Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting-Chapter 74

【Oh my god, Sister Sang made my scalp tingle.】

Sister Sang didn't hesitate at all, charging right in with a knife. There were four or five burly men in the room, and she just went straight in and started slicing. Her repeated entries and exits were so intense that I was terrified the game would reset, forcing me to endure this dungeon all over again!!!

【It's only because "Crime Files" is a holographic simulation game that I can accept Sister Sang being sentenced to death. My Sister Sang is actually a very kind person, who else could kill a human trafficker so decisively!】

The live stream chat was going crazy, and this case felt more oppressive than the previous ones. The victims' harrowing experiences made the tragedy feel all too real.

Their sympathy for the victims made them profoundly sad. Even after Ye Sangsang clicked to exit the game, they remained absorbed in the experience.

Ye Sangsang, for the first time, lingered in the game's transit station.

She looked at the live stream and noticed no one mentioned the case's prototype.

Curiosity bubbled inside her. What exactly was the prototype for this case?

"Super AI, as someone who has perfectly completed the mission, should I be allowed to see the original details of the case?"

She didn't ask the live stream audience because if they knew, they would definitely be discussing comparisons.

No discussion meant they probably hadn't found the case prototype either.

This was understandable. A case from 32 years ago, if not much information remained online, would be nearly impossible to uncover through the internet.

This copy was one where she went crazy, slaughtering from start to finish, resulting in nine deaths.

Thinking about the descriptions related to Ji Qing, curiosity grew within her.

She knew Ji Qing's temperament was equally strong.

Therefore, she was very eager to see the reality behind this case.

As for the verdict, the sentence after consideration had already been lenient. A two-year reprieve of the death penalty, and as long as one behaved normally in prison without causing further trouble, they would generally be commuted to life imprisonment upon expiration. Later, with good behavior in prison, they could be released after about fourteen to fifteen years.

After the verdict was announced, Ye Sangsang exited the game.

【Dear player, your request has been received by the "Crime Files" administrator and is currently being processed...】

【Please wait...】

Ye Sangsang raised an eyebrow, indicating she expected a reply with the details of the original case.

The live stream exploded with excitement. Many viewers had been searching for information about the case throughout the broadcast.

But!

There was none!

The case files were certainly all classified, or perhaps they were just paper documents with no online discussions.

They thought they would never find an answer, but Ye Sangsang stepped up and asked for them.

【Sister Sang, you're the best.】

【Aside from not really engaging with us, Sister Sang is perfect.】

【Everyone's just super curious.】

Ye Sangsang didn't know when the reply would come, but glancing at the time, she realized it was almost morning, the usual wake-up time.

She decided to log off and prepare for her mental illness evaluation.

If all went well, she could complete her discharge procedures and leave the hospital.

Ye Sangsang didn't feel particularly excited about this, just thinking it would be nice to move to a different place.

The morning routine remained the same. Ye Sangsang calmly took her medication and ate breakfast before stretching a bit.

Zhang Jingyue suddenly became the acting director, facing an unexpected rush of tasks.

After two days and two nights, she finally sorted out the major things she needed to handle.

When she entered Ye Sangsang's ward, her eyes were tired but her spirit was high.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang nodded, indicating she was doing fine and her mental state was stable.

Zhang Jingyue found a chair and sat down, trying to relax to avoid causing Ye Sangsang any tension.

"I briefly watched the highlights of 'Crime Files'. Were you killing people out of a desire to vent?"

With a mental assessment coming up soon, she needed to understand Ye Sangsang's mental state.

Ye Sangsang pondered for a moment, then replied, "It's not purely venting as before. It was more out of a retaliatory mindset. I also planned to just kill Zheng Rong and be done with it, but then I thought her existence could help me complete the mission perfectly, so I left with her."

Zhang Jingyue picked up her notebook and wrote down that Ye Sangsang's thoughts were shifting towards normal human thought processes.

"Do you think they deserved to die?" she asked again.

She observed Ye Sangsang's response.

Ye Sangsang thought carefully and shook her head solemnly, "Yes, but still, it's all virtual. Even if it claims to be a 'Second World,' it's just a marketing slogan. I never take it seriously."

Zhang Jingyue continued writing: Normal emotional responses.

After two questions, she moved on to the main topic of the day.

"Next, I need to ask you something very..." She paused, looking at Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang's long lashes fluttered slightly.

She was well aware that if she couldn't pass Zhang Jingyue's test, she certainly couldn't pass the decades-long, highly rigorous professional mental assessments.

"Intimate. Now, answer me. Regarding the death of Ye Xin, did you take action then? What was your mental state at the time? Please provide your explanation."

Her tone was cool, her gaze critical, as if judging the person before her.

This was the main reason Ye Sangsang was confined to the psychiatric hospital.

Because admission required the approval of a close relative.

Of course, to prevent certain situations, there were new regulations in the past two years stating that if the patient was conscious, they needed to sign their agreement. Only if there was harm to others did the patient not need to sign.

Ye Sangsang was conscious at the time, so according to normal procedures, she wouldn't have agreed.

However, she was the latter case, forcibly admitted due to harming others.

According to the records, the police had already collected evidence and handed it over to the procuratorate, judging Ye Sangsang.

At the time, Ye Sangsang was very silent, later being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder during a mental evaluation and forcibly sent to the psychiatric hospital.

Everyone assumed Ye Sangsang's admittance was to avoid legal punishment.

Asking this question meant Ye Sangsang needed to provide a detailed explanation.

Then, based on the police's reinvestigation results, she would be reexamined.

Only by passing all of this could she regain her freedom.

Facing the inquiry, Ye Sangsang was silent for a while before slowly speaking, "I did act back then because I was surrounded by darkness and felt extreme unease. I felt I had entered a state. In that state, I felt I lost control over myself, which was unprecedented..."

"When I came to, I was standing in front of her. I felt a sense of sorrow, the first real emotion I had ever felt."

"I don't remember what happened. In fact, it wasn't until the interrogation room that I saw the whole thing. For my actions, I felt remorse, guilt, and sadness. I couldn't accept it, so I chose to calmly accept the punishment."

She believed that antisocial psychopaths' deepest emotions were anger.

So later, when she found out she was just a tool being used, the goal being property, she chose to bide her time and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike back.

The result was good; she waited for several months and found her chance.

The person grew desperate, made a mistake, and was caught.

Her mother had left her with trust.

She wanted those who helped her to trust her as well.

Zhang Jingyue nodded, noting her compliance with social rules and respect for the law.

"Judging from my professional perspective, you're already considered cured. I've learned that the murderer used drugs on you that would cause mental chaos, extreme agitation, and huge emotional swings. So you don't need to be overly self-blaming."

She had consulted Ye Sangsang's lawyer about this.

Those drugs were swapped and given to Ye Sangsang for a month. Even a normal person would suffer severe side effects, experiencing sudden anger and attacks on others.

Moreover, there was part of the truth that Ye Xin actually died from a heart condition caused by special medications, not from being pushed and falling by Ye Sangsang in a fit of rage.

However, the medications previously taken had already been metabolized.

Everything was a premeditated frame-up.

The competition over property in the wealthy families was truly terrifying.

Even a divorced ex-husband still wanted to seize everything from his former spouse.

If it weren't for Ye Sangsang's later calmness and Ye Xin's excellent upbringing, the other party could have taken control of Ye Sangsang through guardianship and seized her vast fortune.

As a victim, Ye Sangsang lost everything in this struggle.

She looked at Zhang Jingyue and said, "Thank you."

"An expert group will be here in the afternoon. Be mentally prepared," Zhang Jingyue said, standing up and taking her notebook to leave.

Ye Sangsang nodded calmly and picked up a book to read.

The weather outside was beautiful, but she didn't feel like going out after hearing this.

However, when she went out in the afternoon, Ye Sangsang could clearly feel that the usual angry and resentful gazes had disappeared completely.

Their eyes now held a few traces of pity for a patient.

Looking at the endless hospital corridors, she remained composed.

To her, these gazes were no different.

Rehabilitation was still difficult,painful, with Ye Sangsang moving slowly one step at a time.

Her memory was excellent, so this scene brought back visions of herself at one year old, with Ye Xin watching her take those first steps.

Nineteen years later, she started learning to walk again.

Everything that followed was peaceful for Ye Sangsang. In response to the expert group's inquiries and assessments, she made no pretense and spoke frankly about everything.

Assessment took time, so Ye Sangsang waited in her wheelchair for three hours.

Eventually, she received the results.

On the white sheet, Ye Sangsang quickly skimmed through the diagnostic references and detailed conditions, focusing on the diagnostic conclusion below.

"Mild antisocial personality disorder, with a tendency for recurrence, but currently emotionally stable. Discharge is permitted, but regular follow-up appointments and certain treatment methods are required."

Zhang Jingyue explained the situation of the results next to Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyes and said, "Okay."

This must have been what Ye Xin wanted.

She sighed inwardly.

Lawyer Lin stood by, "The person to arrange the discharge is here. Go home, and a dedicated psychiatrist will visit regularly for follow-ups."

"Also, keep working on your rehabilitation and stand up again."

Ye Sangsang smiled and nodded in agreement.

Looking at her legs, she remembered the pain of being broken. What she had thought was an act of anger was actually just a plot to limit her movement.

Fortunately, her biological father's multiple crimes should earn him a death sentence.

His son, she would take good care of him.

Thinking of these things, Ye Sangsang slowly got up and sat in the business car that came to pick her up.

The rehabilitation doctor also left together, and Zhang Jingyue and the little nurse saw her off at the door.

The towering walls of the mental hospital gradually faded, and she finally walked out of that place.

Due to her physical condition, Ye Sangsang couldn't live in the villa, so she chose the 500-square-meter apartment in the city center that her mother gave her as a coming-of-age gift.

The decoration was personally selected by her, with materials chosen according to the tastes of both her and her mother.

Looking at the picture frame with a sharp yet gentle gaze of the woman inside, she softened her expression.

She would live well.

She also had a normal meal, as the hospital cafeteria was really terrible to eat at.

After washing up in the evening, she went to bed to rest.

Putting on her gaming device, she entered the game.

Once inside, a game pop-up appeared.

Hehehe, I timed it perfectly to check out the prison situation in the cage dungeon.

【I want to know if Ji Qing escaped or not! What's the original case like!】

【I came in on cue too, I've been curious about the original case all day!】

The live stream viewers eagerly waited, ready to see Ye Sangsang's situation with the original case.

Ye Sangsang wasn't one to create suspense, so she enlarged the pop-up to read.

As expected, Ji Qing, although an only child, didn't have a weak temperament.

Only because she was young and had little experience with evil did she end up helping someone innocently and getting abducted.

Just like in the copy simulation, she was sold to the Li family.

In the first year, she had a daughter who was strangled by Li's mother-in-law.

At that time, she feigned indifference on the surface but had already understood many things deep down.

She acted docile, and in the second year, amidst the Li family's excitement, she gave birth to a son.

The Li family was overjoyed.

Then, unnoticed by these people, she directly strangled the long-awaited heir they had hoped for.

The Li family went mad, starting to torture Ji Qing.

In their hopeful gaze, in the fourth year, she gave birth to another son, and the Li family guarded her tightly.

But they didn't anticipate that at the moment of birth, Ji Qing directly reached out and, before anyone could stop her, smothered him to death.

Ji Qing was beaten half to death and then sold.

Not long after being sold to the Wang family, she was found and rescued by her unwavering parents, leaving the mountain village.

Ji Qing's health deteriorated, and it took more than three years of recovery to regain a relatively normal state.

During this time, the Ji family also plotted revenge for over three years.

During this period, all the human traffickers ended up dead.

A family known for their excellent studies began a terrifying revenge.

With outstanding chemistry skills, the grandparents meticulously planned and poisoned the entire village.

In addition to a few people in the village serving life sentences, the rest were all poisoned to death, their lives ending before any rescue could be attempted.

This incident shook the surrounding towns.

This incident didn't spread far due to poor communication.

The revenge was horrific but yielded a good outcome.

The girls and children in the surrounding areas were highly valued and rescued due to this event, and it deterred all buying families.

For the next few decades, no cases of buying women or children occurred in the surrounding areas.

Due to their age of eighty and both suffering from Alzheimer's, Ji Qing's grandparents, whose behavior was no longer self-controlled, were not held criminally liable.

After reading, Ye Sangsang raised her eyebrows and smiled.

Compared to her own act of killing to stop killing, Ji Qing's grandparents' operation was the wise choice.

From illness to the incident, Ji Qing and her parents were all in a state of "unawareness."

Excluding them all from suspicion, the whole event became just that "simple."

【Woah, so ruthless, I love it.】

【Intellectuals' revenge is scented with the fragrance of knowledge, haha, I wish Sister Sang could enter the simulation again, fast-forward through timelines, and let me see the grandparents' elegance.】

【I've seen the grandparents once in the copy, only one shot, but I thought they looked benevolent and wise, and now it seems so.】

The live stream viewers, watching the original case, went crazy with joy.

For the vast majority of ordinary people, this was the ultimate revenge, deterring the surroundings and reducing buying, reducing harm.

Addressing the problem at its root.

Even Ye Sangsang couldn't help but smile.

She looked and saw that the case's authorized person was Ji Qing.

It seemed the other party had lived a long life and was happy.

If life were difficult and painful, one would fear uncovering the past and want to hide it deep within.

Only when life was happy, with the past like a passing cloud, could one face it all without fear.

After closing the pop-up, Ye Sangsang started selecting a copy.

First, she ruled out victim copies.

Compared to those, she preferred criminal copies.

They had lower restrictions and could proceed according to normal simulations.

The game's intention was to let ordinary people understand criminals, making people fear criminals and the cost of crime.

Such copies were relatively fewer.

Predicting fewer fans after the official launch, but she still liked criminal copies, even if it required turning oneself in or meeting death later.

Of course, it could also serve as a reminder, making her aware of the cost of committing a crime.

She began to carefully select, finally choosing one that looked good, and without hesitation, clicked to enter the game.

The game screen started to change.

Once again opening her eyes, Ye Sangsang found herself pushing a cleaning cart down a dim corridor.

Looking up at the corridor, it stretched endlessly into darkness.

Following the system's prompts, Ye Sangsang pushed the cart, took out the tools to sweep away the garbage, then continued forward woodenly, like a machine without emotions.

After passing the corridor, a half-opened door revealed a blindingly bright light from behind it, with crystal chandeliers and pure white bouquets.

Under the romantic starry sky ceiling, hanging were curved decorative moons.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

It was a banquet hall.

Below the banquet hall, numerous people chatted and laughed.

In the back passage of a pristine stage, countless flowers adorned the surroundings, their beauty illuminated by the lights.

She stood in a corner, hidden from view, her posture and timing dictated by the game's rules, making her appear deeply insecure.

【Hello, Player. You have entered the game. Please adhere to the rules and begin the 'Life' scenario.】

【Identity card drawn for you.】

【Criminal】

【Your mission in this scenario is to replicate the criminal process and complete the criminal act.】

Gray-black text materialized in the air, juxtaposed against the intense light before her, like a lurking clown lurking in the shadows, ready to unleash carnage.

The gray-black text dissipated like ash, and Ye Sangsang looked down at her own body.

Her fingers were wrinkled, matching her slender hands, resembling withered branches.

Her hair was neatly styled, secured with a blue butterfly hairnet, a tool usually used by hotel staff.

As for her face, without needing a mirror, she knew it would be a visage worn down by life—pale, haggard, and lifeless.

After tidying her uniform, Ye Sangsang continued pushing her cart forward.

She began reviewing the game scenario's provided information.

【Wow! A Criminal scenario!】

【I thought it would be an Investigator scenario. Criminal cases always feel ominous to me, but Ye Sangsang loves them, haha!】

【By logic, it's time to kill the first person. I'm already speculating the truth online! For me, this is much better than an Investigator scenario. Being a victim is too depressing; playing the criminal suits me just fine.】

The live stream had just revealed a thrilling real-life crime case, lifting the mood for many viewers. The chat became lively and cheerful.

Especially with Ye Sangsang's Criminal scenario, which was a favorite among most viewers.

While Ye Sangsang studied the information, they scrutinized it as well.

The first target to kill was a bride, and the scene needed to appear as a suicide.

The current year was 2009.

Various details filled the information section, highlighting the complexity of the mission.

Since 2000, forensic techniques had advanced significantly. Fingerprint extraction and DNA comparison were now routine, and forensic trace analysis was highly refined.

By ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍2009, forensic science had reached a high level of sophistication, requiring extreme caution to avoid operational errors that could lead to mission failure.

Ye Sangsang pushed her cart, taking three minutes to read through the details before entering the elevator.

Upon reaching the 22nd floor, she arrived at her target's room.

She first knocked and inquired if the departing guest was still in the room.

"Knock, knock, knock."

After the knocks, she swiped the room card and entered.

The room was in disarray, requiring a thorough cleaning by the housekeeping staff.

She pushed her cart in and, after donning gloves, began cleaning according to the game's prompts.

Ye Sangsang had never cleaned a room before, so her movements were initially awkward.

However, she quickly adapted, moving swiftly through her tasks.

From changing bedsheets to making the bed, to cleaning the carpet and bathroom.

She needed to complete the cleaning within the allocated time before executing her plan.

In this scenario, the woman’s name was Zhong Jia, age 24.

Her eyes were lifeless, and her body, worn from strenuous labor, looked a decade older than her actual age.

Ye Sangsang was momentarily surprised when she saw the details.

Once everything was done, she precisely kept the timing as described in the case.

She changed into new head and shoe covers, opened the window, and stepped out.

They were on the 22nd floor of the hotel, where a misstep could lead to a fatal fall.

The scenario was highly realistic, and the wind on the 22nd floor chilled the spirit.

Ye Sangsang remained more composed than Zhong Jia, moving with precision, her expression unchanging.

The live stream audience, however, was on edge, the height making their hair stand on end.

The camera angle was downward, creating an immersive experience.

Every slight movement had someone gasping.

Ye Sangsang surveyed the surroundings; the area was not particularly bustling, and there were no nearby buildings of comparable height, so few people would notice.

At a specific spot, she reached out, slowly opened the window, confirmed no one was around, stood on the windowsill, changed to new shoe covers, and stepped onto the hotel room's deep red carpet.

Once inside, she removed her gloves and approached the room.

Zhong Jia’s body, though worn and aging, retained the agility and energy characteristic of youth.

So, Ye Sangsang moved unimpeded.

The room had been transformed into a bridal suite.

The bride lay on the bed, still asleep. It was only 7 AM. According to the case details, the ceremony would be held in the evening, with the wedding procession occurring around 1-2 PM, and preparations beginning around 8-9 AM.

Zhong Jia had impeccably timed her actions, knowing this period would be free from other people in the room.

She moved quietly, the bride still in deep sleep.

Creating a suicide scene required meticulous attention to numerous details.

The process of death by slashing wrists was slow, as it was caused by excessive blood loss, a process that took considerable time.

During that time, the victim had ample opportunity to seek help and receive treatment.

Since slashing wrists wouldn't work, what options remained?

Hanging or overdose on sleeping pills.

Sleeping pills were difficult to obtain without professional connections or channels.

Moreover, overdosing on sleeping pills induced vomiting.

Most importantly, it was impossible to feed so many sleeping pills to someone in a deep sleep.

It was very troublesome.

That left only hanging as an option.

Ye Sangsang looked at the bed's tailpiece, stretched out her hand, and quietly pulled it.

The hotel room's bathroom was a glass enclosure, an independent glass partition with a stainless steel frame at the top, not anchored to the wall.

She easily draped the tailpiece over it, precisely measured the height, and secured it tightly.

After testing its robustness, she focused her gaze on the woman.

The victim hadn’t woken up yet, but without waking her, achieving the objective was challenging.

Zhong Jia chose a highly volatile anesthetic, one that would be difficult to detect during an autopsy.

Ye Sangsang took it out and swiftly and accurately covered the victim's face.

Upon feeling suffocation, the woman began to struggle but quickly lost consciousness.

The highly volatile nature ensured a short duration of unconsciousness.

Ye Sangsang cleaned up the towel with a wet wipe, then half-lifted the person, guiding her step-by-step toward the bathroom.

She turned her around so she faced toward the room as she hung herself.

Within three seconds of being suspended, the victim, lacking air, regained consciousness.

She began to grasp at the surrounding glass doors, but with no foothold, her small stature couldn’t support her escape.

She tried to untangle herself, but the tailpiece trapped her securely, sinking deeply into her fragile neck.

Even trained individuals would struggle to free themselves once put at such a disadvantage, much less those without training.

Her frantic attempts to save herself were futile.

She couldn’t break free—on the contrary, her flailing only accelerated her own demise, deepening her asphyxiation.

Most crucially, the killer was right there, not permitting any chance of the victim dislodging herself.

Whether she struggled or not, the outcome was sealed once she was hung.

The victim was about the age of Zhong Jia. Faced with the coldly observing Ye Sangsang, her expression was one of shock and terror, her hands reaching out to grasp at her.

"Hrrr!"

Her throat emitted desperate sounds as her eyes widened, pupils slowly dilating.

Death by asphyxiation typically took three minutes.

Once Ye Sangsang saw the victim lose the ability to struggle, she turned, brought a chair, and pressed the victim's feet onto it, leaving multiple imprints opposite the walking direction. Then, aligned with those, she pushed the chair back, tipping it backward.

It was simple, as aside from the chair's back, other parts barely shifted.

Pushing it down required precisely matching where the victim's feet stood. The fallen chair needed to be just beyond the point where the victim's toes could almost reach.

The level of hatred required to meticulously control such details was profound.

Ye Sangsang pondered this as she considered her next actions.

Having completed all these tasks, the deceased's pupils had fully dilated, confirming death beyond any doubt.

Her body still swayed slightly in the air, her head tilting back due to the broken neck, and her wide-open eyes had lost all luster.

Right off the bat with this intensity? "Criminal Archives" really is… as intense as always!

【In cases like this, it always feels like the perpetrator will pay a price. It’s hard to imagine what kind of situation would make someone so calm while committing murder.】

【First time seeing a hanging, even with some pixelation, it’s still terrifying. The swaying body… ugh!】

The live stream was flooded with frantic comments, as the scene was indeed horrifying.

Thankfully, the pixelation was thick enough, or there would have been countless viewers fleeing the stream.

Those who had casually commented during the live stream, saying it was easy and they could do it too, had now learned to keep their mouths shut.

Ye Sangsang did not leave right away but began cleaning up any potential evidence that could expose her, tidying up the scene.

This first victim piqued her curiosity about Zhong Jia.

Because Zhong Jia was not a psychopath.

If she wasn’t a psychopath, then there must have been a deep-rooted hatred or entanglement.

Ye Sangsang wondered what kind of grudge could drive someone to such lengths.

Unconsciously, Ye Sangsang had begun to think like an investigator, probing into the killer's motive.

However, two minutes later, Ye Sangsang had finished arranging the scene and was making her way out of the room.

After closing the window again, Ye Sangsang started her journey back.

The path she walked was only twelve centimeters wide, with a drop of at least sixty or seventy meters below. One wrong step and it would mean instant death, turning her into a pile of flesh and bones.

She walked step by step, and the live stream’s camera followed her perspective, scaring countless viewers out of their wits.

It was more thrilling than a roller coaster ride.

The fact that the protagonist had no safety measures in place only added to the tension.

When she finally reached the original window, both Ye Sangsang and the viewers exhaled a sigh of relief.

After cleaning off any dust that might have stuck to her, Ye Sangsang replaced her gloves with new ones.

The old gloves, shoe covers, and head covers were all stuffed into the pocket of the janitor's beige outerwear, to be disposed of later.

She didn’t return to her car because the hotel didn’t use shoe covers or head covers, only gloves.

If they were found in the cart, it would be suspicious.

Having organized everything, it took a total of twelve minutes.

Adding the cleaning time of over thirty minutes, it was roughly the amount of time a hotel janitor would spend cleaning a room.

She cleaned the room at the very end of the corridor, and after finishing, she pushed the cart to the room opposite the end of the corridor.

Following the same process, she spent around fifty minutes to an hour cleaning.

The entire process was exhausting, and Ye Sangsang could only selectively skip through the timeline.

Despite that, the physical fatigue was undeniable. She could sense that Zhong Jia, quite young, already had signs of strain and soreness from overwork.

The case was far from over. Hearing a knock at the door, she pushed her cart out.

The hotel provided wake-up services, especially for a new bride like her, who needed to be woken up in time for a quick wash.

When a phone call didn’t work, the hotel staff would knock on the door to wake the guest.

Ye Sangsang left her cart by the side when she noticed the person had already knocked about three times.

"Zheng Rong, still not awake?"

Her voice sounded slightly surprised.

No matter how deep her sleep, under these circumstances, she should have woken up by now.

Zheng Rong's expression had already turned impatient. "Last night she said she sleeps pretty heavy and asked me to call her multiple times. I thought, 'Aren’t you excited for your wedding?' But it seems like she really can’t wake up!"

Having to deal with this on top of a hectic workday was frustrating.

"Take it slow, we can’t force our way into the room," she sighed.

Zheng Rong continued knocking, her voice growing sharper.

At that moment, the makeup artist and the assistant carrying the wedding dress arrived. Others from the neighboring rooms, who were friends of the bride, also came out to check what was going on.

One of the friends frowned. "Don’t you have a master key? Just swipe it and go in to wake her up! If we delay the schedule, there’ll be no time to prepare everything!"

Others agreed, emphasizing the importance of the timeline. They needed to have breakfast and finish preparations before the ceremony. Waiting for the bride to wake up would throw everything off.

The pressure fell on Zheng Rong.

After some consideration, Zheng Rong looked at the friend who had spoken. "If I open the door, you can’t blame me for not asking for permission, alright?"

"Don’t worry! Yan Jiaojiao isn’t like that. Besides, it’s for her own good," the friend reassured.

Zheng Rong nodded, pulling out the key, though she was still hesitant.

Seeing Zheng Rong’s reluctance, the friend quickly grabbed the key and swiped it open.

The sound of the door unlocking echoed through the hallway.

Zheng Rong and Yan Jiaojiao’s friends stepped inside.

The bridal suite was a hotel suite, and one couldn’t immediately see the bathroom upon entry, as it was slightly further in.

The two went ahead first.

The makeup artist and the assistant carrying the wedding dress followed behind, and the other friends trailed behind them. Ye Sangsang brought up the rear.

Three seconds later, a sharp, terrified scream erupted inside the room.

Only then did Ye Sangsang enter, moving forward slightly but quickly getting pushed back due to the crowd inside, as people screamed and fled in panic.

Stepping back a few paces, she approached the window, unnoticed by everyone else, and locked it quickly.

The window was an old-fashioned one with a handle-style lock, and with swift action, it took only two seconds to secure.

After locking it, Ye Sangsang stepped forward to take a look, simultaneously removing her disposable gloves.

She acted as panicked as everyone else, reacting to the sight of Yan Jiaojiao hanging.

The entire room was in chaos, with everyone in a state of panic. After a while, someone finally pulled out their phone to call the police.

Ordinary people didn’t have the awareness to preserve the crime scene, and the commotion drew others from neighboring rooms, who came out to see what was happening, only to be blocked from leaving. The entire room was in utter disarray.

Ye Sangsang and the others were afraid to leave the room, and it was nearly five minutes before they finally stepped out into the hallway.

Standing there, Ye Sangsang immediately noticed the arriving police.

At the forefront was a young, cold-faced man.

At first glance, she felt a sense of danger emanating from him.

It seemed this case was going to be no easy feat…