Chapter 69: Calm

Chapter 69: Calm

Everyone in the screening room felt a chill due to Qiong Cang's narrative.

Several psychologists shifted their attention entirely to Ding Xihua, eager to deeply analyze this person who was likely a sociopath, inherently lacking emotions and a sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, there weren't many scenes focused on him, and Qiong Cang had avoided directly interrogating him, so he hadn't spoken more than two sentences.

After hesitating for a long time, Xie Qimeng asked, "Why is she so convinced that Ding Xihua is innocent?"

Hearing this, several technicians looked up, equally puzzled. They thought Ding Xihua had always behaved perfectly—obedient, well-behaved, a little shy, and slightly nervous. If this was just an act, then his acting skills were extraordinary.

Qiong Cang said there was something off about Ding Xihua's eyes, but they couldn't see it either.

"Intuition," He Chuanzhou said, "Or experience."

Xie Qimeng felt that "intuition" was too mystical; it shouldn't even be called experience.

He Chuanzhou, who had been sitting upright for so long, spoke with a deep, powerful voice. "If Shen Sui is really the murderer, from the moment she encountered Hong Jun, she began planning this murder. She stole Hong Jun's sleeping pills, investigated his work information, and even had her son help her dispose of the body. If that's the case, she should harbor extreme hatred toward Ding Tao."

"Criminals like Shen Sui are usually stubborn and don't believe they are at fault. Once exposed, they would at least try to defend themselves with something like, 'Ding Tao deserved to die' or 'That man forced me.' But from the moment she confessed, she's been defending Ding Xihua, not saying a single bad word about Ding Tao. I don't see any resentment toward Ding Tao or the fanatical determination to kill him at any cost."

With her insight, everyone suddenly understood.

That explained why Shen Sui always felt off to them. She didn't have the ruthless aura of a murderer, and they couldn't find a reasonable motive for the killing.

"As for where Ding Xihua's suspicious behavior lies..." He Chuanzhou paused for a moment, then pointed at Fang Qi and asked, "What was your evaluation of Ding Xihua when you first met him?"

Without thinking, Fang Qi replied, "Silent, well-behaved, logical, and extremely calm."

A technician raised their hand and asked, "Why extremely calm?"

Fang Qi explained, "When his father passed away, he stood like a pillar by his mother's side. Although his expression seemed sad, there was no sign of losing control. Keep in mind, he's just a twenty-something student. Panic would be the normal reaction in such a situation. When he met Qiong Cang, he listened calmly to her inquiries about Shen Sui, even when it seemed like there might be a conflict between them. He didn't interrupt or interject. When answering questions, he was measured, his voice steady, and he didn't actively ask about his father's cause of death or the progress of the investigation. That's why I say he's extremely calm."

The others nodded, understanding.

"Extreme calm isn't a negative term," Fang Qi said, "But I don't think someone so composed would make such a mistake just because their mother pressured them."

He Chuanzhou asked, "If it were you, would you agree if your mother forced you to help dispose of your father's body? And after handling the body, could you remain calm, return to your dormitory, clean your clothes, eliminate evidence, and wait for the police to come, all while putting on a sad act with your mother?"

Fang Qi added, "To be precise, it wasn't a corpse. Ding Tao was still alive at the time. I don't think someone with Ding Xihua's intelligence wouldn't have realized this."

The mere thought made everyone shudder.

Looking back, Ding Xihua's behavior that morning was indeed unnervingly calm.

He Chuanzhou said, "I believe Ding Xihua is emotionally shallow. Even after living with his family for decades, he doesn't truly understand the bond of family. He plays the role of a good student and a good son based on what he's learned, but there isn't much emotional turmoil inside. Perhaps he has some attachment to his parents, but it's primarily about himself. He likes a glamorous, respected life, and if someone touches his forbidden zone of interest, he will eliminate them."

People like him are terrifying. They appear gentle, kind, approachable, even like a nice guy, but no one knows when their madness will surface. Every word they say to you might be a lie.

A psychological assessor asked, "If Shen Sui insists she is the mastermind, wouldn't there be no other evidence to charge Ding Xihua? How did you finally convict him?"

He Chuanzhou nodded slightly, signaling everyone to continue watching the backup file.

By now, Qiong Cang had arrived at C University, accompanied by a chatty and energetic young police officer.

He had been chattering non-stop with Qiong Cang along the way, so much so that she barely heard anything during the phone call with He Jueyun.

They parked by the roadside and went to the agreed meeting point with He Jueyun.

He Jueyun was still on the phone with his colleagues, gathering information, when he saw a figure approaching. He raised his hand to signal them.

The young police officer jogged back, waving enthusiastically and shouting, "Hey, Brother He! Good to see you again! I’m tagging along to help with the investigation today!"

He Jueyun stared at him for three seconds, hung up the phone, and handed over a bag containing a necklace. "This is an important piece of evidence. Take it back for analysis."

The young officer, about to take out his tools to show his diligence, took the item and stammered, "Huh?"

He Jueyun dismissed him curtly, "You’re dismissed."

Young officer: "..." What kind of cruel man is this?

Ignoring the young officer's suddenly gloomy expression, He Jueyun asked Qiong Cang, "So? Where do you want to check first?"

"Let's go take a look at the rental house where Ding Xihua used to live and figure out why he suddenly moved out," Qiong Cang replied without hesitation.

He Jueyun pointed ahead. "I've already inquired. It's in the residential area opposite the east gate of the campus."

As they spoke, they left, leaving the young officer looking resentful.

The house Ding Xihua had rented was no longer available. Housing around the campus was competitive, and the place had already been taken.

The two tried to get information from the security guard, but unfortunately, due to the large number of transient residents in the area, the guard didn’t remember much about Ding Xihua.

He Jueyun led the way, guiding Qiong Cang towards the residential area. "Neither his counselor nor his roommates knew why he suddenly moved out. In their eyes, Ding Xihua was a boy from a well-off family, with above-average looks and excellent grades. He also had a good temper. Basically, the descriptions were all positive."

"Did he have a girlfriend?" Qiong Cang asked.

"No. Although he was often pursued by girls at school, he didn’t have a girlfriend. His reason was that he wanted to focus on his studies for now," He Jueyun replied.

"Single guys usually get more attention," Qiong Cang said, with a hint of conspiracy in his tone.

He Jueyun couldn't help but doubt, "Are you overthinking it?"

"Maybe. We'll find out after checking," Qiong Cang said.

By the time they finished talking, they had already arrived at the door of Ding Xihua’s former residence.

Qiong Cang stopped to observe for a moment before going to knock on the neighboring door.

In this game, non-major NPCs always answer the door when knocked on, ensuring players can gather information easily.

A middle-aged man answered the door, still in his pajamas. He poked his head out cautiously and asked, "Who are you?"

Qiong Cang flashed his credentials and asked, "Have you been living here the whole time?"

The man, now more at ease, unlocked the chain and stepped out. "Yes."

"Do you know why the person who lived in that unit moved out?"

"I don't know," the man said. "He was a student, right?"

Qiong Cang nodded. "Yes."

"He was a nice person and often gave me fruit," the man chuckled. "Probably had a good reason to move."

He seemed like he knew more but hesitated to share it.

"This is tricky," Qiong Cang said. "This matter is very important."

The middle-aged man hesitated, then explained, "Just before he moved out, a girl came over with her dad. They were having a pretty loud argument. It started at the door, but later the guy took them inside the apartment."

He quickly waved his hands to clarify, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. The soundproofing here is terrible. If they shout, I can't help but overhear."

He Jueyun asked, "What were they saying?"

"Something about compensation," the middle-aged man said uncertainly. "Maybe the girl was pregnant, or she was sick. The girl's father was asking the guy for a few million. Kids these days are so reckless. They don't even think about using protection or checking who they're getting involved with. Sounds like a case of extortion, right?"

He Jueyun pulled out a pen and paper and followed up, "Do you remember what they looked like? Anything about their clothes that stood out? Also, the exact date and time."

"Yes, it was a little over a month ago. The 18th, or maybe the 17th," the middle-aged man recalled. "The girl had long hair and was wearing a blue dress. Her father was dressed very plainly, looked like he did manual labor. Later, the three of them left together, and I don't know where they went."

They jotted down the details and headed straight to the security office for the surveillance footage. Unfortunately, the surveillance videos from the residential area were only kept for a month, and the footage they needed had already been deleted. Restoring the data would be a pain, so Qiong Cang thought for a moment and went to a nearby bank instead.

Banks typically keep their surveillance footage for one to two months. Upon inquiring, Qiong Cang found that this bank's storage policy was indeed two months.

Using the date, they quickly found the surveillance video where they spotted Ding Xihua and the two people with him.