Wang Shen nodded and said, "First, there's the issue of motive. We all know that every criminal has a reasonable motive for committing a crime. And motive involves the victim's network of relationships. As for A-Cheng's network of relationships, the only people we currently know about are Qi Huan, Han Lin, and other restaurant employees."
"Captain Wang, do you think any of these people have a reasonable motive? By the way, I remember someone telling me that Acheng seemed to have had a conflict with a chef before the incident."
“Yes, I’ve already spoken with the chef. I don’t think he would have murderous thoughts because of such a conflict. Besides, this was a meticulously planned crime. I don’t think the chef could have done that.”
"So you mean there's something going on between Qi Huan and Han Lin?" Liang Zichen asked seriously, considering various possibilities in his mind.
"That's possible, but not necessarily. Perhaps there are people and stories behind the whole thing that we don't know about. As it stands, Qi Huan is probably the one who knows A-Cheng best, and we can try to get some information from her."
“Tomorrow’s pool party should be a great opportunity,” Liang Zichen said with a smile.
"I think you just want to go have some fun," Wang Shen said with a smile, raising an eyebrow.
“Captain Wang, I’ve never been to such a high-class place before, so I’m just going to broaden my horizons. Besides, solving cases is always my top priority.” Liang Zichen was quite eloquent and knew how to speak. He explained his playful nature perfectly with a smile. “Captain Wang, that’s just the first question. Is there anything else you’re still wondering about?”
"The second issue is the method of the crime. Gloves and work clothes—I suspect Acheng locks these things in the cabinet every day. I also asked Han Lin and the store employees about Acheng's work habits. According to them, Acheng's cabinet is always locked. If that's the case, then who poured gasoline on Acheng's clothes? And how were the gloves switched? Is it possible for someone to retrieve things remotely?" Wang Shen stood up from his chair and paced around the desk for a while.
"Retrieve items remotely? Maybe there's a spare key?" Liang Zichen was slightly surprised, but still voiced his guess.
“That’s what I thought too, but Han Lin told me firmly that Qi Huan only made one key for each locker to protect the employees’ privacy. And the key to Acheng’s locker should be the same one we just saw. We just need to wait for the lab technicians to make a copy, and then we can try it out.” Wang Shen sighed, walked to the chair, and tapped the back of the chair.
“Even if there is only one key, it is possible that the murderer stole Cheng’s key when he was not paying attention and then went to a locksmith to make a copy.”
"That's the only possibility right now. Unfortunately, given Cheng's current condition, he can't answer our questions or confirm our suspicions." Wang Shen stroked his chin, remained silent for a moment, then walked over to Liang Zichen and patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. Let's see if we can get anything out of him tomorrow. You must be tired today, go home and rest early." With that, Wang Shen left the office.
Wang Shen lay in bed, his eyes closed, but he couldn't fall asleep for a long time. Everything that had happened recently kept replaying in his mind. One by one, the names of those who had passed away surfaced in his head. Wang Shen truly felt exhausted and hoped everything would come to a conclusion soon. He didn't know how long he tossed and turned in bed; when he opened his eyes again, it was already dawn. He glanced at his watch; it was almost eleven o'clock. Wang Shen patted his still groggy head and sat up in bed.
Today was a rare, pleasant day; Wang Shen's phone hadn't rung. He changed into a shirt, quickly washed up, and went out to find something to eat. On rare weekends, Wang Shen liked to find a sunny spot in a coffee shop or bookstore and while away the afternoon. He watched the people coming and going—some alone, some in pairs, some in groups. Their smiling faces seemed to infect everyone. However, Wang Shen preferred quiet places. He liked to read quietly in a corner, drink coffee peacefully, and didn't want to be disturbed. Wang Shen didn't believe in so-called inspirational quotes, but he firmly believed that life is inherently lonely, and many things can only be accomplished alone. This was completely different from his sociable demeanor at work. Wang Shen had close friends, and whenever they mentioned his loneliness, he would just smile faintly.
Wang Shen held his coffee, looking at the familiar staff and unfamiliar customers, watching them bustling about the shop, and felt at ease. Just then, he received a text message: "Team Leader Wang, are you ready? It's almost time to leave. I can't get a taxi right now, can I hitch a ride? I'm currently..."
Wang Shen glanced at the address, then at the words "ridesharing," and could only guess that Liang Zichen probably hadn't passed Chinese or geography. Wang Shen sighed helplessly, put down his coffee, greeted the clerk, and drove to the address Liang Zichen had given him.
"Captain Wang, over here." Liang Zichen waved to Wang Shen as soon as he drove up to him. "Captain Wang, you're really slow." Liang Zichen smiled, opened the car door, and got in.
"The address you gave me is really convenient," Wang Shen said with a smile, reminding Liang Zichen.
Liang Zichen didn't say anything, he just smiled.
Wang Shen drove to a resort area in the suburbs, following the address on the invitation. This resort area featured several high-end hotels, offering stunning lake and mountain views. The address on the invitation was next to one of these luxury hotels. Wang Shen parked his car and got out.
"Captain Wang, although I grew up in this city, I've never been here before," Liang Zichen said, glancing at the hotel in front of him.
"Young man, you're still young. Keep working hard, and you'll have both bread and love." Wang Shen patted Liang Zichen on the shoulder and walked into the private club next to the hotel with a smile.
"Captain Wang, do you have both bread and love now?" Liang Zichen joked with Wang Shen with a smile.
Just as Wang Shen was about to say something, a formally dressed waiter came out to greet him.
"Captain Wang, this place is much better than that restaurant," Liang Zichen said, nodding to the waiter with a smile.
Wang Shen took out two invitation tickets from his pocket and handed them to the waiter. The waiter respectfully accepted the tickets from Wang Shen and then bowed slightly, gesturing for the waiter to proceed.
Wang Shen and Liang Zichen followed the waiter around several corners, took an elevator, and finally arrived at an open-air infinity pool.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com