Liu Xuelin was shocked speechless.

“That night, after learning that Mou Dianpei was unwell, you developed malicious intent, tricked him into your car, and strangled him to death.” Ji Chenjiao’s voice was firm and resonant. “You bought the medicine at a nearby pharmacy at the last minute, right? Don’t worry, we’ve already started checking the surrounding pharmacies. Even if you paid with cash, we will find you on the surveillance footage!”

Liu Xuelin suddenly burped, as if something suppressed in his chest could no longer be held back. He began to chuckle sinisterly, his laughter growing more and more crazed, and said something inexplicable: “But I still won, right? Yes! I killed him! But it was a counter-kill, he wanted to kill me first!”

Huang Yi shouted, “He was so sick he couldn’t even stand up. How could he kill you?”

“Doesn’t attempting to poison me count?” Liu Xuelin’s eyes bulged like an ugly goldfish. “You guys were the ones who told me! To get rid of me, he bought paraquat and invited me for a drink!”

Ji Chenjiao: “Wait a minute, when did I say he invited you for a drink?”

Liu Xuelin’s memory was clearly jumbled, confusing what he had experienced with what the police had mentioned last time. For a moment, his shoulders shrugged up and down, then slumped. “That day, he asked me out for a drink, said he wanted to talk about the ‘Gui Yong Tang’ matter. We hadn’t had a conflict yet, and I didn’t even know ‘Gui Yong Tang’ only needed three people, so I went.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Which day?”

Liu Xuelin thought for a long time. “July 12th.”

Ji Chenjiao glanced at the record. This was the third day after Mou Dianpei bought the paraquat. Inviting Liu Xuelin for a drink had no other purpose than to poison him. But the poison wasn’t administered.

“I got there, but he didn’t. I didn’t have his contact information. After waiting for a long time and he still didn’t show up, I just ordered a few dishes and ate by myself.” Liu Xuelin said he felt Mou Dianpei had deliberately stood him up. After that, whenever he saw Mou Dianpei, he didn’t give him a pleasant look.

Soon after, he got the news that “Gui Yong Tang” only needed three people, and two of them were already chosen. Only then did Liu Xuelin belatedly realize that Mou Dianpei must have known all along that he was a competitor.

He had struggled in this line of work for several years. Although he could make money, it was at the cost of his health. In the future, once “Gui Yong Tang” grew bigger, it was uncertain if he could even get a small share of the profits. For all these years, this was the best opportunity he had ever encountered. He had to eliminate Mou Dianpei, this obstacle, to get on board with “Gui Yong Tang.”

Killing someone is not an easy task. At first, he only had a vague idea and was constantly hesitant. He was very dissatisfied because Mou Dianpei had deliberately stood him up, but even so, it hadn’t reached the point where he was determined to kill him. It was later at the Third Hospital’s inpatient department, when he heard Mou Dianpei talking about him behind his back, that anger flared up from his heart, and he wanted to get rid of Mou Dianpei.

After having a plan, he kept thinking about how to make the police let him go. He and Mou Dianpei knew each other. Once Mou Dianpei was dead, the police investigation would inevitably lead to him. What if he rushed into the police’s line of sight from the very beginning? As long as the police believed he was framed, he would be safe!

To this end, he even deliberately provoked Mou Dianpei at the hospital entrance, letting everyone see that he had once clashed with Mou Dianpei over business. The police would believe that the real killer also saw this clash and therefore framed him.

He came to Yide Lane several times but couldn’t find an opportunity to act, until he heard Mou Dianpei’s roommate say that Mou Dianpei was sick. He had never seen Mou Dianpei so weak and cheered inwardly, “You son of a bitch, you have your day too?”

When helping Mou Dianpei into the car, Mou Dianpei even whispered “thank you.” So are people such lowly animals? Only showing a bit of politeness when they are weak? What were they doing before?

When the rope tightened around Mou Dianpei’s neck, Mou Dianpei hardly struggled and soon stopped breathing. He followed his plan to pick up the body, dump the corpse, and flee, thinking it was foolproof.

Huang Yi asked, “If you had known Mou Dianpei was seriously poisoned, would you still have done it?”

Liu Xuelin was stunned for a long time, then answered irrelevantly, “I’m happy. He bought the poison himself and drank it himself. He deserved to be poisoned to death! If I can’t go to ‘Gui Yong Tang,’ he can forget about it too!”

Currently, Liu Xuelin has confessed, but the case is not completely solved. The forensic autopsy report stated that the direct cause of Mou Dianpei’s death was indeed mechanical asphyxiation caused by strangulation, but he was already suffering from the effects of the poison at the time. Although paraquat was not the direct cause of his death, there was clearly another killer in this case.

The municipal bureau held a meeting, and the suspicion centered on Mou Dianpei inviting Liu Xuelin to dinner but then standing him up midway. Ling Lie said, “Mou Dianpei went to the dinner that day with the paraquat, but before he arrived at the restaurant, he discovered the drug was missing. With his temper, since he couldn’t poison Liu Xuelin, why would he still spend money to treat him? So he just stood him up.”

Huang Yi said, “How could he lose something he was carrying? Losing a bottle of poison is no small matter. Didn’t the person who found it think of returning it?”

“Not only did they not think of returning it, but they also came up with a scheme.” Ling Lie’s eyes showed a cold light of seeing through everything. “The person who found the drug hid it. Mou Dianpei probably went back to look for it, but the person said they hadn’t seen it, that maybe someone else took it. This explanation was plausible to Mou Dianpei, so he didn’t think much of it.”

“Wait a minute.” Huang Yi frowned. “Mou Dianpei found it plausible… so the place where he lost it had high foot traffic, making it easy for things to be picked up?” Ling Lie said, “Yes, like those small restaurants near the Third Hospital.”

Huang Yi reacted quickly, immediately connecting the Feng’an County case from seventeen years ago with Mou Dianpei’s case. “Are you talking about ‘Old Shen’s Boxed Lunches’?”

“Old Shen’s Boxed Lunches” had been closed for several days. According to neighboring shops, this was not unusual, as Shen Wei took a vacation for himself every summer. The municipal bureau had not yet initiated an arrest, but they had confirmed through communications that after closing his shop, Shen Wei had returned to his hometown of Feng’an County. Lu Feixiang, who worked for him, was still in Fengshi. According to what Shen Wei had said last time, Lu Feixiang was a student at Fengshi Medical College.

Because the case might be related to the Feng’an County case, and the investigation of this cold case was led by the special operations team, Huang Yi did not interfere and gave Ling Lie his full cooperation and support.

Ling Lie planned to go see Lu Feixiang. It was just after noon, when the summer sun was at its most venomous. Huang Yi, being warm-hearted and not wanting to be accused of neglecting colleagues from out of town, personally moved a case of mineral water just taken from the freezer and insisted on putting it in the back of Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao’s car.

The three stood in the shade of a tree and chatted casually for a while. Huang Yi said that the event on Fengchao Island was starting in a few days. If the case was solved, he would host and take the special operations team to the island to see the excitement. Ji Chenjiao had little interest in such lively events, but Ling Lie readily agreed. On the way, Ji Chenjiao drove while Ling Lie was still searching for “Parade of a Myriad Ghosts” on his phone.

Ji Chenjiao: “It doesn’t sound like a very auspicious event just from the name.”

This remark had nothing to do with superstition, but from the perspective of a major crimes detective, there was a subconscious resistance to such events involving strange costumes, masks, and wigs. “Ghosts” are easier to spot in the daylight. Even if they deliberately hide, they cannot evade all surveillance. But in a place where everyone is a “ghost,” a real “ghost” can easily hide their form.

The “ghost” is very smart and may have already targeted this kind of event. Perhaps because Fengshi’s funeral culture was so prevalent, with groups of flower wreaths and paper effigies even in the busiest city center, the whole city had an inexplicable gloomy feeling. Ji Chenjiao couldn’t help but become overly suspicious himself.

As they were approaching Fengshi Medical College, Ling Lie put away his phone and looked out at the heatwave. At a car wash by the roadside, a dark-skinned young man in a tank top and shorts was hosing down a car covered in mud. That was the person they were looking for today, Xiao Lu, Lu Feixiang.

The car stopped at the street corner opposite the car wash. Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao quickly swapped seats, with Ling Lie driving and Ji Chenjiao in the passenger seat. The car looped around and dropped Ji Chenjiao off at the east gate of the medical college. After getting out, Ji Chenjiao looked at the car; its body was clean, with nothing to wash at all. The two split up to act.

Fengshi Medical College could only be considered a mid-ranked medical university nationally, but in Fengshi and the surrounding cities, it was the best medical school. Shen Wei did not attend this one, but a better comprehensive university in the provincial capital.

It was currently vacation time, so the campus was relatively quiet. Most of the students who remained on campus looked hurried, likely on their way to part-time jobs outside the school. Ji Chenjiao passed a teaching building and saw a few diligent students studying alone in a lecture hall on the first floor. There was no air conditioning in the classroom, only a few electric fans running at full blast, humming along with the chirping cicadas, weaving a blueprint for the future with the sweat of the present.

Working part-time during free time wasn’t unusual, but medical students have a heavy workload. Lu Feixiang was also a student here, so how did he have time to always be at “Old Shen’s Boxed Lunches”? Now that the restaurant was temporarily closed, he didn’t return to school but instead became a car washer?

Ji Chenjiao quickened his pace, heading towards the academic affairs building marked on the campus map. Although it was vacation time, the administrative staff were still working. After showing his credentials, Ji Chenjiao said he wanted to inquire about Lu Feixiang’s situation. The director in charge of reception was suddenly stunned.

Ji Chenjiao looked at the director’s face. “Is there a problem with Lu Feixiang?”

The director: “No, he, he is no longer a student here.”

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “What happened?”

“This…” The director looked like he couldn’t make the decision. “Wait a moment, I’ll go make a call and ask.”

Ji Chenjiao sat down in the reception room. A moment later, a young female teacher brought him a cup of herbal tea.

Ten minutes later, the director returned with a male teacher in his early thirties, introducing him cautiously, “This is a lecturer in our pharmacology department and was Lu Feixiang’s counselor at the time. He knows what happened back then.”

“It’s like this, Lu Feixiang voluntarily dropped out of school two years ago.” The male teacher emphasized “voluntarily.” “His withdrawal also followed the proper procedures. We considered that he was still young, so we didn’t report it to the police or leave any record. What, has he committed another crime? And he’s still claiming to be a student here?”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Why did he drop out?”

The male teacher sighed and said that Lu Feixiang had poor character and a habit of petty theft. Many of his roommates had things stolen by him, and he even stole from the laboratory. But everyone knew his family was poor, so no one made a big deal about it. But in his junior year, he not only stole reagents and equipment from the lab but also tried to “steal” a classmate’s girlfriend.

“It would have been one thing if he just took some test tubes and beakers from the lab, but can you just randomly take reagents? Those can be mixed into dangerous drugs, which could lead to a major disaster!” The male teacher was deeply distressed. “Harassing a classmate’s girlfriend is also a very immoral act. That classmate was furious, and he fought with Lu Feixiang on the spot. Both were injured, and it almost ended up at the police station.”

After such an incident, the department had to take it seriously. They temporarily suspended Lu Feixiang’s classes, on one hand letting him reflect, and on the other hand holding meetings to discuss his punishment. Initially, the teachers were unwilling to expel him, feeling that given his family’s financial situation, it was really not easy for him to get into medical school.

But the students were very dissatisfied with just a demerit. The incidents of theft from his freshman year were exposed one by one. Lu Feixiang became a black sheep, and the student union also demanded his expulsion.

But Lu Feixiang was stubborn. Despite the evidence and witnesses, he refused to admit that he had stolen anything. As for the daily necessities in the dormitory, he insisted his roommates had let him use them. He also flatly denied harassing someone else’s girlfriend.

With both sides at a stalemate, the student union suggested reporting it to the police. But the department was unwilling to do so. Firstly, the student himself would have a criminal record, and secondly, such an incident would affect the reputation of the medical college and the pharmacology major.

So the department’s teachers stepped in again, talking to Lu Feixiang one by one. They tried to reason with him with emotion and logic, basically making him understand that being stubborn was useless for him. The school could completely expel him and hand him over to the police, which would ruin his life. Now, as long as he admitted his mistake and voluntarily withdrew, no record would be left. If he wanted to study again in the future, he could apply to other schools, and the department would have an explanation for the student union and the students.

These talks were naturally unpleasant. Lu Feixiang was very resistant, but later he probably slowly accepted reality and agreed to withdraw.

“Which of us teachers doesn’t think about the students’ best interests? He made a mistake, and this was already the best solution we could think of for him.” The male teacher was a bit apprehensive. “It’s not that Lu Feixiang has committed some crime, is it? That shouldn’t have anything to do with our school, right?”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Is there any written documentation about Lu Feixiang’s withdrawal?”

The male teacher shook his head. “We didn’t want to leave behind those things. The students said he stole, and he later admitted it and withdrew, so the matter was considered closed.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Then show me the student list for Lu Feixiang’s year.”

“This…” The male teacher was very hesitant. “It’s all in the past, let’s not bother them anymore…”

Ji Chenjiao said lightly, “The matter is not over. The school’s improper handling may have led to a new crime. I need to see the list.”

His tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp, and his presence filled the not-so-spacious reception room. The male teacher was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up. “I, I’ll go get it right now!”

Lu Feixiang was a pharmacology student, with fifty-three classmates. Most of them had already graduated and did not pursue graduate studies, their whereabouts unknown. Four others were admitted to graduate school, two of whom were studying at this same university: one named Cao Xinxin, and the other Si Jiao.

Cao Xinxin was also Lu Feixiang’s roommate.

Ji Chenjiao decided to first learn about Lu Feixiang from these two.

Graduate school is stressful. Cao Xinxin did not go home, but stayed at school, working part-time and doing experiments. According to the file provided by the school, he came from Fengchao County, which is the island famous for the “Parade of a Myriad Ghosts” event.

Cao Xinxin was busy in the lab when a classmate called him, saying someone was looking for him. He carefully cleaned up his desk and even took a photo of the equipment before heading out the door.

Someone in the lab whispered, “Xiao Cao is too cautious, isn’t he? We’re all classmates, who would touch his stuff?” “Being cautious has its benefits, what if someone does move his things?” “Who the hell would move his stuff for no reason? I think he has a problem himself. He’s thinking of moving other people’s stuff, so he thinks others will move his.” “…That actually makes a bit of sense!”

Cao Xinxin didn’t hear his classmates’ discussion. He looked warily at the tall man in the hallway. “Who are you?” As he was being observed, Ji Chenjiao also sized up Cao Xinxin. He was not tall, with a thin build, ordinary looks, and slightly dark skin. His eyes were full of vigilance when he looked at people.

At this moment, Cao Xinxin received a call from the academic affairs office, telling him that a police officer was here to ask him about Lu Feixiang’s withdrawal and that he should just tell them what he knew. The hallway was dimly lit, but even so, Cao Xinxin’s face clearly turned pale. He stammered and hung up the phone. “Just ask what you want to know.”

There were many empty classrooms in the lab building. Ji Chenjiao found a random one. “You and Lu Feixiang were roommates?”

Cao Xinxin nodded woodenly.

“Don’t be nervous, let’s just chat,” Ji Chenjiao said. “I heard he started stealing from his roommates since his freshman year. What did he steal?” Cao Xinxin sat on a stool, his white coat a bit dirty. He clasped his hands together and looked down at them. “Just things like paper, shampoo, scratch paper, fruit, cigarettes, and so on.” After speaking, Cao Xinxin added in a low voice, “Actually, he didn’t take much. His family situation is not good, we all understood.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “What’s his family situation?”

“He seems to have no parents, just a grandfather at home. I don’t know if he has passed away or not.”

Ji Chenjiao changed the subject. “What about you?”

Cao Xinxin was startled and looked up. “Me?”

“I’m also trying to understand the living standards of his roommates, to make a comparative judgment,” Ji Chenjiao said. “How many people were in your dorm?” Cao Xinxin lowered his head again. “Six people. My family is also very ordinary. My father passed away a long time ago, and my mother does some handicrafts on the island. I was supposed to get the student grant in my freshman year, but after a discussion in the dorm, we felt Lu Feixiang’s situation was more difficult, so we gave it to him. The other four, two of them are in a similar situation to me, coming from out of town. The other two have very good family backgrounds. One is a local, and the other is from the next city over; he drove a car to school since freshman year.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Whose girlfriend did Lu Feixiang harass?”

Cao Xinxin said, “It was our dorm leader, Xue Bin. His family is very rich; they do clothing exports in the next city.”

In Cao Xinxin’s description, Xue Bin was a typical rich second-generation young master. He was handsome, had good grades, had long decided to study abroad for his master’s degree, and was also very warm-hearted, helping out Lu Feixiang from time to time.

Xue Bin got a girlfriend in his freshman year, also from a wealthy circle. The girlfriend often came to the medical college to find Xue Bin, and the roommates all knew her. Recalling it now, she liked to tease Lu Feixiang from the very beginning, saying that it was rare to find a contemporary university student as quiet as Lu Feixiang. But at that time, including Xue Bin, no one noticed anything wrong.

Every time the girlfriend came, she would bring a lot of food, supposedly homemade, but her cooking skills were really not good. Xue Bin was used to delicacies and really couldn’t eat his girlfriend’s “love-filled meals.” The other roommates didn’t want to eat them either. Only Lu Feixiang ate them with relish. Later, whenever there were “love-filled meals,” Xue Bin would secretly give them to Lu Feixiang.

This became Xue Bin’s biggest regret later on.

Near the end of their junior year, the girlfriend suddenly proposed breaking up with Xue Bin. Xue Bin was shocked. Before this, they had already agreed to study abroad together, and there were no problems with their relationship.

But the girlfriend said she had fallen in love with someone else and wanted to be with that person. Under Xue Bin’s questioning, the girlfriend finally admitted that she was already with Lu Feixiang.

“Ask yourself, do you really love me? You just think my family background and appearance are a good match for you. You don’t love me as a person at all! You even give the food I make for you to someone else. Let’s end it here. I don’t want to spend my life with you.”

Xue Bin was furious. He found Lu Feixiang, who was working part-time, and punched him on the spot, then pushed him to the ground and started punching and kicking. If the roommates hadn’t pulled them apart, Lu Feixiang would surely have had a few broken bones.

Learning that Lu Feixiang had been beaten, the girlfriend cried even more bitterly, saying Xue Bin was not a human being and insisted on breaking up.

The matter escalated to the school. At first, Lu Feixiang denied having a relationship with Xue Bin’s girlfriend that went beyond friendship. Xue Bin was like a lion with bloodshot eyes, “She’s already admitted it, what the hell are you still pretending for?”

Lu Feixiang didn’t argue but requested to meet with Xue Bin’s girlfriend, which Xue Bin of course refused. At this time, someone testified that they had seen Lu Feixiang and Xue Bin’s girlfriend walking around campus at night, talking and laughing, and they seemed to have kissed. Lu Feixiang denied it, but Xue Bin’s girlfriend admitted it.

Xue Bin demanded that Lu Feixiang be expelled, but the school authorities believed that such an emotional dispute was not enough to expel a student.

But just at this time, the incident of Lu Feixiang stealing lab reagents and equipment came to light. Every medical student understood how important reagents were. The school authorities also immediately became vigilant and strictly investigated where the reagents went.

Lu Feixiang said he didn’t steal the items, that he had never stolen anything. But Xue Bin was furious and exposed all of Lu Feixiang’s petty thefts from freshman to junior year. The roommates also testified one after another. This confirmed that Lu Feixiang had a habit of theft.

Xue Bin was a member of the student union and had strong influence. Soon, the student union also got involved, demanding Lu Feixiang’s expulsion.

Later, Lu Feixiang finally admitted to the theft but did not admit to snatching Xue Bin’s girlfriend. He withdrew from the medical college.

Cao Xinxin said, “That’s what I remember. He deserved to be withdrawn from school.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Who was the student who testified to seeing Lu Feixiang and Xue Bin’s girlfriend kissing?”

Cao Xinxin’s expression became very unnatural. He averted his gaze. “I wouldn’t know about that.”

Afterward, Ji Chenjiao learned from Cao Xinxin that after Lu Feixiang withdrew, he lost contact with all of them. Xue Bin tried to win back his girlfriend, but she insisted on breaking up. In their senior year, Xue Bin went abroad. Later, another wealthy roommate from the dorm said that Xue Bin’s girlfriend didn’t seem to have gotten together with Lu Feixiang and had also gone abroad.