Chapter 30: Separation of Proof

After realizing the potential for spatial folding inside the mansion, He Wei and Cheng Zesheng needed to reexamine the proof they held of their fingers. They wanted to find out which items of proof actually belonged to their case and which of them may need seeped in from one other world because of the folding phenomenon.

“Do you assume these two instances occurred concurrently or individually?” He Wei requested.

“There’s a excessive chance that they’re interconnected,” Cheng Zesheng identified the similarities in two separate post-mortem studies, exhibiting a number of factors of convergence. In keeping with his evaluation, the capturing case probably occurred first, adopted by the strangling case. He erased a bit on paper and sketched a simplified crime scene, putting the our bodies and traces from each worlds into it. “You see, if this have been one crime scene, the reconstructed situation means that the perpetrator killed Cheng Zesheng first, then engaged in a wrestle with He Wei earlier than killing him.”

“That’s the logical development, however there are some essential points we haven’t found out but,” He Wei circled two units of shoeprints with a pen, elevating a query. “As an illustration, are these shoeprints actually indicative of two people getting into and leaving the scene on the similar time, or did they every enter and exit individually of their respective worlds, with the shoeprints overlapping to create a misunderstanding? That is important; it has a decisive affect on figuring out the variety of people current on the scene.”

Cheng Zesheng picked up the photograph of shoeprints with the embedded stone and in contrast it to the unfinished shoe prints extracted from the group of shoe prints on He Wei’s aspect. He observed that whereas the sizes and styles of the shoe prints matched, the unfinished ones didn’t have the embedded stone, whereas they clearly aligned with the deceased He Wei’s shoe prints.

“The footprints in your aspect may need permeated into my crime scene,” Cheng Zesheng steered.

He Wei remained silent, sustaining a skeptical angle.

Cheng Zesheng circled a cluster of disordered shoeprints that shared the identical sample, saying, “These are apparent indicators of a wrestle, and it belong to my case. They will help reconstruct the entire motion sequence between the perpetrator and the sufferer. It’s not the results of overlapping infiltration.”

“Presently, solely this piece is for certain; the remaining can’t be conclusively decided,” He Wei drew a stick determine subsequent to Cheng Zesheng’s physique, “There are some gaps within the blood spatter patterns round Cheng Zesheng’s physique after he was shot. I initially suspected the presence of a 3rd individual close by, blocking the blood spatters. Now, we are able to’t ensure if there actually was an individual standing there, or in case your model of He Wei occurred to be in that place, performing as a clear impediment, inflicting the gaps within the blood spatters.”

“I nonetheless lean in direction of the existence of a 3rd individual slightly than the folding impact,” Cheng Zesheng in contrast the shoeprint with the embedded stone to the others, “This one was found later in my case. On the time, I deduced it is perhaps a fourth individual on the scene. Nonetheless, if we think about it out of your perspective, it may very well be that he and Cheng Zesheng entered the mansion collectively, and he was by his aspect when Cheng Zesheng was shot.”

“Following your line of thought, wouldn’t it’s extra logical for the ‘me’ from this world to enter with Cheng Zesheng?” He Wei chuckled and shook his head, “That’s inconceivable. Are you aware what I used to be doing when he died? I used to be nonetheless engaged on one other haunted case. I had simply apprehended a suspect after I acquired a name in the course of the evening, reporting a murder on the mansion.”

Cheng Zesheng didn’t doubt He Wei, however he knew that He Wei had a twin brother, and this reality couldn’t be ignored. On his aspect, there was no established time for He Lu’s involvement within the case, leaving room for the chance that He Lu from the opposite aspect may need been accountable. Given He Lu’s connection to Cheng Zesheng, it wasn’t implausible that they entered the mansion collectively.

He Wei fell silent, shaking his head slowly. “A-Lu wouldn’t do this. I do know him. He can’t deceive me. He wouldn’t be capable of disguise one thing like this.”

Cheng Zesheng wasn’t aware of the He Lu from He Wei’s world, however the He Lu on his aspect was slightly easy – their frequent trait appeared to be an lack of ability to cover feelings or secrets and techniques; all the pieces confirmed on their faces.

Tonight, the worldviews of those two adept investigators have been as soon as once more shattered. Their unique thought processes have been torn aside, requiring full reassembly. Unsolved mysteries piled up one after one other, and with the introduction of one other world, the state of affairs turned much more intricate.

It was clear that the mansion was a focus, however the mysterious power behind it allowed sure traces from each worlds to fold and infiltrate. Furthermore, the proof that left the mansion didn’t disintegrate within the atomic construction just like the state of affairs in 404 and the state of affairs was far more secure.

After pondering for a second, He Wei snapped his fingers. “Tomorrow evening at 12 o’clock, I’ll go to the mansion, and you must come too.”

“…Is the character of that place the identical as right here? How are you aware if we are able to talk?”

“It’s exactly as a result of we don’t know that we have to confirm it,” He Wei stood up, closed his pocket book, and positioned the pen again in its unique spot. “If the mansion’s state is much more secure than this one, who is aware of, you may even be seen.”

———

On the Hutaoli Group, Yun Xiaoxiao and a police officer from Shunhe Avenue Police Station knocked on the door of Unit 203 in Constructing 32.

The person who answered the door was carrying a tank prime and shorts, his hair in a messy model, and his eyes barely opened from sleepiness. “What’s the matter?”

“Registering residency, please cooperate,” the police officer entered the condo, adopted by Yun Xiaoxiao holding a registration guide, whereas Hu Songkai stood on the doorway like a guardian deity.

The person took out his ID card for registration. The police officer requested, “Are you the proprietor of the property?”

“No, I’m renting the place.”

“Do you reside alone?”

“I’ve a roommate, however he hasn’t been again for some time, and he hasn’t terminated the lease both. I don’t know what’s occurring.”

Yun Xiaoxiao appeared up. “What’s the title of your roommate?”

“Ma Guangming, I believe? It must be that.” The person yawned. “We haven’t talked a lot. I’m on the day shift, and he’s all the time out at evening. We infrequently cross paths.”

“Oh, he works evening shifts, proper?” the police officer remarked.

“Who is aware of, actually? That man appears to not have to work. Somebody’s most likely supporting him.” The person immediately turned enthusiastic, winking, “Tall and skinny, actually good-looking, like a star. I even suspect he’s in that line of labor.”

Yun Xiaoxiao pretended to be clueless. “Which line of labor?”

“That one! They name it ‘Nulang‘1 in Japan, and right here it’s a ‘duck’.”

“Now that you just point out it, I bear in mind. I’ve a good friend who mentioned they typically see a good-looking man in close by bars, with a charismatic and charming presence. Extremely handsome.” Yun Xiaoxiao well timed pulled out her cellphone and displayed the photograph. The person checked out it and instantly exclaimed, “Sure, sure, that’s him! I knew he wasn’t an honest individual. He should be going to bars to draw rich ladies.”

Yun Xiaoxiao smiled, then glanced again at Hu Songkai, exchanging a glance. They’d discovered the appropriate individual!

“The place’s the toilet?” Hu Songkai requested.

The person gestured inside, and Hu Songkai nodded, giving Yun Xiaoxiao a sign to proceed the dialog whereas he went in to have a look.

Utilizing the excuse of needing to make use of the restroom, Hu Songkai entered the room reverse the person’s bed room. He gently turned the doorknob, and a musty odor, constructed up from days of being sealed, wafted out. This indicated that Cheng Zhenqing hadn’t been dwelling right here for no less than half a month.

In comparison with the messiness of the person with messy hair, Cheng Zhenqing’s room was comparatively tidy. There weren’t many garments within the wardrobe, as if a batch had been packed and brought away. Presumably, after Cheng Zesheng’s incident, he had a premonition that the police would ultimately discover him. So, he had discovered a brief place to put low.

A number of pamphlets have been positioned on the desk, and Hu Songkai pocketed all of them. Opening a drawer, he discovered just a few philosophy-related books, and beneath them was a thick dictionary. Hu Songkai absentmindedly flipped by way of the dictionary, inflicting just a few pictures to fall out. They have been all footage of Cheng Zhenqing and Cheng Zesheng collectively, with a international backdrop. The flagpole within the background displayed the Canadian maple leaf flag.

Hu Songkai took the pictures with him as nicely. After looking the room completely, he got here out. Yun Xiaoxiao was nonetheless chatting with the person. Hu Songkai signaled to her to depart first.

Leaving Constructing 32, Yun Xiaoxiao hurriedly requested, “ErHu-ge, did you discover any clues?”

Hu Songkai pulled out the pictures and pamphlets from his pocket, saying, “The man certainly hasn’t been right here for some time. Take these again and have Lao He analyze them. He can calculate the place he is perhaps.”

“Calculate?”

“Sure, Lao He made the calculation, and all of the criminals are carried out for.”

———

He Wei was in his workplace, with crime scene pictures pinned on a whiteboard. He added the knowledge he had obtained from Cheng Zesheng, becoming the scattered puzzle items into their rightful locations, making the scene immediately extra coherent.

“What are you learning? I’ve seen you caught right here for fairly some time,” Chong Zhen walked in, handing him a bottle of soda alongside the way in which.

“It’s the mansion crime scene. I acquired some essential data yesterday. We have to overturn and rebuild the case.”

“Is it from that informant once more? Hey, what’s this? The place did these shoeprints come from?” Chong Zhen pointed on the coloration photocopy.

He Wei twisted open the soda and tapped the whiteboard along with his index finger. “Inform me, doesn’t the scene look a lot clearer and extra full now?”

Chong Zhen rubbed his chin, turning into extra fascinated the longer he appeared. “The elusive third celebration we’ve been unable to seek out clues about. Now plainly Cheng Zesheng went in with that somebody, and he was additionally current through the capturing. However the place did these shoe prints come from? Have been they photographed on the scene?”

“Do you actually need to know?” He Wei beckoned with a curled finger. “How about becoming a member of me for a go to to the mansion tonight?”

“…Can’t we do it through the day?”

He Wei shook his head. His first precedence was undoubtedly experimenting with the time associated to the condo’s node. If it didn’t work out, he might strive a unique time later.

“Then you must inform me what we’re going to do there,” Chong Zhen requested.

“We’re going to seek out Cheng Zesheng.”

“…,” Chong Zhen stood up, took maintain of He Wei’s hand, and earnestly suggested, “Lao He, hearken to me. You must go to a temple, burn some incense, and ask for a protecting allure. Coping with instances is one factor, however being all mystical and superstitious on a regular basis is sort of unnerving.”

He Wei knocked his hand away and mentioned bluntly. “I’m completely superb. Simply inform me whether or not you’re coming or not.”

Chong Zhen was torn. Going to the crime scene for an investigation was one factor, however summoning spirits appeared to be crossing a line, proper? Did they actually need to discover a skilled medium or Taoist priest? What if they really summoned one thing? The 2 of them wouldn’t be capable of deal with it.

“In the event you don’t need to go, that’s superb. I’ll go ask Lan-jie. She’d most likely be completely satisfied to return alongside and see what’s occurring…”

“Hey! What’s fallacious with you? Lan-jie is a fragile lady. Do you’ve gotten the center to place her by way of that?” Chong Zhen grabbed He Wei’s collar, “High quality, I’ll go. However don’t trouble Lan-jie. I’m a bit jealous, you recognize. In the event you hold searching for her, I’ll be jealous.”

He Wei was caught in his grip, stumbled a bit, and nearly fell to the bottom. He instinctively grabbed onto Chong Zhen’s garments and furrowed his brows. “Cease utilizing power while you speak. In the event you hold this up, I’ll report you for harassment.”

“So long as you cease bothering Lan-jie, I’ll settle for being accused of harassment.”

As they have been joking round, Zheng Youqing occurred to be standing on the doorway, holding espresso and mousse cake for He Wei. Seeing their actions, her eyes shimmered with shock.

Chong Zhen shortly launched He Wei, elevating his fingers to point out his innocence.

“Youqing, there’s a misunderstanding. I used to be simply saying I’m jealous of Lan-jie. Lao He has a superb relationship along with her, and I don’t really feel snug about it. I warned him to maintain his distance from Lan-jie…” Chong Zhen defined, midway by way of realizing that his phrases sounded unusual, so he rephrased, “Truly, I don’t have any intentions in direction of Lao He. He’s a grown man, and he’s additionally a little bit of a germophobe, proper…”

Zheng Youqing deliberately huffed, “No want to elucidate. Love rival.”

“…”