Chapter 26: Zhuang Dong’s Pretext

"These review materials should be enough."

"Fifteen days is a very tight schedule. Even though you are a top graduate from a prestigious university, it will likely be an uphill battle to outperform the other candidates."

Wen Ke took Lu Yuan away from the job market and, while they were at it, helped him purchase some study materials for the upcoming exam.

The other candidates had started their preparations half a year or even a year ago, so Lu Yuan, with only half a month, naturally lagged behind.

Lu Yuan looked at the books in his hands, but his mood remained steady. Ever since he was a child, he had never feared examinations. He had always been much brighter than the average person. Lu Yuan was well aware of this, yet he also understood that in this society, intelligence alone was far from sufficient.

"Thank you for helping me."

"If you ever need my assistance with anything, just let me know." Lu Yuan said this with great sincerity.

Wen Ke didn't take his words to heart. "I’m busy with a case lately, so I might not have time to come see you again, but I’ll make sure to drop off your exam admission ticket when I get a chance."

Looking at Wen Ke’s weary face, Lu Yuan asked abruptly, "Is the case very difficult?"

Wen Ke leaned back against the car seat and stretched, a rare moment of relaxation. "It is quite tricky. It’s probably the most difficult case I’ve encountered since becoming a police officer."

A flicker crossed Lu Yuan’s eyes. "Have you found An Shi?"

Wen Ke stiffened. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head. "Not yet, but we are close. We have roughly locked down his location."

The police had not disclosed anything regarding An Shi’s body to the public; it was under complete confidentiality. It was impossible for Wen Ke to reveal such sensitive information to Lu Yuan.

Back at his psychological clinic, Lu Yuan stepped out of the car and stood by the window. "Captain Wen, perhaps in a few days, the killer will appear on his own."

Wen Ke smiled. "Let’s hope so." She waved a hand, saying, "I’m heading back to the station. You study hard."

After Wen Ke departed, Lu Yuan carried the thick stack of books into his clinic. He never expected that so many years after graduation, he would find himself preparing for an exam again. It was a lifestyle that felt strangely nostalgic.

It wasn't until evening that Lu Yuan felt a sense of fatigue and closed his study materials. During his break, he pulled out his phone and opened that person’s profile once more. "Huh? This person’s IP changed?"

Lu Yuan stared at the ID "Mu Dong Who Loves Yan Yan." The IP location, which had been in a different city yesterday, had now changed to S City.

A strange tension gripped Lu Yuan’s heart. He opened their private chat box; the person hadn't sent him a single message all day. The phone screen stayed lit for a long time. Lu Yuan tapped his finger and typed: "Sorry, I was busy today. Are you free to talk now?"

The reply came almost instantly.

"Who are you?"

"Are you An Shi?"

"I’ve returned to S City. Let’s meet."

Lu Yuan had only sent one sentence, but the person on the other end responded with several paragraphs. From the phrasing, one could sense a desperate urgency.

Lu Yuan rubbed his phone, thinking for a moment. "Hello, I’m just a paranormal enthusiast looking to collect some interesting material for an article. I am not the An Shi you are referring to."

"Let’s skip the meeting. I’m only interested in learning more about the 'Ghost' you mentioned. No other intentions."

This time, the chat box remained silent for a long while. Half an hour later, the other person sent: "You are clearly a psychologist, so why claim to be a paranormal enthusiast?"

Lu Yuan froze. He realized what had happened and opened his own profile page. His ID clearly stated his profession: Psychologist.

Lu Yuan felt a wave of annoyance. He could see other people’s profiles, so obviously, they could see his. How had he forgotten to edit his information? He had been exposed.

After much deliberation, Lu Yuan tentatively typed: "My primary job is a psychologist, and my side job is a paranormal enthusiast. But there are few patients right now, and I’m not making much money. I’m more focused on being a paranormal enthusiast."

"What is your name?" the other side asked.

Lu Yuan frowned slightly. Naturally, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to give his real name. Just as he was about to type a fake one he had prepared, the other person sent another message: "If you don’t believe me, you can come find me at the police station."

Lu Yuan: ?

The police station? Was this person at the police station? And if so, why were they still able to chat on their phone?

Lu Yuan instinctively assumed the person was lying, with the goal of tricking him into revealing his real name or luring him out. He didn’t know how to reply, and by the time he had decided, he noticed the user’s avatar had turned gray, indicating they were offline.

"This person is strange."

"Perhaps, he is the killer who murdered An Shi."

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered. If he could find the killer, it would be a way to repay the favor to Wen Ke. From the person’s words, he could sense a desperate need to meet; every sentence seemed to be baiting him to step outside.

Lu Yuan looked down at his own body—barely that of an average person. He certainly couldn't win against a vicious killer. Meeting was out of the question.

However, one thing puzzled him: Why would this person ask him to go to the police station? If he really were the killer, shouldn't he be instinctively avoiding the police?

Lu Yuan pondered for a long time without finding an answer. He got up and checked the clinic’s doors and windows one last time. "When I have money, I need to install an alarm system."

After finishing, he didn't sit back in his chair. Instead, he took a blanket from the cupboard and spread it on the floor. The clinic’s heating was decent; sleeping on the floor for the night wouldn't be an issue.

Lu Yuan stared at the quartz clock on the wall. When it reached ten o’clock at night, the familiar sense of vertigo washed over him.

Unconsciousness.
Entering a dream.

...

S City East District Police Station.

In the interrogation room, a young man appeared nervous and agitated, wiping cold sweat from his forehead from time to time. The next second, the door to the interrogation room was pushed open.

Wen Ke strode in, sat down at the table, and glanced at the documents in her hand. "Mr. Zhuang Dong."

The young man nodded hurriedly. "That’s me."

Wen Ke nodded. "Sorry to have troubled you to come all the way back from another city. There are just some things I’d like to understand."

Zhuang Dong was highly emotional. "Zhuo Yan and I broke up half a year ago. I don’t know anything."

Wen Ke had seen many people like this who wanted to distance themselves immediately; after all, this was a homicide case, and being involved meant a mountain of trouble.

"I’ve asked other teachers at Mingzhi Elementary School. They said your relationship with Zhuo Yan was always very stable, and you were even discussing an engagement half a year ago."

"Why did you suddenly break up?"

Wen Ke flipped through the files. They contained records of interviews with others at Mingzhi Elementary, and they all unanimously stated that Zhuang Dong and Zhuo Yan had a wonderful relationship.

Zhuang Dong held his head in his hands, his tone equally confused. "I don’t know either. She was the one who suggested the breakup."

"Suddenly, one day, it was as if she had become a different person. She treated me very poorly and often engaged in self-harm."

"Since she suggested breaking up and I couldn't bear to marry a madwoman, I agreed."