The initial on-site investigation concluded. The body was removed, but the police tape remained. Captain Zhou Zhen decided to take more detailed statements from several "persons of interest," which naturally included Shen Mian—someone who had a public altercation with the deceased, Wang Jianming, and who also happened to be staying on the same floor as the crime scene.
The questioning was arranged in a small conference room provided by the hotel. The atmosphere was far more formal and heavy than it had been at the doorway of the room. Zhou Zhen presided over the session himself, with Lu Yoyo acting as the note-taker. Her eyes frequently drifted between Shen Mian and Qin Jiu, unable to hide her turmoil.
"Dr. Shen, try to relax. This is just standard procedure," Zhou Zhen began, his tone deceptively calm yet layered with underlying pressure. "We understand that the deceased, Wang Jianming, had an unpleasant interaction with you at the recent hospital celebration banquet. Could you describe the incident in detail?"
This was the first pointed question, aimed directly at establishing motive.
Shen Mian's hands curled slightly under the table. She felt the weight of Qin Jiu's gaze beside her—steady and impassive like an anchor, preventing her thoughts from spiraling.
She lifted her head, her eyes projecting a measured mix of humiliation and anger. She recounted Wang Jianming's previous harassing behavior selectively, infusing her narrative with genuine-seeming emotion. "...I found him despicable," she concluded, her voice trembling with feigned distress, "but I would never commit murder over something like that! I was heavily intoxicated last night. My… my partner came to pick me up, and after that, I remember nothing."
Her performance was a seamless blend of real emotion and fabricated narrative.
"Mr. Qin," Zhou Zhen turned his sharp gaze to Qin Jiu. "According to hotel records, you checked into this room around 11 p.m. last night. May I ask what your profession is? And what brought you to the hotel banquet to pick up Dr. Shen?"
This was both a verification of Qin Jiu's identity and a probe.
Qin Jiu gave a slight nod, his demeanor as composed as ever. "I work in consultancy. My schedule is relatively flexible. It was convenient for me to pick up my fiancée last night. Perfectly reasonable." He deliberately used the term "fiancée"—a title that implied intimacy without the immediate need for legal verification, thus sidestepping the awkwardness of revealing his true status within the police force.
"Consultancy?" Zhou Zhen raised an eyebrow, clearly unsatisfied with the vague answer.
Lu Yoyo couldn't contain herself any longer. Her tone was urgent, a mix of wanting to explain for her uncle and a need to confront him. "Uncle Jiu! This is a murder investigation! Be serious! What kind of consultancy?"
Qin Jiu leveled a calm look at his niece, a gaze that carried the unassailable authority of an elder. It instantly silenced her. "Business consultancy, with a focus on psychological profiling," he offered, an answer difficult to disprove on the spot. Then, he deftly steered the conversation back. "Captain Zhou, rather than focusing on our relationship, wouldn't the figure caught briefly on the surveillance footage be a more pertinent subject? My fiancée is a victim here, not a suspect."
With a single sentence, he redefined Shen Mian's role and redirected the focus squarely onto the "ghost."
Zhou Zhen pondered for a moment. It was true; all suspicion towards Shen Mian was currently circumstantial, while the "ghost" represented a tangible, unresolved anomaly.
Once again, under the rhythm masterfully controlled by Qin Jiu, they navigated the initial interrogation, emerging unscathed.
As Shen Mian and Qin Jiu were permitted to leave temporarily, Lu Yoyo watched their retreating figures walking side-by-side. She finally could no longer hold back. Leaning closer to Zhou Zhen, she whispered, her voice low and strained:
"Captain Zhou, my uncle… he's one of the top criminal profilers in the country."
Zhou Zhen whipped his head around, his eyes widening with shock.
Lu Yoyo's expression was profoundly conflicted. "But just now… he said nothing about it. And the way he looked at Mianmian… It's wrong. It feels very wrong."