Investigation

Investigate

Bai Yanliang hadn't expected to hear that from Officer Wang.

"The time of the incident was 7:05, but we received a call from that assistant director surnamed Li at 6:30." Officer Wang furrowed his brow. Every aspect of the case was bizarre.

The assistant director seemed to have known exactly what would happen to him: when, where, and even how he would be attacked.

But... he hadn't tried to avoid it?

And although he'd called the police, at seven he was still sitting obediently in the assistant director's office. He hadn't gone anywhere, and he hadn't told anyone about it except the criminal investigators.

What exactly had he been worried about?

Could it be... that someone at the hospital had been watching his every move, making him feel he couldn't trust anyone?

Bai Yanliang stood up and walked to the office window, looking outside.

They were on the first floor, and all he could see through the window was the empty sports field.

Officer Wang kept a close eye on Bai Yanliang's every move. Yang Wanlong had said over the phone that Bai Yanliang had helped him solve one case after another over the past few years. He was a clever man, but... Officer Wang needed to be careful.

Just then, Officer Wang's phone rang.

Everyone instinctively looked toward him.

"Mm, I understand."

After answering a couple of times, Officer Wang hung up. His expression grew even more serious.

"Li Degang is dead."

"His throat was pierced, and blood entered his lungs through his windpipe. He suffocated to death."

Officer Wang's words reached the hospital administrators standing off to the side. Their faces turned pale one after another.

What kind of grudge did that student... have against Li Degang to make him use such a vicious, extreme method?

Yang Yiyi, who had been fascinated by the work of criminal investigators, also turned pale when she heard confirmation of the death.

Everything seemed simple when you were just watching from the sidelines. But even getting a little involved made it feel completely different.

Even after they left the scene, Yang Yiyi remained in low spirits.

Bai Yanliang walked ahead, paying little attention to her as he thought about the strange case.

There were many unanswered questions.

A victim who knew he was about to be harmed, a killer in a strange state, and someone with tremendous strength.

It was true that people could do many things they normally couldn't when their bodies flooded with adrenaline, but that didn't explain why an entire group of security guards had been unable to restrain him.

That was why Bai Yanliang was interested in the case and had volunteered to come take a look.

This incident was very similar to the case from Yang Wanlong's childhood memories. Maybe... it was also connected to Yanren.

"Yang Yiyi."

Bai Yanliang suddenly stopped and looked at Yang Yiyi, who hadn't said a word since earlier.

"Go back first."

Yang Yiyi looked up into Bai Yanliang's eyes. She felt that he might be looking down on her.

But strangely, she couldn't see any emotion in his eyes. On the contrary, Bai Yanliang's manner was gentle, yet... she could sense a deathly stillness deep in his bones.

The feeling made her afraid to look into his eyes for too long. She couldn't help thinking... they didn't look like the eyes of a living person.

"W-where are you going?"

She summoned her courage to ask.

"To the killer's home."

Yang Yiyi's eyes lit up. She was just about to say she wanted to go too, but then a hint of fear rose in her heart.

She didn't dare... go to the home of the classmate who had killed someone.

Realizing what she was thinking, Yang Yiyi bit her lip hard. Then she lowered her head, gazing at the tips of her shoes, and said softly, "Hey, am I... completely useless?"

Bai Yanliang fell silent for a moment, then reached out.

He ruffled Yang Yiyi's hair and said with a smile, "Miracles rarely happen 'all at once.' Whether it's studying, work, love, or life itself, we can't accomplish everything in a single step. You might not be able to do it now, but as long as there's a next time, and a time after that—as long as we're still alive—we can keep adding to the number of times we've faced hardship and adversity. Eventually, you'll realize that thanks to the little bit of perseverance you showed each time, your life has become completely different."

Yang Yiyi shook her head in annoyance, pulling away from Bai Yanliang's hand. At the same time, she looked into his eyes again. Once more, she saw no trace of a smile in them, but she did see a seriousness that made her feel flustered.

"So for now, all you need to do is study hard and keep making a little progress." Bai Yanliang withdrew his hand. Yang Yiyi, who had been so fascinated by the work of criminal investigators, was finally feeling a little better. Still, she irritably fixed her tousled hair, shooting Bai Yanliang a glare from time to time.

He hadn't lied, but he hadn't told her everything, either.

The truth was, some people were simply born unable to do certain things. Humans were born... unequal.

That afternoon, Bai Yanliang accompanied Officer Wang to Hao Bowen's home.

Hao Bowen was the boy who had attacked Li Degang.

His family was fairly well-off; you could tell from the neighborhood where they lived.

The person who opened the door for Bai Yanliang and Officer Wang was a middle-aged man with a grim expression. After letting them in, the father didn't say a word. He simply sat on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another.

Hao Bowen's mother stood beside them, tears streaming down her face. She kept saying that Hao Bowen was an obedient, sensible child and that there was no way he could have done such a thing. There had to be some mistake.

Officer Wang helplessly tried to comfort Hao Bowen's mother, while Bai Yanliang took the opportunity to enter Hao Bowen's bedroom.

The moment he stepped inside, Bai Yanliang sensed something was strange.

Nothing else. It was just too tidy.

The books were arranged in perfect rows, the walls were spotless, the quilt was folded into a neat square, and the floor had been cleaned until it was immaculate.

Bai Yanliang knocked on the door, drawing everyone's attention.

"May I ask if anyone has tidied Hao Bowen's room?"

Hao Bowen's mother began to cry again. She shook her head, biting her lip as she said, "N-no... Bowen tidied it himself. He's such a sensible child..."

Bai Yanliang nodded and asked nothing more.

This bedroom went beyond mild neatness. It was more like... an almost obsessive demand for order.

Everything was arranged neatly, each item in its proper place.

From what Bai Yanliang could see, Hao Bowen was extremely disciplined.

There was no computer or cellphone in his room, and even the desk lamp was an old-fashioned model.

Bai Yanliang flipped through Hao Bowen's books. Aside from his textbooks, they were all ordinary, commonplace reading material.

Hao Bowen seemed to be very interested in drawing. There were several art instruction books among his extracurricular reading, and they showed noticeably more signs of use.

But... Bai Yanliang searched the entire bedroom and couldn't find a single one of his drawings.

Where were his drawings?