The suspension bridge here extends deep into the concrete at both ends, with arm-thick iron chains as handrails on both sides, and a net-like guardrail below. Below the guardrail is the bridge body, which is made entirely of steel and covered with wooden planks, making it exceptionally sturdy.
But now, right before their eyes, the railings are still there, but a section of the bridge has snapped, leaving a gap of about three meters in the bridge deck.
"How long has this bridge been without maintenance? Some parts are even rusted." The young officer leaned out to inspect the bridge. Only a section of the bridge was missing; if one was brave enough, one could walk back and forth by holding onto the iron chains.
"The situation looks alright, but it will still take two or three days of emergency repairs. Ha, it seems someone doesn't want us to leave." The old police officer shone his flashlight on the gap, his face showing no tension, but rather a smile.
His experience told him that these were traces of a bomb explosion.
The suspect selected a section of the bridge and installed miniature bombs on both sides where the structure was weak. The explosion destroyed that section of the bridge.
I just don't know why this person chose to blow up the bridge at this time.
All the perpetrator's elaborate and mysterious actions are merely for his criminal purpose. He will inevitably have other plans next, and with careful investigation, they can always find clues.
Moreover, the other side blew up the bridge, trapping them, but also trapping themselves.
"Teacher Wang," the veteran officer turned to Teacher Wang and said, "Could you please make room for us? We'd like to take turns asking questions."
A murder occurred in the guesthouse, and the staff were stunned. They immediately handed over the reins to two police officers and arranged an empty room for them.
They then notified the village doctor and asked him to come over.
Taking advantage of the break, the two officers put on masks and gloves, then put on shoe covers, took an evidence bag, and went into the room where Chi Bo died to observe the situation and take photos.
The students were gathered together, and they were all terrified. Several boys brought news that the suspension bridge had been blown up, which meant they might have to stay there for the next couple of days, and that the small village had become an isolated island.
"I'm going crazy! If I hadn't come on this trip, none of this would have happened!" The emotionally fragile people were on the verge of collapse. Their eyes were red and swollen from crying, and they kept sobbing to their families on the other side.
It is said that many parents are already on their way and have called to complain to the school.
However, the school stated that this was a spontaneous action by the students and had nothing to do with the school. Having already received their diplomas, they were no longer considered students of the school, and since it was currently summer vacation, the school was not responsible for the students.
In short, both sides were just arguing and bickering, and both were filled with anger.
Ms. Wang, who was in the middle of it all, was extremely overwhelmed because everyone was looking for her. She had to go out to answer a phone call every few minutes, and she was so busy that she barely had time to breathe.
The few players were the most idle at this moment; they weren't calling home, and they didn't seem nervous at all. However, judging from Saman's careful listening to everyone's conversation, they weren't truly idle; they just couldn't participate.
"Aren't you going to call your family?" Someone noticed Ren Yifei sitting silently on the stool. He saw that Ren Yifei was holding a phone and swiping his fingers across the contacts but not pressing any buttons, which seemed strange to him.
"I'm staying at my uncle's house," Ren Yifei said slowly.
"And your family?"
Ren Yifei raised his head, his expression revealing a rare vulnerability that easily evoked a protective instinct in others: "They're all gone."
The classmate who had asked him earlier replied sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you..."
"It's okay." He lowered his head again. This time, no classmates bothered him, because they all knew: this person didn't even have a family, it was truly tragic.
Ren Yifei, with his head down, did not appear as sad as they had imagined; he was thinking about what to do next.
He vaguely knew the 'ghost''s' identity. But the matter wasn't over yet, and the original owner's obsession wasn't resolved. It was as if he had only acted halfway through the play.
Are you leaving halfway through the performance?
Ren Yifei shook his head first. He didn't enter the game to pass the level, so how could he put the cart before the horse?
Moreover, he wasn't entirely certain that Teacher Wang was the ghost. What if Teacher Wang only knew the original owner's identity and the details of the Han Feifei incident, and therefore suspected his NPC?
The only thing that's certain now is that Teacher Wang already knows some things: his identity, his feud with certain people in the class... So, will she reveal this information to the police?
If she reveals these things to the police, how can he best clear his name and escape unscathed?
The criminal investigation knowledge he had acquired on set, the acting skills he had learned... Ren Yifei clasped his hands together, interlaced his fingers, and closed his eyes.
From now on, he's just an ordinary boy who came to the school to investigate the truth behind his sister's accidental death. He's somewhat clever, but not enough to commit a crime without leaving a trace, and he's not particularly daring.
The boy has found out some things, but not the whole truth yet. Most importantly, he hasn't done anything wrong.
Ikebashi's room.
The junior officers are checking Chi Bo's personal belongings, including his cell phone, cigarettes, keys, luggage, and so on.
The veteran police officer was live-streaming on his phone. However, he wasn't doing it to satisfy morbid curiosity; rather, he was having invited professionals make a preliminary assessment of the cause of death based on the characteristics of the body.
"Let me see these rashes," the person on the other end of the video call requested.
He immediately held the phone close to the deceased's skin so that the person on the other side could see it clearly.
The forensic doctor on the other end of the video squinted at the situation inside. The camera was a bit shaky, but he could still see the general outline clearly, and he took notes as he watched.
Afterwards, the forensic doctor there inquired about the vomit and asked the officers to describe the smell in the air.
"I need more clues, such as what the deceased looked like when the illness occurred, the specific time, and so on. The more information we have, the more accurate our conclusions will be."
Just then, the doctor arrived, and the old police officer called the doctor over to ask him about Chi Bo's symptoms before and after his illness.
The doctor was trembling with fear, knowing that his medical skills were inadequate and that he had probably delayed the best time for rescue. At this moment, he had no choice but to make amends and tell everything he knew.
Finally, he pleaded for himself, saying that he wasn't a quack doctor, but the initial symptoms really resembled a fever caused by a respiratory infection.
The forensic doctor on the other end of the phone, having learned the whole story, carefully chose his words: "Given the current situation, I tentatively conclude that it's likely mercury poisoning, specifically due to inhaling excessive mercury vapor, leading to a respiratory infection. His vomit also contained some tissue resembling mucous membranes..."
He described the symptoms in detail and in an organized manner, confirming that it was acute mercury poisoning caused by inhaling an excessive amount of mercury in a short period of time.
Meanwhile, others at the police station were also analyzing the case. They asked the veteran officers to find the deceased's friends and talk about what happened that day.
So, the black-skinned man who shared a room with Chi Bo and was responsible for taking care of him appeared in another interrogation room, while the others waited in the corridor outside.
Blackie sat trembling in his chair. He was the only one who had been in close contact with Chi Bo. Although he hadn't done anything wrong, and he had nothing to hide, the current situation was just too bizarre. What if it turned out to be a wrongful conviction…
"We're just getting information, don't be afraid." The veteran officer smiled very kindly, but how could he not be afraid in a situation like this?
Dark-skinned man forced a smile: "Go ahead and ask, I have nothing I can't tell you."
The police officer carefully questioned Chi Bo about his condition that day, asking him when Chi Bo had started feeling unwell.
Hei Pi thought for a while. He had gone out in the afternoon, but when Chi Bo and He Xiangxue started arguing, he remembered to go check on them and found out that Chi Bo was not feeling well.
"So, he was perfectly fine when you came back?"
Blackie nodded. He didn't know about Chi Bo picking up cigarettes, but he did know that Chi Bo was hiding in the toilet smoking and watching movies, so he told him about it.
"You said he hid in the bathroom and smoked for a while?" The young officer took out the evidence bag. "Is it this cigarette?"
Blackie glanced at him and said, "How could he smoke this? It looks like the kind of cigarettes Jiang Shaobo usually smokes."
The two officers exchanged a glance: "Jiang Shaobo is your classmate?"
"Yes, he got here a little earlier than us." Blackie implicated Jiang Shaobo, and also mentioned that Chi Bo hadn't brought any cigarettes and had recently developed a nicotine craving. "This thing must have been dropped by Jiang Shaobo, and he picked it up."
So their next name on the list was Jiang Shaobo.
Saman arrived and sat down in the chair. Although he seemed very cooperative, his aura was quite intimidating.
The veteran officer took out the evidence bag and asked him if the cigarettes were his.
Saman glanced at it; it was indeed the brand the original owner often smoked. Was that guy in the shadows trying to frame him?
"No." Samantha smiled and took out a pack of cigarettes from beside him. "I haven't touched this pack today. Of course, you can choose not to believe me; you can check."
Seeing that he was unmoved by reason, the veteran officer turned to another direction: "You seem to have arrived here half a day earlier than the others. Why didn't you move in with the main force?"
How did Saman know why the original owner did this? However, he quickly found a reason for himself: "Originally, I prepared some gifts to surprise someone. But... I heard some things, so I gave up."
"What's the matter?" the young police officer asked, pressing for details.
Saman shrugged and recounted the whole story of He Xiaohua, without even omitting the original owner's role as a scapegoat.
This matter seems unrelated to Chi Bo's affair, but Saman has already deduced from the snippets of conversation between classmates that Han Feifei's death is the key to the whole incident. Once this is the starting point, it will be easy to investigate further.
The mastermind behind this scheme probably wouldn't mind being tricked back if he tried to frame them.
Meanwhile, outside the room.
"Xia Chuan," Teacher Wang suddenly sat down next to Ren Yifei, "I've seen your file."
Ren Yifei looked up: "Is there anything you want to teach me, teacher?"
Teacher Wang lowered her head and wiped her eyes: "I'm very sorry about what happened a year ago. But I don't want to see you make the same mistake again."
"Huh? What are you saying, teacher?"
"She's a very kind girl. She said her brother is a very, very good person, and perhaps she doesn't want you to become like that."
Her smile froze. Ren Yifei stared intently into Teacher Wang's eyes. Being looked at by those eyes, she felt immense pressure, as if she were being stared at by some terrifying monster, and if she blinked, her head would be swallowed up.
This uncontrollable hatred seemed to burst forth from this young body.
"Teacher." The next second, Ren Yifei calmly pulled up the corners of his mouth, revealing a perfect, gentle smile on his face. "Thank you for your concern, but I don't quite understand."
He stood up, turned around and walked towards the kitchen, backlit, the smile on his face vanished.
"Xia Chuan."
Ren Yifei stopped.
"Some things can't be hidden from people; once something is done, there will be traces. The police will know, everyone will know. Xia Chuan, turn back before it's too late." This means that she will tell the police this information, and if Ren Yifei did it, he had better turn himself in as soon as possible and confess to receive leniency.
The place was in a corner, and Teacher Wang spoke very softly. They were all very focused on the interrogation room, so no one paid attention to this side.
Ren Yifei slowly turned around, his face still calm: "I have always believed in the law, and I believe it will protect the victims. Please continue to believe in it as well."
Teacher Wang's face turned ashen: Was he referring to Han Feifei's death, yet the law couldn't convict anyone else? Or was he talking about what he was about to do?
So, is it him?
The phrase "flowers in full bloom are ready to be plucked" was accompanied by a photograph of a murderer in an old newspaper.
Ren Yifei's finger hovered over the phone, about to press the button, when he remembered what Teacher Wang had said. Was she a very kind girl?
What a pity...
'Morality is truly a constraint for me.'