As time passed, the news of Yue Zheng's death in the hotel quickly spread online. In less than an hour, it climbed into the top ten trending searches and continued to gain attention at a rapid pace.
Yue Zheng, a faded rock star, reappeared at the top of the trending list, but in such a manner that it evoked regret.
The online comments were filled with all kinds of tributes:
"Sorry to know you this way / Candle / Candle."
"Oh my god, I was a fan of his when I was young. I can't believe he's actually dead."
"Is it true? Is it really him? The police are there, could it be murder?"
-----------------
The crime scene was bustling with people as multiple police units worked closely together, not missing a single clue, conducting a comprehensive investigation.
Meanwhile, the forensic doctor took the victim's body back to the bureau for further autopsy.
Li Xiang had been on duty at the hotel entrance all morning before seeing Lin Feifei leaving the hotel under the protection of another woman.
However, the journalists outside were clearly not going to miss this opportunity and rushed forward immediately:
"Ms. Lin, how do you feel about your backup vocalist predecessor Yue Zheng's death in the hotel where you're staying?"
"What is your relationship with this murder case?"
"We heard that Yue Zheng knocked on your door last night. What is your relationship with him?"
The reporters flocked over, instantly blocking the road, forcing Lin Feifei to stop.
At that moment, her eyes were red and her face was haggard, invoking sympathy from those who saw her.
"I'm sorry, we are not accepting interviews, please step aside."
Although her assistant Xiao Ai was protecting her well, facing a human wall of reporters, they still had difficulty moving.
Just when they didn't know what to do, Li Xiang arrived with Sun Zhidong and some colleagues from the bureau, creating a barrier between them and the reporters again.
"Everyone back off. All information will be based on police announcements. Those spreading rumors will be dealt with according to the law. We're all adults here, take responsibility for your words. I have a law enforcement recorder on me, and I've recorded everything you said."
Li Xiang switched on his law enforcement recorder, capturing the faces of all the reporters.
The reporters, seeing Li Xiang's no-nonsense demeanor and police surrounding them, dared not challenge the authority, reluctantly stepping aside to make way.
Lin Feifei, who had been keeping her head down the whole time, looked up upon hearing the familiar voice and recognized Li Xiang.
Unexpectedly, he was the one to help her again, but she didn't even have the strength to say 'thank you' at the moment.
Her mind was muddled as if everything was a dream, not understanding how things had escalated so suddenly.
Already sleepless from last night's events, when she heard the shocking news this morning, there was a moment she cursed in her mind: "Serves you right." But soon calming down, she hoped Yue Zheng hadn't died in such a manner at the hotel.
After all, Yue Zheng was a guest singer she invited, and more importantly, they had just had a conflict last night. Even though they reconciled afterwards, in the eyes of the police, she couldn't easily be ruled out as a suspect.
All morning, the police questioned her in detail about last night's events, and she truthfully explained everything to them. But until the case was solved, she remained a suspect, and every word she spoke had to be verified for authenticity by the police.
Until the case was solved, she was informed by the police not to leave Jinghai City and to keep the communication lines open, as the police might contact her again at any time.
Geya Hotel was no longer a viable place for her to stay, so she could only move to another hotel with her assistant for rest.
After Lin Feifei left, the reporters did not disperse, lingering until all the police left, and the hotel room was sealed and temporarily closed. Seeing no more information to dig up, they gradually left.
At the same time, the police promptly issued a press release:
On January 16th, 09:08, the Jinghai City Public Security Bureau 110 emergency service desk received a report from a citizen stating that a male body was found at Geya Hotel on Jianghai Road, city center. The deceased, Yue (male, 52 years old), has yet to have a determined cause of death pending further autopsy results. Currently, the case is under investigation. We urge the citizens not to believe or spread rumors and to maintain a good social environment together.
As the Spring Festival approaches, having a murder case at this critical time is already a headache. The fact that the person is a public figure makes it worse, as every move by the police will be scrutinized under a media magnifying glass.
The Jinghai City Public Security Bureau immediately formed the 1·16 Special Task Force to handle the case investigation.
But all of this had nothing to do with Li Xiang; after the team disbanded, his task was considered complete.
[Ding, task completed, reward: experience +50, diamonds +100]
With an extra 100 diamonds, he could open an additional instance.
Last night, with his two instance opportunities, he had already caught most of the thieves on the train through elimination, reaching a 95% task completion rate with an S-rank, earning 2500 points of skill experience.
As for the remaining 5% completion rate, there were no clues to break through, suggesting that a Thief King was still at large on the train.
He was just 3000 proficiency points away from upgrading his Stealing Skill to the master level. With these 100 diamonds, he could upgrade tonight and try out what it feels like to peel a raw egg with his bare hands.
In the afternoon, since there weren't many tasks, everyone stayed in the office discussing the case that happened today.
The online discussion of the case was also fervent, with insiders revealing that the killer might likely be Lin Feifei. It's said that Yue Zheng got drunk that night, forcibly broke into Lin Feifei's room, and got kicked so hard he smashed his egg.
"Lin Feifei's career just started to look promising, only to encounter this incident. What bad luck."
Everyone expressed sympathy for Lin Feifei. Her first concert was so successful, and her career was on an upward trajectory. With steady progress, the status of a diva was within reach.
Now that this incident occurred, it would absolutely be a devastating blow to her career.
Not to mention, Yue Zheng's death might also be related to her.
"Lin Feifei is undoubtedly a good girl. She's beautiful, sings well, and I wonder if she can get through this."
Sun Zhidong thought about Lin Feifei's performance on stage last night and was genuinely a fan of her, sincerely hoping she could overcome this calamity.
"Yes, hopefully, everything will be fine!" Li Xiang also silently cheered for her, knowing that this time he couldn't help much, even with his cheat codes. The last time he helped her retrieve her phone, but now...
Fortunately, the online commentary was overwhelmingly in support of Lin Feifei, with many people leaving messages on her personal account:
"Don't be afraid, Lin. You're the victim, and Yue Zheng got what he deserved."
"Girl, we support you. This is self-defense, and you did nothing wrong."