The so-called southern suburban wild hills were covered in vast forests. The side facing the main city had been developed into a forest park, which attracted many tourists every autumn when the leaves turned yellow. The other side, however, was in an unmanaged state with poorer scenery, occasionally frequented by wild animals.

Liang Wenxian rushed there with a team of field officers. Wan Yue, glaring at Ji Chenjiao with bloodshot eyes, muttered repeatedly, “Huang… Huang Ke…”

It was Wan Yue himself who had mentioned Huang Ke. If he hadn’t said that name, the police would never have been able to track anything back to Huang Ke.

The first time Ji Chenjiao met Wan Yue, he had told him that if there were any clues related to Tang Hongting, he should contact him immediately.

Wan Yue knew perfectly well that the police already suspected him. He thought he had covered all traces flawlessly—avoiding every surveillance camera near Liu Yuchun’s house, not using his own car when killing Li Aijie, and staying overnight at bars now and then. But could the police really find no evidence?

He could shift suspicion onto someone else—a person who would never refute it.

In haste, he had fabricated the lie that Huang Ke was seeking revenge for Tang Hongting. No, he kept brainwashing himself—this wasn’t a lie. After all, twelve years ago, he had indeed seen Huang Ke standing far away, silently staring at Tang Hongting. He believed that once the police went to Cangshui Town to verify, someone would certainly confirm his story.

It was a perfect plan—as long as the police believed Huang Ke was taking revenge, they wouldn’t focus on him anymore.

However, soon after providing the clue, he regretted it and grew increasingly uneasy. Locking himself in his study, he even slapped himself in the face. In his eagerness to shake off the police, he had overlooked a crucial fact—they would surely track Huang Ke, and the harder it was to find him, the more they would dig, until they inevitably discovered that Huang Ke was dead—killed by him!

Ji Chenjiao tapped on his phone. Liang Wenxian and the others were searching the hills. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk. We’ll wait until we find the bones.”

It was over. Wan Yue stared blankly, as if all life had drained from his body. Even active confession and cooperation might not help him anymore. Shrinking his shoulders, he softly muttered, “I shouldn’t have mentioned Huang Ke… Outsmarted myself with my own cleverness…”

“Cleverness?” Ji Chenjiao stood up. “You call malice cleverness?”

Wan Yue shuddered. “I was instigated by someone—someone even more malicious than me!”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly remembered an important detail. “The person you mentioned—how did they contact you?”

“The intranet.”

“Intranet?”

“Our company has an internal communication platform. He left messages there, but every time I checked again, he had already deleted them.”

So that was it!

Ji Chenjiao finally understood why no suspicious information had been found on Li Aijie’s computer. For the tech investigators, the company’s internal platform had been a blind spot—overlooked during the initial checks.

Ji Chenjiao rushed to the tech investigation office and ordered the retrieval of the internal platform’s data. Two hours later, the deleted information finally appeared. Though incomplete, it was enough to prove that Li Aijie had killed Zhang Xuming and that Wan Yue had killed Liu Yuchun and Li Aijie—following information provided by someone else.

“Can we trace this person by their IP?” Ji Chenjiao asked.

Shen Qi replied, “Yes. He’s in the Eastern District. Bro, give me a little more time.”

A man wearing a white shirt hummed a tune as he thoroughly cleaned his apartment. The computer by the floor-to-ceiling window had been turned off. The military chess game pieces on the coffee table were nowhere to be seen.

It felt like he had just finished playing a game—not a perfect outcome, but not a bad one either. He knew the police would come for him. That didn’t seem like a bad thing.

After all, since childhood, few people had ever taken the initiative to seek him out. And that gentle person who used to call his name was long gone.

He liked being called by his name. He was Chen He—Xiao He.

As someone knocked on the door, Chen He had just turned off his electric shaver. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he examined his reflection carefully. In his thirties, his skin was pale though a little dull from staying up late, but he still looked young and attractive. Thanks to this appearance, he often wandered around Miaoshan Park and had even taken photos for the “Hat Queen” and other retired ladies.

The knocking grew louder. He put down the shaver and calmly walked to the door. Through the peephole, he saw the familiar police officer—Ji—who had turned his perfect plan imperfect.

But it was fine. He didn’t mind this feeling. It was better to have a worthy opponent than to play chess alone. The solo military chess game—he had played it for far too long.

Opening the door, Chen He shifted his right hand from the doorknob to the front and held out both hands toward the officers, a faint smile curling his lips.

Ji Chenjiao already knew all about him—Chen He, 33 years old, had grown up in Cangshui Town’s orphanage, attended Cangshui Middle School, then entered a prestigious high school in the main city, and graduated from a top university in another province. He worked at an IT company.

Thanks to his exceptional skills, he had risen from senior employee to partner three years ago. Last October, he bought the apartment he now lived in, moving back to Xiarong City.

This was the man who had fed false information to Li Aijie and Wan Yue, causing them to kill Zhang Xuming and Liu Yuchun, and eventually destroy each other. Ji Chenjiao had expected to face a difficult opponent. However, Chen He voluntarily offered his hands, neither arguing nor resisting, signaling for the police to handcuff him.

“I knew you’d come,” Chen He said with a sigh and a smile. “Li Aibing didn’t finish the last step—I knew then that you’d come. But you’re faster than I expected. Let’s go. I’ll confess everything.”

In the Major Crimes Unit’s interrogation room, most suspects were vicious and uncooperative. It was rare to meet someone like Chen He—neat, clean, and ready to confess without a fight.

“Is this guy scheming something?” An Xun rushed over from the forensics center to watch the surveillance feed, deeply skeptical. “In my experience, anyone who manipulates others into committing crimes usually tries to dodge punishment. Why is he confessing so easily?”

Xi Wan also found it odd—but stranger still was Chen He’s motive. He had no parents, grew up poor, yet he’d made it—successful career, secure future, and even a decent appearance. If he wanted, he could settle down with a stable family life.

“Let’s hear what he says first,” Liang Wenxian said. “He’s in our hands. What more trouble can he cause?”

Ji Chenjiao showed him the recovered data screenshots. “You told Li Aijie that Zhang Xuming and Liu Yuchun were living miserable lives and were planning to expose Li Aibing together?”

Chen He nodded. “I did.”

“You also instigated Wan Yue to kill Liu Yuchun?”

“Yes.”

“And finally sent Li Aijie to Xuncao Second Village to kill Wan Yue…”

“All me.”

Ji Chenjiao stared into Chen He’s eyes. They were calm—as if all the dust had settled.

“Why did you do this?”

“Detective Ji, you’re good at finding motives,” Chen He smiled faintly. “Since you traced Wan Yue and the others through Tang Hongting, can’t you guess why I made them destroy each other?”

Ji Chenjiao paused for a few seconds. “You avenged Tang Hongting?”

“That’s right.”

“Why?” Ji Chenjiao wasn’t confused about the motive itself, but rather why Chen He had it. He was two years older than Tang Hongting, but they had never met—Chen He had only attended middle school in Cangshui Town, and when Tang Hongting was killed, he’d been away at college in another province.

“Why…” Chen He chuckled. “Because this was a scar on Cangshui Town. The dead are just gone like that? Why did the perpetrators walk free for twelve years without punishment?”

“The law couldn’t touch them—but I could make them punish each other,” Chen He continued. “They deserved it.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “How did you find out the four of them were involved in Tang Hongting’s death?”

Chen He spread his hands. “You police value procedure and evidence. I don’t. If I suspect someone, I can force the truth out. Besides, some scum—over thirty and still losers—brag about murder like it’s an achievement.”

It couldn’t have been Li Aibing or Wan Yue. Ji Chenjiao asked, “Zhang Xuming told you this himself?”

“Yes, straight from his mouth. Not long after I started investigating Tang Hongting’s death.”

Chen He’s adult life had been smooth—highly gifted in IT, scouted by top companies in college, and later switched to a smaller but more dynamic firm. Yet after achieving success, like a small subset of people, he began feeling empty, aimless.

He searched for meaning. On a visit to Cangshui Town to clear his mind, he heard about the cold case—unsolved for years. The police had suspects but lacked evidence.

The townsfolk whispered that gangsters had killed Tang Hongting. But under strict crackdowns, gangs had long vanished. Chen He suddenly found purpose—what the police couldn’t solve, maybe he could.

Using his tech skills, he illegally obtained household records, filtering through over forty possible suspects—men who had once been thugs but now led ordinary lives.

He ignored those who stayed in Cangshui Town and instead tracked down those who’d left after Tang Hongting’s death. That’s how he found Zhang Xuming.

At that time, Zhang Xuming was selling real estate in Xiarong City’s northern district. Chen He posed as a homebuyer—never revealing he was from Cangshui Town—and kept complaining about money troubles and the high cost of housing, echoing Zhang Xuming’s own frustrations. Seeing a kindred spirit, Zhang Xuming slowly opened up.

Chen He kept baiting him, even buying him drinks. Zhang Xuming, greedy and fond of free things, gladly accepted. After getting him drunk enough, Chen He casually brought up Cangshui Town’s unsolved case—mocking the police and praising the killer’s cleverness. Zhang Xuming, down on life, swelled with pride.

“Yeah, that was me and my buddies—hic—” he boasted drunkenly.

When Chen He pressed for details, Zhang Xuming spilled everything: he and Wan Yue had killed Tang Hongting. Wan Yue had since made it big and forgotten his old friends. There was also a lookout—quiet kid, surname Li, who had a sister; they were the only siblings at their school. Plus an older girl—not local—fooled by Wan Yue’s sweet talk into revealing where she lived and what her husband did.

Chen He memorized every name, kept flattering Zhang Xuming, bought more drinks, until the man passed out completely.

When Zhang Xuming woke, he remembered nothing of the night before. Chen He tested him to be sure—only leaving when he confirmed Zhang Xuming had truly forgotten.

It was said that Zhang Xuming had once complained about a man who came to view houses over a dozen times but suddenly vanished. However, since Chen He hadn’t used his real name, Zhang Xuming had no idea who he was. A year later, Zhang Xuming’s reputation was completely ruined in the real estate circle of the North City District due to harassing female clients, and he had to come to the South City District to make a living.

During this time, Chen He came into contact with another key person—Liu Yuchun.

According to Zhang Xuming, Liu Yuchun was an accomplice. Maybe she had unintentionally helped Zhang and Wan, but she’d had every chance to call an ambulance for Tang Hongting and didn’t. She deserved punishment too.

The retired ladies needed a photographer, and most of the ones who took pictures for them were elderly men, whose photos were usually far from ideal. So when Chen He showed up with a camera, the ladies of the Hongyun Model Team were delighted.

Chen He took the most photos of Liu Yuchun. The early pictures that brought her popularity on Muyin were all thanks to Chen He.

During breaks in the shoot, Chen He chatted with Liu Yuchun. He didn’t need to get her drunk like he had with Zhang Xuming, nor did he need her to confess anything. What he wanted wasn’t solid evidence—it was simply Liu Yuchun’s reaction when she heard Tang Hongting’s name.

That alone would tell him whether he had the right person.

“Sister Yuchun, try this beef. I bought it online—heard it’s really good.” Sitting under the tree, Chen He poured hot water into the lid of a thermos and handed it to Liu Yuchun, then opened a packet of marinated beef.

Liu Yuchun didn’t suspect a thing and replied casually, “This is Cangshui Town’s beef. Cangshui beef is a specialty around here.”

“Oh, Cangshui Town, I’ve heard of it,” Chen He said. “Wasn’t there a case there a few years back? That woman died horribly. They still haven’t caught the killer, have they?”

Liu Yuchun fumbled the cup lid, spilling hot water all over her skirt. Chen He quickly handed her some tissues. “Sister Yuchun, what’s wrong?”

Liu Yuchun’s face went pale. She hurriedly stood up. “I’m fine, just… just slipped.”

Chen He smiled. “Sorry, I must’ve startled you. I only heard about that case in passing. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”

Making an excuse to find her companions, Liu Yuchun hastily left.

Watching her retreating figure, Chen He sneered. Liu Yuchun was usually easy-going, answering any question with patience. Her reaction just now said it all.

So Chen He began to plan. Among these people, the ones with the gravest sins were Wan Yue and Zhang Xuming. And these two were in vastly different situations. Wan Yue would easily believe that Zhang Xuming and Liu Yuchun, struggling in life, might try to blackmail him.

Then there was another man—Li Aibing. The once cowardly boy had become a rich man, with a sister who loved him more than herself.

The plan was taking shape: Have Li Aijie and Wan Yue act separately, then goad them into turning on each other. It had to be Wan Yue who killed Li Aijie. With Zhang Xuming and Liu Yuchun already dead, and Li Aijie gone too, Li Aibing would soon figure out that Wan Yue was the culprit.

Brother and sister were close. Li Aibing would avenge his sister. Once Wan Yue was dead, the plan would be sealed—a perfect loop. No one would ever know there had been a shadowy mastermind behind it all. Every sinner would get the punishment they deserved.

Chen He sighed, but he didn’t seem to mind. “Captain Ji, if you had arrived a little later, you wouldn’t have been able to stop Li Aibing. You were the only variable in my plan—but there was no helping that. You’re the head of Major Crimes in this city. I couldn’t get around you.”

“But it doesn’t matter now,” Chen He added. “I think life has no meaning anyway. Making money, enjoying life, making more money, enjoying more… It’s better to do something sensational, like helping you cops crack a case or something.”

Ji Chenjiao remained unmoved. “Since you figured out their connection to Tang Hongting, why didn’t you call the police? Was it worth ruining yourself for this?”

“Call the police?” Chen He looked genuinely surprised. “Would that have done any good?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “You don’t believe I could’ve found evidence and brought the killers to justice?”

“No, no.” Chen He waved his hand. “Of course I believe that, Captain Ji. Like I said—you disrupted my perfect plan. You must be very capable to solve this case. But after you solve it… what then? They’ll be prosecuted, but none of them will get the death penalty. Zhang Xuming and Wan Yue committed manslaughter at most—no matter how the prosecutors argue, the sentence won’t reach death. Liu Yuchun and Li Aibing might not even serve time.”

“Captain Ji, you can solve the case, but you can’t make the wicked pay with their lives.” A cold gleam flashed in Chen He’s eyes. “My way was the only way to give them real punishment.”

“Liu Yuchun and Li Aijie aided and abetted evil. They deserve to die.”

“Zhang Xuming killed. He deserves to die even more.”

“Wan Yue… he now bears three lives on his back. Shouldn’t that mean a death sentence?”

“As for Li Aibing… Death isn’t the best punishment. Losing the one dearest to him is.”

Chen He clasped his hands together and smiled. “Just like for me, money isn’t the meaning of life. Fun is.”

For some reason, looking at Chen He, Ji Chenjiao kept thinking of Ji Ke. Were the two of them alike? Had Ji Ke, when young, been just as extreme and twisted?

Ji Chenjiao couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know Ji Ke?”

Chen He looked confused. “Who?”

Ji Chenjiao showed him a photo of Ji Ke. At first, Chen He didn’t react, but ten seconds later, his expression froze, and then he fell into a strange silence. No matter how Ji Chenjiao questioned him, he remained tight-lipped.

Just as Ji Chenjiao was about to call it a day, Chen He looked up and firmly said, “I don’t know him. I’ve told you everything I needed to.”

Wan Yue and Chen He had already confessed. Li Aibing had also given a detailed account of Tang Hongting’s death. The follow-up work of supplementing evidence and verifying details was underway. According to Liu Xiaolu’s description, the Major Crimes Unit had unearthed a skeleton in the southwest of Forest Park.

Wan Yue, utterly broken, admitted that five years ago, Huang Ke had approached him after returning from overseas, begging for help in getting cheap medicine to save his father. At the time, eager to make a mark in front of his stepfather, Wan Yue recklessly tricked Huang Ke into trying an experimental drug without ensuring safety, causing a fatal allergic reaction.

In panic, he dumped Huang Ke’s body in the mountains. Later, when Huang Ke’s father died and his relatives searched for him, they all believed he was a disgraceful son who had abandoned his dying father and fled. Wan Yue sighed in relief, thinking the matter was over.

But heaven’s net has wide meshes, yet nothing escapes. In the end, it was Wan Yue himself who handed the clue to the police in an effort to clear suspicion in another case.

The investigation was nearing completion. The physical evidence and confessions were nearly sufficient for transfer to the prosecution.

Tianxiang Pharmaceuticals had been investigated for economic crimes the year before—several people, including Liu Xiaolu, had been imprisoned. But they hadn’t uncovered illegal drug trials or the subsequent web of connections. Now, the municipal bureau planned to reopen the Tianxiang case. Wan Yue’s stepfather might not escape this time—but the Tianxiang case wasn’t under Major Crimes’ jurisdiction.

While writing his report today, Ji Chenjiao felt something was missing.

This feeling wasn’t new—it had surfaced when he interrogated Chen He.

Chen He had definitely manipulated Wan Yue and Li Aijie into murder—but he seemed to be hiding something else. Especially his insistence that he didn’t know Ji Ke. If that were true, why did he react so strongly to Ji Ke’s photo?

Yet Shen Qi hadn’t found any trace of contact with Ji Ke in Chen He’s communications. Even when other colleagues casually mentioned Principal Chen, Chen He’s response was indifferent.

At noon, while others got up to head to the cafeteria, Ji Chenjiao remained seated at his desk, staring at his computer and the stack of papers, lost in thought. Liang Wenxian called from a few meters away, “Captain Ji, lunch time.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “You guys go. I want to think about the report some more.”

Liang Wenxian nodded. An Xun, having just returned from the forensics center and waiting to go to lunch with everyone, asked, “What’s up with him?”

“Writing the report,” Liang Wenxian gently shut the door. “Come on, he thinks this case isn’t completely clear. He’ll be ordering us to work again later.”

The office quieted down. Soon, there was a knock. The door wasn’t fully closed, and Ji Chenjiao didn’t look up. “Come in.”

“Skipping lunch?” It was Xie Qing.

Ji Chenjiao turned. “Captain Xie. What brings you here?”

Xie Qing said, “Normally you’d have turned in the report by now. Got doubts?”

Ji Chenjiao had planned to talk to Xie Qing about this in the afternoon. “You watched the video of my interrogation with Chen He, right? I think he’s still hiding details—his reaction to Ji Ke’s photo was strange.”

Xie Qing nodded. “I compared his reaction to hearing Ji Ke’s name and seeing his photo. The former seemed normal—like he really didn’t know him. But the latter… he’s seen this man before. And not just once. Seeing that face nearly made him lose control.”

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “But why? Did Ji Ke meet him under another name? And even setting Ji Ke aside—Chen He’s motive alone can’t support his actions.”

“Sure, a man who’s wealthy might lose direction and seek meaning. But his behavior feels forced. A ‘vigilante’ like him wouldn’t stop after just this one time. He spent three years on this single case of Tang Hongting. I keep feeling he was avenging Tang Hongting… but…”

Xie Qing said, “But there’s no connection between him and Tang Hongting.”

“Exactly!” Ji Chenjiao said. “Now he looks like someone who’s finally fulfilled a wish, completely resigned to any sentence.”

Xie Qing suddenly asked, “Captain Ji, do you really see someone resigned to punishment?”

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Author’s Note:
Chen He first appeared in Chapter 3. Ling Lie mentioned him in Chapter 30. Readers may want to look back.