Chapter 16 Leading by Example
The next morning, Lu Zheng changed into casual clothes and came to Jinxiu Residential Area again.
Instead of going directly to Su Xiaonuan, he chatted with elderly people doing morning exercises, convenience store owners, and property management staff in the community garden, convenience store, and property management office, with the conversation revolving around the apartment in Unit 2, Building A, Room 1203.
The feedback received was almost unanimous:
"That man is a scoundrel! He beats his wife every day!"
"That woman is so pitiful. She was beaten so badly, but she still refuses to leave. I don't know what she's after."
"The man seems to have disappeared a few days ago?"
"The woman is dead? Oh, what a tragedy... It must have been the man who did it! He should be caught and executed!"
All the information points to the missing husband as the murderer.
The neighbors' testimonies, coupled with the man's disappearance, seemed to indicate that the case could be closed.
But Lu Zheng's sense of unease grew stronger and stronger.
If the husband truly committed murder and fled, why would he go to the trouble of arranging a "burglary" scene? Was it to interfere with the investigation? Or to cover up some other purpose?
He increasingly felt that the old detective's hypothesis was becoming more plausible—the relationship between the couple was far more complex than it appeared on the surface, and the woman might even have been involved, only to get burned in the end? Or was this a carefully orchestrated scheme by the man to escape and frame someone else? Su Xiaonuan's unexpected appearance disrupted his entire plan.
If that's the case, then Su Xiaonuan's current situation may not be safe.
The missing husband, or his accomplices, may take action against Su Xiaonuan, this "variable".
With this in mind, Lu Zheng decided that he couldn't wait any longer.
He needed to see Su Xiaonuan again, partly to confirm her safety, and partly to dig out some details that might have been overlooked, and incidentally... to remind her.
He went to the property management office, identified himself, and quickly found Su Xiaonuan's registered address—Building C, Room 1602.
Take the elevator upstairs and arrive at the door of 1602.
Lu Zheng composed himself and raised his hand to knock on the door.
Inside the house, Su Xiaonuan had just hung up the phone.
Today is Friday. Yesterday, she had a very lively chat with the internet celebrity "Big Eater Dora" on WeChat.
The other party seemed very satisfied with her hot and sour noodles, and hinted that they wanted to collaborate on a video about visiting a restaurant or making food.
Su Xiaonuan was naturally flattered and overjoyed to agree, and the two arranged to discuss the details of the shoot on Sunday.
Su Xiaonuan was not idle either; she secretly inquired about this "Dora" through various channels.
It was discovered that the persona she cultivated was that of a "Sichuan girl who can eat spicy food exceptionally well," and she ate all kinds of extremely spicy food without batting an eye in her live streams and videos.
However, Su Xiaonuan discovered through some early comments that were not deleted and a post on an anonymous forum that an insider had hinted that Dora could not eat too much spicy food in private, and that she used props or specially processed food during her live streams. It was also common for her to induce vomiting immediately after eating.
She mainly relies on post-production editing and sound effects to create the illusion of being a "big eater" and "not afraid of spicy food," and then uses this traffic to frantically sell products, mostly low-quality, overpriced, unregulated or counterfeit food products, resulting in a high complaint rate.
This is exactly what the system has identified as "false advertising and consumer fraud," with a crime value as high as 45 points!
Su Xiaonuan was pondering in her mind how to "cooperate" with the filming on Sunday in order to subtly expose the true face of this internet celebrity when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Having lived alone for so long, very few people would come to her door directly.
Delivery drivers and food delivery providers will call first.
A sense of instinctive vigilance, typical of single women living alone, instantly arose within her.
She grabbed the plunger for unclogging the toilet that was lying by the door, tiptoed to the door, and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
A deep, familiar male voice came from outside the door: "Municipal Public Security Bureau, Lu Zheng."
Su Xiaonuan: "..."
She paused for two seconds, put down the plunger, and silently opened the door.
Sure enough, standing outside the door was Lu Zheng, who was upright and had a serious expression.
Su Xiaonuan was somewhat amused and exasperated: "Officer Lu? What... are you doing? Checking the water meter or gathering public opinion?"
She wondered to herself, "Why are the police here again? Is there some new discovery in the 1203 case? Or did I give myself away somewhere?"
Lu Zheng's gaze swept quickly over Su Xiaonuan. Seeing that she seemed unharmed, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his face remained serious: "Routine inquiry. There are still some details about the 1203 case that I need to verify with you. Also, have you noticed anything unusual these past few days? For example, have you felt like you've been followed or spied on?"
"Spying?" Su Xiaonuan was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I just set up my stall and go home every day, a routine of two points. I didn't notice anything unusual."
She was telling the truth. With the system's support and physical enhancement, she would most likely be able to detect if someone was following her.
Lu Zheng nodded, took out his notebook and pen, and asked questions while taking notes: "Have you offended anyone recently? Or have you encountered any particularly difficult or strange customers while setting up your stall?"
The face of the internet celebrity "Dora" immediately popped into Su Xiaonuan's mind, but this matter was obviously completely unrelated to the 1203 case.
She continued to shake her head: "No... I run a small business, and I make money by being friendly. My customers are all very nice."
Apart from those few thugs and thieves, she "dealt with" them all.
Lu Zheng was writing something in his notebook with his head down, so his expression was not visible.
Su Xiaonuan looked at his serious profile and suddenly had an idea.
Isn't this a ready-made police officer? Although he looks a bit cold, his case-solving abilities should be reliable.
Regarding that internet celebrity Dora, perhaps... we could subtly inquire about her? Or maybe we could try to build a closer relationship first?
She immediately flashed a very warm, even overly warm, smile and stepped aside to make way for the doorway: "Officer Lu, please don't just stand there asking questions. Come in, sit down, and have a drink of water. I happen to have something I'd like to ask you about."
Lu Zheng paused in writing, raised his head, and looked at Su Xiaonuan with deep eyes. He then glanced at the somewhat private space behind her, which was tidy but clearly occupied by a single woman, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He declined almost without hesitation, saying simply, "No need. Let's talk here. What do you need to ask?"
His tone was businesslike, with a clear sense of boundaries.
What she was really thinking was: it's inherently unsafe for a young woman living alone to let a strange man, even a policeman, into her home.
He must set an example and avoid any situations that could cause misunderstandings or potential risks.
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