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"So the killer was aware of the money under the mattress as well as other hidden stashes." Chu Yuening shook her head. "After the murder, the killer must have panicked and tried desperately to create the illusion of a burglary."

Unfortunately, there were too many inconsistencies.

Gan Yizu suddenly understood. "Oh, that means the murderer was someone familiar with the victim, right?"

Uncle Zhong, who had been observing the scene for a while, got up from the floor, dusting off his arms. "There's one more point that suggests a familiar person was involved. Look at the body."

The three of them turned their attention to the corpse.

The left shoulder had hit the ground first, facing the direction of the bedroom. However, there was a coin-sized hole in the pajama top on the right shoulder.

Uncle Zhong explained, "The deceased was very particular about his appearance. I just checked his wardrobe, and it was arranged neatly, with every item pressed. For someone to be wearing pajamas when receiving guests early in the morning, it had to be someone familiar, and their relationship was likely not ordinary."

At this moment, Uncle Zhong displayed his decades of experience in the major crimes unit with his astute reasoning.

It was a revelation.

Gan Yizu exclaimed, expressing his admiration for learning something new.

Zhou Fengxu surveyed the area and asked a passing military uniformed officer, "Who is the first eyewitness?"

The officer lifted his gaze to the entrance, where a middle-aged woman with curly hair and a sturdy build stood. "It's her."

This was the first time the middle-aged woman had encountered a corpse, and she was clearly shaken, her hands clasping and unclasping nervously.

She hadn't expected to stumble upon a crime scene while delivering Chinese food.

"I work in the catering business. I have a restaurant right by Jinfeng Residential Area. Usually, I serve the residents there, and if I'm not too busy, I'll deliver meals to them. Ms. Chen had told me last night that she needed me to help send her meal over earlier today."

In response to the officer's inquiries, Mao Yanru's voice trembled as she tried to recall the events.

"She brought up the lunch box and knocked on Teacher Chen's door for a long time, but it didn't open," she recounted.

"Teacher Chen is extremely conscientious about his commitments. He would never break a promise. Seeing that knocking didn't work, I called the property management to force the door open. Little did I expect... to find Teacher Chen lying on the floor when we came in."

Shi Boren stood by, diligently recording her statement.

Zhou Fengxu inquired, "How was Mr. Chen's social life usually?"

"Occasionally, friends would visit, but most of the time, he barely left the house," Mao Yanru reminisced, sharing what she knew.

"He's been retired for many years, unmarried and without children. He's always lived alone. In his younger days, he could still take care of himself, but as he aged, his health began to decline."

"Jinfeng Community is an older building without elevators. There are six floors in total, and with Mr. Chen's age, climbing stairs became a challenge. So, he spent extra money to switch apartments with Mr. Li on the second floor."

Taking notes, Shi Boren asked, "If he has no children or dependents, why didn't he move to a nursing home?"

"Sigh," Mao Yanru sighed. "Mr. Chen didn't want to live in a nursing home. He said they mistreat the elderly and that even if he paid, the money wouldn't benefit him directly."

"But as one grows old, they need someone to look after them. Initially, he hired a caregiver, but later dismissed her for some reason. Perhaps the absence of descendants was a psychological barrier, so he adopted a nephew from his brother's side, hoping this nephew could help support him in his old age."

"A nephew?" Shi Boren found a point of interest. "What's the nephew's name? How old is he? Does he visit often?"

"The nephew's name is Chen Qianfeng. Mr. Chen mentioned him during our conversations. He said the nephew promised to take care of him in his old age, and as such, he intends to leave all his assets to him. If the nephew doesn't visit frequently, who would inherit his wealth?"

After Mao Yanru finished speaking, she paused to recall. "Age-wise, he should be close to thirty now."

With a slight twitch of her lips, she added, "At thirty, still not settled, even dabbling in drugs, unable to find a wife. If it weren't for Mr. Chen, I think he'd have trouble managing his life."

As the words faded.

Zhou Fengxu exchanged a glance with Shi Boren.

After the interrogation was done and Mao Yanru had left,

Zhou Fengxu pondered for a moment before giving orders.

"Contact the deceased's relatives that she would normally interact with and bring them in for questioning. The nephew is a prime suspect. Ren and Yizu, go fetch him."

"Yes, sir!" Shi Boren promptly set off with Gan Yizu.

The body was removed, while two forensic officers remained at the scene to investigate.

Chu Yuening found it peculiar and looked around. Eventually, her footsteps halted at the shoe cabinet by the door, her gaze fixated on its top shelf.

"Sir Zhou."

Zhou Fengxu approached, pulling out a mask from his pocket and putting it on before crouching down to examine the shoe cabinet.

Upon noticing the shoe print at the very edge of the upper shelf of the shoe cabinet.

A knowing expression appeared in his eyes.

Not far from Jinfeng Residential Area, there was a rented room.

Shi Boren, guided by the address provided by the community, rapped on the door.

An elderly woman in her sixties opened the door. Upon seeing Shi Boren pull out his police ID, she was momentarily taken aback. "Officer, what can we do for you?"

Shi Boren put away his credentials and asked routine questions: "You know Chen Guoyuan, right?"

Liu Pei's eyes flickered slightly as she nodded. "He's my husband's younger brother."

Shi Boren continued, "As long as you know him, that's enough. This morning, Chen Guoyuan was found brutally murdered in his home, and the perpetrator fled. Now, I need both of you to come with me to the police station for questioning."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a disheveled man, bare-chested and smoking a cigarette, stumbled out of the rental room with bleary eyes.

"What's all the fuss about? You're a cop, right? So what, huh?"

Shi Boren discreetly signaled to Gan Yizu.

Gan Yizu drew out his police baton. "Mr. Chen, please cooperate with the police investigation. Otherwise, we will not be held responsible for any consequences that arise."

Upon seeing the police batons, Chen Qianfeng's expression subtly shifted. He pulled on his hoodie and said, "I'm really scared of you guys. My old mother is in her sixties and has trouble with her spine. I'll accompany you to give a statement."