Chapter 202

When Ma Jian mentioned "a prison sentence of less than three years," Ceng Ceng Lisi visibly reignited her hope, a look of excitement and joy appearing on her face.

After Ma Jian finished speaking, she fell silent for a moment, then asked again:

"What if someone falsely accuses another of murder—what's the punishment?"

Is there even such a charge? Ma Jian was momentarily speechless.

Why does this feel so odd… Yu Dazhang, watching the surveillance footage, couldn't help frowning.

Who's interrogating whom here~

She just won't stop asking.

This is an interrogation room, not a legal literacy class.

Besides, what crime did you actually commit?

One minute it's attempted intentional murder, the next it's falsely accusing someone of murder…

The charges are stranger and stranger.

In dialect: This woman doesn't seem like a good person~

"You mean the crime of false accusation and framing," Ma Jian said, snapping out of his brief daze.

Upon hearing this, Ceng Ceng Lisi immediately nodded:

"Yes, that's the one—how is it punished?"

"Well…" It was clear Ma Jian didn't want to answer.

But Ceng Ceng Lisi gave him a certain feeling.

If he answered her question, she would confess—so Ma Jian thought for a moment and said:

"For serious circumstances, up to three years' imprisonment, detention, or surveillance; for particularly serious cases, three to ten years."

"Are you sure?" Ceng Ceng Lisi asked again.

"Of course." Ma Jian nodded.

The interrogation room fell silent.

Seeing Ceng Ceng Lisi lost in thought, Ma Jian knew she was struggling internally, so he didn't interrupt her.

After about a minute, Ceng Ceng Lisi muttered to herself:

"This is framing—yes, definitely framing."

She looked up at Ma Jian:

"If I voluntarily confess and expose others, will that lead to a lighter sentence?"

"Correct." Ma Jian nodded:

"We'll record all of this."

He dared not promise anything, since sentencing was decided by the court.

But the court would consider meritorious conduct as a statutory mitigating factor before sentencing.

"Then that's settled."

Ceng Ceng Lisi seemed to have made up her mind, her expression now much calmer:

"I'll confess—everything."

She took a deep breath and spoke rapidly:

"Liu Qi hired me to get close to Liu Siyuan."

"Back at Cambridge, I met her a few times—we knew each other and exchanged contact information."

"Last mid-May, she suddenly called me with a proposition."

"The deal was: stay by her brother's side, perform long-term hypnosis, and in return I'd receive all of Liu Siyuan's fixed assets."

Ceng Ceng Lisi spoke so quickly that the officer taking notes struggled to keep up.

But Yu Dazhang wasn't surprised by her words.

When he first learned she and Liu Qi were alumni, he had already made this inference.

Hiring an outsider to collude and seize Liu Siyuan's wealth wasn't unusual in elite circles.

Using hypnosis was just a more sophisticated version of the beauty trap.

Yu Dazhang simply hadn't expected Liu Qi to be so extravagant—offering all fixed assets to Ceng Ceng Lisi.

That was a massive fortune!

Just the standalone villa in Hongkou District, Haikou City, was worth at least tens of millions.

And that was only one asset—total value easily exceeded one hundred million.

Yu Dazhang suddenly remembered a street interview he'd seen online in his past life.

Tsinghua admission letter or one hundred million—which would you choose?

Clearly, before such a fortune, not even Tsinghua mattered—Ceng Ceng Lisi had torn up her Cambridge diploma.

But there's a flaw here!

Yu Dazhang picked up the microphone beside his computer:

"Ask her how she was certain Liu Qi wouldn't renege."

Ma Jian in the interrogation room heard this and looked at Ceng Ceng Lisi:

"Have you considered what happens if Liu Qi doesn't honor her promise afterward?"

This was indeed a critical point.

Such a vast fortune—no one would easily let go. Even if Liu Qi sincerely intended to give it when making the promise, over time, it was hard to guarantee she wouldn't change her mind.

People change.

"She won't." Ceng Ceng Lisi answered with certainty:

"She dare not refuse, because our cooperation is illicit—if she fails to fulfill her promise, I can expose her at any time."

Ma Jian quickly caught the key point in her words and followed up:

"Then spell out exactly what your cooperation entails, and what you hypnotized Liu Siyuan into doing?"

This was exactly what Yu Dazhang most wanted to know.

Seeing Ma Jian ask, he immediately focused his attention, fixing his gaze on Ceng Ceng Lisi on the surveillance screen.

"Two years of preparation: I'm responsible for hypnotizing Liu Siyuan and altering his memories so he believes Liu Zhengyang was killed by him."

Ceng Ceng Lisi spoke concisely and clearly, her meaning unambiguous.

In another room, Yu Dazhang rose abruptly upon hearing this, his heart pounding violently.

Every single detail matches perfectly!

At this moment, the question that had haunted him finally found its answer.

If everything was already flawless, why did Liu Qi insist on filing a report?

Yu Dazhang had even considered that she was showing off her intelligence.

So…

Liu Qi wanted to use this case to eliminate her own younger brother!

She was the mastermind, Ceng Ceng Lisi the executor, the butler the announcer, and Liu Siyuan the final performer…

It was brilliant—so brilliant that Yu Dazhang couldn't bear to look.

Why would she do this?

If it were for money, Liu Qi shouldn't have gone this far.

According to the investigation, Liu Qi had no bad habits.

She didn't use drugs, didn't gamble, and rarely bought luxury goods.

Would a woman like this kill her own father and harm her own brother for money?

There's no reason!

Could she secretly be keeping a male lover, undiscovered?

No.

Liu Qi is only 28, with exceptional looks and poise—such a woman would have no shortage of suitors.

Besides, even keeping a male lover wouldn't cost much.

With her intelligence, no man could swindle her out of money.

Inside the interrogation room.

Ma Jian continued:

"Why take two years to prepare?"

Even he thought the time was too long.

Upon hearing this question, Ceng Ceng Lisi's face showed confusion:

"Didn't the person who lifted my hypnosis tell you?"

"To fully alter a person's memories requires prolonged, sustained induction while near the subject."

"Two years is the safest timeframe."

"Once Liu Siyuan is imprisoned, he'll have no contact with the outside world, so his memories must be made irreversible."

Ye Zhiyu never mentioned this… Yu Dazhang recalled—he'd never said anything like it.

Two possibilities:

1. To Ye Zhiyu, this was common knowledge, so there was no need to mention it.

2. For him, fully altering someone's memories requires no such length of time.

Yu Dazhang believed the second possibility was more likely.

That man's talent in hypnosis was evident even to an outsider like him.

(End of Chapter)