised, "Young Master Xu, didn’t you go to class? Why are you back so early?"

"Oh, I only had two classes this morning, and I finished them."

Zhu Youxiang sighed, "Young Master Xu, only one class a day? The academies in your place are really relaxed. When I first entered the White Deer Academy, I had to get up at the fourth watch to practice swordsmanship, the fifth watch to train my body, and then read with the teacher after sunrise. I was busy from morning to night, with only a half-hour break at noon. I never dared to slack off. Academic achievements require diligent study and hard practice."

Hearing Zhu Youxiang’s earnest advice, Xu Yan found it amusing—this young girl sounded just like his mother. He changed the subject and said solemnly, "Xuan Yun, last night’s incident might cause some trouble..."

Zhu Youxiang raised an eyebrow, "Young Master, last night’s incident? What happened?"

Xu Yan really admired Zhu Youxiang’s composure. She had just killed five people the night before, and the next morning, she was calmly concerned about his studies. Killing five people and throwing them off the building was a huge event, but she seemed completely unfazed.

Influenced by Zhu Youxiang, Xu Yan also calmed down, "I’m talking about those criminals you threw down... This morning, when I came back from class, I saw many police officers investigating the case. Look—"

He led Zhu Youxiang to the balcony, where they could see the parking lot of the Fengyuan Community. A large crowd was gathered there, with many police officers.

Zhu Youxiang glanced and returned to the living room, "Since it involves human lives, the authorities naturally take it seriously. What are you worried about, Young Master?"

"I heard that the police suspect our building and might come to investigate. We need to be prepared."

Zhu Youxiang looked surprised, "Really? The authorities suspect us? It seems there are capable officers in the local police force."

She apologized, "I was not thoughtful last night and have caused you trouble. If I had thrown them further, there would have been no problem."

Xu Yan was stunned, "Xuan Yun, did you not use your full strength last night?"

"Young Master, you are joking. Throwing away waste is a trivial matter. Would you use your full strength for such a thing?"

Xu Yan felt a cold sweat: Last night, Zhu Youxiang had thrown the criminals nearly 200 meters, and he was amazed by her strength, thinking it was her limit. Now, she said she could throw them even further?

How terrifying would her full strength be?

If she used her full strength, would she throw the criminals into space like satellites?

Zhu Youxiang said seriously, "Young Master, I am very sorry for causing you trouble. Please tell me what to do. I am not familiar with the local situation, and I will follow your instructions. Whatever you command, I will do my best."

"Ha, Xuan Yun, you are too serious. Now, the police only suspect our building, and there are several other buildings under suspicion. As long as we have a plan and don’t panic, we should be able to get through this smoothly."

Xu Yan, a college student who had never left school, didn’t have sophisticated counter-investigation skills. His limited knowledge came from newspaper and TV legal news. The most memorable part for him was that criminals often got caught because they panicked during routine questioning, which raised the police’s suspicions.

Zhu Youxiang listened attentively and said, "I understand. You mean that if the police come to question us, we should remain calm and answer without panicking, right?"

Xu Yan felt frustrated—after rambling for ten minutes, Zhu Youxiang condensed it into one sentence. He said dejectedly, "That’s right. But there’s one more thing..."

He looked at Zhu Youxiang’s ancient costume, "Xuan Yun, I’m not being nosy, but your ancient costume—uh, it’s very beautiful, but it’s a bit too eye-catching. We need to be low-key... If you could wear something more ordinary, it would be better."

Zhu Youxiang, who was always calm and composed, blushed slightly and lowered her head, "Young Master, are you suggesting I change my clothes?"

Xu Yan was taken aback and felt a bit embarrassed, "Of course, if you don’t want to, it’s fine. I can’t force you."

Zhu Youxiang hesitated, then smiled brightly, "I am not familiar with the local customs, so I will follow your arrangements."

Actually, even without Xu Yan’s suggestion, Zhu Youxiang had planned to change her clothes. The world was full of comparisons. In the Ming Dynasty, everyone wore ancient costumes, and Zhu Youxiang didn’t find it strange. But here, whether she saw it in person or on TV and in movies, the local women’s fashion was dazzling and vibrant. Watching a few Paris fashion shows on the news, Zhu