Chapter Sixty-Four: Xiao Li Sets the Stage

The riverbank was desolate, a cool breeze brushing against our faces, sending a chill through the air. The wind bent the grass low, and within that tangled patch, a solitary figure flickered in and out of sight. Proud, stubborn, and yet so frail—a cigarette clamped between his lips, enshrouded in thick smoke, lost in contemplation.

His clothes were soaked through; standing by the wind-swept river, one wondered whether he felt the cold in his body. Perhaps, for him, the chill within was the only true cold.

We rushed toward him. It was Old Lin.

Seeing us approach, Old Lin waved his hand in greeting.

Li Hong hurriedly asked, "Are you alright, Old Lin?"

Old Lin waved off his concern. "I'm fine."

"Damn," Li Hong snarled, glaring at the surging river, "I can't believe he actually tried to harm you."

Old Lin replied, "He didn't."

"Oh?" Li Hong glanced at Old Mo in confusion. "Wasn't he trying to... Why did the car end up in the river?"

Old Lin said, "He's still in there."

Li Hong was shocked, about to jump in and rescue Xiao Li.

Old Lin shook his head. "It's too late. He's already dead."

"Dead? Drowned?"

Old Lin nodded.

I noticed Old Lin still held a phone and asked if it was broken. He said it wasn't; it still worked. I wondered why we couldn't reach him by call.

Old Lin sighed. "I didn't want you to find me so quickly. But you still found me fast."

With that, he tossed the phone into the water.

Had we arrived sooner, we might have rescued Xiao Li. Old Mo was furious; he wanted to torment someone to death, so he chose this method.

In truth, we had long suspected Xiao Li. From the moment we arrived, he was on our list of suspects.

All credit belonged to Tang Jingjing, who seemed insignificant and only good for running errands.

Xiao Li was oblivious to Tang Jingjing's "special ability." When we first arrived, she mentioned she detected a familiar scent on the victim—a scent belonging to Xiao Li!

We harbored suspicion, but to avoid alerting him, we showed no sign. Tang Jingjing herself wasn't certain it was Xiao Li. This alone wasn't enough to name the killer.

Xiao Li was clever, knowing we were experienced investigators who wouldn't rest until the murderer was caught. He knew he'd be discovered eventually.

So, he tried to present us with a "culprit."

At first, he wanted to frame Lai San'er, so he told us the story about the abandoned house, prompting us to investigate. We would have found the place eventually, but Xiao Li couldn't wait.

Later, one night, he reported strange phenomena at the abandoned house, claiming voices were heard inside. When we arrived, we found the victim's clothing and dress, leading us directly to Lai San'er.

Of course, such crucial evidence was likely planted by Xiao Li. To avoid suspicion, he let the station chief's mother take the blame.

It all seemed foolproof, but he overlooked an important detail: although the evidence pointed to Lai San'er, we weren't ordinary police—we had more factors to consider. Lai San'er simply lacked the means to commit the crime.

Once we ruled him out, I could imagine Xiao Li's frustration.

Quickly, he shifted his target to another: the station chief.

Lai San'er, in detention, swore it was the chief, so Xiao Li went all in, fabricating more evidence.

This time, he succeeded, using the chief's disappointing son to pull the chief down. I suspected the chief was now sobbing in the restroom.

To avoid suspicion, Xiao Li even praised the chief to us. But really, who had ever seen such camaraderie between chief and officers? It was clearly a case of "the guilty protest too much."

He went so far as to murder Lai San'er to make us suspect the chief was covering his tracks, then killed an innocent little girl, further convincing us the chief was silencing witnesses.

The chief and Huang Miaomiao, though harsh, didn't seem the type for such deeds. Both appeared satisfied with their current status and unlikely to commit murder.

Xiao Li, however, was different. His eyes brimmed with mystery and disdain, the most dangerous kind. Perhaps murder was nothing to him.

After arresting the chief, we knew Xiao Li would relax, creating more false evidence to frame the director. So, we set a trap, waiting for him to take the bait.

The diary was actually planted by Li Hong in advance. It seemed to record something important, so when Xiao Li saw it, he'd panic. But in truth, it was just blank pages. That was why Old Lin never opened it.

It was the first step in breaking Xiao Li's composure.

After we found the diary, we prepared to leave, ignoring the evidence Xiao Li had planted earlier. Xiao Li began to suspect we were onto him and asked Old Lin if he would pursue the clues.

Old Lin asked if Xiao Li had more leads. Xiao Li struggled with himself, debating whether to reveal them, but ultimately decided against it.

On the way back, Old Lin deliberately rode in Xiao Li's car, the others in the one behind. When we reached the station, before the engine stopped, Xiao Li realized he'd been exposed.

So, he staged his own drama, attempting to abduct Old Lin.

Old Lin was prepared, calmly sitting in the car.

"Why are you doing this?" Old Lin asked.

Xiao Li was silent for a long time before replying, "When did you start suspecting me?"

"From the moment we saw the crime scene," Old Mo answered calmly.

With things as they were, Xiao Li knew resistance was futile and confessed everything.

He had killed them all. He never intended to live, but hadn't expected Old Lin to identify him so quickly. He had planned to turn himself in, but now, saw no need.

Their destination was the lakeside. Once there, the rest was foreseeable.

A car accident would occur. Xiao Li would make a mistake at the wheel; the car would plunge into the river, Old Lin would drown, and Xiao Li would escape.

It was a well-crafted accident—Xiao Li would avoid criminal charges, at most lose his job.

With Old Lin dead, all evidence would vanish.

But was Old Lin someone who would simply wait for death? Certainly not.

At the crucial moment, Old Lin said something that distracted Xiao Li.

"The diary records information we've seen. Your son's situation is very dire!"

Xiao Li immediately hit the brakes, clutching the steering wheel and sobbing loudly.

Old Lin told him it wasn't too late to regret.

But Xiao Li suddenly laughed, saying he would never regret. He would kill Old Lin first, then poison the entire investigation team, destroy all evidence, and the case would go unsolved.

The car sped toward the lake without slowing. Suddenly, Old Lin shouted, "Look, isn't that your son?"

Xiao Li craned his neck to see.

Without hesitation, Old Lin jerked the steering wheel toward the water and pulled the handbrake.

The car spun on the highway, then rolled off the road and plunged into the lake.

Xiao Li hadn't fastened his seatbelt; his face was battered, his mouth bloody.

The car sank into the water.

Old Lin unclipped his seatbelt and swam out.

Xiao Li, to his horror, found himself powerless, unable to even open the door, suffocating slowly in the water.

He didn't know that the cigarettes Old Lin had given him were from Director Wang. They were harmless unless they came into contact with blood—then they turned deadly, draining one's strength instantly.

Director Wang rarely gave those cigarettes away, as they could have dire consequences.

Old Lin had recorded their conversation on his phone, and before the car crashed, he tossed the phone out. Its memory card was already removed by Old Mo and handed to Li Hong.

We called the station staff, who pulled Xiao Li from the water. We didn't say he was the murderer, because the case wasn't over.

We needed to find his motive.

Behind this case, there was surely a shocking story yet to unfold.