Chapter 65: Another Battlefield!

"That's right," Yan Zheng nodded slightly.

"Ah..." Chen Yu let out a long sigh. "But in the end, all of this is just your conjecture," he continued. "Captain Yan, without evidence, there's no way to convict anyone."

With that single sentence, the alliance that had just begun to form between them was instantly pierced. Reality, cold and unyielding, settled between them once more. A silence as heavy as death returned, unbroken except for the occasional roar of a passing car beyond the bridge and the silent flow of the river beneath their feet—reminders that time had not, in fact, stopped.

A long while passed, so long that Yan Zheng nearly reached for another cigarette. Only then did Chen Yu lift his eyes, their depths falling quietly on Yan Zheng’s face.

"And what about that miniature camera found in Zhang Luoluo’s home?" he asked.

"That camera was likely installed secretly by Zhang Luoluo herself," Yan Zheng replied, his tone regaining the calm authority of a squad leader. "You should know that her husband, that man called Zheng Liangchen, is a mere live-in son-in-law—a complete womanizer. On the very afternoon Zhang Luoluo was murdered, Zheng Liangchen was fast asleep in the bedroom, utterly oblivious to anything happening outside. And the reason he slept like the dead was even more absurd: the previous night, he’d spent it in Brother Lei’s club, fooling around with several women until dawn."

Disdain and disgust flashed through Yan Zheng’s eyes. "The ridiculous thing is, in front of Zhang Luoluo, Zheng Liangchen put on a perfect act—playing the role of the gentle, attentive husband, always eager to please her. But, as the saying goes, the paper cannot cover the fire. Zhang Luoluo gradually grew suspicious. So she not only hired a private detective to keep tabs on Zheng Liangchen, but she also quietly installed a camera in her own home."

"Then..." Chen Yu leaned forward, his breath quickening. "Did the camera capture anything? Did it record... the act itself?"

"It did," Yan Zheng replied, the word clipped and decisive. "But the murderer was disguised," he continued, lowering his voice. "With a hood pulled over his head and dressed in black, the killer argued fiercely with Zhang Luoluo right beside the sofa in the living room. Then, using a steel wire, he strangled her mercilessly. Finally, on that very sofa, he used a scalpel... to cut her open. Every scene is disturbingly clear."

Yan Zheng’s description matched almost exactly what Chen Yu had seen with his own [Retrospect] ability.

"What did they argue about? Was there audio?" Chen Yu’s voice echoed beneath the bridge, nearly a shout.

Yan Zheng gazed at him deeply, before replying in a low voice: "The camera had audio, but most of what it captured was just meaningless threats and curses. Only two sentences were truly valuable." He paused, as if weighing something, but ultimately decided to lay his final card on the table before Chen Yu. "The killer said, 'Hand over the recorder.' And Zhang Luoluo replied, 'You can't hide all the wrongs you've done.'"

A thunderclap seemed to explode inside Chen Yu’s mind. Everything made sense now. That damned recorder! That vanished memory card! Within it lay a secret so earth-shattering it was enough to drive Liu Gang to murder.

Wait! Another flash of insight struck Chen Yu. "All the wrongs you’ve done?" he repeated. More than one?

"Did Zhang Luoluo discover more than one thing?" he pressed.

"I don’t know, but... probably," Yan Zheng answered noncommittally.

"In that case!" Chen Yu’s voice grew animated. He stepped forward, almost glaring at Yan Zheng. "Why didn’t your squad immediately detain Liu Gang? Aren’t you afraid he’ll run? What if he senses he’s been exposed and flees overnight?"

Yet instead of being flustered, Yan Zheng merely smiled. "He won’t run. For fifteen years, he’s been lurking in Jiangcheng like a solitary, obsessive wolf, trying to uncover the truth behind his wife’s death. If he were truly a murderer, fifteen years would have been more than enough time to flee to the ends of the earth—yet he stayed."

Yan Zheng’s gaze sharpened. "Besides... if we act now, we risk alerting the real culprits."

The words hit Chen Yu like a jolt. Of course! All the clues hinted that the Ripper case, which had dragged on for fifteen years, likely involved more than one perpetrator. Yan Zheng, the old fox, intended to cast a wide net and catch every last fish lurking beneath the surface.

"Enough about that. Let’s talk about you now," Yan Zheng seized the chance to counterattack, his shrewd eyes locking onto Chen Yu. "How did you know Liu Gang was the killer?"

The question had finally come. Chen Yu hesitated for a beat, then gave a wry smile, shaking his head. With an unprecedented sincerity, he spoke:

"Captain Yan, I really can’t tell you the answer to that. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but... I have no way of explaining it in a way you’d understand." He met Yan Zheng’s gaze, enunciating every word. "We’re on the same side. And I hope, in the future, you’ll share any vital intel with me."

Ha! The old trickster always suspected I was some envoy from higher up, or an undercover agent. My hints should be plain enough. If you’re going to play a part, you have to play it to the end. Chen Yu silently congratulated himself.

Sure enough, a glint of understanding flashed through Yan Zheng’s narrowed eyes. He was silent for over ten seconds, as if conducting some intense mental calculus. In the end, suspicion faded, replaced by realization. He knew the rules of undercover work better than anyone: you never ask what you shouldn’t. If Chen Yu refused to answer, it was perfectly reasonable.

"Fine! Then I won’t ask." Yan Zheng waved it off, but then, with a slight turn of tone, pressed on. "But there’s another question you should be able to answer. I understand why you summoned Liu Hong and Liu Gang—but why did you summon that useless son-in-law, Zheng Liangchen?"

"A feint," Chen Yu replied with a sly, fox-like grin. "Psychological warfare, Captain. I’m sure you understand."

"You mean..." Yan Zheng’s eyes lit up, "to put pressure on Liu Gang? Or perhaps to make him lower his guard?"

"Exactly," Chen Yu snapped his fingers. "In a bit, you can have your team members 'accidentally' leak the information that Zheng Liangchen was asleep in the bedroom during the murder, right in front of the Liu siblings. You can even exaggerate—say the squad now strongly suspects Zheng Liangchen is the killer. Play it however you like! After all, we’re about to have a good game with our Mr. Genius Liu Gang."

"And as for Liu Hong..." Yan Zheng quickly caught Chen Yu’s train of thought. "You plan to see if she can give you any clues about... the other killer?"

"Taking a chance," Chen Yu shrugged. "Liu Hong is actually very naive. We might not get anything from her."

"Naive?" Yan Zheng’s gaze grew suspicious again, scrutinizing Chen Yu. "How do you know she’s naive?"

"Er..." Chen Yu cursed himself for slipping up, then quickly forced a laugh, feigning mystery. "Discipline! Haha! Discipline!"

...

While the two men plotted like devils beneath the shadowy bridge, the air inside the cramped special-operations vehicle had already turned glacial, more tense than a morgue before an autopsy.

"Well? How does it feel, former police belle?" Su Qingzhu’s cold voice shot mercilessly at Li Qing. "After graduation, you went to a place like Brother Lei’s and became a prostitute. You must have made a fortune, right? Honestly, Senior, with your looks and talent, couldn’t you have found a real rich man? Chen Yu doesn’t look like he has money. What do you see in him?"

Li Qing’s beautiful, innocent face instantly drained of all color, turning ashen. She stared hard at the face before her—a face once so familiar and admiring, always following behind calling her "Senior." Now, it was etched with nothing but contempt and bitterness.

"Qingzhu..." Her voice trembled. "Do we really have to speak to each other like this?"

"And how else should I speak?" Su Qingzhu’s composure snapped, her exquisite features twisting with fury, veins standing out in anger. "Li Qing! Don’t think I’ll ever trust you again! Whatever kindness you showed me at school, I’ve already repaid in full! Now, I’m an agent. You’re a whore. I’m warning you—don’t push your luck, or I’ll arrest you myself!"

Her words were cold as daggers, stabbing deep into Li Qing’s heart. Her eyes filled with grievance and pain. She wanted—desperately—to tell this junior whom she’d always cared for like a sister the truth. To tell her she wasn’t a prostitute. To tell her she was on an important mission.

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t say a word.

Li Qing bit down hard on her lip, so hard her teeth nearly drew blood. Her delicate face flushed red from suffocated emotion. Seconds later, the flush faded, replaced by a ghastly pallor. At last, all emotion vanished.

When she looked up again, her lips curled into a sly, flirtatious smile. In just a few seconds, the bleeding-hearted girl was gone—replaced by the siren known as "White Moonlight."

She let out a soft laugh. "Little junior, don’t you think... Chen Yu is quite handsome?" Her voice turned languid, teasing. "Not just his looks and build—surely his recent actions have caught the eye of a righteous little police flower like you?" She winked, her glance rippling. "Want to... share him with your senior?"

"You—!" Su Qingzhu was momentarily struck dumb by the shamelessness of the remark.

"Hey, little junior," Li Qing leaned forward, a faint, seductive fragrance drifting toward Su Qingzhu. "For old times’ sake—remember, I once saved your life at school—don’t set yourself against me. If I ever do something wrong, be merciful, won’t you?"

Her tone grew even lighter, her hand reaching out as if to caress Su Qingzhu’s flushed cheek.

"Keep your filthy hands off me!" Su Qingzhu recoiled as if stung by a scorpion, face twisted in disdain and disgust. "Just looking at you makes me sick!"

"Oh?" Li Qing’s hand hovered in the air, unabashed, her smile growing even brighter. Beautiful to the point of heartbreak, and so brazen it was infuriating.

"How about this, then? Since I’ve had my fun with little Chen Yu for a few days, why don’t we make a deal? You treat me kindly, and I’ll lend him to you for a bit. What do you say?"

Her eyes sparkled with bewitching charm, reaching a seductive peak. Even Su Qingzhu, herself renowned for her beauty, was momentarily entranced.

But fury soon swept away her reason. Humiliation—this was utter humiliation! She raised her arm, gathering all her strength, ready to slap that mocking smile from Li Qing’s face—to silence her, to stop those filthy words.

Yet Li Qing sat there, unflinching, the same careless smile on her lips, but with a deadness in her eyes. She didn’t even try to dodge.

At that very instant—

"Click!" "Click!" Both the front and rear doors of the car were abruptly pulled open from outside.

A brash, streetwise shout exploded in the tense silence.

"What’s going on here?! Who the hell dares to hit my woman?! I don’t care if you’re a cop—I won’t go easy on you!"