[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-221":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328989,4554,"Chapter 221: Conspiracy","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-221",221,"\u003Cp>The police quickly launched a new round of interrogations targeting the few individuals who had attended the gathering with Zhang Qizhi that night, and soon obtained critical information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A total of ten people participated in the gathering that night; six were outsiders meeting Zhang Qizhi for the first time, while the remaining three were familiar faces from Zizhen. After careful questioning, one participant recalled that Zhang Qizhi had left the table for an extended period—though the exact time could not be pinpointed, he estimated it lasted at least ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered that Zhang Qizhi had left just as he had filled his two-liang wine pitcher, and when he returned to the table, his cup was already empty. Given his normal drinking pace, that interval was far from short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten minutes?” Gu Changzheng silently calculated: if Zhang Qizhi started from the third-floor private room, climbed the fire escape to the eighth-floor rooftop, passing five floors with twenty-six steps each and intermediate landings, it would take fifteen seconds per floor at a normal pace. Assuming Zhang Qizhi was exceptionally fit, ascending five floors would take only seventy-five seconds—just one minute and fifteen seconds. Descending was faster, roughly thirteen seconds per floor, totaling about one minute. If he hurried, he could compress the entire ascent and descent into two minutes, leaving almost no time remaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this witness clearly stated that Zhang Qizhi’s absence lasted approximately ten minutes—including the time he “accidentally” encountered Lou Zhen on the seventh floor, persuaded her to join him on the rooftop, and then used Peyote to poison her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng frowned, thinking this timeline was nearly impossible, especially since each floor’s iron door had to be opened individually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!” he suddenly realized. Chen Junyang had mentioned that he and Lou Zhen had arranged for her to take the elevator to the eighth floor, then descend via the fire escape to the seventh. As a first-time guest at Tianyang Hotel, Chen Junyang shouldn’t have known the fire escape had iron doors—yet Lou Zhen passed through them smoothly. This meant either the iron doors on the fire escape that night were all left open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng’s expression turned icy, and he let out a cold laugh. “So that’s it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly a premeditated group crime—the culprit was not one person, but a team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, the fog that had clouded his mind dissolved like a breeze, revealing every clue with startling clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind Zhang Qizhi’s seemingly innocent face might lie a hidden secret; Xiao Hai’s usual behavior now seemed increasingly suspicious; even Huang Li, always perceived as gentle and frail, might have been involved in this complex case as part of the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing these suspects, the seasoned police captain Gu Changzheng, after careful deliberation, decided to begin interrogation with Huang Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, based on current evidence, Huang Li’s level of involvement in the crime appeared relatively minor compared to the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was likely she had merely provided the crucial keys, so her culpability was not severe. Gu Changzheng believed she was more likely to confess under interrogation pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the police returned, Huang Li’s reaction was clearly abnormal—she looked panicked, her body trembling slightly, like a startled fawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially upon learning the meeting would take place at the Public Security Bureau, she grew restless, filled with fear and unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the interrogation room, Huang Li kept her head bowed, refusing to meet the officer’s gaze. Perhaps only this way could her chaotic heart find a sliver of comfort, a pitiful sense of safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei, seated across the table, fixed his sharp gaze on the visibly agitated woman. His expression grave and stern, he spoke: “Huang Li. Regarding the murder of Lou Zhen, we know you didn’t play a major role. But if you truthfully reveal what happened, you still have a chance to save yourself and earn leniency.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Li’s body jerked visibly; she lowered her head further. Luo Fei snapped: “What? Are you still trying to cover for someone?” He meant Zhang Qizhi. Huang Li trembled harder, then burst into sobs—“Wah!”—but this time her crying was less theatrical; the raw fear and helplessness in her voice struck Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei moved to interrupt, but Gu Changzheng waved him off. After a moment, Huang Li’s crying subsided. Gu Changzheng handed her several tissues. “I know you didn’t kill Lou Zhen. Tell us exactly what happened that night—this is your chance to save yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Li wiped her tears and said: “Officer, I confess. I’ll tell you everything. That day, I knew that woman was coming. I gave Zhang Qizhi the hotel room info for her lover. He said his stepmother kept sneaking out behind his father’s back, and he wanted to punish them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Zhang Qizhi tell you how he planned to punish them?” Gu Changzheng asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, he didn’t say. He just told me to follow his instructions. At nearly six p.m., he told me to open the iron doors between the seventh and eighth floors, and the one leading to the rooftop. Half an hour later, he told me to open all the iron doors from the third to the seventh floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you ask why he wanted that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. He told me to just do it, so I didn’t ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you know which guest in the hotel was the one meeting Lou Zhen? Did you know him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Li said: “I knew him. Zhang Qizhi showed me his photo. That afternoon—the same day the woman jumped—he called me and told me to check the guest information for Room 714. I made an excuse and checked the ID registration at the front desk—it was him. I asked how he knew he was in 714. Zhang Qizhi told me not to ask. He just told me to find an excuse to go to his room and put… put…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei noticed her hesitation. “Put what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng grew alert. Could Zhang Qizhi have ordered her to place Peyote? But that didn’t make sense—if it were Peyote, Chen Junyang should’ve been poisoned too. Clearly, what Huang Li placed wasn’t Peyote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressed by Luo Fei, Huang Li blurted out: “Camera! A pinhole camera! He—he said this was the punishment. He wanted to secretly film them… doing it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng smiled. “I see. No wonder Zhang Qizhi knew exactly when Lou Zhen would emerge—he could ‘accidentally’ meet her at the perfect moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1075,"2026-06-20T19:35:31.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e56a1c3d9bfc629153f6815ddedaa4c6186762e626d30cb154afa3ce98b13a29","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-222","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-220",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]