Roses in Flames

Zhao Jiashu and Luo Zilin are not locals of Yecheng. They transferred here in the second year of junior high school. They used to attend elementary school and junior high school in a neighboring city.

After arriving in Yecheng to attend school, Zhao Jiashu and Luo Zilin never bullied anyone. After Ye Yuhang became friends with the two, they often went out together to go online, skip classes, go to bars, and drink.

Ye Yuhang wiped away the tears on his face. "Once, when they were drunk, they bragged that they were good friends with the young master of the richest man in the neighboring city and could do whatever they wanted in the neighboring city. If it weren't for that incident, they wouldn't have needed to transfer to Ye City."

Xiao Lin narrowed his cold, deep eyes. "Do you know what it is?"

Xiao Lin's aura was too powerful, and Ye Yuhang didn't dare to meet his eyes at all. He said tremblingly, "I don't know, they would rather die than say."

Xiao Lin nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know the name of the richest young master they're talking about?"

Ye Yuhang shook his head, and then, as if thinking of something, he quickly added, "Once when we were playing games together, I searched for the richest man in the neighboring city. I showed them his picture, and they said they had been guests at his house before."

Ye Yuntang has already found a photo of the richest man in the neighboring city online. The richest man's surname is Zou, and he is a man in his forties.

Ye Yuntang showed the photo to Ye Yuhang, "Is it him?"

Ye Yuhang nodded, "Yes."

After leaving the Ye family's old house, Xiao Lin made a phone call, asking someone to look up the schools Zhao Jiashu and Luo Zilin had attended in a neighboring city.

Back at the police station, Xiao Lin applied for a business trip to a neighboring city.

Ye Yuntang and Xiao Lin drove together to a neighboring city.

Qin Feng watched the two drive away, a disdainful smile curving his lips.

They've gone so far as to investigate a case in a neighboring city; do they really think they're some kind of super detective?

Qin Feng picked up his phone and called Cheng Lei, "What's Xiao Lin doing in the neighboring city?"

Upon hearing Cheng Lei's reply, Qin Feng's mocking smile deepened.

……

The neighboring city is in a province adjacent to Yecheng, and it only takes a little over three hours to drive there.

The two went straight to the Third Middle School where Zhao Jiashu and Luo Zilin had studied.

The campus is shaded by green trees, all the teaching buildings have been renovated, and there is a newly built library; the facilities all look quite good.

The principal recalled, "Zhao Jiashu and Luo Zilin were indeed mischievous, but they got along well with their classmates and I never heard of them making enemies with anyone."

"Then why did they suddenly transfer schools?" Xiao Lin asked in a deep voice.

The principal shook his head. "It was applied for by the parents. We at the school are not clear about the specifics."

Xiao Lin and Ye Yuntang visited several of their former teachers, and their accounts were all similar.

As Ye Yuntang left the school, she voiced her doubts: "She has good interpersonal relationships and no grudges, but she suddenly transferred to Ye Cheng School. This doesn't make sense."

Xiao Lin nodded thoughtfully. "We need to go back to Ye City and ask their parents."

After leaving the campus, the two walked around it.

When they arrived at the North Gate, they found it tightly closed, and the lock on the iron gate was rusty.

Xiao Lin examined the rust on the lock closely and said in a deep voice, "The lock is rusted through. This place has been locked up for at least three years, which matches the time when Zhao Jiashu and Luo Zilin transferred schools."

The area around the iron gate was deserted, with no trace of even a security guard's room. The waist-high weeds at the base of the wall indicated that the place had been abandoned for a long time.

Opposite the North Gate is a tall building facing the street, with several shops on the ground floor, most of which are closed. Only one convenience store is open, and the sound of arguing can be faintly heard from inside.

Xiao Lin and Ye Yuntang exchanged a glance and then walked towards the convenience store across the street.

The arguing inside the store grew clearer and clearer.

A woman in her thirties said in an agitated and shrill voice, "You're heartless! You sold the storefront to me at a low price when I had just returned to the neighboring city, saying that students frequented the area and that there was a lot of foot traffic, but you never mentioned that anything bad had ever happened here!"

"I invested all the money I saved from part-time jobs into this empty storefront, opened a shop, only to find that the school had closed its north gate, and there wasn't a single student in sight. Now I can't even afford to pay my loan!"

The man said impatiently, "Who told you to rush into opening the shop without asking questions first? Whose fault is that?"

"You deliberately framed me! I used to consider you a friend. If you had told me before that a student jumped from this building and died right in front of this empty storefront, I would never have bought it. Convenience stores are supposed to be open 24 hours a day, and I get creeped out every night. You've really ruined my life!"

The man, neck stiff, snapped, "That was an accident! What does it have to do with my business? Even if that female student becomes a ghost and seeks revenge, she'll go after their school. What are you so afraid of?"

"I……"

Xiao Lin and Ye Yuntang immediately went into the convenience store.

The two of them each took a bottle of water.

When the woman saw a customer enter, she immediately stopped arguing.

As Ye Yuntang scanned the code to pay, she asked softly, "Boss, three years ago, a female student jumped off this empty storefront and died?"

The woman was still emotionally charged. Hearing Ye Yuntang's words, she nodded, "That's right, I was tricked by this person."

The man glanced at Ye Yuntang and Xiao Lin, sensing that the two were unusual, and quickly winked at the woman.

"Sigh, I had just returned to the neighboring city at that time, and I only heard about it from others. I don't know the specifics," the woman added.

The man tried to leave, but Xiao Lin's tall figure blocked his way, and he showed his police ID. "The police are investigating a case. Answer truthfully."

The man waved his hand. "Officer, I don't know anything. You can ask someone else. I have something to do, so I'm leaving now."

Xiao Lin's eyes narrowed, his features tensed, and his aura suddenly turned cold. "Tell the truth!"

Cold sweat beaded on the man's forehead. "Stop asking! Really, stop asking! You're police from the neighboring city? You look unfamiliar, were you just transferred here? Take my advice, don't investigate this anymore, you won't get any results!"

Xiao Lin's brows furrowed, and he pressed closer, "What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

The man waved his hands wildly, his voice trembling, "I can't explain it clearly, and I can't explain it! Officer, please don't frame me! I'm just an ordinary citizen trying to make a living here!"

The more the man said this, the more Xiao Lin felt there was something fishy going on.

The panic and fear in the man's eyes were genuine; for an ordinary person to be so afraid that they would even try to evade the police, the forces behind them must be extraordinary.

Xiao Lin immediately thought of the richest man's son Ye Yuhang had mentioned. He took out his phone, opened the richest man's photo, and wondered, "Is this the richest man's son involved?"

Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed drastically, and he shook his head violently, "No, that's not it."

The man's evasive eyes and pale face were all flaws in Xiao Lin's eyes.

Just then, Xiao Lin's phone rang; Song Che was calling.

"Captain Xiao, we've made a discovery—"