Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting-Chapter 31

Ye Sangsang smiled, carefully opening the "gift" in front of her with her gloved hands, while informing Zheng He and Gu Ling.

【Sister Sang, can we make a deal? Could you warn us before you laugh like that? I need to evacuate!】

【They've baited Sister Sang out. She's incredible.】

【The other side couldn't take it anymore. It's like being flamed in your face. That kind of person has a twisted psyche and can't bear such provocation.】

What surprised the live broadcast room was that this person's intention wasn't to threaten Ye Sangsang's safety but to provoke her with a case.

There was no denying that Ye Sangsang was excited.

The gift was a wooden box containing a segment of weathered white bone.

The bone was clean of flesh and appeared to be quite old.

When Zheng He and Gu Ling arrived, they showed obvious signs of concern, fearing that there might be a new victim.

Ye Sangsang, seeing their worried expressions, shook her head. "No, as long as Qin Jiang hasn't been convicted, the other side won't create another case, giving us the chance to investigate a new murder. He’s a clever man, and this provocation is just out of frustration."

After all, if a new case with similar methods emerged, they might detect something amiss and reopen Qin Jiang's case, rendering all the killer’s previous efforts futile.

"Thank goodness, if there were a new case, I'd feel guilty," Gu Ling said, touching her chest and relaxing her brow.

Zheng He, looking at the bone, turned to Ye Sangsang. "So, where did this bone come from? Is it from a previous case he’s involved in?"

Ye Sangsang shrugged. "I don’t know. I’m not a fortuneteller. I can’t just divine everything with a snap of my fingers."

Her gesture lightened the somber atmosphere. The coroner, holding the box, looked at Ye Sangsang. "The victim has been dead for quite some time. The bone was deliberately preserved with some material, and the DNA information might be difficult to extract. Plus, there’s no existing comparison sample. No fingerprints either, so the person is clearly skilled."

"I’m not planning to investigate this case," Ye Sangsang said with a smile.

Everyone looked at her, puzzled. Not investigating the case?

If anyone else had said that, they would have been met with a glare.

Gu Ling, unable to hold back, finally spoke up. "Then what are you investigating? When someone throws a challenge like this, shouldn't we solve the case to slap them in the face? Or lure them into revealing more clues about this case?"

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Zheng He nodded in agreement.

"No, we won't investigate the case. This bone will only be a part of convicting them after arresting them. It doesn't require any effort. Now, we need to use the clues brought by the other side’s appearance to find a reason to arrest them. This gift is a big gift from the other side," Ye Sangsang said, looking at the gift and then at them.

Ye Sangsang paused, her gaze shifting to the surveillance camera at the end of the corridor, which was lit up.

"Let's file a report and start the investigation," Ye Sangsang said with a smile.

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Indeed, investigating the case wasn't cost-effective. Locking down the suspect was the priority.

The other side had probably chosen this location because they thought the outer streets had no surveillance. Now, with the surveillance camera in place, things were different.

In the team, everyone got their first glimpse of the mastermind through the surveillance footage.

Initially, they had planned to stake out, but unsure of where exactly the person would strike at Ye Sangsang, and not wanting to scare them off, they had quietly installed the surveillance.

In the footage, a man dressed in black, hooded and wrapped up tightly, emerged from a corner of the street and quickly moved toward Ye Sangsang's residence.

Under the surveillance, he held a box and raced down the street.

At around 4 AM, he arrived at Ye Sangsang's doorstep, glanced around, and placed the box down.

After confirming no one was watching, he left, zigzagging through other streets.

After carefully reviewing the footage, Ye Sangsang's eyes gleamed with disappointment and she frowned. "This person isn't the suspect. There's a difference in their build," she said, using a pencil to illustrate, her mind calculating. "This person is young, with a brisk pace and a lean figure, probably about twenty years old, around 120 pounds. The killer is different—he's a strong middle-aged man capable of carrying an adult woman."

Others who had watched the footage confirmed Ye Sangsang’s observation.

Zheng He, prepared, followed the trail based on the general location of the suspect's approach.

The suspect hadn't taken any precautions, or perhaps he believed he wouldn't be discovered.

To him, it was just a simple errand to deliver a gift.

Zheng He acted swiftly; within two hours, the suspect was apprehended.

The interrogation proved to be smooth.

After half an hour, he returned with the transcript and handed it to Ye Sangsang. "It's a petty thief. Someone paid him to deliver the box. The transaction was facilitated through a locker at the sports center. Their 'rules' are simple—they take the money and do the job. We’ve already sent officers from the nearby police station to the sports center to investigate, but it may not yield much."

Ye Sangsang took the transcript, carefully reviewing it.

After a while, her gaze lingered on the word "sports center." "The person likely doesn’t have a vehicle, or the tool could be a bicycle. So his range of activity wouldn’t be too vast, probably within five kilometers around the sports center."

"Earlier, I deduced that the person has no formal education, possibly suffered physical damage during childhood, and has a withdrawn, gloomy personality. Such a person typically lacks resources and needs to make a living. With no qualifications and a difficult disposition, the kinds of jobs he can take are limited…"

"Moreover, he might not be able to withdraw money from an ATM, which indicates the money has been on him for a long time, possibly his salary."

"Is the money he received still there?" Ye Sangsang turned to Zheng He, asking.

Zheng He, serious-faced, thought for a moment before heading out. If not for Ye Sangsang’s reminder, he might have overlooked the cash transaction.

The money, of course, was secured, and fingerprints were being extracted. However, they considered it a long shot and hadn’t focused their efforts on it.

Yang Wen, not entirely accustomed to this approach, voiced his doubts. "Why do you think he might not be able to withdraw money from an ATM?"

"Because he might not have an ID," Ye Sangsang replied.

Yang Wen scratched his head, feeling awkward and choosing to stay silent.

Gu Ling looked at Ye Sangsang. "What’s the point of finding the money? The perp likely wouldn’t be careless enough to leave fingerprints or saliva for DNA, and even if we found the money, we couldn’t compare it."

Ye Sangsang took out a bill, flipping it over. "In the cash era, the money someone carries largely represents their habits and environment. A bill that’s been kept on someone for a long time, even if the fingerprints and sweat have been wiped clean, what if there’s something else stuck to it?"

Gu Ling, sharp as ever, immediately caught on.

"Dirt! Stains!" she exclaimed excitedly.

If there was dirt, the information it could provide would be invaluable, such as the suspect’s potential living or work area.

Even cunning criminals wouldn’t likely wash money directly in water, as paper bills aren’t waterproof and would easily become unusable—nobody would accept them.

Her eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement, as they really had a breakthrough now.

Zheng He returned with the evidence bag, and together with Gu Ling and Yang Wen, they observed the bill under a magnifying glass. Indeed, there were tiny specks of dirt.

Their expressions brightened as Zheng He said, "I’ll have the coroner extract it right away and then consult with a geologist to determine where in the city such dirt might be found."

Ye Sangsang nodded, and Zheng He went off to handle it.

It seems like the true leader (or the one behind the scenes) is finally coming into view (or focus).

【I thought Sister Sang would dive into solving the case, but it turns out she’s been fishing for clues all along.】

【Hopefully, they catch the guy soon!】

The live streaming room was abuzz with excited discussions.

Internet detective, under a pseudonym, watched this unfold with a mix of emotions. If it were him, he certainly wouldn’t have thought of it.

Feeling defeated, he turned to start a game session, deciding he’d catch the killer himself—through his own efforts.

Ye Sangsang reviewed the three murder cases, feeling there must be more clues.

After all, without a solid case against the suspect, dealing with them would be tough. They needed to be fully prepared.

Fortunately, time was on their side, adding another 10 days of in-game time.

It seemed to Ye Sangsang that Qin Jiang might know the identity of the murderer.

Apart from not wanting Zhao Tianman to fall back into his old ways and seek him out again, it was also possible that someone had guided him.

However, since Qin Jiang was currently unconscious, Ye Sangsang had no means to wake him up and make him clarify everything.

Also, why would Zhao Tianman agree to rent that particular house?

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyes in thought, suddenly remembering something, and turned to leave.

Three minutes later, she returned to her desk.

She unfolded the map she had brought and spread it out on her cluttered desk, which was already piled with folders.

The map had been "borrowed" from Chen's office. She had simply lifted the framed map, taken it off, and placed it on her desk.

She picked up a pencil, thought for a moment, and then sketched out the distances between the rental house and South Street.

Zhao Tianman had been looking for a way to make a living, but his repeated convictions for petty theft and other shady activities meant no one was willing to hire him.

And if someone had given him a bit of capital and "advised" him, what might he do?

He might become his own boss or start a business that allowed him some freedom and didn't require him to answer to others.

Opening a shop was an obvious choice, especially if he already had some money to start with.

If he had rented a place near South Street, it could mean he was planning to open a shop there.

With five thousand yuan, if someone had gotten involved, it could explain why Zhao Tianman believed it was enough to "do something big."

According to Zhao Tianqi's statement, by the time Zhao Tianman received the money, it had been reduced to just over three thousand five hundred yuan.

In this era, renting a house was very cheap. A two-room house in South Street would cost less than five hundred yuan per year.

Zhao Tianman wouldn't have paid for a whole year in advance; he would have likely paid monthly or every three months.

So, where had the rest of the money gone?

Ye Sangsang called Gu Ling, and the two of them went to look for rental shops near South Street.

If she was right, Zhao Tianman had probably already signed a lease, and since it was a two-person agreement, there might be fingerprints from the suspect.

With fingerprints, capturing the suspect would become more feasible.

Hearing this news, Gu Ling was eager to start searching immediately.

From the beginning to the end of South Street, which was only a few hundred meters long, they searched every shop with a "For Rent" sign, contacting the owners one by one.

As for other areas, they would leave those for later.

There were many businesses, but Gu Ling asked very carefully, afraid of missing any clues related to the suspect.

Not only did they check the shops, but they also inquired about fixed stalls, as every corner of the market was occupied by vendors, and any place where money could be made was for rent.

Ye Sangsang didn't just sit idly by; while Gu Ling asked questions, she observed the surroundings.

Worried that Zhao Tianman might have directly contacted a landlord who had decided to stop doing business, she also spoke to other vendors.

As police officers, the shop owners knew they weren't there to disrupt business and would answer truthfully.

The task seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack, but the scope was manageable for them.

However, to their disappointment, after asking everyone on South Street, they found no leads.

【Did Sister Sangsang make a wrong judgment?】

【Even Sister Sangsang is human; a wrong judgment isn’t anything.】

【I hope there’s still a lead!】

The two of them had been asking questions from noon until late afternoon, exhausted and sleepy.

Unable to continue, they decided to stop at a random restaurant.

After ordering some dishes, Gu Ling, holding her chopsticks, sighed heavily. "It's so hard. Why can't we be blessed with a clue out of the blue?"

"Nothing's ever that easy," Ye Sangsang responded. She never held out much hope for things she couldn't get, so she wasn't particularly disappointed.

Gu Ling bit her lip. "Ah Yu, do you think we can really find evidence for this case?"

"We can, trust that we can," Ye Sangsang reassured her.

Gu Ling felt comforted but then chuckled at herself for being calmed down by someone almost ten years younger.

But it was easy to feel at ease around her.

Ye Sangsang didn't know what Gu Ling was thinking. She looked out at the bustling street and wondered if her judgment had been off.

Suddenly, her gaze landed on a long bulletin board across the street, covered in various rental and job postings.

Her eyes lit up, and she stood up, heading in that direction.

Looking at the densely packed rental advertisements, she sighed, realizing she was still lacking experience.

Seeing Ye Sangsang suddenly leave without eating, Gu Ling turned back to the owner. "Please keep the food warm. We'll be back soon!"

She followed Ye Sangsang out and stood beside her in front of a one-meter-tall, two-meter-wide blackboard bulletin board.

She groaned. "Are we really going to have to call all of these?"

"Don’t worry, we’ll take it slowly," Ye Sangsang patted her shoulder and smiled.

These kinds of ads, once posted, usually weren’t removed immediately even after they were rented out. So, it was possible to see messages from months ago. Since Zhao Tianman was a local, he would have been aware of this place.

It was very likely he had found the information here and rented the house or shop accordingly.

The photo quality on a Nokia phone was decent at this time, so they took pictures together, one handling half the board each, taking a full ten minutes to photograph all the information.

They even took pictures of the ads outside the bulletin board, making sure not to miss anything.

Back at the restaurant, they quickly ate and then found a nearby step to sit on, starting to make calls together.

"Hello, are you looking to rent out a place?...”

"Hello, have you already rented out the place?"

Whenever they reached a landlord who had rented the property, they would note down the address and conduct a second round of inquiries.

After spending two hours doing this, they finally finished.

Looking at the eight addresses they had noted, they began arranging them by distance and visiting them in order.

Finally, at the end of South Street, in a fairly secluded shop, they found the information they were looking for.

Initially, the landlord didn’t want to cooperate, as he was busy and had already found a tenant.

Gu Ling, being a grassroots police officer, knew these people were averse to trouble, so she called directly from the police station.

The landlord quickly showed up and was cooperative with the investigation.

After asking the necessary questions, they confirmed that Zhao Tianman and the suspect had indeed rented this shop. It was located in a relatively secluded area, which made the rent cheaper.

"Did they sign the contract together, or just one of them?" Gu Ling asked the most critical question.

The landlord, a middle-aged woman with a brisk manner, thought for a moment. "Oh! I remember these two quite clearly. They inquired and came to look at the shop, then decided to rent. When it came time to sign the contract, the other one hesitated and didn't want to sign his name or leave a fingerprint to confirm the agreement. The other one insisted he shouldn’t be so formal, saying they were brothers and what was his was also the other’s, forcing him to leave his fingerprint."

The landlord gesticulated as she spoke, clearly enthusiastic about recounting the memory.

Gu Ling continued to ask questions. "Where is the contract? Can we have a look?"

Seeing the landlord seemed hesitant, they showed their credentials.

The landlord’s doubts faded, and she became more restrained, nervously saying, "I’m not involved in any crime, am I? I’m a law-abiding citizen..."

"Don’t worry, you’re fine. This doesn’t involve you; you’re just doing normal business," Gu Ling interrupted her and smoothly reassured her.

The landlord relaxed, leading them to a back staircase, up to the third floor, and then retrieving the contract from a cabinet.

The contract was just a handwritten rental agreement on a single sheet, not even a formal contract with multiple copies or a public notary.

"I wrote the contract myself, and here’s the signature I witnessed them writing," the landlord explained.

Ye Sangsang took the thin sheet of paper and scrutinized it, her gaze focusing on the signature at the bottom.

Gu Ling leaned in, reading aloud the name: "Lin He?"

Was this the suspect’s name?

But at this moment, they didn’t have time to ponder this. Gu Ling turned to the landlord, asking about the suspect’s appearance.

She was a meticulous person, and after asking, she even showed the landlord a composite sketch.

The landlord had a decent memory and was sure it was the same person.

She hesitated, then asked nervously, "Is he in trouble?"

Ye Sangsang and Gu Ling didn’t answer, and the landlord realized she wouldn’t get an answer and let it go.

"We’ll take this contract with us. Don’t worry, the tenant won’t be coming back," Gu Ling said.

Since it was just a piece of paper, the landlord quickly agreed, not wanting to be involved any further.

As they turned to leave, Gu Ling looked back and cautioned, "If you don’t have anything urgent in the next month, don’t stay here. Move somewhere else temporarily."

"Ah... yes... yes, I won't be staying here tonight..." The landlord paused for a moment, then quickly nodded and agreed.

Ye Sangsang and Gu Ling left with the evidence.

Good news continued to pour in. Zheng He, based on the small amount of soil on the money, consulted an expert who identified the soil as originating from a construction site four kilometers away from the sports complex to the left of Chennan City.

The reason was that only that site had soil all year round.

And it had to be someone who had been on the ground for a long time for the soil to distribute evenly on the bills.

With a target identified, the entire Major Crime Unit Three was invigorated.

To prevent anyone from fleeing, they contacted the local police station and together they entered the construction site for a thorough search.

Once anything suspicious was found, multiple officers would move in for the arrest, leaving no escape route for the suspect!