Chapter 25: No Sooner Has One Wave Subsided Than Another Rises

"What did you just say???" Yan Zheng nearly roared, his voice echoing across the empty yard of the house.

Chen Yu did not rush to answer; he knew the live broadcast camera was still trained on them. He lowered his voice, "Captain Yan, let's talk in the car!"

He had no intention of letting the earth-shattering discovery he’d just made through “retrospection” be exposed before countless viewers.

The two swiftly turned around and strode toward the special operations vehicle parked not far away.

The broadcast feed froze once more on that barren, desolate field, with nothing else stirring.

The audience, naturally, could not see what transpired inside the car. In an instant, the live chat exploded.

"What was that ‘what did you say’? What’s with their expressions? They suddenly looked terrifying!"

"What happened? I’m dying to know!"

"What are they playing at? Why isn’t the camera following them into the car?" Impatient viewers began to curse.

"Is this paid content? Where’s the code? I’ll pay, just let me see what’s going on in the car!"

"Production crew! Name your price! I’ll pay up! Just let us see what’s happening inside that car!"

Inside the special operations vehicle.

Before Yan Zheng could speak, Chen Yu seized the initiative:

"Captain Yan, in Luo Xiangdong’s case, among all involved parties, is there anyone whose name includes the sound ‘Feng’?"

The abruptness of the question left Yan Zheng momentarily stunned. He furrowed his brow, searching his mind for every name connected to the case.

A moment later, he shook his head slightly.

"To my knowledge… there isn’t."

"But don’t worry," Yan Zheng looked at Chen Yu, "I’ll have my colleagues go over the list again, just to be sure!"

He paused, then pressed, "You believe the murderer’s name contains the word ‘Feng’?"

"Yes!" Chen Yu answered with rare certainty. "There must be a killer! And the killer’s name very likely contains the sound ‘Feng’!"

A wry smile crossed his face as he explained, "But please don’t ask me how I know. I… I can’t answer that right now."

"That’s fine."

Yan Zheng’s response caught Chen Yu completely off guard. He hadn’t expected him to let it go so easily, replying in a low voice, "I trust your judgment."

Chen Yu felt a flicker of surprise, finding himself trusting Yan Zheng a little more in return.

He took the opportunity to change the topic. "By the way, Captain Yan, you mentioned earlier you needed my help. What’s the matter?"

"Well..." Yan Zheng’s expression grew complicated. He hesitated briefly before speaking.

"I initially thought Luo Xiangdong’s case was just an accident and would be wrapped up quickly."

"I was planning to ask for your assistance on another case once this was over."

"But now it seems Luo Xiangdong’s case is far more complicated than I imagined."

Chen Yu’s heart skipped a beat at that. He had a suspicion that the case Yan Zheng wanted help with must be the string of unsolved Ripper murders.

And that, as luck would have it, was precisely the side mission he needed to resolve for his system.

"Please, go ahead," Chen Yu said sincerely. "Perhaps… once I’m off the show, I can help you."

Yan Zheng pondered for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:

"Yesterday afternoon, I left the production crew on short notice because..."

His thoughts drifted back to the previous afternoon.

…

Yesterday afternoon, aboard the live broadcast truck.

Yan Zheng was fully absorbed in the recording when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It was a secure call from Su Qingzhu.

"Captain Yan, there’s been a major case!" Su Qingzhu’s voice was graver than ever. "I’m at the scene conducting a preliminary investigation!"

"The crime scene is in the eastern suburbs of River City… a luxury villa district!"

"Someone reported that a woman… was found at home… disemboweled!"

Boom!

Those last three words struck Yan Zheng like a thunderclap. His pupils contracted violently.

"Eastern suburbs… the villa district…" he murmured, a sense of foreboding rising in his chest.

Su Qingzhu’s voice came again, "The victim… is Zhang Fu’s daughter! Zhang Luoluo!"

"Stop the car!"

Yan Zheng all but roared at the driver of the broadcast van.

"Official business—emergency!"

He threw these words over his shoulder at the stunned production staff, yanked open the door, and leapt out.

He immediately jumped into another special operations vehicle waiting by the roadside, speeding toward the villa district in the eastern suburbs.

…

By dusk, when Yan Zheng arrived at the heavily guarded crime scene, the entire technical team was already present.

Forensics, trace analysis, and investigators from the detective squad bustled inside and outside the villa, tense but efficient.

A faint scent of blood and suppressed anxiety hung in the air.

The moment Su Qingzhu saw Yan Zheng, she hurried over, pale-faced, to report:

"Master, the preliminary scene examination is complete!"

"Based on initial assessment, the perpetrator was highly professional—no valuable biological traces or fingerprints left behind!"

"Tell me the details," Yan Zheng ordered, his brow furrowed, his expression severe.

He’d encountered cases with similar methods before in his career, but this one sent an unprecedented chill down his spine.

Not because of the case’s complexity or the victim’s condition, but because… the deceased was Zhang Fu’s only daughter!

A man whose mere footfall could shake all of River City!

Su Qingzhu drew a deep breath, composing herself before continuing:

"The victim, Zhang Luoluo, age twenty-six."

"She was killed in the living room of her home. Estimated time of death is between noon and two o’clock today."

"The person who called the police was her husband, Zheng Liangchen."

"The cause of death… was a blade wound from chest to lower abdomen—her entire abdominal cavity was split open, leading to hemorrhagic shock and death."

Su Qingzhu paused, her face growing even more grave.

"According to the preliminary autopsy, Zhang Luoluo was fourteen weeks pregnant at the time of death."

"Hmph!"

At the words "fourteen weeks pregnant," Yan Zheng let out a cold snort through his nose.

Another pregnant victim!

"Where is her husband?" Yan Zheng asked icily.

"He was taken into custody immediately," Su Qingzhu replied. "But at the crime scene, only Zhang Luoluo and the killer struggled in the living room."

"Zheng Liangchen claims he was out drinking with friends at ‘Lei’s place’ last night, didn’t return home until the early hours, then collapsed in the master bedroom and fell into a deep, drunken sleep."

"It wasn’t until after the killer committed the crime and fled that he was woken by the commotion in the living room."

"When he got up, he found the living room covered in blood, his wife lying in a pool of it… That’s when he called the police in a panic!"

"So," Yan Zheng’s voice was as cold as ice, "he was in the house the whole time, yet his wife was brutally murdered right next door, and he knew nothing?"

"To be precise," Su Qingzhu’s tone was equally somber, "according to his statement, he was dead drunk and unaware as his wife was murdered in the living room next door."

"Has Zhang Fu been notified?" Yan Zheng asked, hitting the most crucial point.

"He was informed immediately," Su Qingzhu answered. "But he’s overseas on business and won’t be able to return until the day after tomorrow at the earliest."

Yan Zheng closed his eyes, rubbing his throbbing temples, exhaustion etched into his features.

"Thoroughly examine the scene and collect every possible piece of evidence. Then dismiss the team for now."

"When we get back, arrange an interrogation room at once. You and I will question Zheng Liangchen through the night!"

"Yes, Master!" Su Qingzhu snapped to attention, saluted, and hurried back into the brightly lit villa.

…

Inside the special operations vehicle, silence reigned.

Chen Yu listened as Yan Zheng finished recounting the events, trying to process the avalanche of new information.

"So… does this Zheng Liangchen, Zhang Luoluo’s husband, count as a suspect?" he asked curiously.

"We interrogated him all night," Yan Zheng said with a sneer.

"Found no direct evidence—he has an alibi."

"The irony is, his young and beautiful wife was home, pregnant and alone, while he, Zheng Liangchen, spent the night at Lei’s den of debauchery, surrounded by enchanting women, partying till dawn!"

"A real ‘model husband’!" Yan Zheng spat the words through clenched teeth, barely restraining his anger.

He was truly furious, and at his wit’s end.

How could it be Zhang Fu’s daughter who ended up dead?

This case could bring the whole of River City to its knees!

Chen Yu’s eyes flickered at this.

Lei’s den… Lei again.

He nodded decisively. "Alright!"

"I’ll take the case!"

Yan Zheng seemed surprised by his quick acceptance, pausing for a moment before a look of appreciation flashed in his eyes.

But Chen Yu changed the subject.

"However, Captain Yan, we're back to the original question."

"I’m still curious, and I want to know…"

"Why did you choose me?"