Chapter 288: The Huantai Residential District

At the entrance of the Huantai Residential District, Wu Shanqiu glanced up at the residential building, which stood over twenty stories tall, and asked Qi Fei beside her, "Brother Fei, haven't we already spoken with Song Yun? Why do we need to come back to investigate them again?"

Qi Fei gave Wu Shanqiu a light tap on the back of her head. "You've been in this line of work long enough; how are you still so inexperienced when it comes to surveying a scene?"

Wu Shanqiu was stunned by the remark. "What did I do wrong?"

"Do you really believe this was just a random robbery and murder?" Qi Fei asked, with a hint of a test in his tone.

"Huh? Didn't we look at the surveillance footage together? Could that be fake?" Wu Shanqiu muttered.

"Did you actually look at the traces at the scene? Don't you think there are many suspicious aspects to this?"

"If you say there are, well... I suppose the surveillance camera was positioned a bit far from the incident site, so the faces of Ma Ziqiang and the perpetrator weren't very clear. Brother Fei, you said there were 'many' suspicious things, but I don't really get it." Wu Shanqiu looked eager to learn.

"The perpetrator attacked from the front," Qi Fei said.

"What?" Wu Shanqiu was still confused.

Qi Fei turned to look at her, analyzing seriously, "If it were a robbery, the primary goal would be to avoid being discovered by the target prematurely. If I were the perpetrator, I would definitely circle behind Ma Ziqiang to attack. But in the footage, the perpetrator rushed toward Ma Ziqiang from the front. Unless he knew in advance that Ma Ziqiang was already too drunk to resist. But he didn't follow Ma Ziqiang; he appeared from another direction. So, how did he know Ma Ziqiang was drunk?"

Wu Shanqiu pondered this. "Hearing you put it that way, you suspect this wasn't a random murder?"

"The problem is that it looks *too* random. There hasn't been a robbery on this road for years. This road is a key surveillance area, and there are signs posted everywhere. If the perpetrator's methods were professional, he couldn't have ignored such prominent warnings and chosen this specific place to commit the crime," Qi Fei continued, his expression growing more solemn. "The problem with this case is that it looks *too* 'random'—it's a kind of 'randomness' that was deliberately manufactured."

The elevator reached the 18th floor. Song Yun's fair but puffy face appeared at the doorway, and she politely invited them inside.

The apartment was well-decorated, though it showed its age. Despite this, it was kept very clean.

Song Yun had already prepared fruit and snacks on the coffee table—a full display of hospitality.

"Have you found the person who killed Old Ma?" Song Yun asked with concern.

"We are still investigating urgently." Qi Fei looked at Song Yun, asking as if it were a casual remark, "Was everyone else in your family home the night Ma Ziqiang had his accident?"

Song Yun nodded. "My father-in-law and mother-in-law are elderly. Usually, when Old Ma goes out for social engagements, I stay home to eat with them."

"Did you go out at all that night?" Qi Fei asked carefully.

"I have a habit of exercising at night. After cleaning up, I went out to take out the trash and went for a run. I got home a little after 9:00 PM and didn't go out again." Song Yun said. Seeing Qi Fei remain silent for a moment, she seemed to sense something amiss and asked in a low voice, "Why? Are you suspecting that I had something to do with Old Ma's death?"

"This is a routine investigation. We need to understand your alibi; don't be nervous," Qi Fei reassured her.

Song Yun picked up her phone from the coffee table and opened it for Qi Fei. "This is my running record from that night. If you need proof, I don't know if this counts."

Qi Fei looked at it carefully. It was a record from a fitness app, showing that Song Yun had set out from the Huantai Residential District at 8:20 PM, ran around the complex for forty minutes, and returned home at 9:00 PM.

At this moment, the father-in-law, who had been sitting on the side without speaking, suddenly chimed in: "I hadn't gone to sleep yet when Ah Yun came back. I can testify that she returned."

The old man seemed very eager to help Song Yun; it appeared that Song Yun had a very harmonious relationship with her in-laws.

"Old sir, it's fine. This complex has surveillance cameras; we will check them, and we won't wrong your daughter-in-law," Qi Fei said.

Only then did the old man feel at ease, muttering, "That's good. You police should be going to catch the person who harmed Ah Qiang." His tone showed quite a bit of dissatisfaction with Qi Fei for questioning Song Yun.

Wu Shanqiu, who was on the side, took a look at the room's layout. Seeing anti-collision strips on every corner of the furniture, she couldn't help but ask, "These are to prevent a child from bumping into them, right? How old is your son?"

A flash of surprise crossed Song Yun's eyes. "How did you know I had a son..."

"Oh, Fan Xin mentioned it," Qi Fei said immediately.

"He is studying at a university abroad. I told him his father had an accident, and he is rushing back," Song Yun said, her voice choking up. "My poor son, losing his father so early. I put these strips up when he was little. Although he's grown up and doesn't need them, my father-in-law and mother-in-law are elderly and prone to falling, so I thought it would be good to keep them, and I didn't take them down."

As Qi Fei and Wu Shanqiu were leaving, the door opposite suddenly opened. A woman of about Song Yun's age, carrying a bag, happened to walk out. Seeing Song Yun, she immediately asked with concern, "Are these friends here to offer condolences?"

Song Yun whispered, "Police."

The woman wasn't very surprised; it seemed she already knew about Ma Ziqiang's situation. She then walked into the elevator along with Qi Fei and the others.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, the woman asked curiously, "Have you caught the person who killed Old Ma?"

"We are still investigating," Qi Fei could only explain again, then immediately asked, "Are you very familiar with Ma Ziqiang's family?"

The woman replied without hesitation, "We've been neighbors for many years. Our two families are friends; Old Ma often came to my place for dinner. It's truly a pity; he was such a good person."

"It seems you have a good impression of him. What should I call you?"

"My name is Wu Weiwei."

"Ms. Wu, since you are friends, have you ever heard of anyone who had a conflict with him?"

Wu Weiwei widened her eyes slightly at this. "Huh? Isn't it said that he was killed during a robbery?"

"We can't draw a conclusion yet. We are still screening."

"Hmm..." Wu Weiwei seemed to fall into thought. After a few seconds, she muttered, "Old Ma was truly a wonderful person. I can't think of anyone who would have an issue with him."

"What about Song Yun?" Qi Fei pressed.

"Song Yun even more so. She really is a good wife. I often say she treats Old Ma too well," Wu Weiwei said sincerely.

At this moment, the elevator doors dinged open. They had reached the first floor. A man waiting outside brushed past them and walked into the elevator. Wu Weiwei didn't seem to recognize him, but as they left the elevator, the man pressed the button for the 18th floor.