Chapter 66: A Significant Discovery (Part II)

"The rest is just my speculation, but as a forensic pathologist, theorizing without scientific evidence is a major taboo," Xu Jingnan said calmly.

Chen Tianyu smiled and replied, "I had you rush over here without a moment’s rest precisely to hear your speculations. You’ve been constrained by rules and regulations for too long; your mind isn't as active as it used to be."

Xu Jingnan scratched his head in embarrassment. "After being exposed to Western forensic techniques for so long, one tends to become rigid. Plus, we have strict disciplinary codes—forensic pathologists are not allowed to participate in criminal investigations. Over time, my mind has indeed grown a bit dull."

Wan Yongkun chimed in with a teasing laugh, "Why don't you quit and join us in the field? You've mastered your craft; what are you still doing there? Retiring?"

Xu Jingnan gave a bitter smile. "Is it really that easy to just leave? Besides... if I were to join Beiting, I might not even get the chance to be the first one to examine a body." He was speaking the plain truth.

Wan Yongkun dismissed this, saying, "We’ll just arrive at the scene first. They’re always so slow anyway."

Chen Tianyu quickly halted their banter. "Forensic science is all about evidence. It doesn't take sides; it cannot favor the suspect, nor can it favor the victim. Jingnan, your persistence is correct. Without a rigorous attitude, one cannot work in this field. But times have changed, and our perspectives must evolve accordingly."

"Anyway, let’s get back to your theory. You two, stop stirring the pot," he said, steering the conversation back on track.

Xu Jingnan nodded. "Based on the investigative findings, I’ve attempted a rough reconstruction of the scene. There were at least two people in the room: Hu Wenyi and a woman. Although there weren't many traces unique to a woman left at the scene, the fingerprint pattern I lifted from a wine glass suggests a high probability that the suspect is female."

"This woman met Hu Wenyi on short notice and brought wine and takeout, likely to catch up. They talked while eating, then Hu Wenyi suddenly felt unwell and went to the master bedroom to rest, where he later died of poisoning. The woman cleaned the entire room, took away the takeout packaging and the wine, and left without haste."

"The entire process was very calm; there were no signs of physical struggle or conflict."

Chen Tianyu pondered this. "When I first arrived at room 1802, I noticed the door wasn't double-locked. This means the woman didn't actually have a key. Hu Wenyi must have opened the door for her himself. She and Hu Wenyi must have been quite familiar with each other."

Kuang Suo couldn't help but interject, "If that's the case, this woman has nerves of steel. To commit murder so nonchalantly and unhurriedly..."

Wan Yongkun asked, perplexed, "Then isn't this case quite simple? The suspect's fingerprints are on the wine glass. As long as we follow the trail and combine it with other corroborating evidence, the police should be able to identify her quickly."

"Yes, that is exactly where the problem lies," Xu Jingnan said, suddenly shifting his tone.

He continued, "When a case is either too complex or too simple, there is often a possibility of human fabrication. Think about it: if the suspect was clever enough to clean the room and remove outside items, why leave the fingerprint-laden wine glass behind? As I said, this woman is either a repeat offender or possesses strong anti-reconnaissance awareness. The probability of her committing such a rookie mistake is minimal."

Wan Yongkun remained unconvinced. "Aren't you overthinking it? Maybe she knows some basic criminal techniques but isn't meticulous about everything. Or perhaps she was in a hurry and forgot about the glass. After all, there’s no such thing as a perfectly flawless crime."

Xu Jingnan didn't argue, but instead agreed, "True, that possibility exists as well."

Chen Tianyu shook his head and recalled, "I remember there was a bottle of sleeping pills on the nightstand in the master bedroom, wasn't there?"

"Indeed, there was an empty pill bottle, and the cap was open."

"And you mentioned that the poisoning symptoms didn't match an overdose of sleeping pills."

"Correct," Xu Jingnan affirmed.

Chen Tianyu sighed, "So, the suspect wanted people to believe that Hu Wenyi committed suicide?"

"As it stands, the possibility of suicide can be basically ruled out."

A strange smile appeared on Chen Tianyu’s face. He said calmly, "Without a doubt, this was a meticulously planned murder—methodical and composed. Yet, the execution seems clumsy, and it happened to leave behind clear fingerprints. Is that what you’re implying?"

"Uh..." Xu Jingnan hesitated.

Chen Tianyu gave him an encouraging look, signaling him to speak his mind.

"This situation is rare, but if we ignore the physical evidence and rely purely on reasoning, we risk falling into a logical trap that goes against the scientific spirit. What if the case is actually just that simple?..." Xu Jingnan wavered.

Chen Tianyu laughed. "We aren't solving the case; that’s the police's job. Even if our analysis is wrong, it doesn't matter. I know you forensic experts don't encourage over-speculation, so let’s just treat this as a game."

"Uh, a game?" Xu Jingnan was taken aback.

But he quickly understood. "I see. Very well, let me propose another possibility for you to analyze. If the killer is someone well-versed in criminal techniques, they certainly wouldn't make such a common mistake. The only explanation is that it was a deliberate setup to confuse us."

"The killer left the wine glass and the two pieces of women's lingerie in the closet—all part of a calculated plan. This person knew what to keep and what to clear away. And therein lies the problem: the fingerprints on the glass likely don't belong to the killer at all. Everything the killer truly used has been removed. What we see now is entirely staged."

"Therefore, there were likely three people in the room at that time, not two."

Wan Yongkun was stunned. "Who would this third person be? Wait, no—who is the second person? I'm confused. Are you saying there were two killers? That doesn't make sense. If one was exposed, how could the other get away?" His point was valid.

Xu Jingnan quickly corrected himself. "I may have misspoken. Let me rephrase: I suspect there were indeed only two people in the room, but traces of a third person exist. And those traces were intentionally planted by the suspect to mislead us."

Wan Yongkun understood, though he still scratched his head. "Man, this is making my head spin. Why not just say the killer brought someone else's glass along?"

Kuang Suo mocked, "You big oaf, why do you have to get involved? Seriously."

Everyone laughed. Through this exchange of ideas, the case was gradually becoming clearer.

Xu Jingnan suddenly grew serious. "Brother Kun, it’s not that I’m trying to be circuitous. It’s just that after our discussion, I feel that if someone is truly setting a trap, there could be countless possibilities..."

Wan Yongkun asked, "What do you mean?"

Kuang Suo interjected, "Jingnan means that perhaps there really was a third person present, or maybe even a fourth. Since the traces were wiped, it’s hard to judge."

Wan Yongkun suddenly remarked, "According to you guys, we can't rule out that the killer is a man, right?"

The speaker had no ulterior motive, but the listener did. An image of someone suddenly surfaced in Chen Tianyu’s mind. While it was unlikely that this person was the killer, they were definitely a master at orchestrating such setups.

Since He Xiaoxue had voluntarily provided the key to the police, why did she hide the fact that she had moved out long ago? Regardless of whether she had the presence of mind for that, her terrified expression clearly wasn't faked.

From the very beginning, he had suspected her true motive for going to Huangchao Pictures. At first glance, it seemed seamless, but upon closer inspection, it felt very wrong. Would someone who had already resolved to commit suicide by drowning really be moved by a fake marriage certificate? Did love truly have such power?

...Unless this was never He Xiaoxue’s residence, and her crucial testimony had been coached by an "industry expert"! And there were very few people capable of leading both the police and Beiting by the nose.

If not the Shenying Union, then who?

Was this person in total control, or were they playing with fire?