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

Chapter 435 Captain Wu Takes Action (10,000 words per day, 14 days)
Zhou Yi's voice suddenly rang out, and the person behind him paused slightly.

A second later, the other person turned around, looked around first, then looked at Zhou Yi, and asked, "Excuse me, were you... calling me?"

Zhou Yi looked at the man in front of her.

It has been confirmed that it is indeed Fan Tianyou.

Fan Tianyou is 1.76 meters tall, has a refined appearance, wears silver-rimmed half-rimmed glasses, and carries a black handbag.

Although he is not physically imposing, he exudes a more powerful aura than he does in photos.

Unlike Xiao Bing, who gives off a frail impression.

Zhou Yi nodded and asked, "Are you Professor Fan Tianyou?"

The other person nodded, looked him over, and asked, "I am Fan Tianyou. Excuse my intrusion, but... which department are you a teacher in? Have we met before?"

Zhou Yi's demeanor certainly doesn't resemble that of a student, so it's normal for him to think of him as a teacher.

But what Zhou Yi wanted to observe was his reaction.

Tension, vigilance, unease, or even hostility.

Because he is the murderer, the anonymous tip must have been written by him or Chen Gengyun, and given their identities, they should have had the opportunity to enter the municipal government building.

Therefore, he must know who he is.

Zhou Yi wanted to see how the opponent would react when facing him. He wanted to use this invisible confrontation to test just how difficult his opponent was to deal with.

"Are you sure you don't recognize me?" Zhou Yi asked.

Fan Tianyou's brow furrowed slightly, as if he were recalling something, but after a moment, it relaxed again.

He smiled tactfully and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I really can't remember."

Zhou Yi noticed that his reaction was very natural, and he did not show the reaction that Zhou Yi had hoped to see, not even micro-expressions.

Zhou Yi sneered inwardly; this guy's acting was just too good.

But on the surface, he smiled nonchalantly and said self-deprecatingly, "Oh well, it seems I was just being presumptuous."

As he spoke, he took out his identification and handed it to Fan Tianyou.

Fan Tianyou was stunned for a moment, but his eyes changed slightly when he saw the police badge on the ID.

He extended his free right hand to take the document Zhou Yi handed him, then opened it and looked at the photo on the document, before glancing up at Zhou Yi again.

He then closed the document and handed it back to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi didn't actually need to do that; he could have just shown it to him.

But he did this for only one reason: he wanted to obtain Fan Tianyou's fingerprints while he was at it.

Because Shi Tao found a cigarette butt in the mine. While a cigarette butt may not leave valid DNA information, it may leave fingerprints.

He would not overlook any possibility that might prove Fan Tianyou was the murderer.

"Officer Zhou, my apologies, are you from the special task force?" Fan Tianyou asked.

"Yeah." Zhou Yi nodded.

"So you were there when your colleague contacted me to inquire about the situation?"

"No, I'm not in charge of that area," Zhou Yi replied, putting his ID in his pocket.

"Oh...no wonder I don't remember. Officer Zhou, is there something you need?"

"Let's just chat for a bit." Zhou Yi casually pulled out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, took one out and put it in his mouth, then reached out to touch it and asked, "Professor Fan, do you have a lighter? Can I borrow one?"

Fan Tianyou waved his hand and said, "I'm sorry, I don't smoke."

Zhou Yi had observed Fan Tianyou's fingertips and knuckles when he handed over and received the documents, and there were no cigarette stains, which at least indicated that he did not have a long-term smoking habit.

Therefore, Zhou Yi deliberately chose to test the waters by asking for a light, because offering a cigarette would make the other party more wary.

Unfortunately, they still couldn't find out.

Zhou Yi put the cigarette back in the pack and said, "Never mind, I can't smoke without a light. Professor Fan, have I taken up your time?"

At this point, the anomaly finally appeared.

Fan Tianyou was holding his briefcase in his left hand. When asked if he was being late, he instinctively reached up to check his watch.

But the watch was worn on his left wrist, and his briefcase looked rather heavy, as it likely contained a lot of documents.

If it's an instinctive reaction to lighten the load, you should use your right hand to grab the bag and then raise your left wrist to check the time.

In fact, Fan Tianyou was also planning to do that, but he pulled his right hand back as soon as he moved it a little.

Then he picked up the bag with his left hand and checked the time.

The whole process was very brief, lasting only about a second.

But he couldn't escape Zhou Yi's eyes, who was intently watching his every move.

Fan Tianyou glanced at his watch, then immediately put his left hand down. Due to the inertia caused by the weight of the bag, his hand swayed slightly after he put it down.

Zhou Yi pretended not to notice anything, but her peripheral vision focused on Fan Tianyou's right hand.

Since it was still May, the temperature difference between day and night was large, and it wasn't time to wear short sleeves yet, so you couldn't tell anything unusual about his right hand just by looking at it.

Is there an injury on your hand?

"If Officer Zhou doesn't have many questions, we still have some time. But if it's a detailed investigation like before, it might take a little longer. I have class first thing in the morning, and I need to go prepare."

Zhou Yi said, "It will only take two or three minutes, it won't take up too much of your time."

Fan Tianyou nodded: "Okay, let's hurry up and ask away."

What kind of place is Changfengling?

"Huh?" Zhou Yi's question clearly caught her off guard; she seemed completely unprepared for it. "Officer Zhou, is this question related to your investigation?"

"No, I was just curious because the name of the place sounds very elegant and romantic."

"Romantic?" Fan Tianyou's eyes suddenly became somewhat complicated, as if he was recalling something.

But he quickly regained his composure and replied, "Actually, this place isn't as glamorous and romantic as Officer Zhou imagines. It's just a remote mountainous area in the northernmost part of our country. It takes a whole day just to get to the nearby town."

Zhou Yi nodded: "They're really poor."

Then, laughing, she reached out and patted Fan Tianyou's arm, saying, "You've really come out of a chicken coop like a golden phoenix."

To outsiders, Zhou Yi's behavior and speech were extremely rude and offensive.

But that's exactly what he did on purpose.

Sure enough, Fan Tianyou immediately took a step back, his body stiffened, and a fierce glint suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Zhou Yi feigned embarrassment and withdrew his hand, saying, "I'm sorry, that's just my personality, I'm very outgoing. Professor Fan, please don't mind."

Fan Tianyou's reaction was actually very brief; his eyes immediately returned to normal, and his expression and body relaxed.

But it was too late, because Zhou Yi had already finished his observation.

Especially that fleeting look in his eyes, so fierce, completely at odds with his gentle and refined intellectual appearance.

It's like a vicious wolf trapped in human skin.

"Professor Fan, may I ask another question?"

This time, Fan Tianyou neither answered nor refused; he simply stood there looking at Zhou Yi.

"How come a young talent like Professor Fan hasn't settled down yet? Logically speaking, an associate professor in his early thirties is a rare find, a son-in-law you couldn't find even with a lantern," Zhou Yi asked with a smile.

Fan Tianyou's face clearly showed anger, but he still tried his best to restrain himself. After his chest heaved, he asked in return, "Officer Zhou, is the question you asked related to the case you are investigating?"

"Do you think it matters?" Zhou Yi asked casually.

"I'm sorry, I don't have time. If Officer Zhou has any further questions, please summon me through your task force's proper procedures. Thank you."

As he said that, he turned around and left.

Zhou Yi quickly called out, "Wait a minute."

"Anything else?"

Zhou Yi extended his right hand and said, "Thank you, Professor Fan, for cooperating with our police work."

Fan Tianyou glanced at Zhou Yi, then at his outstretched hand, and said coldly, "No need."

Then turned and left.

Zhou Yi, who was standing behind him, suddenly turned cold, his eyes, which had been filled with a mocking smile.

He took out his phone, watched Fan Tianyou's departing figure, and dialed a number.

A few seconds later, the cell phone in Fan Tianyou's left handbag suddenly rang.

That ringtone wasn't from Nokia.

Fan Tianyou stopped, took out his phone from his bag, and was about to answer when he suddenly turned around.

He noticed that Zhou Yi, who was not far away, was waving his phone at him.

"Professor Fan, this is my number. Save it; you never know when you might need it."

The ringing suddenly stopped, and Zhou Yi turned and left with a flourish.

Fan Tianyou stood there, staring intently at Zhou Yi until his figure disappeared from sight. Only then did his chest begin to heave violently, and his hands involuntarily clenched into fists, as if something inside him wanted to burst out and tear Zhou Yi apart.

Suddenly, a female teacher with medium-length hair passed by him from behind, turned around curiously to look at him, and then pointed at Fan Tianyou in surprise and said, "Professor Fan, your right hand is bleeding."

Fan Tianyou looked down and saw a faint bloodstain seeping from the right sleeve of his shirt.

He quickly pulled his hand back behind his back, then resumed his usual refined smile and said, "It's nothing, I just tripped and fell last night and cut myself a little. I'll just put on a band-aid in a bit."

After saying that, he turned and left in a hurry.

……

Zhou Yi rushed back to the task force, then drove away from the school and headed straight for Wu Yongcheng's house.

If seeing that sentence in the investigation record was exactly the same as the one in the previous life's case file, then he was 100% certain that Fan Tianyou was the murderer.

Now, he is 200% certain.

His almost provocative probing was not only to observe the other person's reaction.

There was also an even more important purpose: to alert the enemy.

Conventional alibis are no longer useful. The task force had already checked the meal card transaction records, the signatures on the event sign-in sheets, and the library borrowing records, all of which were authentic and valid.

Focusing on these areas will not lead to an overturning of the case.

Unless the key witness, Chen Gengyun, voluntarily admits to perjury, which is clearly impossible.

Based on their current relationship, Fan Tianyou is Chen Gengyun's prospective son-in-law. If Chen Gengyun's daughter, Chen Lin, had not died, they would have become family in the legal sense.

Now, they have no legal connection, but they certainly have a close personal relationship, otherwise Chen Gengyun would not have done this.

Therefore, conventional investigations are unlikely to yield breakthroughs; he needs to change his approach and lure the snake out of its hole.

His original plan was to first find Wu Yongcheng and ask him to secretly keep an eye on Fan Tianyou, and then he would put pressure on Fan Tianyou so that he would feel that he was being watched by the police.

He would definitely be nervous and scared, especially since the first crime scene had not yet been discovered and Xu Liu's bones had not yet been disposed of.

Once a murderer is targeted, he will fall into self-doubt, wondering if he has covered his tracks properly and whether the police have already obtained any evidence.

At this point, the snake will emerge from its hole, and the places it swims through may hold the clues the police are looking for.

Since I am an open card, it is difficult to keep an eye on him, so I have to play a hidden card.

Brother Biao's figure is too conspicuous and he's easy to expose; Sister Qiao is a woman, and it's difficult for her to ensure her safety in case of an emergency; Brother Yan lacks experience, and if he's discovered, all his efforts will be in vain.

Therefore, only Captain Wu is the chosen one for this hidden card.

He just didn't expect the order to be moved up, and he suddenly ran into Fan Tianyou.

Fan Tianyou definitely knows himself; he just has good acting skills and doesn't reveal it.

Although the encounter was a coincidence, a highly vigilant killer with a strong sense of counter-surveillance would not consider it a coincidence. Therefore, Zhou Yi made a judgment in the brief moment of brushing past each other.

Let's begin this game.

Even if Fan Tianyou is patient enough to remain inactive, he still has another card to play.

That's Chen Gengyun.

Although they share a certain emotional connection through Chen Lin, the massive case is a capital offense punishable by death. Furthermore, multiple criminals are most prone to falling into a prisoner's dilemma because human nature is inherently filled with suspicion and distrust.

So if Fan Tianyou is shrewd enough not to fall for it, then use the prisoner's dilemma to provoke a crisis of trust between him and Chen Gengyun, and then seize the opportunity to exploit his weakness.

This time, it's different from the time with Long Zhiqiang.

It was a physical fight with Long Zhiqiang, a cat-and-mouse game where one had to catch the other and the other had to escape, a race against time, a life-or-death struggle.

But this time, the battle with Fan Tianyou was a battle of wits.

Fan Tianyou will not escape. Before the task force withdraws from Hongda, his escape would be tantamount to self-destruction.

Three key factors in identifying a criminal suspect: motive, alibi, and direct evidence.

The motive for the crime is currently unknown.

His alibi was so carefully crafted that it was difficult to find any flaws.

Therefore, the key lies in the evidence.

Moreover, it cannot be a single piece of evidence like the previous one used to frame Lu Xiaoshuang; it must be irrefutable evidence!
The intellectual battle with Fan Tianyou was silent, but undercurrents were surging.

If Zhou Yi wins, he can be brought to justice.

If Zhou Yi loses, we can only watch helplessly as he goes unpunished.

As soon as the car left Hongda, Zhou Yi called Chen Yan and told him to find a secluded place to talk.

Chen Yan was originally very sleepy, but upon hearing his words, he immediately became wide awake and quickly found a corner.

Zhou Yi told him to keep an eye on someone, but to keep a distance and not attract the other person's attention.

If this person leaves Hongda before they return, be sure to follow them closely and then notify them immediately.

"Fan Tianyou?" Chen Yan asked in confusion when he heard the name. "Isn't this the professor Zheng Jianxin said discovered that he was stalking Lu Xiaoshuang?"

"Yes, that's him!"

"Okay, I understand." Chen Yan didn't ask why; he believed Zhou Yi must have a reason for saying that. But he asked another question, "You said you wanted to notify you. Besides you, who else was in charge?"

Zhou Yi smiled and replied, "You'll find out soon enough, Brother Yan. Keep a close eye on things and wait for us to come back."

In fact, Fan Tianyou wouldn't act rashly now. After all, he had just been provoked by Zhou Yi. If he were so impatient, the huge case from his previous life wouldn't have remained unsolved for decades.

But just in case, Zhou Yi still asked Chen Yan to keep an eye on things.

As they sped along, Zhou Yi called Wu Yongcheng when they were almost at his house.

"Team Leader Wu, I'll be there soon. You can come downstairs now."

"Stop talking nonsense, I've been at the entrance of the community for a while now."

Sure enough, as soon as Zhou Yi turned the corner, he saw Wu Yongcheng standing outside the residential area with half a cigarette in his mouth.

Zhou Yi slammed on the brakes and stopped in front of Wu Yongcheng.

Wu Yongcheng immediately opened the passenger door and got into the car.

Zhou Yi turned around on the spot and drove back along the route he had come from.

"Captain Wu, it's been a while, you've gotten fatter," Zhou Yi joked.

Wu Yongcheng puffed out a cloud of smoke and said, "Why are you being so slow this time, kid?"

Zhou Yi was taken aback: "I'm fast enough, I'm almost running a red light."

Wu Yongcheng glanced at him and said, "Is this what I meant?"

Zhou Yi instantly understood; Wu Yongcheng was referring to the massive case.

Zhou Yi thought to himself, "If you knew that the task force had gotten nothing in three months in the previous life, you would be furious."

Of course, you were part of this task force in my previous life.

But he still smiled and said, "Without Captain Wu, who is like a pillar of white jade supporting the sky and a golden beam spanning the sea, we are leaderless."

"Stop joking around and get down to business. What do you want from me?"

Zhou Yi immediately stopped smiling and said, "Captain Wu, I've found the murderer."

Wu Yongcheng was taken aback: "You found the murderer? Shouldn't you have reported to the task force leader? Why are you looking for me?"

"I have no evidence."

"No evidence?" Wu Yongcheng asked. "What about an alibi?"

"The murderer has a solid alibi."

"Huh?" Wu Yongcheng turned to look at Zhou Yi with a puzzled expression. He stared straight ahead, his expression serious, not at all like he was joking. "What about the motive? You must know that, right?"

Zhou Yi replied, "I don't know."

"Then how do you call this finding the murderer? Are you kidding me?"

Zhou Yi answered with two words: "Intuition!"

"Intuition...?" Wu Yongcheng was so startled he almost dropped his cigarette.

Intuition isn't something that doesn't exist, but it's inherently mysterious. Even Wu Yongcheng couldn't explain why, only attributing it to an observational reaction that veteran police officers have summarized from a wealth of case-handling experience.

Therefore, those who rely on intuition are experienced veteran police officers. If a young person relies on intuition instead of logic and evidence, they will be severely reprimanded by their mentor.

He was like that when he first became a criminal investigator, but he later realized after solving the case that his intuition was completely useless.

So when Zhou Yi asked what he didn't have, he just said it was his intuition, which surprised Zhou Yi greatly.

"No, I admit you have a bit of talent for solving cases, but what are you talking to me about intuition? Intuition can't be used as evidence."

Zhou Yi turned his head and said, "I know that intuition can't be used as evidence, so I can't tell the leaders of the task force."

"But I can talk to my own captain."

Seeing Zhou Yi's earnest gaze, Wu Yongcheng cursed inwardly but said aloud, "Watch the road while driving."

"Oh." Zhou Yi turned his head and continued to look ahead.

After a few seconds, Wu Yongcheng threw his cigarette butt out the window and said, "Tell me the details, the more detailed the better."

"it is good!"

During the journey, Zhou Yi first briefly explained the current focus of the investigation, and then recounted Fan Tianyou's detailed situation in detail.

He listed his itinerary from the evening of the 28th to the 30th, including his answers to the task force, detailing every time point.

Of course, he was only referring to the events of this lifetime; he didn't want Wu Yongcheng to think he had solved the case and broken the demon's mind.

Throughout the entire process, Wu Yongcheng remained silent, only smoking two cigarettes in a row.

Then the car drove into the main entrance of Hongda.

The task force's vehicles all had special passes, and the gatekeeper immediately let them through upon seeing them.

Zhou Yi did not drive the car to the task force, after all, Wu Yongcheng was still on "sick leave", and it would be inappropriate for someone to see him.

So they found an open space, parked the car, got out, and walked and talked.

"Captain Wu, I've told you everything I know," Zhou Yi thought to himself. "There's nothing more I can tell you." "What...insights do you have?"

Wu Yongcheng pondered, "This Fan Tianyou doesn't own a car or a house, he hasn't taken a driver's license test, he lives in the school's talent apartment, he has a solid alibi for the time of the incident, and he doesn't have any knowledge or experience in medical anatomy. His relationship with Xu Liu and Lu Xiaoshuang is just that of ordinary teacher and student, and the corroborating testimonies of his classmates and teachers also prove this point."

"You've convinced yourself that someone who had no opportunity, no time, and no motive for committing the crime is the murderer," Wu Yongcheng said, looking up. "Can I say you're insane?"

Zhou Yi looked at Wu Yongcheng but didn't say anything.

Because he knew that Captain Wu had started analyzing the case, it meant that he didn't really think he was crazy.

In the case of the Grand Case, whether in the previous life or this life, what is the biggest challenge facing the task force?
It wasn't that the task force lacked ability, but rather that they had no leads. Faced with a massive amount of information, the task force could only use methodologies to continuously screen through it, much like a quality inspector in a factory: first set standards, then conduct screening.

It's impossible for the task force to scrutinize every single person to the point of exhaustion; time and efficiency don't allow it, and logic and systems don't support it either.

Three thousand people in three months, which is equivalent to checking 33 people per day on average. For people like Fan Tianyou who have a clear alibi, it is very difficult to pick them up again after they have been excluded.

Moreover, as the case remains unsolved, the pressure on the task force will increase, their emotions will become more and more anxious, and their morale will decline.

A calm mind is the greatest weapon for solving cases. In the previous life, the task force dragged on for three months, and had already reached a dead end.

Things are different now. Now Zhou Yi has presented the answer and placed it in front of Wu Yongcheng.

He believed that with Captain Wu's experience and ability, he would discover something fishy.

Sure enough, Wu Yongcheng lit a cigarette, and his IQ instantly went online.

"However, if we follow your logic and presume Fan Tianyou guilty, then apart from alibis from two or more witnesses, there's always the possibility of doubt!"

Zhou Yi was surprised; he hadn't expected Captain Wu to presume guilt so readily.

This approach is a major taboo in investigative work because it violates legal principles.

Within the public security system, presuming guilt is a disciplinary violation and is punishable.

For the entire judicial process, a presumption of guilt may not only be invalid, but may also result in corresponding legal liability.

Because this can easily lead to wrongful convictions.

Therefore, criminal investigators generally avoid these words and only think about them in their minds at most.

While Wu Yongcheng verbally questioned whether Zhou Yi was insane, he brazenly began to presume guilt, demonstrating that even though Zhou Yi's conclusions were baseless, he chose to believe them.

Zhou Yi was very touched, which meant that she had really found the right person.

Wu Yongcheng began listing them one by one, smoking a cigarette.

"First of all, the fact that I went to sweep the tomb and met Chen Gengyun on the night of the 28th is the first suspicious point."

"But if, as you suspect, Chen Gengyun gave false testimony for him, or even conspired to commit a crime, then the first alibi would be rendered useless."

"Secondly, on the 29th, based on the current investigation information, his alibi for that day is quite strong. Although there were three instances of him being alone and not appearing in public, this does not align with the ongoing process of disposing of the body required in this case."

“No…” Zhou Yi interrupted, “I just thought of another possibility.”

"what?"

"If there were two murderers, they could have easily completed the entire process of dismembering and cooking the body by working in shifts."

"Shift work?"

"Yes, the two take turns, one appearing in the public eye while the other commits a crime. If the timing is well-planned, it will appear as if neither of them has ever left the school."

Wu Yongcheng clapped his hands and said, "That makes sense! Chen Gengyun and Fan Tianyou, one is the dean of the college and the other is a young associate professor. They both have their own offices. Even if someone comes looking for them and they don't see them, they can make an excuse to go to the toilet or something afterward, and no one will suspect anything."

Wu Yongcheng waved his hand and said, "Continue."

But then it dawned on me, "Wait, it sounds like I'm the one who said it. What time did Fan Tianyou leave school on the night of the 29th?"

"At nine o'clock, he said that after leaving the school, he went back to the talent apartment and ran into his colleagues and said hello."

“Hmm, another coincidental eyewitness, but actually he went home and then secretly went out again, so no one can prove it.” Wu Yongcheng sneered. “Based on the case analysis, it can be basically determined that Xu Liu was murdered on the night of the 28th. Between the night of the 28th and the night of the 29th, the murderer completed the process of dismembering and cooking the body. Between the night of the 29th and the early morning of the 30th, the body was probably disposed of.”

Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes, there shouldn't be any problem on the morning of the 30th. But I think there are big loopholes in the alibi for the afternoon."

"You mean, the sign-in sheet for that event and the borrowing records from the school library?"

"Yes, his two alibis are actually quite clever. The signature at 2:00 is physical evidence, and the borrowing record at 3:00 is both witness testimony and physical evidence. In addition, the morning classes are very close in time, giving people the illusion that he has never left the school."

"But the problem is that after class at noon, he didn't go to the school cafeteria, but instead got a meal outside and ate it in his office. Then he overslept during his lunch break, and by the time he arrived at the event, it had already started. Nobody noticed him, and he just happened to sign the performance registration form as if it were the attendance sheet. This signature can be said to be the only physical evidence of what happened between noon and 3:48 pm."

Wu Yongcheng asked, "Are you saying that the signature on the form was added later?"

"Well, the signature has been verified, so it can't be forged. It can only be that it was added later. Besides, the management of these sign-in sheets is very lax, so it's not difficult to find an opportunity to secretly add a name."

"Well, if that's the case, then Fan Tianyou's alibi for the period during which Lu Xiaoshuang was kidnapped is invalid."

However, this is only their speculation, and there is no evidence to refute this physical evidence unless an eyewitness comes forward to testify that he personally saw Fan Tianyou sign his name on the sign-in sheet outside of the day's event.

But obviously, this is impossible.

Wu Yongcheng stubbed out his cigarette and said, "Fine, just tell me what you want me to do."

Zhou Yi simply replied with three words: "Keep a close eye on him!"

……

In a teaching building, Chen Yan passed by a classroom.

He walked very fast, without looking to the side, as if he were just passing by normally.

However, as he passed the door, he glanced inside out of the corner of his eye and only felt relieved after confirming that the person on the podium was Fan Tianyou, whom Zhou Yi had asked him to keep an eye on.

He had watched Fan Tianyou enter the teaching building with his own eyes, but he didn't dare to follow him in directly. Instead, he kept an eye on him from outside.

But after waiting for more than half an hour, he suddenly thought, what if the other person was pretending to go to class but actually ran away through another exit?

So he quickly went upstairs and checked each room one by one until he found Fan Tianyou in a classroom, and only then did he feel relieved.

Then, after leaving the teaching building, they hid in a secluded spot across the street.

He had just caught his breath when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder, startling him.

He turned around abruptly, but froze: "Master?"

Wu Yongcheng said, "Your ability to keep an eye on people is a bit lacking."

Zhou Yi, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "That's because Master didn't teach us any real skills."

Wu Yongcheng ignored Zhou Yi, patted Chen Yan on the shoulder and said, "Alright, leave the rest to me."

Chen Yan was both surprised and delighted: "Master, you've returned to the task force after your vacation?"

Zhou Yi put his arm around Chen Yan's neck and said, "Brother Yan, let's go find a photo of Fan Tianyou for Captain Wu so he can recognize his face."

He could remember Fan Tianyou's investigation data, but he couldn't draw what he looked like.

To everyone's surprise, Wu Yongcheng replied casually, "No need, I remember what he looks like."

Zhou Yi was taken aback. It was because Wu Yongcheng had a good memory that he had seen it before and remembered it.

Or did he already find Fan Tianyou suspicious before?

"Alright, then Captain Wu, we'll head out first." Zhou Yi pulled Chen Yan away.

After walking only a few steps, Chen Yan couldn't help but ask, "Zhou Yi, what's going on here?"

When Zhou Yi looked back, Wu Yongcheng was gone. He hadn't even noticed when he had disappeared.

"Huh, where's Master?"

Zhou Yi smiled; as expected, it was still Captain Wu who had to step in.

"Brother Yan, let's go back to the task force first."

On the way back, Zhou Yi told him that he couldn't mention Captain Wu's matter to anyone, not even Brother Biao and Sister Qiao, just in case. Just treat it as an outside help he had invited.

Chen Yan hesitated, "Zhou Yi, what if people find out about this later? Won't it be bad for Master?"

"Don't worry, Captain Wu was on sick leave, not suspended. And don't forget, the task force didn't remove Captain Wu from the list."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan nodded in relief.

He perfectly inherited Wu Yongcheng's constant emphasis on following rules, but he failed to learn his master's flexible approach.

Handing Fan Tianyou over to Wu Yongcheng was the way Zhou Yi could feel most at ease.

We'll see when Fan Tianyou reveals a weakness.

But Zhou Yi couldn't just sit and wait.

Because there is another key figure to investigate, namely Dean Chen, who has a hypocritical face.

Zhou Yi couldn't remember the details of the investigation into Chen Gengyun in his previous life. After all, no matter how you looked at it, this person didn't fit the description of the dismemberment murderer. In particular, Lu Xiaoshuang's social relationships were very simple in her previous life, and there was no possibility that she had an improper relationship with someone like Xu Liu. Therefore, it was even less likely that she would be involved with a highly respected old professor like Chen Gengyun.

Zhou Yi only remembered that the old guy had a solid alibi on the 4th and 5th of these two days, and that there were multiple witnesses.

Only on the night of the 3rd, Chen Gengyun had a period of time resting in his dormitory, which he claimed was due to illness, around 6 pm to 8 pm.

He has appeared in public before 6 o'clock and after 8 o'clock, and multiple people can testify to this.

Because Chen Gengyun lived in an old staff dormitory assigned by the school, unlike the talent apartment where Fan Tianyou lived, the old dormitory was located on campus, making it easy for witnesses to testify.

Zhou Yi suspects that in his previous life, the person who went to Xishan Cemetery on the night of the 3rd was actually Chen Gengyun.

Issuing receipts seems to be more in line with the lifestyle of the older generation.

As for Fan Tianyou's actions the next day, it was clear that he was exploiting the memory loopholes of the incense and candle shop owner to solidify the authenticity of his alibi.

In other words, Chen Gengyun discovered Fan Tianyou's murder in the latter half of the night of the 3rd or the morning of the 4th, and immediately decided to help him create an alibi and devised a follow-up plan.

If that's the case, then there are two pieces of information inside.

First, Chen Gengyun trusted Fan Tianyou so much that he decided to help him get away with the crime in a very short time after learning that Fan had committed murder and even dismembered the body.

According to Fan Tianyou's information, he and Chen Gengyun did not have a teacher-student relationship, and their majors were not in the same direction.

The only obvious connection between the two is Chen Gengyun's deceased daughter, Chen Lin.

But Fan Tianyou was just Chen Lin's boyfriend before his death, not even Chen Gengyun's son-in-law. How could he so readily protect him from murder?
Could it be that Fan Tianyou saved Chen Lin? And Chen Gengyun did this to repay him?
Secondly, why didn't Chen Gengyun testify for Fan Tianyou directly as a witness in his previous life, as he did in this life?

Wouldn't that be safer?

In this life, it can be understood that without that receipt, it is impossible to create an alibi using physical evidence.

What about the previous life?

His direct testimony would be more credible, given that he is a highly respected dean and there is also the connection between the two of them through Chen Lin; everything makes perfect sense.

But Chen Gengyun didn't do that. Why?
There must be a reason for this.

It might be related to Chen Gengyun's daughter, Chen Lin. We need to investigate how Chen Lin died back then.

Therefore, we need to find Liang Wei first and get approval to retrieve Chen Gengyun's information.

As for identifying the old man who bought the oil, Brother Biao doesn't need to worry about that; it's a reasonable investigation and will definitely be carried out.

As Zhou Yi and Chen Yan returned to the building where the task force was located, they heard an excited roar coming from upstairs, accompanied by the sound of tables being slammed and chairs being hit.

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Yi saw the door to an office on the third floor suddenly pushed open, and a person rushed out, his hair standing on end and his manner aggressive.

As he strode downstairs, he turned back and pointed at Liang Wei and Ni Jianrong, who had chased after him, shouting, "This is slander! It's defamation! I will never accept your baseless accusations. If you have evidence, let the Discipline Inspection Commission come to me. Don't try to play these tricks on me! I'm telling you, I will definitely file a complaint against you for abusing your power and framing innocent people!"

The man who flew into a rage was none other than Liu Baoguo, the vice principal and the top suspect in the investigation.

Liang Wei remained silent with a cold expression, while Ni Jianrong tried to catch up from behind, constantly saying nice things, explaining that it was all a misunderstanding.

Zhou Yi stood downstairs, watching Liu Baoguo storm down the stairs.

Liu Baoguo came out of the stairwell and saw Zhou Yi in the face. He snorted coldly and walked away.

As Zhou Yi watched his departing figure, he almost burst out laughing, because the figure looked remarkably like an angry gorilla.

"Zhou Yi." Liang Wei upstairs saw him and waved to him.

"I'm here." Zhou Yi quickly went upstairs.

When he went upstairs, Ni Jianrong had already returned to his office, and only Liang Wei was standing at the door.

"Captain Liang, what's going on? Why is this guy so angry?"

Liang Wei gave a wry smile and said, "Who knows? We were just having a nice discussion, and then suddenly she went ballistic."

"So...you asked about the pager thing?" Zhou Yi asked tentatively.

Liang Wei shook his head helplessly: "Isn't that why we asked him to be the first to be investigated?"

Zhou Yi found it a bit strange; wasn't Liu Baoguo's reaction a little excessive?

Could it be that Xu Liu's backer is really him? Are there three murderers?

Otherwise, given Liu Baoguo's shrewdness, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths, would he?
Or is it that he lost face after being criticized by Liang Weiyi yesterday, so he's using this as an excuse to vent his frustration today?
"It's alright, the next guest is coming anyway," Liang Wei said, gesturing towards the distance.

Zhou Yi looked in the direction and saw a familiar figure walking towards the task force from a distance.

It was Chen Gengyun.

Liang Wei patted Zhou Yi on the shoulder and said, "Keep an eye on things here."

He turned and went back to his office.

Zhou Yi didn't understand. "I'll keep an eye on things here?" What? Didn't the school leaders tell them not to participate in the investigation?

Chen Gengyun walked downstairs at a leisurely pace, saw Zhou Yi standing on the balcony, and even raised his hand to greet her with a smile.

Zhou Yi was about to give a response.

A cell phone rang on Chen Gengyun's body.

"Drip-drop, drip-drop, drip."

The ringtone made Zhou Yi's hair stand on end.

It's Nokia's classic ringtone!

Chen Gengyun stopped, looked down, took out a cell phone from his pocket, and answered the call.

"Hey, Captain Liang, I'm downstairs. Okay, okay, I'll be right up."

Zhou Yi suddenly turned around and looked into the office behind him.

He finally understood why Liang Wei had asked him to keep an eye on things.

Inside the room, Liang Wei waved the phone in his hand at him, his eyes unusually cold.

(End of this chapter)