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After verifying at the internet café, it was confirmed that Jingang was not lying. This left only two possibilities: either Wang Fan did not return to the dormitory after leaving the internet café, or Zheng Kai was lying.
Captain Xing took out his phone and called Gaya Ze to inquire about Wang Fan's time of death. Gaya Ze stated that his time of death was around five or six in the morning, but the specific Autopsy Report would take some time to be ready.
“How is it?”
Captain Xing sighed and said, “His time of death was around five or six in the morning, but this does not prove whether Zheng Kai is lying. The most important thing is that we have no way of knowing where he went after leaving the internet café. Did he encounter the Killer right after going out and then get killed?”
Everyone fell into silence.
After a while, Captain Xing said, “It seems necessary to visit Zheng Kai again.”
“Alright, you all go back! I will talk to Zheng Kai alone.”
“Is Captain Xing suspecting that Zheng Kai is lying?”
He waved his hand, signaling them to go back and rest. They had indeed been busy all afternoon and were a bit tired, so they bid farewell to Captain Xing and returned to rest. Since Jiang Jie was going to stay with Su Jin'er, he went back with them, leaving Captain Xing standing alone at the school gate in a daze.
Once their figures disappeared into the night, Captain Xing lit a cigarette and took a slow puff before heading toward the guard station. Ma Wen was sitting alone in the guard room, engrossed in a book. He was so focused that he didn't notice Captain Xing entering until Captain Xing stood in front of him and blocked the light, prompting him to look up.
Captain Xing smiled at him and said, “You must be new here?”
“Yes, I've been here for almost two weeks.”
“Is work going smoothly?”
“Yes, I really enjoy this job.”
Noticing that he was holding a book on Pathology, Captain Xing asked, “Do you like reading?”
"Well, because I can't study at school like them, I really cherish this job. I can read books when there's nothing to do, and the library here allows me to borrow books."
"Why can't you study?"
Ma Wen smiled shyly, putting down the book in his hands. "Because my family is very poor. I have a younger sister who also loves going to school, but my family can only afford one student. So I came out to work to earn tuition for my sister. I had looked for a job as a school gatekeeper before, but they wouldn't let me borrow books from the library, saying what kind of books does a gatekeeper read? So I switched jobs again and again until I finally found one that lets me work and read."
Ma Wen's eyes were filled with joy; he really seemed to love this job.
"Since you like it, you should cherish it," Captain Xing said as he threw away his cigarette butt and then asked, "Who was on duty last night?"
"That would be me! I've been on duty these past few nights."
"Did any students come in or out around four or five this morning?"
Ma Wen thought for a moment and said, "There weren't any comings or goings, but around four-thirty, there was a boy who looked like a student loitering at the school gate. I was going to ask him what he was doing, but he didn't seem like he wanted to come in, so I didn't ask."
"Was he alone?"
"Yes, he looked anxious, smoking continuously as if he was waiting for someone. After about ten minutes, he received a phone call and then left."
"Which direction did he go?"
"He went towards the small grove."
Wang Fan went to the small grove. Could it be that he was attacked there? But that didn't make sense! The victim's limbs and head had been severed; logically, there should have been a lot of blood spilled. However, there were no significant blood traces at the scene—one could even say there were no blood traces at all. Strangely enough, it seemed too rushed for the Killer to complete this series of actions in five or six hours. To accomplish everything, the crime scene and the dumping location should not be far apart.
"Did you see anyone else after that?"
"No, but he hasn't come out since he went into the small grove. At that time, I thought maybe he came back late and climbed over the wall to go to school because he was afraid I wouldn't open the door. However, I went to check the small grove and found no signs of anyone climbing over."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, because I value this job very much and don't want to lose it due to my negligence."
Captain Xing nodded, then said goodbye and left.
It was almost ten-thirty, and the dormitory was about to lock up. He walked to the back of the library and then slowly made his way back.
Just then, he saw Zheng Kai hurriedly running over from the direction of the dormitory, holding something in his arms. He quickly hid in the darkness, watching as Zheng Kai ran past him before immediately giving chase. Zheng Kai jogged out of the school and headed toward the small grove.
What could he be doing in the small grove at this hour? Could Wang Fan's death really be related to him?
He immediately followed after him.
Zheng Kai seemed very frightened, glancing back as he ran. To avoid being noticed, Captain Xing moved slowly, keeping him within his line of sight.
Zheng Kai ran deep into the small grove before finally stopping. Captain Xing hid behind a large tree and quietly watched him. To his surprise, this was exactly where Wang Fan's body had been discovered.
Zheng Kai picked up a branch from the ground and began digging vigorously, seemingly trying to bury whatever he was holding in his arms. Due to the darkness, he couldn't see what it was.
Captain Xing slowly approached and suddenly grabbed what Zheng Kai had just placed on the ground.
"Ah... who are you?"
Neither of them had flashlights, and with the grove being so dark, they couldn't see each other at all.
"What are you doing?" Captain Xing deliberately lowered his voice.
"I'm not doing anything. Why are you following me?"
Although he was very scared, he tried hard to remain calm to avoid panicking.
Captain Xing took out his phone and turned on the flashlight, finally revealing what he was holding: a white shirt soaked in blood, almost entirely stained red, making it difficult to discern its original color.
"What is this?"
"I... I don't know." Zheng Kai nearly fell to the ground upon realizing that it was Captain Xing, who had just questioned him.
"Then why do you have this? Whose blood is on it?"
"I... I really don't know. After you all left, I intended to change clothes, take a shower, and go to sleep, but I found this shirt in my closet. I was terrified. I don’t know who put it there, but with so much blood, I was completely stunned. I just wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, so I ran out in a panic."
"Do you know that Wang Fan is dead?"
Zheng Kai truly crouched down this time, his face turning pale. "He’s dead? When?"
"We discovered his body this afternoon."
Zheng Kai seemed still in shock, sitting blankly on the ground. After a long while, his gaze fell on the bloody shirt in Captain Xing's hand, and he trembled as he asked, "Is the blood on it his?"
"We don't know yet, but you need to come back to the police station with me."
Upon hearing Captain Xing's words, Zheng Kai seemed to calm down a bit. He stood up and brushed off the leaves from his clothes. "Okay, but can you promise me one condition?"
"You speak."
"Please keep this matter confidential for me. Don't let my classmates know. I didn't kill anyone, and I believe you will be able to clear my name, but I don't want this to reach my parents."
Captain Xing nodded and then took him and the bloody shirt back to his car.
Throughout the journey, Zheng Kai remained quiet. Unlike others who would incessantly claim their innocence, he simply stared out the window. However, Captain Xing could tell that he was very nervous; his hands were tightly gripping his clothes, as if he were trying hard to control his emotions.
Upon returning to the police station, Captain Xing immediately handed the bloody shirt over to the forensic department for testing and took Zheng Kai to his office. He was almost certain that Zheng Kai was not the one who killed Wang Fan. Zheng Kai sat on the sofa, trembling all over, his lips turning purple, appearing very cold.
Captain Xing poured a cup of hot water and handed it to him. After taking a slow sip, Zheng Kai stopped shaking, and the color of his lips gradually returned.
Once his emotions stabilized, Captain Xing asked, "Now tell me! What exactly happened?"
Although he was already convinced that Zheng Kai was not the killer, he couldn't let him feel too relaxed.
Zheng Kai put down the cup and said with a voice still trembling, "After you left, I felt puzzled. I sat there thinking about why you came to ask about Wang Fan when you had been investigating Hao Hongtao all along. I found it strange and wondered if something had happened to Wang Fan. But after thinking for a long time, I couldn't figure it out, so I decided to take a shower and go to bed. When I opened my closet to get my clothes, that bloody shirt fell out. I was confused and picked it up, thinking someone was playing a prank by smearing paint on my clothes to scare me. But when I realized that the red substance wasn't paint but real blood, I was terrified. Initially, I wanted to ask Tian Qing who put it there, but then I suddenly thought that people might misunderstand and think I was the murderer. So scenes from movies I'd seen about hiding bloody clothes and weapons after a murder started flashing in my mind. I panicked and ran out with the bloody shirt. You know what happened next."
Zheng Kai struggled to finish speaking and then took a large gulp of water, his lips still trembling in fear.
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