Chapter 26: The Confession

Wang Youfu jumped from a building to commit suicide?

Zhou Yi thought he had misheard. Why would Wang Youfu commit suicide? All the current suspicions against him were merely related to whether he had provided false testimony regarding Zhang Xinli’s alibi. He had no motive whatsoever to take his own life.

"Where was Zhang Xinli when Wang Youfu jumped?" Zhou Yi asked Chen Yan hurriedly.

"Sister Qiao said that Zhang Xinli had gone out to buy groceries, and our colleagues were following her. About ten minutes after she left, Wang Youfu suddenly climbed onto his balcony and jumped," Chen Yan replied.

Zhou Yi’s mind raced, analyzing the irrationality of these developments. It was particularly suspicious that just as Zhu Xuejun had provided testimony about a conflict between Zhang Xinli and Du Xiaolin, the completely uninvolved Wang Youfu had jumped from a building.

A thought struck him, and he immediately asked, "Did Wang Youfu have a confession note on him?"

Chen Yan was taken aback. "A confession note?"

"Or a suicide note, claiming to be the killer of Du Xiaolin, and that the jump was an act of suicide to escape punishment."

Chen Yan shook his head, saying in disbelief, "How could that be?"

Even Wu Yongcheng was startled by Zhou Yi’s words. It made no logical sense for Wang Youfu to commit suicide out of fear of punishment. Furthermore, since Zhang Xinli had an alibi at the time of the jump, it proved the act was entirely Wang Youfu’s own volition. Had Zhang Xinli been at home, he would have suspected a frame-up.

Just as he was about to speak, a young officer in uniform ran over hurriedly.

"Captain Wu, we just got a call from Sister Qiao. Wang Youfu didn't die; he’s been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment."

Upon hearing this, the men felt a wave of relief, as his survival meant there was still a chance to uncover the truth.

"Sister Qiao also said that they found a suicide note written in blood on Wang Youfu, which read: 'I am the killer; I pay for my crimes with my death.'"

"What?" Wu Yongcheng and Chen Yan were stunned, instinctively looking back at Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi’s expression was grim. He said in a deep voice, "Captain Wu, apply for an arrest warrant for Zhang Xinli immediately, and conduct a thorough search of her home."

"What about the one inside?" Wu Yongcheng asked, referring to Zhu Xuejun.

"Keep him in custody for now; he might still be useful."

...

Chen Yan drove while Wu Yongcheng sat in the passenger seat, pulling out a flattened cigarette pack. Just as he was about to curse, Chen Yan handed him a fresh pack of Da Qian Men cigarettes.

Wu Yongcheng thanked him, tore open the paper packaging, and lit one.

"Captain Wu, give me one too," said Zhou Yi, who was sitting in the back.

Wu Yongcheng looked at him with slight surprise, said nothing, and handed him a cigarette.

Zhou Yi took the cigarette and the lighter, lit it, and took a puff. The orange glow of the cigarette tip flickered, as dazzling as the sunset outside.

It had been nearly seventeen hours since the crime occurred; for a heinous murder case, the current progress was remarkably fast. But for Zhou Yi, there were less than six hours left before his wager with Wu Yongcheng expired.

However, Zhou Yi was not concerned with the bet right now. Instead, he was frantically searching his memories from before his rebirth, focusing on every detail within the case file of the March 16th murder.

He remembered that in the original file, the police had investigated Du Xiaolin’s social circle through extensive interviews. Zhang Xinli, a colleague, was included, but Zhu Xuejun was not. Zhu Xuejun was careful and cautious; he certainly wouldn't have exposed his relationship with Du Xiaolin in their familiar environment, so it was normal that the initial investigation hadn't reached him. As for Zhang Xinli, she had been cleared quickly due to her "alibi."

It wasn't that the police back then were incompetent; it was just that with the crime scene compromised, they could only rely on the most primitive methods. When faced with a massive, directionless pile of clues, it was easy for details to be overlooked.

Zhou Yi’s thinking had been so clear earlier not only because of his wealth of criminal investigation experience, but because he was building upon the information already gathered by the original investigators. It was like a multiple-choice question with ten possible answers: since someone had already eliminated eight for him, he could naturally focus on the remaining two. It was a collaborative effort across time and space.

He had thought the answer was right in front of him, but Wang Youfu’s sudden jump made him realize that his own interference had completely altered the trajectory of the case. A tiny deviation could lead to a massive error.

He tried hard to recall more details to find key information that would help solve the case, but the high-intensity investigation since his rebirth had left his brain exhausted. That was why he wanted a cigarette to perk himself up.

The cigarette tasted terrible, though; he choked after just one puff. How could Captain Wu like smoking this stuff?

The sunset outside the window looked like an enticing fried egg. Looking at the setting sun, Zhou Yi felt a bit hungry.

In a daze, he seemed to return to the dormitory at the Second Steel Mill. His mother had made him a bowl of plain noodles topped with a golden fried egg, the aroma mouthwatering. It was the taste of his youth, something he had longed for in his dreams. In the long years after he had built his own family and career, he had never tasted that flavor again.

Wu Yongcheng glanced through the rearview mirror. Zhou Yi had drifted off to sleep, leaning against the seat, a burning cigarette still between his fingers. The thin trail of white smoke followed the swaying of the car, turning into a rhythmic curve before dissipating into the air.

Wu Yongcheng turned around, took the cigarette, and slowly rolled up the window on his side. He stared at the cigarette in his hand for a moment, conflicted, before finally choosing to stub it out.

Night fell, and the headlights of the speeding Santana pierced the darkness like a sharp sword.

...

When Zhou Yi woke up, he found a jacket draped over him. It smelled of sour sweat and heavy cigarette smoke. Looking around, he realized they were downstairs at Zhang Xinli’s residential complex.

It was dark now, and the area below was crowded with curious onlookers, all whispering and speculating about what had happened.

Zhou Yi opened the door and stepped out. A woman around thirty, with short, capable-looking hair, walked toward him.

"You’re Zhou Yi, right?" the woman asked.

Zhou Yi had seen her in the office at the municipal bureau that morning. Although it was only a glance, he knew she was one of Wu Yongcheng’s officers.

"You must be Sister Qiao? It's an honor to meet you."

The woman smiled. "I’m Qiao Jiali. The honor is mine. Chen hasn't stopped bragging about you today, calling you a genius."

They shook hands.

"You're too kind. Brother Yan is just being nice and trying to build my confidence."

"Don't be humble. Our Captain Wu never borrows personnel from the grassroots level. He said you can go up now that you're awake."

Zhou Yi nodded and followed Qiao Jiali past the police cordon.

"Sister Qiao, how is the search of Zhang Xinli’s home going?"

Qiao Jiali frowned. "We found her clothes and shoes, but the murder weapon is nowhere to be found."