"As a teacher, it's only natural for me to take care of his artistic development, both publicly and privately."
His explanation is reasonable.
Xia Zhining didn't press further, but simply nodded: "I understand."
On the other side, Ji Shuyun's gaze had already swept across the entire living room like a probe.
His gaze lingered briefly on a certain shelf of the bookshelf, where several psychology books stood out prominently.
"Professor Zhou is very knowledgeable in psychology?" Ji Shuyun asked casually.
"As educators, we need to have a broader range of knowledge in order to better understand and guide students."
Zhou Chongshan's answer was impeccable, his smile flawless: "Extensive reading also sets an example for students."
Ji Shuyun remained noncommittal, and naturally moved to the balcony door, where a set of professional fishing gear stood.
His fingertips brushed seemingly unintentionally across a roll of uniquely colored braided fishing line.
"The equipment is very professional. This kind of high-strength PE braided line is not commonly seen in China. Is it for sea fishing?"
He turned his head and looked calmly at Zhou Chongshan.
Zhou Chongshan's facial muscles tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then his smile deepened: "This officer has a good eye. I occasionally travel abroad for research, and I like to bring back any interesting professional equipment I see."
"Artistic creation also needs to draw inspiration from various activities, doesn't it?"
His every reply was like a casual chat, very natural.
As soon as the police car drove out of Zhou Chongshan's house, Ji Shuyun looked at Xia Zhining in the passenger seat and asked, "Did you find anything?"
"The motive for the murder has been basically confirmed."
Xia Zhining quickly relayed to him what the goldfish had said about the "300,000 yuan hush money," saying, "Zhong Manqing is blackmailing him, and he has every reason to silence her."
Ji Shuyun nodded, but her expression remained solemn.
Xia Zhining also sighed: "Motive is just the starting point. The biggest obstacle is that he wasn't even in the sketching group at the time of the incident, so he has a perfect alibi."
“Remote control.” Ji Shuyun’s eyes sharpened. The other party was likely another high-IQ criminal: “In criminal investigation terminology, this type of murderer is usually called a mastermind or indirect perpetrator.”
"They don't commit crimes themselves, but rather use, induce, or even coerce others to do so."
Ji Shuyun turned the steering wheel and drove towards the mountains. "So, our core task now is to find evidence to prove that he was present at the crime scene or had direct contact with key authorities at the scene."
"Ningning, it's up to you now."
The two went back into the mountains overnight.
Night had fallen in the woods, but the case was urgent. They brought clear photos of Zhou Chongshan, Zhai Chen, and other people involved in the case.
When Xia Zhining showed Zhou Chongshan's photo to a group of nocturnal animals.
A sleepy-eyed slow loris approached leisurely, observed for a while, and then said in a soft voice, "This two-legged creature... looks familiar."
The squirrel beside him immediately jumped up and added: "Yes, yes! He used to come here often! He carried a big box (painting box) on his back, and would sit on a rock and paint for half a day."
Several nocturnal birds also confirmed: [It was him… a long time ago. It seems we haven't seen him since that female bipedal's incident.]
Xia Zhining's heart skipped a beat, but she immediately calmed down.
Zhou Chongshan is an art professor, so it's normal for him to come to the mountains to sketch and gather inspiration. His past frequent visits alone cannot serve as direct evidence.
She leaned down and held the photo up to the slow loris, her voice even softer: "So, before the accident, when he last came to the mountains, did he do anything... different from his usual painting?"
"For example, have you ever spent an unusually long time tinkering with something in any particular place?"
"Or, did you take anything with you or leave anything behind?"
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