章 5: On-site Investigation

Ding asked, "Has anyone else been here? What about the building's security? Any witnesses?"

Tadpole chimed in, "The firefighters must've been the first to arrive, but the fire didn't catch. The security guard called it in and stayed downstairs. I took his statement; he didn't know squat. But I sent someone to grab the CCTV footage from the last few months. Hopefully, we'll find something."

"Bruiser, where are you off to?" Bighead suddenly hollered at Wang Zhiyuan, who was heading upstairs. "Give me a hand here, will ya?"

Wang Zhiyuan frowned, clearly annoyed by the shouting. He paused, glanced back, and said, "I'm checking the bedroom."

Bighead looked puzzled. "How'd you know the bedroom's upstairs?"

Beanpole added, "He's right, the bedroom is upstairs."

Bighead was even more surprised.

Wang Zhiyuan explained, "In houses like this, the bedrooms are usually upstairs."

Bighead asked, "Isn't it stuffy living on the top floor?"

Beanpole chuckled, "Rich folks have the AC blasting 24/7. What's there to worry about?"

Bighead shook his head, about to call Wang Zhiyuan again, but noticed he'd vanished up the stairs. He turned to Ding and said, "Boss, something's off with Bruiser today."

Ding gave him a sidelong glance, "He gave you all the oranges, what more do you want?"

Bighead replied, "No, I mean… don't you think he's acting kinda… cold today?"

Tadpole butted in with a snicker, "When have you ever seen Bruiser all warm and fuzzy?"

"Shoo, grown-ups are talking," Bighead retorted. "I feel like something's bugging him. He used to be quiet, but he'd listen. Now he's giving me the cold shoulder. Did I tick him off or something?"

Ding said, "I told you to stop messing with him. You always have him running errands for you, taking advantage. Guess he's had enough."

"I give him rides to and from work every day. It's give and take," Bighead muttered.

"Alright, alright. I'll have a word with him later. Right now, we need to find out who offed Zhou Zhaotao," Ding said. "No matter what he did, it's for the courts to decide, not for someone to take the law into their own hands."

Bighead said, "Isn't this like taking out the trash for the people?"

Ding replied, "Bighead, that's some dangerous thinking. Cut it out! We don't do vigilante justice. If everyone took matters into their own hands, what would we be here for? What about the law? We live by the rule of law. A life is a life. Whether Zhou Zhaotao deserved to die isn't for us or the killer to decide, it's for the law. Even if he was sentenced to death, it would be because his crimes were proven."

Tadpole, sensing the tension, quickly said, "Boss, Bighead's just got a big mouth. He didn't mean it. Let's get back to work. This is a big case; we're in for some long nights."

Bighead carefully stepped over the debris and headed for the stairs, "I'm going upstairs to find Bruiser."

Wang Zhiyuan, upstairs, put on gloves that Bighead had stuffed in his pocket earlier. He opened the wardrobe, sifted through the crisp suits, and swiftly punched in a code on a hidden safe.

The safe beeped and popped open.

A small orange light flickered inside. There was 150,000 in cash, just as he remembered. The only thing missing was a USB drive that hadn't been there for long.

Maybe the history in his mind had deviated for some reason, but some things remained unchanged.

He reached in to grab a stack of cash to pocket. The money in the safe was his petty cash, and no one knew the exact amount. But as he grabbed it, he realized he didn't have a bag. Stuffing 10,000 in his pocket would be too obvious. Taking too little would be pointless.

As he hesitated, footsteps came up the stairs, followed by Bighead's booming voice, "Find anything?"

"There's a safe," Wang Zhiyuan nonchalantly pulled his hand back, "with a bunch of cash."

Bighead perked up, "Any secret documents?"

Wang Zhiyuan said, "The safe was open. If there were, they're probably gone by now." He had enough time to close the safe, but he left it open to divert the cops' attention.

Bighead came over, peered into the safe, and said, "I'll grab some tools to check for fingerprints."

Once Bighead left, Wang Zhiyuan quickly opened the nightstand. He had started keeping a diary, feeling life was slipping away too fast. He'd write about anything, even what he had for breakfast. But now, the lock was gone and so were the diaries.

Bighead returned quickly. Wang Zhiyuan said, "Something's missing here too."

Bighead took a look and said, "Alright, I'll check for prints."

Wang Zhiyuan headed out.

Bighead, about to reach into the wardrobe, saw him leaving and said, "You're just gonna leave?"

Wang Zhiyuan replied, "I'm checking the study."

Bighead asked, "Did you check everywhere else?"

"Isn't that what you're here for?" Wang Zhiyuan casually headed downstairs.

"Geez, what's with you…" Bighead muttered.

Downstairs, Tadpole was holding a box of tapes, "I'm heading back to check the CCTV footage. Call me if you need anything, boss."

Ding said, "Take Beanpole with you. Check if the coroner has any news. I need to figure out how the killer lured Zhou Zhaotao into the living room."

Tadpole suggested, "Maybe Zhou Zhaotao had a routine, like catching some sun here at 8 AM?"

Ding shook his head, "Too unpredictable. Breakfast or exercise would be more likely."

Tadpole countered, "He had a gym, and the dining table is far from the living room. Neither seems likely." She added, "You keep thinking, boss. Beanpole and I are out."

"Go ahead," Ding said, deep in thought.

"The phone," Wang Zhiyuan, standing by the stairs, suddenly blurted out.

Ding snapped his fingers, "Exactly, the landline! Check the other rooms for phones."

Wang Zhiyuan didn't need to check. He hated ringing phones and only had one in the living room. Few people knew the number, but one of them was crucial.

He did a quick sweep of the rooms and reported, "None."

Ding ordered, "Call the phone company. Check if he had a landline and if so, get the call records."

Wang Zhiyuan nodded, moved to a corner, and dialed the phone company.

After a bit, he came back and said, "The phone company won't give me the info."

Ding gave him a weird look, "Go to the phone company and check. Show them your badge. Make it snappy."

Wang Zhiyuan hurried out, trying to hide the flash of embarrassment and unease on his face. He was here investigating a death, but he still subconsciously saw himself as Zhou Zhaotao, looking at the case through his eyes. He couldn't adjust to being a cop – maybe he never would.

Right now, he wasn't thinking about the future. All he wanted was to make the person who did this pay, and pay dearly.

Just like in his past life.

He didn't have high hopes for the police catching the killer. In his past life, his apartment was bombed at the same time and place, and the police never found the suspect. The only difference was that in his past life, he got a call early in the morning from an old mob contact, which saved him from the explosion. He considered the man introduced to him that day, Li Xingchen, his lucky star and supported him. But it turned out Li was an undercover cop who eventually brought him down. The police never found out.

These events made him skeptical of the police solving the case. To get revenge, he had to take matters into his own hands. But now, with Li Xingchen nowhere to be found, his plans and hopes were in disarray. Zhou Zhaotao's life was cut short by three years. Did that mean the other man's fate had changed too?

The road to revenge seemed even more treacherous now.