Chapter 10: Do you want to hear the truth?
In the interrogation room on the other side, the interrogation was not as smooth.
The man had been mumbling, feigning madness, or remaining silent, until the police obtained DNA comparison results from the blood on the knives, confirming that the knives he had used for camping by the sea were the murder weapons, and the blood on them matched the DNA of the victim in the body-dumping case.
It was also confirmed that he and the victim were friends, and he had murdered the victim due to an economic dispute and disposed of the body. The evidence was conclusive, and a motive for murder was established.
Under the relentless pressure from the interrogating officer, the man finally broke down and confessed to the murder, recounting the entire process under the officer's guidance.
As for why he kept the knives or didn't clean the blood off them after the murder, it was due to his mental confusion and intense hatred. He deliberately kept those knives, feeling a release of his hatred every time he looked at them daily. By a strange coincidence, Jiang Xiaoya went camping by the sea and picked them up as junk—oh, she dug them out as junk.
Finally, he spoke with a fierce, gritted-teeth expression.
“If it weren’t for that woman, how could you have caught me? It’s all that damned woman!”
The interrogating officer confirmed that the suspect truly did not know Jiang Xiaoya and shook his head towards Qingtian Feng, who was behind the glass window.
Their previous judgment was incorrect.
Jiang Xiaoya truly had nothing to do with the case; she had merely stumbled upon the dismembered remains by chance, then coincidentally encountered the murderer and subdued him.
What an absurd coincidence, yet it was true.
Jiang Xiaoya was sleeping soundly, drooling all over the table. Hearing a knocking sound, she struggled to open her eyelids.
“Is… something… wrong?”
Officer: “…”
Now he completely believed that Jiang Xiaoya had no connection to the murder, dismemberment, and body-dumping case.
Who the hell, if involved in a murder case, could sleep soundly and drool all over a table in an interrogation room chair?
No, even an innocent normal person couldn't be this carefree.
“You can go.”
Jiang Xiaoya's eyelids were fighting to stay open. She mumbled “Oh,” not knowing if she had heard clearly, then closed her eyes again, her breathing long and steady.
She hadn't slept well for several days, and now that she was sleepy, it was very difficult to wake up.
“Jiang Xiaoya!”
The officer knocked again. Seeing that she still didn't respond, he looked back and saw Qingtian Feng's retreating figure.
“Sigh, why can’t you wake up? Get up quickly…”
“Jiang Xiaoya, there’s a 10,000 reward for apprehending the murderer. If you don’t wake up, it will be considered a for…” feit.
Before he could finish, the person who had just been slumped down suddenly opened her half-closed eyes wide.
“Is there really a reward?”
“Ten… ten thousand?”
She seemed shocked by the amount, and she became mostly awake.
Although she had once been a wealthy second-generation heir with no worries about food or clothing, her rebirth into this place and the memories of poverty and destitution made her keenly aware of how difficult it was for ordinary people to save a simple amount like ten thousand or eight to nine thousand.
“Yes, come to the office later to sign, and then you can collect it yourself.”
The officer finished speaking and left.
Jiang Xiaoya quickly got up from the chair, still feeling a bit lightheaded. She went to the restroom to wash her face first, then prepared to go sign.
While washing her face, footsteps sounded behind her.
Through the mirror, Jiang Xiaoya saw a tall figure.
She remembered he was from the Criminal Investigation Department; they all called him Captain.
“Captain.”
Jiang Xiaoya sweetly called out.
After calling out, she continued washing her face.
“How did you confirm he was the murderer?”
Qingtian Feng was washing his hands at the sink next to her, and suddenly spoke.
Jiang Xiaoya hadn’t expected him to choose this place to demand an explanation. Her movement of taking a tissue paused for a second, then she answered seriously.
“Captain, do you want to hear the truth?”
Qingtian Feng's tall back straightened, his gaze fixed on her, his unsmiling face filled with an oppressive aura.
Jiang Xiaoya looked a little timid, her face full of sincerity: “When I first saw that knife, and the bloodstains on it, I didn't react immediately, but his eyes were too terrifying. His eyes clearly wanted to kill me! Do you think a mere knife is worth that? This knife must be problematic, and he wanted to kill me to silence me. As soon as I thought that, I guessed it—he’s the murderer.”
Jiang Xiaoya clapped her hands, looking very sagacious and resourceful.
Qingtian Feng looked at her expressionlessly, with a look that said, 'Are you trying to fool a shark?'
Of course, Jiang Xiaoya knew he didn't believe her, and she didn't believe it herself. But she couldn't explain the system's matter, because she didn't know when it would activate, nor what would cause it to activate. It was useless, and talking about it would only cause more trouble.
“Ahem, Captain, well… I’m quite thirsty. You wash your hands, I’ll go find some water to drink.”
Jiang Xiaoya finished speaking and, ignoring the gaze behind her, quickly slipped away.
Once out of the restroom, the oppressive feeling behind her vanished, and Jiang Xiaoya finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was past one in the afternoon, and Jiang Xiaoya’s live stream had already dropped to eighth on the rankings.
Zhou Yuyu’s live stream was ranked second.
At this time, netizens in Zhou Yuyu’s live stream were all asking about Jiang Xiaoya’s situation.
Zhou Yuyu was also very good at handling things; she entered the police station lobby and began inquiring about Jiang Xiaoya’s situation.
“Who are you? Why are you asking about Jiang Xiaoya?”
The staff member looked up at her, then continued with their work.
“I am… her sister, her good friend. She has no family left, and I’m very worried about her. Can you tell me if she’s okay inside?”
Zhou Yuyu spoke with a worried expression.
Her tianyan earphone was on, and the netizens in the live stream could hear everything clearly. They all wanted to know how Jiang Xiaoya was doing.
“I’m not clear.” The staff member had an uncommunicative expression.
“Comrade, I just want to know if she’s still here, or if she’s already been sent to the detention center?”
Zhou Yuyu had done her homework and knew some of the procedures. Typically, when the police respond to a case and bring someone back to the station for questioning, if the circumstances are minor, it's just detention. If the circumstances are serious, they are sent to a detention center as quickly as possible after questioning.
Once in the detention center, barring any unforeseen circumstances, what awaits is the trial phase, and imprisonment is a definite fact.
The netizens in the live stream didn't catch the maliciousness of these words, but the staff member's hand movements paused, and they looked up impatiently.
They happened to glimpse the person walking out behind her and pointed with their pen: “There, the person is behind you. Ask her yourself.”
“Comrade, I’m asking about Jiang Xiaoya, who are you telling me to ask…” Zhou Yuyu thought she was joking, certain that Jiang Xiaoya couldn't possibly be out so quickly. When she awkwardly turned around, she caught sight of a figure that was like a nightmare in her eyes.
“Jiang… Xiao Ya… Xiao Ya, is it really you?”
Zhou Yuyu was momentarily choked, but quickly put on a surprised expression and rushed towards Jiang Xiaoya.
No matter what, she had to retain her live stream's traffic and maintain her ranking.
Jiang Xiaoya was counting money and was pushed, almost spilling the money in her hand. She looked up, glaring angrily.
When she saw it was Zhou Yuyu, her brows furrowed even more deeply.