After Yue Xiaoquan returned, Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang discussed their next steps.
First, the ropes binding Zhou Quan and the blood-stained clothes have not yet been found, and they need to search the train again carefully to find these two key pieces of evidence; second, there are many suspects in this case, and if they are taken to the restroom one by one to see the body, it is easy to alarm other passengers. In addition, the scene is too bloody, and some timid girls may be traumatized.
Therefore, Yu Hanjiang decided to use Zhou Quan's phone to take some photos at the scene to show the suspects. They could clearly see the horrific state of Zhou Quan's death from the photos—there is a big difference between seeing photos and going to the scene in person, and it would be much easier for them psychologically.
The two acted together, first going to the restroom to take photos of the crime scene from various angles, and then carefully searching the trash cans in car number 4 and the food truck, but unfortunately they found nothing.
Yu Hanjiang thought for a moment, then took Xiao Lou to sleeper car number 6 and turned the trash can upside down—and actually found a piece of clothing and a lot of black hair ties used by girls inside.
The clothes were deliberately stained with instant noodle soup, but the soup was just a cover-up. Xiao Lou could tell at a glance that there was a lot of blood on the clothes, but the blood had dried and was mixed with the instant noodle soup, making it difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.
This is a very sexy black spaghetti strap silk dress. Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang and said, " Yue Xiaoquan's clothes are not this style. In addition, she has a cold personality. Suddenly inviting Zhou Quan to the bathroom to play bondage will definitely arouse Zhou Quan's suspicion."
Yu Hanjiang nodded and then went to the sleeper car to ask Yue Xiaoquan's roommate for clarification.
The young celebrity in the upper bunk of 5B, wearing a mask, had stayed in his room since boarding the train and rarely went out, probably worried about being recognized. When Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou pushed open the door, he was the only one in the room.
Yu Hanjiang said, "Hello, we have some questions we'd like to ask you. Is now a convenient time?"
The young star glanced at the other person warily, then nodded: "Go ahead and ask."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The two girls who switched from other carriages to sleep in the lower bunks of 5A and 5C, one with long, straight black hair and the other with brown curly hair, do you remember them?"
The young star nodded: "Yes, I remember."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Did those two go out last night? Or did you hear any strange noises?"
The young star thought for a moment and said, "I didn't fall asleep until after 3 a.m. last night. The two of them hadn't gone out before I went to sleep and were sleeping soundly. The girl who slept in the bunk below me was snoring, which was so noisy."
Yu Hanjiang then asked, "Are you also going to Luo Yan's concert? Can you tell us about the concert?"
When asked about her idol, the young star immediately launched into a long explanation: " Goddess Luo Yan has been in the industry for over ten years and is considered a national idol. I grew up listening to her songs. She holds a concert every three years, and this year's concert is the largest ever. Tickets can only be bought a month in advance and are extremely difficult to get."
Yu Hanjiang immediately seized on the key point: "You mean, the concert ticket sales channel opens a month in advance?"
The young star nodded: "Yes."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Is real-name registration required?"
The young star said, "Of course, the goddess is worried that real fans won't be able to buy tickets and they'll all be snatched up by scalpers, so real-name registration is required to buy tickets, and one ID card is limited to one ticket."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Thank you."
The two turned and left, leaving the young star scratching his head in confusion.
After leaving, Yu Hanjiang whispered in Xiao Lou's ear, "So, the seven girls planned to go together a month ago. Yue Xiaoquan first encouraged Zhou Quan to go to the concert, and after the other girls confirmed their departure time, she told Zhou Zheng to take the 7311 bullet train on July 25th. Because there was a big concert, it was a perfect excuse for everyone to coincidentally be on the same train."
Xiao Lou nodded: "For example, Liu Xiaoyan and Song Xiaoyu brought three close friends along, saying they were going to a concert, which wouldn't arouse suspicion. Captain Yu, with so many suspects, which one should we question first?"
Yu Hanjiang thought for a moment and said, "Let's start with first love."
The two went to the next room and found Yu Lin, who was reading a book by herself.
The girl had long black hair and wore a simple and refreshing blue dress with white high-heeled sandals. She looked elegant and poised. Her appearance was dignified, with a typical oval face. She could indeed play a learned and talented young lady in a period drama.
It's hard to imagine that such a girl would dirty her hands for a scumbag, or even torture and kill Zhou Quan.
Of course, this is just Xiao Lou's subjective judgment—appearances can sometimes be deceiving, and Zhou Quan is a perfect example.
Yu Hanjiang said, " Miss Yu Lin, please come with us. Your boyfriend needs to speak with you."
Upon hearing this, Yu Lin showed a hint of surprise, but quickly regained her composure and said, "Don't joke around, I don't have a boyfriend."
Yu Hanjiang said, "His name is Zhou Quan. Can you tell if this is him?"
After saying that, she directly held the phone in front of Yu Lin. When the girl saw the gruesome death of Zhou Quan in the photo, she immediately covered her mouth. Her eyes widened, but she restrained herself from screaming. Clearly, the female academic star was someone who was very good at controlling her emotions.
Yu Hanjiang said, "Let's go. Zhou Quan has been murdered. Please cooperate with the investigation."
Yu Lin, looking shocked, followed the two and arrived at...
After arriving at the office in sleeper car number 6, she finally snapped out of her shock and exclaimed, " Zhou Quan is dead? How could this be?!"
While taking her statement, Xiao Lou carefully observed her expression; her surprise didn't seem feigned.
Yu Hanjiang cut to the chase: "What was your purpose in going to Moon City with six other girls? To get revenge on that scumbag?"
Yu Lin remained silent with a sullen face.
Yu Hanjiang said, "We already know that all seven of you are currently on the train. We hope that Ms. Yu can answer the questions truthfully. As an educated college student, you should know that murder is a criminal case and what consequences you will have to bear."
Yu Lin's face was extremely pale. She said with certainty, "I didn't kill him."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Give us a reason to believe you. Please tell us in detail how you discovered Zhou Quan's infidelity and how you met with other girls to plot revenge."
Yu Lin took a deep breath, composed herself, and continued, " Zhou Quan was my first love. I viewed this relationship through a lens of idealism, always thinking he was handsome, eloquent, and talented—an exceptionally outstanding guy. But to be honest, I was too young back then, and I hadn't met many outstanding men. It wasn't until college that I realized... what was Zhou Quan compared to him? There were so many guys better than him."
During middle school, teenagers experiencing their first crushes often view their crushes through a thick filter, believing that the other person is the best goddess/god they've ever met. However, as they gain more experience, they meet more and more outstanding people and realize that they were actually quite foolish back then, and that the person they had a crush on wasn't actually that great.
Yu Lin's change in mindset is normal. She was so good at math and got into a prestigious university's math department. Girls like her have strong logical abilities, are calm, and have their own opinions. Even if she broke up with her first love, she could get over it quickly.
Sure enough, Yu Lin said, "After Zhou Quan and I broke up, we went to different universities, and my feelings for him had faded. I focused all my attention on my studies. Three months later, on my birthday, he suddenly came to ask me to get back together. I was quite surprised at the time, thinking there was no need to get back together. But he looked very sincere and bought me a very expensive gift. He knelt down in front of me and said that I was his first love and the girl he would never forget in his life. I admit that I was a little touched. Anyway, I didn't have a boyfriend, so I agreed to get back together with him."
"He would make time to come see me every weekend. At first, he came very often, but later, he used his busy studies as an excuse to go from once a week to once every two weeks, and then once a month. Although he was always very gentle and considerate when he came to see me and would bring me all kinds of gifts, my sixth sense as a girl told me that something was not right."
"I'm very sensitive to numbers. During that time, Zhou Quan started messaging me very regularly. He would chat with me every night at nine o'clock sharp, and then go to take a shower and go to bed at ten o'clock. I had a feeling that maybe after he finished chatting with me, he was still chatting with other girls."
"I started investigating him. I created a new account and went into the game he played. Sure enough, I found out that every night from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., he was playing dungeons with his in-game wife, a girl with the ID 'Like a Shadow'. The two of them were a well-known couple in the game. According to people in the guild, they had already met in real life and were showing off their affection in the guild channel every day."
At this point, Yu Lin's expression suddenly turned extremely cold: "At that moment, all my beautiful fantasies about my first love were shattered. My only thought at the time was to break up with this scumbag as soon as possible, since my feelings for him had long faded. But I didn't expect that before I could even suggest breaking up, Liu Xiaoyan, Si Yun, Yue Xiaoquan, and Song Xiaoyu all added me on WeChat, saying that they were also Zhou Quan's girlfriends."
Yu Lin had just discovered that her boyfriend was cheating on her in a game, and then four more girls came knocking on her door. You can imagine how utterly awful she felt; it completely shattered her worldview.
Yu Lin said, "I told them about Yan Ruru, and they found out about Cheng Mu through Yan Ruru. They finally determined that Zhou Quan was dating six girls and also wanted to get back together with Liu Xiaoyan, making a total of seven. We were all furious, so at Si Yun's suggestion, we met up in person to discuss how to get revenge on the scumbag."
This girl truly deserves her academic excellence; despite being traumatized by Zhou Quan's death, she described the entire process with remarkable clarity of logic.
Yu Hanjiang asked, "What was the result of your discussion?"
Yu Lin said, "Taking advantage of the summer concert, we all went to Moon City together. Yue Xiaoquan reported on Zhou Quan's whereabouts. We bought tickets for the same train, and after arriving at the hotel, we all appeared in front of Zhou Quan to watch the scumbag's dramatic transformation, and then tied him up to punish him. Yue Xiaoquan is a medical student, and she coldly said that we could take a knife to scare the scumbag and cut him dozens of times. As long as we don't sever any major blood vessels, he won't die."
She paused, then added, " Yue Xiaoquan told us about a case where a senior at her school was cheated on by a scumbag. She slashed him dozens of times, but each slash avoided vital organs. The scumbag was in excruciating pain, but the forensic doctor determined it was a minor injury. The senior didn't have to bear any legal responsibility; she only needed to pay some medical expenses."
"After hearing this, we all thought that the female medical student was amazing. It was really satisfying to punish the scumbag like that."
"At first, I didn't want to get involved in this operation. In my opinion, scumbags are like dog poop on the street. If you accidentally step in it, just get away from it and don't bother to study what it looks like. But Yue Xiaoquan's suggestion tempted me—I actually wanted to see how she could slash Zhou Quan dozens of times and still classify it as a minor injury. I just wanted to broaden my horizons."
Upon hearing Yu Lin's testimony, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance.
This differs from Yue Xiaoquan's statement.
Yue Xiaoquan only said that the consensus they reached was to take Zhou Quan to a hotel and beat him up, but he concealed...
She concealed the truth about her suggestion to " cut Zhou Quan dozens of times," probably because she was afraid that Zhou Quan's death would be too similar to her suggestion, increasing suspicion against her.
Yu Lin stated that she was not familiar with the other people and did not know who had such a deep grudge against Zhou Quan that they would commit the crime midway.
After asking their questions, the two told Yu Lin to go back. Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang and asked, " Captain Yu, do you think it's highly likely that his first love committed the crime?"
Yu Hanjiang shook his head: "Not really. This top student is very calm, and her views on dealing with scumbags are very rational. Scumbags are like dog poop; if you accidentally step in one, just get away from it. There's no need to fight with dog poop and get yourself dirty. Judging from her behavior, her feelings for Zhou Quan aren't very deep. She's a well-mannered and opinionated woman, and she probably wouldn't do something as extreme as murder."
Xiao Lou thoughtfully stroked his chin: "I don't think Yue Xiaoquan is very suspicious either. She was the one who suggested 'cutting the scumbag with a knife,' but precisely because she studied medicine, if she really did it, she would definitely be able to control the degree and classify Zhou Quan's dozens of cuts as minor injuries. At worst, she would have to pay compensation in the end, rather than stabbing him in the heart, ending Zhou Quan's life and taking her own life as well."
Yu Hanjiang agreed, saying, "It seems someone got inspired by Yue Xiaoquan's suggestion and discovered that torturing Zhou Quan like this would be quite enjoyable. This person may not have a medical background, but after getting the inspiration, they can do some research and specifically study 'Human Anatomy.' A little over a month should be enough time, right?"
Xiao Lou said, "Yes, this is not like a professional surgery. If it's just a cut, it's actually very simple. Just be gentle on the surface of the body, avoid important blood vessels and organs, and cut the skin so that Zhou Quan doesn't die too quickly."
The perpetrator was a medical student; this was their subjective deduction after seeing the crime scene.
However, from Yu Lin's testimony, they discovered that Yue Xiaoquan had suggested torturing Zhou Quan by "cutting" him with a knife during the party. Zhou Quan would be physically tortured and psychologically terrified by his seven girlfriends taking knives and cutting his flesh piece by piece. In the end, he would be diagnosed with minor injuries, and the seven of them would be able to get away unscathed. After experiencing such torture, Zhou Quan would not only be unable to harm other girls, but he would probably have nightmares for the rest of his life. This is indeed the most perfect way to punish a scumbag.
Yue Xiaoquan made this suggestion, and others present, knowing this method of committing the crime, could imitate it.
Therefore, "studying medicine" is not a necessary condition. Of course, a person who studies medicine will be more precise in their methods when committing a crime, but it can also be done by cramming on "Human Anatomy" in a month.
Xiao Lou said, "Of the remaining five suspects, Song Xiaoyu is physically weak and has a heart condition. It's too unusual for her to suddenly suggest playing a bondage game with Zhou Quan. Zhou Quan wouldn't be stupid enough to go to the bathroom with her. Besides, the black suspender dress doesn't seem like Song Xiaoyu's style."
Yu Hanjiang said, " Song Xiaoyu is less than 1.6 meters tall. This dress is very long. If she wears it, it will look like she is wearing a sack."
Xiao Lou: "..."
Captain Yu's description is absolutely brilliant. Xiao Lou thought of the petite and adorable Song Xiaoyu wearing a black dress, and it did indeed look quite incongruous. She probably wouldn't even be able to walk properly and would trip over herself.
The remaining four girls are all very tall, all over 168cm, and have good figures; they can all fit into this dress.
Yu Hanjiang said, "Next, we will focus on interrogating these four people— Liu Xiaoyan, who used to be a receptionist at an internet cafe. She went to a hotel with Zhou Quan after knowing him for only three days. She has a bold and unrestrained style and there is a possibility that she and Zhou Quan engaged in bondage. Moreover, she and Song Xiaoyu are as close as sisters. Perhaps she was deceived herself, and her younger sister was also deceived. The double blow made her pick up a weapon in anger."
Xiao Lou continued, " Si Yun appears to be an intellectual and gentle career woman, wearing a suit dress. If it's a May-December romance involving bondage, it's quite possible. Yue Xiaoquan also mentioned that Zhou Quan once interned in Si Yun's department. He was a junior in college who independently developed software that could sell for millions, which is very difficult. Could it be that Si Yun helped him?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "That's possible. Or, he took Si Yun's research results and sold them, causing Si Yun to encounter some setbacks in the workplace. Si Yun was cheated out of money and sexually assaulted, and her work was also affected, so she killed him in anger."
Xiao Lou stopped his pen on the name " Cheng Mu ": " Zhou Quan and Cheng Mu met on a chat app. It started with casual sex and eventually turned into a committed relationship. A girl who can hook up with strangers on a chat app is very open-minded, and I think she is very likely to be one of them."
Yu Hanjiang looked at the last person and said, " Yan Ruru, she found a husband in the game and met him in real life. We don't know enough about her yet, so let's ask her later and see what she has to say."
After analyzing the situation, the two took their notebooks and returned to carriage number 4 via the dining car.
Just then, the two saw Jing Weiguang from row 8 walking over from the other end of the carriage with a cup of hot water in his hand.
There was hot water available at the junction of cars 3 and 4. It seemed that Dr. Jing had gone to get a cup of hot water. The two of them didn't think much of it. However, when Jing Weiguang reached the 13th row, he suddenly stopped and looked at the two girls sitting next to him with some confusion.
Those were Cheng Mu and Yan Ruru's seats.
Cheng Mu was looking down at his phone when Yan Ruru met his gaze, and her expression changed slightly.
The next moment, Jing Weiguang exclaimed excitedly, "Hey? Junior? What a coincidence! What are you doing on this bus!"
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou: "..."
Yan Ruru, whose information is unknown, is actually Jing Weiguang's junior!
Jing Weiguang is a doctor with a clear identity. This person is Jing Weiguang's junior, so it seems that she is also studying medicine?
Yan Ruru's suspicion has risen sharply.
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance and walked towards Yan Ruru's seat without prior arrangement.
Upon seeing the two, Jing Weiguang smiled and scratched his head, saying, "Did you two need something from me? Do you need any help?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "No need...we'll find your junior sister."
Author's Note:
Jing Weiguang: These two guys never seem to need my help! NPCs are so boring = =