Xin Yiping’s confession plunged the case into yet another layer of mystery. In the early morning of April 6th, when Liu Yixiang died, Xin Yiping had no clear alibi. However, as a woman physically weaker than Liu Yixiang, it was nearly impossible for her to kill him instantly by snapping his neck. She did not match Ji Chenjiao’s previous profile of the suspect. Moreover, the shoes Ling Lie had left at the doorway were stretched out by the killer—based on the compression marks, the perpetrator was male.

Three murders. Three perpetrators. Xin Yiping confessed, Gan Pengfei was dead, and the identity and motive of the third person remained unknown.

The Major Crimes Unit regrouped to sort through the case details.

“Based on the statements from Li Binbin, Cao Kexiong, and Xin Yiping, the three cases from Luchang County and Pinglan County require reopening. But those two places fall outside the jurisdiction of our city, Xiarong. We’ve already contacted the relevant authorities to take over,” Liang Wenxian said. “The Tonghe police will arrive tomorrow to take custody of the suspects, but Xin Yiping will remain detained here.”

“Kuang Feng is more troublesome. After that phone call, we’ve lost all contact with him. His company can’t locate him either. In that area, the usual explanation is that he’s on the run, maybe joined a local gang. That place is chaotic. If he’s determined to escape justice, capturing him will be difficult. But as far as our current case is concerned, he’s not a suspect.”

Shen Qi hugged a cushion, spinning in his chair after listening to Liang Wenxian. “Isn’t the most suspicious one still that ‘Ling guy’?”

Hearing that, Ji Chenjiao glanced at Shen Qi.

“I still stand by my opinion: Ling Lie isn’t a suspect,” Xi Wan said. “First, someone else clearly wore his shoes and left footprints at the crime scene—this was intentional. Second, in the Missing Moonflower Case and the Xieyang Road incidents, he gave us critical leads.”

Shen Qi was about to speak when Xi Wan cut him off, “I know what you want to say—some suspects deliberately guide police investigations. But do you think he’s leading us into a trap?”

Shen Qi pouted, muttering, “Sister Wan just likes pretty boys.”

Xi Wan laughed in exasperation. “Your sister Wan is married, you want to report me to the prosecutor’s office?”

Her husband was a prosecutor—refined and gentle—and well-acquainted with everyone in the Major Crimes Unit. Shen Qi had just been joking, and Xi Wan didn’t take it seriously.

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Has Ji Ke’s notebook been fully reviewed? I only skimmed it before.”

Xi Wan grew serious. “Yes, every page has been analyzed. All his ‘observation targets’ were the eight people we’ve already identified, and the timeframe isn’t very long. One objective fact: after returning from Pinglan County, the tile factory fell into crisis and eventually collapsed. Ten years ago, it shut down, and Ji Ke stopped traveling.”

Liang Wenxian said, “All of Jike’s belongings are here. We can’t rule out that he documented other ‘observation targets’ before, but any diaries are already gone. If none existed, we can eliminate the motive of silencing witnesses. That means both revenge and witness elimination—our two most likely motives—don’t hold up.”

Ji Chenjiao walked over to the clue map on the whiteboard. “Pandora’s Box.”

Everyone turned to him. “What?”

“Xieyang Road is like Pandora’s Box. Jike, using the convenience of business trips, went around ‘collecting’ people he was interested in and put them into this box. He never killed anyone himself. But without his interference, the two Luchang County cases would’ve eventually led police to realize that a young man named Huang Xuntong was missing. Liu Yixiang was the killer of the Wang Shun family. With the tools of that time, it would’ve been hard to catch him—but at least the police would have known Liu Yixiang fled out of guilt.”

“Similarly, in Pinglan County, when Wang Shuxin fell to his death, the police did suspect Xin Yiping. But Jike, someone with no vested interest, voluntarily provided her with an alibi, which the police accepted. You could say, Jike was ‘collecting’ crimes.”

Ji Chenjiao stared at Jike at the center of the network of relationships. To others, he was an ordinary, kind, quiet old man. But what kind of demon lived in his heart?

“The criminals Jike ‘saved’ started new lives on Xieyang Road. At least in the beginning, they were deeply grateful and obedient to him. Over time, different people developed different thoughts. For example, the most sensitive one—Xin Yiping—was the last to arrive, but the first to leave. Her own account and Jike’s notes both suggest she was wary of him and wanted to escape his control.”

“Other than Zhu Ming, who died of illness, the three who moved out—like Li Binbin—had similar feelings. They might not have been as self-aware as Xin Yiping, but they felt an indistinct fear of Jike.”

“On the other hand, some felt a sense of safety living near Jike.” Ji Chenjiao asked, “Remember how Liu Yixiang tried to stop Ji Zhan from renting out unit 4-2 multiple times after Jike died? In his eyes, 4-2 was sacred. Anyone moving in would taint it. That’s likely why he hated Ling Lie. Among all the ‘observation targets,’ he might have been the most grateful to Jike.”

Liang Wenxian agreed. “Even if the others are convicted of murder, they probably won’t receive the death penalty—but Liu Yixiang definitely would.”

“Exactly. Jike gave him a second chance at life, and he fully submitted to Jike, trying to ‘reform.’ But for someone like him, that kind of life must have been stifling.” Ji Chenjiao turned to Liu Yixiang’s photo. “So after Jike died—three years ago—he started to let go. He and Xin Yiping were two extremes among the targets: one utterly obedient, the other fled early. But…”

Ji Chenjiao’s tone shifted. “In all these years, regardless of which path they chose, the ‘targets’ coexisted peacefully. Even after Jike passed, with no more restraints, they didn’t start killing each other or silencing witnesses. Even Gan Pengfei didn’t reoffend. Liu Yixiang’s death was the turning point. The box opened. The latent malice inside the ‘targets’ was stirred. Like Pandora’s Box—once opened, it can never be shut.”

Xi Wan murmured, “Someone did this deliberately? Killing Liu Yixiang wasn’t for any conventional reason—it was to provoke the others in the box?”

Ji Chenjiao turned from the whiteboard, “That’s the only explanation I can come up with. Do any of you have other ideas?”

The room was quiet for a moment. Then Liang Wenxian said, “Judging from the outcomes, Gan Pengfei and Xin Yiping’s actions do follow this logic—especially Xin Yiping. With her testimony, it’s even clearer. She imagined eliminating witnesses multiple times but never acted—until she heard Huang Xuntong (Liu Yixiang) had been killed. Her first thought was that someone was silencing people. So she started preparing to protect herself and her daughter. But that brings us back—who opened the box? Realistically, aside from Jike and the targets, who else knew they had blood on their hands? Stirring mutual destruction is only the surface motive—what lies deeper?”

Ji Chenjiao’s eyes darkened. That was exactly what he hadn’t figured out yet. And with the current known clues, they had nowhere further to go.

Shen Qi suddenly said, “What if it’s Ji Ke?”

Xi Wan: “Bro, Ji Ke’s been dead for three years. What, his ghost did it?”

“That’s not what I mean!” Shen Qi bristled. “I’m saying—what if all this was part of Ji Ke’s plan? What if he arranged for a killer before his death to murder Liu Yixiang at some later point—just like brother said, to open the box? Didn’t you guys already conclude the first killer was very professional? That fits with a contract killing!”

The idea was a bit out there, and for a moment, no one responded. Shen Qi grew anxious, “That Ji Ke was a criminal personality. Do you really think he brought all these suspects together just to help them turn over a new leaf? He wouldn’t want to see them fight and kill each other? Even lab rats get pitted against each other in experiments!”

Ji Chenjiao said, “It makes sense.”

Shen Qi immediately puffed out his chest, proud.

But Ji Chenjiao continued, “But someone like Ji Ke wouldn’t be satisfied with watching them kill each other after death.”

Shen Qi deflated.

“But it’s a lead,” Ji Chenjiao said, squaring a stack of files against the table. “Let’s talk about next steps.”

Liang Wenxian said, “Ji Zhan’s family also had access to Ji Ke’s notebook. We haven’t investigated them thoroughly enough yet.”

Ji Chenjiao added, “Not just them—Ji Ke himself needs further digging. Ji Zhan has a son and a daughter. Building on what Shen Qi just said, if someone in the Ji family inherited Ji Ke’s personality traits, maybe they’re the one continuing his ‘observations’ and orchestrating the killings.”

As the meeting wrapped up, Liang Wenxian asked, “What about Ling Lie…”

Ji Chenjiao paused. “His background before returning to the country is a complete blank. I’ll find a way to keep looking.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Liang Wenxian said. “Where is he going to live?”

“Hm?”

“He can’t stay at 4-2 anymore, and he can’t stay at the bureau either. Bit of a problem.”

“He’s in the dorms right now, under my nose.”

Liang Wenxian chuckled. “And what’s his identity in that dorm? The public doesn’t care if it’s a dorm or a detention room—it’s all seen as police custody. If this gets out, you’ll be in trouble.”

Ji Chenjiao considered for a moment. “Thanks, Brother Liang. I’ll check with Chief Xie.”

Liang Wenxian: “Anytime.”

—

In the Criminal Investigation Division Chief’s office.

“Tsk, coming to me over such a small matter? Not your usual style.” Xie Qing teased.

Ji Chenjiao had come to report the case status. Ling Lie was inseparable from it—one of the two biggest mysteries at the start was Ji Ke’s role and Ling Lie’s involvement. Now the former was partly resolved, but the latter still hung in the air.

Ji Chenjiao had explained everything, and only mentioned Ling Lie in passing.

Xie Qing asked, “Wouldn’t it be standard procedure to let him go?”

“He’s still got too many suspicious points,” Ji Chenjiao said blandly.

“Junior brother, aren’t you getting a bit too invested in Ling Lie?” Xie Qing had also been mentored by Ning Xiechen and would sometimes refer to Ji Chenjiao as “junior brother.”

Ji Chenjiao frowned slightly. Was he too invested? Was it because of Ling Lie’s link to the case, or was he being drawn in by Ling Lie’s own mysteriousness? He was unusually uncertain.

“The dorms really aren’t a long-term option. If he’s just an ordinary citizen caught up in the case, and we don’t have evidence he’s the killer, then he should be let go. If you still suspect him, then surveil him. As for where he lives—that’s his own business.”

Ji Chenjiao drained his tea. “Got it.”

—

“What? I can’t stay here anymore?” Upon hearing he had to move out of the dorms, Ling Lie looked like he’d been struck by lightning. “Then where am I supposed to live? I’m not going back to Xiayang Road!”

Ji Chenjiao stood in the dorm doorway, urging him to pack. “Didn’t Ji Zhan refund the remaining rent? Go find another place.”

“I finally found a cheap place like Xiayang Road. Where am I supposed to find something else now?”

He had a point. The outskirts might have cheap rooms, but they were too far out—Ling Lie would never accept it. Ji Chenjiao was thinking when Ling Lie continued, “And I’m still under suspicion, right? The police haven’t cleared me, so the word on the street is “I’m the killer.”

As he said that, he threw a passive-aggressive glance at Ji Chenjiao.

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ling Lie kept going. “Who’s going to rent a place to a suspect? I can’t afford anything decent. Now I’m being kicked out too. My only home might be under a bridge at this point.”

Ji Chenjiao’s temple throbbed. On one hand, Ling Lie was obnoxious. On the other hand—he had a point.

He couldn’t stay at the bureau, but letting him go freely was risky. The only solution Ji Chenjiao could think of… was to tether him somewhere safe—like his own home.

Ji Chenjiao looked at him for a while. “I’ve got a place. I can temporarily rent it to you.”

Ling Lie’s eyes lit up. “Oh? How much?”

Ji Chenjiao was referring to the apartment he currently lived in—a three-bedroom unit in the police housing complex. Renting it out at market rate would cost at least 5,000.

But this was just a stopgap measure. He didn’t live off rent money anyway.

He also had a small one-bedroom apartment, bought by his adoptive parents when he first started working, to give him a foothold in Xiarong.

But that small apartment was a private unit. If people found out the former tenant of the Xiayang Road crime scene had moved in, gossip would be inevitable. The housing complex, on the other hand, was full of cops. No one would talk. And if Ling Lie was a problem, being here would be a form of silent restraint.

“How much did you pay for 4-2?” Ji Chenjiao asked.

“Five hundred,” said Ling Lie.

Ji Chenjiao choked. “Then I’ll charge you five hundred.”

Ling Lie immediately moved, “You’re a saint! You’re not going to back out, right?”

Ji Chenjiao shivered at the word saint, the urge to take it back flaring. But Ling Lie quickly packed up and urged him, “Captain Ji, let’s go!”

Ji Chenjiao drove Ling Lie to the housing complex, parked, and went upstairs. Ling Lie carried his own luggage. The moment he stepped in, he marveled, “A place like this for five hundred—cops really are saints!”

Ji Chenjiao couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re not allowed in the study or the master bedroom. Clean up the spare room yourself.” With that, he went to grab a change of clothes from the master bedroom.

Ling Lie poked his head in, “You going on a trip?”

“Moving out,” Ji Chenjiao said, holding in his frustration.

“Wow, police really make good money. Two apartments, huh?”

“…”

Ji Chenjiao assumed Ling Lie would stay inside and at least clean up the room. But as he was about to head out, Ling Lie squeezed up beside him.

“?”

“Can I catch a ride? I need to go to Miaoshan Park.”

Ji Chenjiao asked suspiciously, “Why?”

“Rehearsal, of course! You guys kept me under restrictions, I missed several meetings with Sister Chunliu. Today I’m finally free, right? The waist drum team needs me!”