Brother Huang rushed back to the sub-bureau in a hurry. Two colleagues had already brought Zhou Tuoxing in.
The previous documents came in handy again. Brother Huang rolled them up and held them in his hand as he quickly walked into the interrogation room.
Zhou Tuoxing sat quietly on the chair, looking less composed and more irritable compared to the last time. When he glanced at the door and didn't see the person he was expecting, his already dark expression grew even darker. He pressed his lips into a thin line, radiating displeasure.
Brother Huang sat down but didn't speak immediately. He rubbed his forehead, creating downward wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, then made a somewhat dry joke: "Enthusiastic citizen, aren't you being a bit too enthusiastic?"
Zhou Tuoxing didn't respond. He looked very agitated.
Brother Huang sincerely suggested, "Brother, next time you plan to meet someone, can you give us a heads-up first? That way, we can set up a defense in advance. This not only maintains public order but also saves police manpower and maximizes your 'enthusiastic citizen' contributions!"
Detecting an inexplicable sarcasm in his tone, Zhou Tuoxing asked, "Where is He Chuan Zhou?"
Brother Huang didn't look at the documents in his hand—there wasn't anything useful in them anyway. He had only brought them along because he felt uncomfortable facing Zhou Tuoxing empty-handed.
He pressed a few sheets of paper onto the table, tapping them with his fingers, and asked, "Why did you go looking for Han Songshan? To confront him?"
With a gloomy expression, Zhou Tuoxing repeated his question, "Where is He Chuan Zhou?"
The strong sense of déjà vu made Brother Huang feel momentarily disoriented. He asked, "Are you sure you want to repeat the process from last time?"
After a brief consideration, Zhou Tuoxing lowered his guard slightly and replied more calmly, "I had something to discuss with him."
"What was it?" Brother Huang asked, and before he could respond, he immediately interjected, "If it's a personal matter, that's even worse. You went to settle a personal score, and just after you left, Han Songshan died. This is the second time!"
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Zhou Tuoxing said, "He also died in the hotel?"
Brother Huang said, "Answer me first. What did you go to him for?"
After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Tuoxing explained, "Not to settle a personal score, just to ask him something."
"Did Han Songshan agree to see you? What did you want to ask? Did you two argue?" Brother Huang stared at him sharply, determined to get to the bottom of it, "Explain clearly. You and Han Songshan had no work-related contact, and your relationship wasn't friendly. What was your purpose in visiting him during this sensitive period? Don't be vague."
Zhou Tuoxing said, "I told him I had information related to Guang Yi to exchange. He didn't know who I was but agreed to meet."
Curious, Brother Huang asked, "What information?"
"That's not important." Zhou Tuoxing shook his head, "Our conversation was not pleasant."
"How is it not important?" Brother Huang raised his hand slightly, bringing the topic back, indicating that he should not disrupt the conversation's flow, "What information did you want to exchange?"
After a brief pause, Zhou Tuoxing followed the topic and said, "Reconstructing the case, we were missing some crucial evidence."
Brother Huang's tightly knit brows relaxed as he sharply sensed something but felt it was not entirely professional. Half believing, half doubting, he asked, "Reconstructing what case? For what purpose?"
Zhou Tuoxing calmly replied, "Running the 'Qiduchuliang' account."
Brother Huang took a quick breath, his eyes suddenly lighting up, and a look of surprise appeared on his face as he eagerly said, "You're 'Qiduchuliang'?"
Leaning forward, pressing his chest against the edge of the table, he laughed heartily, "Then you must know a lot! Tell Brother Huang everything. We're all on the same side, so don't keep useful clues hidden! By the way, you must have recorded your meeting with Han Songshan, right? Give it to us, Brother Huang wants to help prove your innocence! We're all family!"
A colleague nearby slowly turned his head, only to be coldly asked by Brother Huang, "What are you looking at?" He quickly turned back, deeply impressed by Brother Huang's hypocritical change of face.
Xu Yu and Shao Zhixin soon returned to the sub-bureau.
Xu Yu handed over the surveillance footage she had found to a colleague, asking them to help verify Han Songshan's whereabouts.
Leaning on the desk with one hand, the colleague bent over slightly and inquired, "How did the questioning go? Did Jiang Pingxin provide any clues?"
Opening a water bottle, Xu Yu poured out her frustration, "Don't mention it! I racked my brain and pulled out every bit of wisdom, almost broke through, and then that girl suddenly said she had to go back for evening self-study and just left us hanging! All efforts wasted!"
Shao Zhixin, feeling parched just from listening in, doubted, "Is she really playing us?"
"She definitely knows something we don't. We'll ask her again at her school tomorrow." Xu Yu gulped down half a bottle of water, struggling to breathe, "Honestly, only Captain He can handle Jiang Pingxin. Captain He suppresses her with her presence and isn't swayed by her pity act."
Looking around to make sure He Chuan Zhou wasn't present, the colleague quickly whispered to the two, "Speaking of Captain He, Brother Huang said you should verify Captain He's alibi when you get back. After all, she's currently the one with the strongest motive and is one of our primary suspects."
"Me?!" Xu Yu was dumbfounded, her eyes wide with shock, "We're supposed to question Captain He? Why don't you do it?"
The colleague insisted, "Brother Huang specifically named you two! Hurry up, Captain He is about to get off work!"
He Chuan Zhou happened to walk in, hearing her name, she asked, "What's going on?"
The young man stepped back and pointed straight at Xu Yu, loudly declaring, "Brother Huang said, Han Songshan..."
Understanding immediately, He Chuan Zhou nodded, "Got it, let's go. Who's coming?"
Xu Yu stood up with a start, regretting her slow response for the first time, as her colleague firmly announced, "Xu Yu and Shao Zhixin!"
He Chuan Zhou didn't say anything, set her things down, and familiarly headed towards the interrogation room.
The two didn't dare delay, making exaggerated expressions of dismay before grabbing their phones and hurrying along.
The three entered the cramped room one after another. As the door closed, Shao Zhixin instinctively looked back, feeling a sense of inescapable helplessness.
Sitting opposite each other, the atmosphere shifted noticeably.
Xu Yu kept a stern face, striving to maintain solemnity, making her expression look extremely grave. Skipping over the formalities, she directly asked, "Where were you between 8 PM on the 16th and 6 AM the next morning?"
He Chuan Zhou calmly replied, "I should have gotten off work around 11:30 PM, drove home, washed up, and went to bed around 2 AM."
Shao Zhixin took the next question, "Can anyone verify that?"
"No."
Xu Yu asked, "Did you check your phone or use the computer or anything..."
He Chuan Zhou cut her off, "I was sleeping."
Xu Yu muttered, "Oh."
After that, an eerie silence fell.
He Chuan Zhou rested her arm on the table, her fingers tapping rhythmically, her gaze shifting between the two. After waiting a few seconds with no response, she changed position and lightly drummed her fingers on the table.
The dull thud felt like a call to action, making the two feel as if they were undergoing a live assessment.
Xu Yu straightened her stiff back even more, patting Shao Zhixin's arm under the table.
Shao Zhixin felt his scalp tingle and his nose and ears itch. He raised his hand halfway, afraid to scratch, and asked, "Is there any surveillance footage of your car returning home, or..."
He Chuan Zhou cut him off calmly, "It's an old neighborhood, no gates, no surveillance. There are blind spots in the street surveillance system nearby. It can capture me driving back but cannot serve as proof that I didn't go out again."
Shao Zhixin typed slowly on the keyboard, his heart fluttering, "So, you don't have a complete alibi?"
He Chuan Zhou tilted her head, looking at him with a half-smile. Shao Zhixin sensed a hint of menace in her gaze.
Even though her look wasn't particularly scary, Shao Zhixin couldn't help but shiver from head to toe, like a monkey facing a tiger, or a chicken facing a weasel.
He forced a nervous smile.
But He Chuan Zhou grew more displeased and asked, "Why are you smiling at me?"
Shao Zhixin quickly straightened his face, tightened his expression, and shook his head, "Nothing."
He Chuan Zhou reprimanded, "Don't be silly."
Shao Zhixin responded, "Oh."
He Chuan Zhou took the initiative to ask, "Did Han Songshan die between the night of the 16th and the following morning? Why is there a 10-hour range within the 48-hour period?"
Without waiting for a reply, she answered herself, "Because he was in the water? The temperature has fluctuated greatly these days, affecting the water temperature. The river might be polluted, complicating the determination."
Xu Yu nodded in agreement.
The police had cordoned off the scene before reporters arrived, so no news had leaked yet. However, some eyewitnesses might provide clues to journalists. The floating corpse was no secret.
He Chuan Zhou continued, "How long does it take to get from my house to the crime scene?"
Xu Yu and Shao Zhixin hesitated, unable to answer before He Chuan Zhou added, "A body in the suburbs discovered after more than a day suggests a remote location. Is it near Jiang Pingxin's area?"
Neither responded, their faces showing numbness.
He Chuan Zhou carried on, "I live in the western part of City A. It would take about an hour by car. Walking would be impossible due to time constraints. So, it's likely by taxi or shared bike. Taxis can be easily checked. Riding a bike at night would be conspicuous. Checking road surveillance along the main routes will confirm it quickly."
Xu Yu responded, "Oh."
He Chuan Zhou said, "Also, was it raining that night? I couldn't have lured Han Songshan to a remote place in the rain. Tao Ruiming might have a motive, but it's unlikely. Someone Han Songshan trusted or had significant interests with is more probable. Focus the investigation on people close to him."
Brother Huang had sent them here to hone their skills. They should remain impartial and serious with colleagues.
However, both of them, especially Shao Zhixin, were almost scared stiff.
Shao Zhixin wiped his forehead, realizing he wasn't sweating, just feeling cold. He said, "We checked. Han Songshan was married three times, but his wives and children are all in City D."
Xu Yu stood up, ready to leave, "Alright, Captain He, we will verify it."
He Chuan Zhou stayed seated, unhurriedly asking, "Did you see Jiang Pingxin when you were there?"
"Yes!" Xu Yu quickly sat back down, "She claimed to have seen the killer but wouldn't tell us. She's a high school senior, still rebellious. As a minor, it's a sensitive matter. How should we communicate with her?"