Coincidence

After sending Liu Che back to the bureau with the recording file for formal voice comparison, Shao Zi left the hospital alone. It wasn't for any other reason, but because it was lunchtime, and he also had other tasks to complete in a timely manner.

It was another scorching noon with the harsh sun overhead. Shao Zi stood in the shadow of the building, looking down at his watch. He had originally planned to return to the scene with Liu Che to check if anything had been missed, and at the same time inquire if anyone had provided information that caused Yao Sheng Hai to go to the theater to investigate. But now that Yao Sheng Hai had recovered and could be interrogated directly, seeking out the person himself was obviously much faster than searching around aimlessly like a headless fly.

However, this trip was not in vain. Yao Sheng Hai had indeed provided information that far exceeded expectations. Although he was a somewhat irresponsible news reporter, it could not be denied that he was an experienced investigator who valued his life and had capital. Therefore, the opinion of such an "outsider" had great reference value.

If Yao Sheng Hai's judgment was correct, then the clue obtained was extremely important. A killer capable of mimicking others' voices, leading an experienced person like Yao Sheng Hai to be lured into a deadly trap by a clumsy lie. Thinking of this, Shao Zi frowned. In other words, the killer possessed a special skill.

Combined with the killer mistaking Yu Xuan Yi, it could be inferred that this person was highly likely the accomplice who committed murder at the scene alongside Dawn. Because Dawn's meticulousness only exposed flaws in unexpected situations that were not part of the plan.

The previous case of the two corpses could be explained as "Dawn cleaning up the scene," which was why no effective clues were found. But with the appearance of a living witness who still couldn't identify the killer, it could be confirmed that this person was no ordinary character, making them difficult to arrest through conventional methods. In other words, this was a confrontation between the police and two highly intelligent and extremely cunning killers. Among them, the one originally considered easier to deal with actually possessed unexpected skills and intellect. Difficulties were compounding.

While Shao Zi was absorbed in thinking about his next move, a figure flashing past the street corner caught his attention. Wen Ren Yu.

The name that Shao Zi had only heard of and seen in files now appeared casually in his line of sight. It seemed Wen Ren Yu didn't notice Shao Zi's presence—of course, how could he know this unfamiliar police officer? But if someone else were here—such as Lu Yao, who had looked at Wen Ren Yu's face yesterday to the point of wanting to vomit—they would surely exclaim in surprise, "Why is it him again?"

Although Shao Zi didn't have such a memorable experience, he knew well that his colleagues had visited this famous figure several times both day and night yesterday. Therefore, Wen Ren Yu's suspicious appearance at the hospital where a witness related to the case was located made it impossible for Shao Zi not to suspect him. It was definitely not a coincidence.

In fact, as someone who suddenly appeared at the crime scene, Wen Ren Yu was in an extremely awkward position in the investigation. If he was said to be the mastermind, he had merely strolled past and had basically no connection with the victim. If he was said to be the one behind the mastermind, or even the hidden figure behind Dawn, it was even harder to believe.

Of course, the latter hypothesis was just an exaggeration, since Wen Ren Yu was originally a former professional esports player. Given his normal workload and training intensity, it was impossible for him to have free time to go around committing murder and arson—this was a rare exception. If Jiang Qiu hadn't paid so much attention and care, perhaps Wen Ren Yu would still just be an unfamiliar celebrity to them. But the frequency of this Mr. Wen Ren's appearances now clearly far exceeded expectations, elevating him from "someone possibly related to the case" to "someone highly suspicious."

At this moment, Wen Ren Yu was carrying something on his back that looked like a fishing rod bag—concluding so based on the hobby described by others. Shao Zi began to observe this person's movements. Beside him was also a fish basket, inside of which was a dying fish weighing about one and a half catties. Afterward, this person casually sat down to one side, turning his head to look at an old man playing the erhu nearby.

"He probably hasn't eaten yet," Shao Zi thought to himself, discreetly observing the surroundings that Wen Ren Yu might target. Could he really have bad intentions, with Yao Sheng Hai as his target?

As someone who rose from the grassroots police force, tailing and tracking was all too familiar to Shao Zi. His secret was to always anticipate the target's destination so that the tracking became natural, blending into the surrounding scenery.

In front of the hospital, people were coming and going in crowds, and some were even kicking shuttlecocks in the plaza. The old man playing the erhu was neatly and warmly dressed, without a begging bowl, and didn't look like a beggar; he was probably just a nearby resident who came out in his spare time to perform or seek kindred spirits like Boya and Ziqi.

Unexpectedly, Wen Ren Yu only sat beside the hospital for a moment, the fishing rod bag on his back vibrating slightly with his movements. He stood up, looking toward the old man playing the erhu. Could he be so unobservant as to think this was someone in difficulty and want to offer alms? Shao Zi couldn't understand.

Then, he saw Wen Ren Yu whisper a few words into the old man's ear. The sound of the erhu suddenly stopped, and the old man said something and nodded. They had reached some sort of agreement that Shao Zi couldn't hear clearly from this distance.

What Shao Zi saw was that Mr. Wen Ren, who had been sitting and waiting just now, immediately placed the fishing rod bag on the stone bench where the old man sat, and then placed the fish bucket at the old man's feet. The erhu-playing old man even had a free foot to kick the fish bucket with his old shoe, glancing at the dying fish inside.

Shao Zi froze, not knowing what to do next. From his perspective, he couldn't see too many details, so he had to change his plan, walking toward the old man like a passerby attracted by the music. To avoid appearing unusual, as he approached, he even pretended to look curiously at the erhu.

But right after that, Wen Ren Yu made another unusual move. He let out a sigh of relief, stretched, and then spun around, running off in another direction, leaving all his fishing gear behind.

And now, Shao Zi seemed to have no public reason to chase after him anymore.