At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

"What?! Zhang Guowei is dead?!"

Yang Yongchao was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale. He raised his foot to rush into the teahouse, shouting, "Where is it? I'll go see!"

"Wait, you can't go in!"

A deep, hoarse voice, filled with grief and extreme exhaustion, came from the entrance of the teahouse. An elderly policeman in his fifties, with gray hair and bloodshot eyes, stepped out, clutching a piece of paper in an evidence bag, his fingers trembling slightly.

Yang Yongchao recognized this man; he was Hou Guoan, the head of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, but he was retiring in two months, and the person in charge now was the deputy captain, Zhang Guowei.

"Captain Hou! Captain Zhang, he..." Yang Yongchao asked anxiously.

Hou Guoan raised his bloodshot eyes and stared intently at Yang Yongchao, his expression extremely complex, containing grief, anger, and a hint of disbelief.

He slowly raised the evidence bag in his hand, his voice hoarse: "I found it next to Guowei's... body. He was clutching this tightly in his hand."

Yang Yongchao looked at the note, on which a name appeared to be written in crooked handwriting.

His heart pounded: "Is that the killer's name?"

Hou Guoan did not answer, but slowly turned the evidence bag over so that the front of the note faced Yang Yongchao and the surrounding police officers.

The note clearly bore the three characters: Yang Yongchao!

The scene fell into a deathly silence.

All the police officers' eyes were fixed on Yang Yongchao, filled with shock, suspicion, and scrutiny.

One of the junior police officers couldn't contain himself; his voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Captain Yang, did you really do this? How could you...?"

Zhang Guowei and Yang Yongchao usually had a bit of a grappling match, but many people thought it was just a work-related dispute. No one expected it to escalate to the point of someone's death.

"No...this can't be! It wasn't me!"

Yang Yongchao's mind went blank, his blood seemed to rush to his head and then recede instantly, leaving his whole body ice cold.

He suddenly looked at Hou Guoan, "Captain Hou! This is clearly a frame-up! How could I possibly kill Captain Zhang! I was chasing after him just now..."

His words came to an abrupt end.

Because he saw another policeman come out of the teahouse, his face grim, and say to Hou Guoan:

"Captain Hou, we checked the surveillance footage from the teahouse and nearby intersections. About twenty minutes ago, a person wearing a food delivery uniform and a yellow helmet came out from the direction of the private room where Captain Zhang had the incident, with his head down, and left through the back fire escape."

All eyes were once again focused on Yang Yongchao!

Although he was dressed in casual clothes, he was wearing a yellow food delivery helmet and riding a food delivery electric scooter!

The timing, the attire, the presence at the scene... the coincidences are chilling!

Yang Yongchao opened his mouth, wanting to explain that the helmet and electric bike were borrowed temporarily while chasing the woman, but the woman he was chasing had long since disappeared, so who could prove it?

Chen Geng? Where is Chen Geng? He just told Chen Geng to stay in the square and not move...

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

He suddenly recalled Chen Geng's unusual meeting with him today, the vague "intelligence" he gave, the sudden concern for Zhang Guowei, and the "coincidental" mention of the fugitive's family member...

Was all of this a carefully orchestrated scheme?

Was Chen Geng the bait?

The purpose was to lure him here and frame him?!

The thought sent chills down his spine, but his remaining rationality told him something was wrong. What was Chen Geng after?

"It wasn't me! Captain Hou, believe me! I came here to chase after a family member of a fugitive! I have..."

Yang Yongchao tried to defend himself urgently, his eyes darting around frantically, trying to find someone or something to prove his innocence.

Just then, a voice came from outside the police line:

"I believe Captain Yang! Captain Yang is innocent!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chen Geng panting as he pushed his way through the police tape. His face was a little pale, but his eyes were fixed on Hou Guoan and the surrounding police officers without flinching.

"Who are you?" a policeman frowned and shouted. "Unauthorized personnel, stand back!"

"I am a witness!"

Chen Geng straightened his back and pointed at Yang Yongchao:

"Captain Yang Yongchao has been with me since 2 PM this afternoon!"

"How could he possibly have time to come here and kill someone? That note and the deliveryman in the surveillance footage—it must have been someone else! The goal was to frame Captain Yang!"

Chen Geng's words were like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, stirring up ripples.

Hou Guoan and several veteran criminal police officers stared sharply at Chen Geng.

"With you? Who are you? What proof do you have?" Hou Guoan asked in a deep voice, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"My name is Chen Geng, and I work for Hanfeng Group. I was one of the parties involved in yesterday's case at Luohu Park, which is why Captain Yang knows me."

Chen Geng spoke quickly, trying to keep his voice steady.

"At 2 PM this afternoon, I arranged to meet Captain Yang at Wanda Plaza to discuss some matters. We stayed together until just now when he saw a suspicious person chasing after something, so I drove over."

"I can describe in detail what we did and said at every point in time from 2 PM until now, and whether anyone else witnessed it! Captain Yang absolutely had no opportunity to commit the crime!"

He spoke with absolute certainty and was full of detail, thanks to the frantic recall and fabrication of the timeline of their joint actions that he had done while driving there.

He is now Yang Yongchao's only lifeline, and he must stick to this "alibi"!

The surrounding police officers exchanged bewildered glances. If what Chen Geng said was true and could be verified, then Yang Yongchao's suspicions could indeed be largely cleared.

But... this is too much of a coincidence?

Why is Yang Yongchao with this witness today?

Why did the pursuit lead them all the way to the crime scene?

And why is he dressed as a food delivery driver?

Yang Yongchao also looked at Chen Geng in shock.

Chen Geng's appearance and testimony were like a timely help, a lifeline.

But what followed was deeper doubt and vigilance.

Chen Geng...who exactly are you?

Is your appearance today really just a coincidence?

Or...did you know something beforehand and deliberately create this "alibi"?

Hou Guoan stared at Chen Geng for a full ten seconds, then looked at Yang Yongchao, whose expression was constantly changing, and finally waved his hand, his voice tired but carrying an undeniable authority:

"Xiao Yang, and Mr. Chen, both of you come back to the station with us. We'll question you separately and take detailed statements. We'll investigate everything—the on-site evidence, the surveillance footage, the handwriting analysis of the notes, the estimated time of death…we must get to the bottom of everything! Until the truth comes out—"

He paused, then looked at Yang Yongchao with a complicated expression. "Xiao Yang, I've already reported this to the bureau. You'll be temporarily suspended from your duties to cooperate with the investigation."

Yang Yongchao swayed slightly, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were a deep, oppressive crimson.

He nodded, offering no further explanation, but gave Chen Geng a deep look.

Chen Geng breathed a sigh of relief, at least Yang Yongchao was temporarily saved and not arrested on the spot as a murderer.

But the real test will come when the questions that follow.

The police car sped away with them in it.

At the entrance of the teahouse, the police tape gleamed coldly in the afternoon sun.