A myriad of clues instantly surged in Ling Lie’s mind. Alice was the name Yu Qin chose for herself, and Shaman still referred to Yu Qin as Alice. And the Alice Hotel and Alice Mall contained numerous sculptures resembling Yu Qin!

Ling Lie asked tentatively, “Is Alice Mall a property of ‘Jasmine Tea’?”

The guide: “Hahaha, is there any place in the Salingauke Region without the shadow of ‘Jasmine Tea’?”

After bidding farewell to the guide, Ling Lie strolled from the basement level to the sixth floor and also visited the observation deck outside the sixth floor. Young, wealthy couples dining on the deck cast curious glances at him, and he smiled and nodded in greeting. The goods sold on each floor weren’t actually many, mostly counterfeit big brands made in Country L, which weren’t expensive when converted.

This city seemed to be living a fake “playing house” life, but everyone participated in it tirelessly.

Looking at the foreign night view, Ling Lie’s expression deepened. If the woman on the sculpture was Yu Qin, then Ji Chenjiao’s origins would undoubtedly be related to “Jasmine Tea.” When investigating the previous case, he had pondered this question—Yu Qin expressed love for the child’s father, but for some reason, she couldn’t reveal who he was. From her conversations with Shaman, it was clear that the father’s identity was unusual.

So if Ji Chenjiao’s biological father was a gang leader, it wasn’t unexpected.

But as the truth approached, Ling Lie still felt his hair stand on end.

There was a contradiction that puzzled him: why did Yu Qin disappear back then? Her identity was replaced, and for nearly thirty years, Shaman lived as her, with “Jasmine Tea” never causing Shaman any trouble.

No one came back looking for the child named Yu Ge.

Was there some transaction or conspiracy between the child’s father and Shaman? But why would he put up so many sculptures of Yu Qin?

Ling Lie pressed his forehead, excessive thinking giving him a slight headache. Something was on the verge of coming out, but the fog shrouded it tightly.

“Look what I bought!” Zhao Fan ran towards Ling Lie carrying a dozen bags, asking Ling Lie to help share half the load.

Ling Lie was speechless. “Are you here for a mission or shopping?”

Zhao Fan: “Didn’t I tell you long ago? This trip doesn’t count as a mission. Not fighting or killing, so I can’t do some personal shopping?”

Ling Lie: “Who are you shopping for?”

Zhao Fan: “Sigh, I just saw it was cheap and couldn’t resist.”

Having just arrived in the Salingauke Region, asking or looking too much could easily expose them. The two returned to the hotel. Zhao Fan hummed while organizing his “spoils,” while Ling Lie looked at the paintings in the corridor.

There were decorative paintings in the corridor, not many, just two or three per floor. Ling Lie hadn’t looked closely when checking in, but now he observed them carefully.

The paintings bore a striking resemblance to the young Yu Qin, also with short hair.

Beautiful portraits, beautiful sculptures. If they were all Yu Qin, then Yu Qin was practically omnipresent within the sphere of influence of “Jasmine Tea.”

---

Xiarong City, Criminal Investigation Detachment Captain’s Office.

After listening to Ji Chenjiao’s analysis, Xie Qing said, “So you think the person who took your solo photo might be related to Xing Yongdan’s case?”

Ji Chenjiao sat up straight. “Yes.”

The office was quiet for a while. “Based on what you said, this person’s behavior is indeed strange and worth investigating. But I have a question—why did you and Ling Lie happen to meet him so coincidentally? If you hadn’t met that day, we would absolutely not have caught this clue.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “It wasn’t a coincidence; he appeared in front of us on purpose.”

Xie Qing said, “Then what is his motive?”

“It might be related to me.” Ji Chenjiao frowned. “But there are some key elements I haven’t sorted out yet.”

Xie Qing’s expression also turned serious. “Related to your true origins?”

Ji Chenjiao: “That’s why I will report all details of this investigation to you. Captain Xie, I don’t know what I am right now… I…”

He suddenly found it difficult to continue. The malice stemming from his bloodline, which he had sensed since childhood, surged in his body once again.

He knew he wasn’t born a kind child. He just pretended to be harmless and was then adopted by adoptive parents who also pretended to be harmless. Twenty years of mutual “taming” made it seem like he had truly become an upright person.

But the series of events over the past half-year forced him to face that initial interrogation—Are you born with evil? Did you inherit the viciousness of your biological parents?

When the name Yu Ge fell upon him, he thought that innate malice came from his mother, Yu Qin.

But the brutal Shaman turned out not to be the real Yu Qin. The woman left in his vague memories was gentle and pure.

So the malice could only come from his biological father.

There is a saying, “Like father, like son.”

Suddenly, someone pressed heavily on his shoulder. Ji Chenjiao snapped out of his cold associations, looked up, and saw Xie Qing had left his seat at some point, his right hand pressing on his shoulder.

“You are my junior brother,” Xie Qing said steadily. “You are the last disciple of our master, Captain Ning, and the current captain of the Serious Crimes Unit. Before you, the one sitting in your position was me, was Ning Xiechen.”

Ji Chenjiao’s muscles suddenly tensed, something like fire burning fiercely in his muscles and bones.

“Captain Xie.”

“You have the right and responsibility to investigate according to your thoughts; there’s no need to feel any hesitation or unease.” Xie Qing smiled. “Of course, you trust me as your senior brother. If there’s anything you’re unsure about or feel confused about, come to me to confide and discuss; I welcome it.”

Ji Chenjiao placed his hands on his knees, unconsciously clenching them into fists.

Xie Qing added, “You are different from before; haven’t you realized it yourself?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Different?”

“Ever since your Brother Lie arrived, you’ve become much more human.”

“Is that so?”

“You are different from the you in your imagination; don’t be scared by imaginations that don’t exist. Living in this world, who dares to say they’ve never had a dark thought? Who doesn’t have malice? But for so many years, have you turned those thoughts into reality?”

Ji Chenjiao never knew Xie Qing understood him so well.

“You haven’t, so you are still an upright, trustworthy, and reliable person.” Xie Qing said, “Now you have a deeper attachment, and he will become another restraint for you. Junior brother, I never worry about problems with your character.”

Letting his chest rise and fall under his uniform, after a long while, Ji Chenjiao said, “Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Xie Qing laughed. “Going to investigate this person through mall surveillance, right? Go, proceed according to your plan.”

Rongguang Mall was decorated even more festively than before, with a long line outside the artificial starry sky set—after promotion by internet celebrities, it had become a new check-in spot for young people.

Ji Chenjiao paused briefly before heading to the mall’s management office.

Learning that the Municipal Bureau came to check surveillance, the mall dared not be negligent and immediately found the recording from the evening of December 4th. Because the time was remembered precisely, they quickly found the mysterious man who looked out of place in the queue.

Shen Qi recorded the data, searched again, and found the man arrived at the mall at 4:30 PM that day, visiting seven stores including menswear, jewelry, and electronics, seemingly just browsing.

At 7:00 PM, he dined alone at a western restaurant on the fifth floor, then went to the small appliance section on the basement level and bought a Polaroid camera.

For dining and shopping, he used cash.

There was also surveillance inside the artificial starry sky. Ji Chenjiao’s feeling was correct; the man’s lens was indeed pointed at them initially. Only after Ling Lie noticed did the man take photos with them.

However, the place where photos were distributed at the end happened to be a surveillance blind spot. It was impossible to distinguish whether the man intentionally hid a photo or genuinely missed it while organizing.

After separating, the man stayed in the mall atrium for a while, ordering a drink at an open-air cafe, during which no one approached him.

After 9:00 PM, he left in a business car.

Ji Chenjiao: “Check this car.”

The license plate was captured, making the next steps easy. The car came from a high-end car rental agency. The owner dug out the records, proving the car was rented out. The renter was named Lai Kehai, a foreigner.

Ji Chenjiao found Lai Kehai based on the contact information provided by the rental agency. Surprisingly, this person was staying at the Yurong Yongge Hotel, owned by the Yu Group.

Ji Chenjiao was all too familiar with this place.

Although the Yu Group was under investigation, Yurong Yongge was still operating normally. However, the public knew the Yu Group was finished, so most guests were unwilling to stay there anymore.

Lai Kehai stuttered when speaking, very unfluent, saying he accompanied his boss here to discuss business.

When Ji Chenjiao asked who the boss was, Lai Kehai fell silent.

But since the person was traced to Yurong Yongge, it was convenient. Ji Chenjiao showed his ID, asked the front desk to check Lai Kehai’s check-in records and accompanying personnel, and specially took out the mall surveillance for verification.

This time, the person was identified.

The mysterious man was named Jin Liuyun, sixty years old, from Country O, southwest of China. He checked in half a month ago. Including Lai Kehai, there were four people in his party.

As soon as Jin Liuyun left the restaurant, Ji Chenjiao blocked his way. He seemed not to recognize him at first, then smiled kindly two seconds later. “We meet again. Are you staying here too?”

Ji Chenjiao observed him discreetly. With the same smile as that day, it was hard to associate him with evil, so even Ling Lie would relax his vigilance, thinking he was just an old man eager to return to his roots.

“I don’t stay here. I just happened to come here to investigate a case. Learning you live here, I wanted to ask you a few questions in passing.”

Jin Liuyun showed a puzzled look, his voice raising slightly. “Investigate a case? You are a police officer?”

Ji Chenjiao showed his ID. “Yes. Thank you for taking photos for me that day.”

There was no panic on Jin Liuyun’s face. “What case are you investigating? Is it related to me?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Not really. But there’s a small personal matter.”

“Oh?”

“Regarding the photos you gave me, I counted them after returning and found a solo photo missing. I wonder if I left it with you?”

“Really? When I organized the photos later, I didn’t see the solo photo you mentioned.” Jin Liuyun answered calmly and unexpectedly issued an invitation. “I’m old, memory isn’t good. How about this, you come to my room and take a look?”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t have a search warrant today, so technically he couldn’t search, but since Jin Liuyun proposed it himself, he naturally wouldn’t refuse.

In the elevator going up, Jin Liuyun sighed, “Haven’t been back for many years; didn’t expect domestic hotels to be built so well. I planned to stay in Xiarong City for a few days before leaving, but after staying, I’m a bit reluctant to leave.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Where were you before?”

Jin Liuyun said, “Country O. I went there with my family in my teens; my roots are there.”

The police investigation also showed Jin Liuyun did business in Country O, with ancestral roots in Huahai City in southeast China.

Meeting this time, perhaps due to a subjective judgment, Ji Chenjiao felt even more strongly that Jin Liuyun’s accent had similarities to Xing Yongdan’s.

But Jin Liuyun’s ancestral home explained this similarity—Jianling Town belonged to Huahai City. Locals might distinguish the difference between urban and rural accents, but to Ji Chenjiao, this difference was negligible.

Arriving at the floor where Jin Liuyun stayed, Jin Liuyun led the way. The door opened to pitch darkness inside. Jin Liuyun said apologetically, “Sorry, I don’t like sunlight much; curtains are usually closed.”

Saying this, he turned on the lights in the hallway and living room, brightening the room instantly.

This was a suite. Thick carpets and curtains almost isolated it from the outside world. Ji Chenjiao stepped in, observing quietly. The room was tidy. A tea set was on the table, obviously brought by Jin Liuyun himself. A faint scent of jasmine permeated the air.

This should have been a relaxing scent, but Ji Chenjiao’s nerves tightened instantly.

Jasmine tea produced in Jinxiang Village, the niche cigarette “Jasmine Tea” in Country L, and the “Jasmine Tea” cigarette butts in Xing Yongdan’s temporary residence!

“Sit. I’ll go find the photos.” Jin Liuyun gestured for Ji Chenjiao to sit on the sofa and walked into the inner room himself.

The inner room was the bedroom, unlit, inconvenient for Ji Chenjiao to enter. From his angle, he could only see the outline of the bed. Sounds of Jin Liuyun rummaging came from inside. Half a minute passed, and he hadn’t come out.

Ji Chenjiao said, “Need help?”

Jin Liuyun came to the door holding the Polaroid camera. “Found it. Look.”

The camera and a photo album were placed on the coffee table. Ji Chenjiao frowned slightly; this trip was likely a waste. Jin Liuyun had already organized the photos into an album and placed it openly before him, so it was unlikely to find that solo photo in the album.

But having acted this far, he had to look through it.

Ji Chenjiao opened the album. Most photos were scenery and buildings, including landmarks of Xiarong City and unknown wild flowers and grass.

After flipping through, indeed, that photo wasn’t there.

Jin Liuyun said, “My fault. I just bought the camera that day, scatterbrained, maybe lost it somewhere. You are young; your memory must be right. How about this, I’ll take another one for you?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “It’s fine, just came to check in passing. Mr. Jin, you like taking photos?”

“Can’t say like, just finding something to pass time at my age.”

“Why did you think of using a Polaroid? I see many photography enthusiasts use DSLRs.”

Jin Liuyun laughed twice. “I like the feeling of holding the photo in my hand. You know, us people doing tangible business must have things in hand to feel at ease.”

“But photos taken with DSLRs can also be printed.”

“That’s different. Printing is another process. Once people get lazy, they save what they can. Polaroid is great; turns what you see into a physical object immediately, placed in your hand.”

Ji Chenjiao nodded. “You brewed jasmine tea?”

Jin Liuyun turned back, saw the tea set, and got up to fiddle with it. “Forgot to treat you to tea.”

He picked up a jar without any label, preparing to brew a fresh pot.

Ji Chenjiao said, “Your hobbies are quite special.”

“Referring to using a Polaroid for photos and drinking jasmine tea?”

“Many businessmen I’ve met prefer those teas with tongue-twisting names.”

Jin Liuyun laughed again. “Tea is like a watch, became something to show off. I just like the fragrance of jasmine tea; no need to change my taste to follow trends. Don’t you agree, Officer Ji?”

A steaming cup of tea was placed in front of Ji Chenjiao. This “Officer Ji” tightened Ji Chenjiao’s strings.

“Besides, my hometown produces jasmine tea. To me, it’s the taste of home.” Jin Liuyun mentioned his hometown proactively. Ji Chenjiao recalled that Huahai City hadn’t appeared in their conversation yet.

“Your hometown is?”

“Huahai City. I haven’t been back for many years.”

“Huahai City? That’s a big city. Since you’re back, why not go back and have a look?”

“Feeling more timid near home. I left too early; relatives and friends all left. There’s no one I want to see there anymore, just a framework of home remaining. Better to miss it than to see it.”

Ji Chenjiao agreed, “True. By the way, the case I’m investigating happens to have some connection to Huahai City.”

Jin Liuyun turned his face. “Oh? Xiarong City and Huahai City are so far apart; how did you start investigating a case in Huahai City?”