Chapter 31: It Was Me Who Killed Her!

In the conference room.

Lu Zhongxin finished his boxed meal in just five minutes.

Wiping his mouth, he opened the inspection report and began reading.

Two more minutes passed; he put down the report and looked at Yu Dazhang:

“I understand what you mean. With this, Kong Lingjie can’t deny it.”

Lu Zhongxin had been a detective for over a decade; his experience was still invaluable.

He could tell the case was becoming increasingly clear.

This inspection report is physical evidence that directly proves the rented apartment was not the primary crime scene.

Using activated charcoal to treat the corpse, then cleaning it all up afterward—clearly an attempt to fabricate the scene.

Another possibility: Zhang Yan’s body was cleaned before being moved to the rented apartment, and this scenario better matches the scene.

If the cleaning happened in the rented apartment, traces would inevitably remain, impossible to miss during the technical team’s inspection.

“Can we wrap it up today?” Yu Dazhang asked.

“No problem,” Lu Zhongxin replied confidently:

“He’s already cornered. With this ironclad evidence, he won’t hold out.”

If previous interrogations had been a war of attrition, Lu Zhongxin was now ready to launch a full-scale offensive.

The evidence was his most powerful weapon.

“If possible, try to get him to reveal clues about the primary crime scene,” Yu Dazhang said, his expression anxious:

“I’m afraid if we wait too long, the scene will be destroyed—then even if we find it, it’ll be meaningless.”

Though he knew this possibility was extremely slim—even that Kong Lingjie didn’t know where the primary crime scene was—Yu Dazhang still wanted to try.

What if?

Who can say what luck might bring?

Around five p.m., the interrogation made a breakthrough.

Kong Lingjie broke.

Faced with ironclad evidence, he could no longer lie—even his best acting couldn’t withstand the cruelty of reality.

Under Lu Zhongxin’s relentless pressure, his emotions collapsed.

“It was me! I killed her! I killed her!!”

Sitting in the interrogation chair, Kong Lingjie violently shook his handcuffs, the chains clanging incessantly, his entire body teetering on the edge of losing control.

“I’m a bachelor. When I saw a young, pretty female student, I got lustful. I tried to assault her, she resisted fiercely, and then…”

“Then… then I…”

His voice grew quieter; his head sank lower.

“Keep going. Keep making it up,” Lu Zhongxin pressed without letting up:

“Did you strangle her? Then hide in a nearby motel? Was this confession taught to you by someone?!”

As if struck by a hidden secret, Kong Lingjie’s body jerked violently, his face as pale as paper, trembling uncontrollably.

When he raised his head again, his eyes were bloodshot, like a wounded beast, roaring fiercely:

“Lies! You’re lying!! No one taught me! I killed her, I did it—why drag others into this?!”

There’s a flaw!

Lu Zhongxin frowned, his eyes locked on Kong Lingjie, asking rapidly:

“Who is this ‘other person’?”

“He… he’s…” Kong Lingjie immediately realized his mistake and clamped his mouth shut.

But he still maintained eye contact with Lu Zhongxin, his demeanor unchanged.

From then on, no matter what Lu Zhongxin asked, he refused to speak again.

At this moment, Yu Dazhang sat in front of his computer, watching the surveillance footage.

Seeing Kong Lingjie’s stubborn, unyielding expression, he sighed helplessly:

“We didn’t get anything out of him.”

Although Kong Lingjie had broken down emotionally, Yu Dazhang saw a stubborn resolve in his eyes.

It was clear he wouldn’t confess anything further.

But it didn’t matter—the goal had been achieved. At least now they could confirm Kong Lingjie was taking the blame for someone else.

This wasn’t speculation anymore—it was fact.

Now that this was confirmed, the next steps would proceed smoothly, and no one would question their direction.

Future interrogations with Kong Lingjie would no longer involve acting—this performance was over.

At this point in the case, the famous lawyer from his past life never even got a chance to appear.

Even if he did appear, it would only be to defend the real killer.

Yu Dazhang felt a wave of relief, and his stomach growled loudly twice.

Ah, hungry again~

Early the next morning, the special task force held a meeting in the conference room.

Since everyone was working separately, they used the morning to review each team’s progress from yesterday.

Lu Zhongxin’s progress was already known to Yu Dazhang.

Qian Cheng had spent the entire afternoon at the forensic center; the reply was that the final results would take at least two days.

Do you think autopsy means just dissecting the corpse and studying the organs?

If that were all, it could be done in over an hour.

Real autopsy is only the first step: dissection.

Histological examination, toxicology tests—these all take time.

If pathological sections are needed, the process can stretch to about a month.

So two days for final results? That’s already expedited.

Yu Dazhang could only wait, no matter how impatient he was.

Please... collect... 6...9...books...!

After Qian Cheng finished his report, Yu Dazhang turned to the two officers investigating Zhang Yan’s social circle:

“How’s the investigation into the victim’s social relationships going?”

One of them immediately replied:

“Zhang Yan’s social circle was very transparent—she only interacted with teachers and classmates, almost no other social contact.”

That’s like not investigating at all… Yu Dazhang thought for a moment, then asked:

“No special relationships at all? Close same-sex friends? Opposite-sex crushes? Nothing?”

He had seen photos of Zhang Yan from before her death; in modern internet terms, she was “hot.”

Add to that her youthful age and naturally beautiful, unmade-up face.

She embodied “youthful invincibility.”

Yu Dazhang didn’t believe a girl like this had no male admirers.

Especially on campus, compared to other girls with average looks, her uniqueness stood out even more.

Hormones make men naturally drawn to beautiful girls—it’s not something willpower can control.

And there are always a few bold ones who act on it.

Seeing Yu Dazhang’s tone turn sharp, the other officer quickly replied:

“There were a few suitors. According to Zhang Yan’s classmates, several boys in her class gave her love letters, but nothing came of it.”

“But a boy from the next class, Zhou Yewei, has been getting close to her recently.”

Yu Dazhang’s temper flared—he’d been forced to ask.

What, are rookie cops too weak to manage you?

“Then why didn’t you mention it earlier?” Yu Dazhang’s face darkened.

“Because he has no motive,” the officer hurried to explain:

“We investigated his class. Zhou Yewei really did have feelings for Zhang Yan.”

“There was some romantic tension.”

“But their homes are in opposite directions, and every day after school, he went home with classmates.”

“On the day Zhang Yan disappeared, he went home with classmates too—others can confirm it.”

“So he had no opportunity to commit the crime.”

His meaning was clear: we didn’t withhold it—we just thought it was useless.

Yu Dazhang didn’t agree. In his view, no clue, however small, could be ignored.

Same as before.

What if?

“Reinvestigate,” Yu Dazhang glared at them:

“From now on, no matter what you find—even if a boy bought her an ice pop—write it all down and report it to me. Understood?”

Like scolding a son… Both nodded quickly:

“Got it, got it.”

Finally, Yu Dazhang turned to the two officers investigating Kong Lingjie.

One of them immediately straightened his back, his eyes gleaming:

“We’ve made a major discovery—Kong Lingjie still has a relative…”

“Wait a minute!” Yu Dazhang scratched his ear:

“Say that again.”

(End of chapter)