Jiang Bo trembled violently, lowered his head for a moment of contemplation, then looked up and said, "I was at home, and I even called Shuhua to ask her to bring me a bowl of shredded pork noodles. The noodles never arrived, and I thought she was mad at me, so I didn't pay it much mind. It wasn't until the next day, when she wasn't answering my calls, that I realized something was wrong. When I went to her place and couldn't find her, I reported it to the police."

Although Jiang Bo was nervous, his account was perfectly coherent, sounding entirely plausible, with nothing seemingly out of line. I couldn't help but wonder, was he truly not the killer?

But then I thought again: everything he said could be a complete fabrication. Because if he was the murderer, he would know the exact time He Shuhua was killed. Everything he recounted happened after that supposed time, meaning no one saw the deceased after that point. His story only involved private contact between him and her. Therefore, even if he lied, no one could puncture his story—unless He Shuhua miraculously returned from the dead.

"Why would you ask her to bring you noodles in the middle of the night? Didn't you know it was dangerous for a girl to be out alone that late?" Zhang Jiewei’s questions were pointed; if Jiang Bo was lying, these two points might expose the cracks.

Just then, Jiang Bo spoke up: "Actually, I used to run around in certain circles, so I had a small reputation in that area. Shuhua and I have been together nearly three years, so nobody there dared to touch her. Especially those hoodlums on the street; they’d even call her 'sister-in-law' when they saw her."

Zhang Jiewei and I exchanged a look of surprise. Taken at face value, it sounded plausible, but only further investigation would reveal the truth.

Zhang Jiewei let out a soft snort, articulating each word carefully: "If no one dared to touch her, then how was she murdered?"

Hearing this, I couldn't help but silently applaud. It seemed Zhang Jiewei’s interrogation skills were genuinely sharp. These questions were intricately linked; a single misstep, and the suspect would be trapped, revealing his deceit. Of course, if he was telling the absolute truth, all these questions would fall flat. That, I thought, was the art of interrogation.

As expected, Zhang Jiewei’s question stumped Jiang Bo. He froze for a long moment, then suddenly became agitated, standing up and shouting, "If I ever find out which bastard killed Shuhua, I will tear him limb from limb!"

Zhang Jiewei was not swayed by this outburst. He slammed the table heavily and barked sternly, "Settle down! This is not the time for shouting. Answer the question!"

Zhang Jiewei’s imposing presence immediately subdued Jiang Bo. He slumped back into his seat, his face ashen, and whined, "I really don't know! After Shuhua disappeared, I even sent some of my boys out to help look for her. Who knew she would end up..."

At this point, Zhang Jiewei abruptly shifted gears and asked sharply, "You said you were home that night—were you alone or with others?"

"Alone. I intended to ask her to stay after she brought the noodles."

A thought suddenly struck me, and I interjected, "If you two were already that close, why weren't you living together?"

Logically, for a man like Jiang Bo, it should take three days at most to sleep with a woman, three more to cohabitate, and another three to break up.

So why was He Shuhua still living alone in that rented room?

Although this question wasn't directly related to the case, it might carve a new path, open a different angle. This was where my thought process differed from Zhang Jiewei’s.

Jiang Bo fell silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "Because I wanted to marry Shuhua. Not some casual thing—I genuinely wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."

Jiang Bo’s expression was utterly convincing. If he was lying, he was the most successful actor I had ever encountered, because looking into his eyes suddenly brought a pang of sorrow to my own heart.

But such sentimentality had no effect on the stone-faced Zhang Jiewei. He said coldly, "Stop the melodrama and stick to facts. That night, was there anyone who could prove you stayed home the entire time?"

Jiang Bo’s sorrow flashed and vanished. He shook his head. "No, just me."

"That means if you had slipped out that night, no one would have known."

"Yes, but I never left."

"Then what were you doing alone at home?"

"Watching television."

"Which channel?"

"There were too many; I can't recall."

"Which shows did you watch? What were the contents?"

The conversation had now entered its substantial phase. Everything was being recorded. I certainly wasn't going to drag a notebook around like that rookie, how tiresome.

"I think it was CCTV-3. They were showing... yes, it was Old Bi's Star Boulevard."

"Star Boulevard is common knowledge. Give me specifics!"

"Old Bi said, 'You are too talented,' and a contestant replied, 'Master Bi is the truly talented one.'"

"That line is in every episode. Think of another one."

"Oh, oh, I remember one! Old Bi said to the contestant, 'You go ahead safely, I’ll cover the rear'; the contestant replied... 'I was walking just fine until you pushed me from behind and I fell.'"

They responded to each other like a rehearsed duo. Listening made my breath catch, my vision swim, and yet I felt a bizarre mix of laughter and tears. But I knew that many major cases were broken down in these seemingly casual question-and-answer sessions because the simplest, most direct exchanges often revealed the most truth.

Jiang Bo’s delivery was seamless; there were almost no discernible flaws in his answers so far. In such a situation, there were generally only two possibilities: either he was the killer, or he was innocent.

That statement sounded almost redundant, but it carried weight. In plain language, it meant: This person is a suspect, but we cannot rule him out yet.

Zhang Jiewei didn't let up; the questioning continued: "How far apart are your places?"

"About three streets. I met her right where she lives."

"Skip the last part! Only answer the question!"

...

Just as I was starting to feel drowsy, Zhang Jiewei finally concluded his interrogation. Yet, he showed no signs of having reached a conclusion, frowning silently.

After a moment, he glanced at me. I shrugged, signaling I had nothing more to ask. Zhang Jiewei then had the station staff lead Jiang Bo away.

As he left, Jiang Bo was still shouting, "Officer, you must believe me! I didn't harm Shuhua. You must catch the real killer!"

Walking out the gates of the detention center, I felt deeply dejected. Since joining the Special Task Force, every case I’d encountered was convoluted, forcing me to rack my brain to the point of exhaustion before even a sliver of a breakthrough appeared. Was this my fate?

The police car sped on, and my mind remained unsettled. When a small river appeared outside the window, its glistening green water suddenly jolted me: I realized we had arrived at International West Garden.

"Stop!" The word ripped harshly from my throat.

Zhang Jiewei slammed on the brakes, and my head nearly hit the windshield.

"What’s wrong?" Sensing the oddity in my voice, his tone was equally strange.

"Nothing. I just want to walk around for a bit. You go back ahead," I said, pushing the door open.

Zhang Jiewei intended to ask more, but seeing my utterly lost demeanor, he probably assumed this was some place connected to me and Xiao Xuan. He paused for a moment, then rolled down the window and shouted toward me, "Nothing urgent today, so you don't need to return to the station. Head home early." With that, a puff of smoke escaped the rear of the car, and it vanished into the heavy traffic flow.

The streets were crowded with people and cars, yet I calmly found the long bench where I had once sat before and settled down quietly. Once seated, I slowly closed my eyes, slowly recalling—recalling things I should recall, things I must not forget.

After a long while, I stood up, crossed the road, and approached the main gate of International West Garden.

About five or six meters from the entrance, the electronic gate suddenly slid open, and a thin, wiry man rushed out, calling to me, "Officer Wang, what brings you here today?"

I looked up, not recognizing him, and paused in confusion.

The thin man grinned warmly, "Officer Wang must be too busy to remember faces. I'm Li Mingsheng."

Ah, I suddenly recalled. Last time I conducted undercover surveillance here, his help had been invaluable. Heavens, I had been through so much recently that I completely forgot such a kind person. I felt deep shame.

I quickly stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and said, "Just teasing you. See if you still recognize me, haha."

Li Mingsheng was an easygoing man and took no offense. "Welcome, welcome! Having a police officer friend like you is truly my honor."

He spoke the truth. Most property security personnel maintain close ties with the local police precinct; they often need the station's support for various matters. Simply put, if a precinct fully backs a specific property management company, the security in that complex will be impeccable.

To express my past thanks and my current apology for forgetting him, I said, "Officer Shi Tiancong at the local station is an old classmate of mine. In the future, if you need anything, go see him. Tell him I sent you. If he doesn't give you face, I'll settle the score with him later."

Upon hearing this, Li Mingsheng’s face lit up with extreme joy. He held my hand tightly and wouldn't let go. "Oh, Officer Wang, thank you so much! In the future, just give me an order, and I promise to give my utmost effort."

Hearing his eagerness, an idea suddenly sparked in my mind. I pulled him aside and whispered, "Manager Li, as it happens, I am currently on assignment, and I really could use your help."

Li Mingsheng immediately patted his chest. "What is it? Just say the word, and I guarantee the task will be completed."

I can’t stand those 'Zhang Jiewei'-style assurances. I gave a wry smile. "No need to guarantee anything. I just need you to keep an eye on a few people in the complex. Ideally, record their movements and give them to me."

Li Mingsheng was resolute: "I will complete the task."

"I told you, no guarantees, no absolutes. Just consider it doing me a favor."

"Yes, yes! Officer Wang, you are a true friend. I will definitely—no, I will remember this, forever friends."

Seeing his aged face—he looked nearly forty—still calling himself a 'younger brother,' I felt genuinely uncomfortable. I quickly said, "Don't be so formal! We should address each other as brothers. You’re older, so you’re the senior brother; I’m younger, so I’m the junior brother."

What I was doing now was what the public widely termed 'cultivating an informant.' This wasn't something just anyone could do. You must remember that people's hearts are inscrutable; even married couples can have secret thoughts. How much harder is it to ask a stranger on the street to undertake risks, sometimes even life-threatening ones, on your behalf? Without a proper method of winning loyalty, that 'informant' would betray you in an instant.

However, what I asked Li Mingsheng to do carried no life-threatening risk; it was simply using his official capacity to secretly monitor a few people I was interested in, strictly confined to the complex grounds. For him, this was an easy task. After all, I was using public office for personal gain. If anything happened to him and he received no corresponding benefit from this 'informant' arrangement, I would have truly failed him.

"Brother, who do you need me to watch?" Li Mingsheng looked around furtively, as if afraid everyone knew we were making a secret deal.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Brother Li, stop acting like that. Just talk normally, as you usually would."

Li Mingsheng immediately straightened up and chuckled sheepishly. "I’ve watched too much TV, brother. Don't laugh at me."

"I'll tell you. The target is the woman who lives in the villa we visited last time."

"Oh, you mean her? What's wrong? Is it a big deal?"

"You shouldn't ask about that. We have internal regulations. If I told you, I’d be disciplined when I got back."

"I didn't ask, I didn't ask."

Originally, I wanted to go inside and take a look, but I realized if I ran into Zhang Hemei now, I wouldn't know what to say. Claiming to be the maintenance engineer from last time was impossible, as I was wearing my police uniform. Claiming to be Wang Lei was also awkward, as I couldn't easily explain why I was there—I certainly couldn't say I was here to arrange surveillance on her.

After weighing the options, I ultimately abandoned the idea of going in.

When Li Mingsheng heard I was leaving, he refused to let me go, grabbing my arm. "Come on, come on! Today, we brothers must have a good drink! My treat, you absolutely cannot refuse."

Since he invited me so sincerely, I couldn't refuse, or he might think I wasn't a genuine friend, which would mean he wouldn't be as dedicated in the future. So, this drink was necessary.

Humans are strange creatures. They pinch pennies every day, like tight-fisted misers, but sometimes they must spend money on others just to feel secure and at ease.

Li Mingsheng knew the neighborhood intimately. After only two turns, he led me into a small restaurant. While gesturing for me to order food, he pulled out his phone and called his property management supervisor.

"Director Zhang? It’s Mingsheng... I have a police officer friend visiting today, so I'm taking a few hours off early."

After a few questions from the other end, Li Mingsheng hung up and said to me with a grin, "It’s all about having a friend in uniform, brother. Normally, getting a few hours off would take half a day of back-and-forth, making sure they asked me four times! Today, as soon as they heard I had a police friend, they approved it immediately, haha! Come, let me toast you first!"

After a few drinks, Li Mingsheng leaned in and whispered, "Brother, I’ve always thought that woman was suspicious."

I was secretly delighted and said in a low voice, "What makes you say that, Brother? Be specific."

"Because that man who used to visit frequently hasn't been here for quite some time. I figured something must have happened to them. Could they be accomplices?"

The man Li Mingsheng referred to was You Qiaolin, who was locked up in a high-security cell and, naturally, couldn't visit. But I couldn't reveal that to Li Mingsheng. So I said, "Not necessarily. Didn't you mention before that sometimes that man only comes once every few months? Maybe it’s just that."

Li Mingsheng took a sip of wine and said, "Most people would see it that way, but my powers of observation are slightly better, given how long I’ve been in this line of work. I might not see straight through people, but I can see one or two layers deep. I noticed that woman has been going out frequently lately, and other times she stays home all day without showing her face once. It’s not normal, not normal at all."

"Oh, that's an interesting detail. Alright, Brother, in the future, keep an eye on her trash bins. See what kind of things end up there. And remember one crucial point: whatever you find, she must not realize you’re looking!"

Li Mingsheng nodded fiercely, his face alight with excitement.

The next day back at the station, Zhang Jiewei didn't ask about my previous day’s activities. He just told me to patrol the vicinity of the rental building, inquire about any late-night snack vendors, and see if there were any nearby surveillance cameras. So I drove to Wanxiang Street, parked casually, and proceeded to the rental building on foot.

It was broad daylight, so the late-night food stalls hadn't been set up yet. I went from one shop to the next, asking around. But across such a large area, only a few places actually operated late at night. After asking around for quite a while, I got no results. Since that failed, I looked up at the sky, searching for security cameras.

Because most of the area consisted of privately built residential homes with crisscrossing alleys, surveillance cameras had not been installed—they were only present on the main streets. I circled around but found very few. I ended up calling Zhang Jiewei, telling him I’d return that night to check out the night market stalls. Zhang Jiewei agreed, so I drove back.

Somehow, my car ended up back at the entrance of International West Garden. I paused for a moment, then drove on, because I had just figured out where to find Zhang Hemei.

The police car roared along the wide streets of Anyang City. I steered the vehicle onto a tree-lined avenue. Through the windshield, I could see the crimson and orchid-colored sign ahead, bearing the three characters: 'Lan Guiren' (Noble Lady Orchid).