Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 377 (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote) White Sweater

At the bottom of the cardboard box filled with old clothes, there was a white sweater.

It's less of a sweater and more of a sweater that was once a sweater.

Zhou Yi was stunned when he took the box out and saw that it was lying at the bottom of the box without noticing anything unusual.

This sweater was cut into pieces; judging from the neatness of the cuts, it was probably cut with scissors.

Zhou Yi certainly remembered the sweater, because she had personally given it to Lu Xiaoshuang. It was a thank-you gift that her aunt had prepared to express her gratitude to Lu Xiaoshuang for tutoring her cousin.

How did it get so broken?

With so many incisions, it couldn't have been an accident; it could only have been done intentionally.

Moreover, it couldn't have been done by Lu Xiaoshuang herself, because Zhou Yi found traces of attempts to sew it up with white thread.

But the sweater, with so many cuts, was completely useless.

Zhou Yi's anger surged up instantly. Who on earth did such a despicable thing!

Suddenly, a chill ran through him.

Because this is yet another change, and one that is self-inflicted.

In the previous life, this white sweater did not exist, so there was no possibility that it could have been cut.

The police thoroughly investigated Lu Xiaoshuang's interpersonal relationships, ruling out the possibility that other clothes had been cut without her knowledge.

Moreover, judging from the old school uniforms and clothes that Lu Xiaoshuang usually wore in the box, it was clear that she lived frugally and could not possibly have any expensive clothes other than the few pieces of clothing given to her by her aunt.

So the cheap clothes weren't cut, only the valuable ones were. Was it because someone was jealous?
Jealous of Lu Xiaoshuang?
why?
What is there for others to be jealous of in a student who has nothing to lose?
Appearance? Impossible. Lu Xiaoshuang wasn't stunningly beautiful; she wouldn't be envied simply because of her looks.

Studying? Although she was a good student, she wasn't the top student in the university, and there were many high-achieving students everywhere.

Money is even less likely.

Zhou Yi suddenly felt a pang of panic, because he thought of a possibility: Lu Xiaoshuang's internship at the tax bureau.

In a prefecture-level city like Hongcheng, the municipal tax bureau is considered a highly coveted, secure job.

Even for a prestigious university like Hongda, not all finance graduates can get jobs in the tax bureau each year, since there are limits on the number of positions available.

Although it was just an internship and didn't mean anything about the future, it was indeed Zhou Yi who got in through connections with Wu Yongcheng.

At least the chances of getting a job in the tax bureau in the future are much greater than for others.

Zhou Yi didn't think that much about it at the time; he just wanted to find Lu Xiaoshuang an internship that would both earn her money and allow her to utilize her academic qualifications and professional expertise.

However, the same thing can evoke different thoughts in different people.

A poor girl who has to work to earn her living expenses suddenly becomes an intern at the tax bureau, which can easily arouse suspicion in some people.

Especially... for example, people who originally found a sense of superiority in Lu Xiaoshuang, thus experiencing a huge psychological gap, and consequently becoming jealous and hostile towards Lu Xiaoshuang.

This must have been done by one of Lu Xiaoshuang's female classmates, because the most suitable setting for something like cutting up a sweater is a girls' dormitory.

However, according to this logic, Lu Xiaoshuang in her previous life should not have aroused this person's jealousy, so theoretically this should not be related to the grand case.

In any case, this is a clear lead.

He immediately thought of asking someone, namely Lu Xiaoshuang's only friend at school, Mo Youyou.

He turned off the light and prepared to go downstairs.

But he didn't plan to draw the curtains because he wanted light to shine into the attic.

This ray of light is hope.

When he came down the ladder, Qiao Jiali saw that he was holding something in his hand.

The old lady saw it too, and squinted as she asked, "This is..."

"Grandma, Xiaoshuang asked me to get it for her." Zhou Yi rolled the white sweater into a ball and held it in his hand, not wanting the old lady to notice anything amiss.

The old lady nodded, a look of doubt on her face, but she didn't ask any further questions.

After asking a few more questions, Zhou Yi gestured for Qiao Jiali to leave.

Qiao Jiali understood and told the old lady that they had something to do and would be leaving first.

The old lady reluctantly saw her off at the door, repeatedly telling her to come visit whenever she had time, and reminding Xiaoshuang to eat on time and not to go hungry.

The two had already reached the entrance of the courtyard. When they looked back, the old lady was still leaning against the door frame watching them. When she saw them turn around, she waved to them again.

Zhou Yi felt a little guilty and immediately turned her face away.

"Zhou Yi, what's going on with this sweater?" Qiao Jiali asked after getting into the car.

Zhou Yi took an evidence bag out of the car, stuffed the sweater inside, and handed it to Qiao Jiali.

Qiao Jiali took it and was stunned: "This...how did this sweater get like this? This is Xiaoshuang's?"

Zhou Yi nodded: "My aunt knitted it for her."

"Your aunt?" Qiao Jiali was even more confused.

Zhou Yi then recounted how Lu Xiaoshuang tutored her cousin and her speculation about the sweater being cut.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Jiali immediately started the car and said, "Let's go straight to Hongda and meet up with Captain Wu and the others."

As for the remaining members of the Lu family, it's not that they've stopped asking, but rather that they don't need to ask for the time being. Lu Xiaoshuang's grandmother said that her granddaughter last came back the Sunday before last, which was the week before the Li Youqiang case happened, the week Zhou Yi's family went to Qian Hongxing's house for dinner.

She said Lu Xiaoshuang bought her some food, but she couldn't bear to eat it, thinking she would eat it together with her granddaughter when she came back next time.

That means there are probably no other leads from the Lu family's side for the time being.

If the deceased is ultimately confirmed to be Lu Xiaoshuang, then we need to find out more information from her relatives, but there are prerequisites.

This is good news for Zhou Yi. Last night, he asked Qian Hongxing to come here to help him find Lu Xiaoshuang. Qian Hongxing should have been in contact with Lu Xiaoshuang's second and third uncles.

Since her grandmother didn't mention anyone coming to see Lu Xiaoshuang last night, and considering her hearing impairment and living environment, it means she didn't know about it.

Otherwise, if Qiao Jiali had known about this situation, and that a "teacher" had come to see Lu Xiaoshuang, it might have caused the investigation to go astray.

This is Zhou Yi's dilemma.

As a reborn individual who knows the details of the murder and is also a key law enforcement officer, any action he takes is likely to arouse suspicion.

But he was truly desperate on the train last night, which is why he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

On the way, Zhou Yi called Wu Yongcheng and learned that they were still communicating at the student affairs office of Hongda University. Because it was May Day, although most students were probably on campus, most school leaders and faculty members were on holiday. Therefore, the student affairs office could not make a decision on Wu Yongcheng's request for assistance and said they needed to consult their superiors.

The problem is that the staff on duty cannot directly consult the school leaders who make decisions; they can only consult their own superiors and then report up the chain of command.

The efficiency was predictable; the other party even suggested that Wu Yongcheng come back tomorrow, since the leader would be there by then.

Wu Yongcheng said angrily, "It really proves the saying: It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings."

Zhou Yi knew that these were just words spoken in anger.

Hongda is a key 211 university, and its president's administrative rank is equivalent to that of a department-level official. The mayor of Hongcheng is also at the department-level, making them roughly equal in rank.

So even if Wu Yongcheng really wanted to meet the principal of Hongda University, he probably wouldn't be qualified; at least Xie Guoqiang would have to step in.

However, this also fully illustrates the special nature of universities, which is why in the previous life, a special task force led by the provincial department was needed to enter Hongda and formally conduct an investigation.

The reason is that the Hongcheng City Public Security Bureau is simply unable to properly conduct an investigation into the Hongda case.

"Team Leader Wu, don't rush the others. I want to find someone first. Could you talk to the people at the school?"

"Who?"

"Lu Xiaoshuang's roommate is named Mo Youyou. I want to ask her some questions in person."

"it is good."

Fifteen minutes after hanging up the phone, Qiao Jiali and Zhou Yi arrived at Hongda. Since they were driving a police car, they were allowed to enter after showing their identification.

Upon arriving at the Student Affairs Office, which is responsible for the daily management of students, Wu Yongcheng was already waiting downstairs.

"Captain Wu, how is it?" Zhou Yi asked impatiently.

"The student affairs office agreed and helped us contact the dormitory, but Mo Youyou is not in the dormitory. Her roommate said she left yesterday afternoon."

Is Mo Youyou a local of Hongcheng?

Wu Yongcheng shook his head: "The school checked the information and found that her registered residence is in the neighboring Wuguang City."

"Wu Guang?" Zhou Yi thought for a moment. "Today is Thursday, and we only have one day off for May Day. Did Mo Youyou ask for leave tomorrow?"

Wu Yongcheng shook his head: "I checked, there was no leave requested, and there is no situation where he took a long holiday that was combined with the weekend."

Wu Yongcheng meant the same thing as Zhou Yi: if she only had one day off, the chances of her going home were slim.

Although it's just a neighboring city, long-distance bus rides across cities are quite tiring unless you have a private car. I left yesterday afternoon and need to be back before tonight, but that's unlikely.

"Does Mo Youyou's family have a telephone?"

“Yes, I called, but no one answered. She might be out.” Wu Yongcheng said. “I asked Chen Yan to call the command center to check if Mo Youyou has any relatives in Hongcheng. If she’s from Wuguang, it’s more likely she has relatives in Hongcheng.”

Zhou Yi nodded. Wu Yongcheng was indeed thorough in his thinking; he had done what Zhou Yi wanted to say in advance.

Soon, Chen Yan, who had been on the phone, returned and said that the command center had found that Mo Youyou's mother's younger sister, who was also her aunt, had married into Hongcheng.

Zhou Yi and Qiao Jiali immediately drove to the address provided by Chen Yan. Chen Yan watched the police car drive away and asked, "Master, should we continue the investigation here?"

Wu Yongcheng took out his cigarette case and said, "Let me call Director Xie first."

On Zhou Yi's side, this time he was driving, and Qiao Jiali could tell how anxious he was just by looking at the speed of the car.

Upon arriving at the residential complex where Mo Youyou's aunt lived, the two found the corresponding house number, and Zhou Yi couldn't wait to knock on the door.

"You're here," a girl inside the room replied.

The door opened, and the person who opened it was Mo Youyou.

She was very surprised to see Zhou Yi.

"Officer Zhou? What are you doing here?"

"Youyou, do you know where Xiaoshuang went?" Zhou Yi asked.

But Mo Youyou's words shocked both Zhou Yi and Qiao Jiali.

She replied, puzzled, "Xiao Shuang? Didn't she say she was coming to find you?"
　Two extra chapters today, and two more in the afternoons of tomorrow and the day after.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)