Chapter 45 I Wonder What Relationship They Have with the Victim’s Family…

Chapter 45: I wonder what his relationship with the deceased family was...

After that, Xu Nian questioned the young man further, but Guan Xia wasn’t really listening to the specifics. Her mind was completely occupied with what to do next.

She had hesitated and wavered before because she was reluctant to give up the hard-won stability in her life. But since her previous hopes could no longer be realized, she had to actively plan for the future.

Guan Xia’s thoughts wandered for a long time until Xu Nian called out to her, "Guan Xia, Guan Xia?"

Snapping out of her daze, she looked up and saw two uniformed police officers who had arrived at some point. One was closely watching the handcuffed young man, while the other, a female officer, had already turned on her bodycam and was looking at Guan Xia, clearly preparing to take her statement.

Realizing what was happening, Guan Xia immediately pushed her scattered thoughts aside and focused on giving her statement to the female officer.

The situation wasn’t complicated, and with Xu Nian present throughout, everything was handled quickly. After the two officers and the young man left, Xu Nian looked at Guan Xia and said, "I’ve done a preliminary interrogation. Although that guy seems honest, judging by his skilled lock-picking, he’s most likely got a criminal record. Plus, breaking and entering—even though it didn’t cause any substantial harm—if he has prior convictions, he probably won’t be getting out anytime soon."

Guan Xia sincerely thanked him.

Xu Nian smiled. "No need to be so polite. Don’t forget, I’m a police officer. By the way, after something like this, you probably don’t have much appetite for dinner. Do you want to go find Pang Le? I can get ready and take you."

Guan Xia was surprised but shook her head with a smile. "I still need to eat. Didn’t you say it yourself? There were no substantial consequences, so let’s stick to our plans."

Xu Nian studied Guan Xia’s expression carefully and, seeing she wasn’t forcing herself, nodded. "Alright, wait for me at home. I’ll go take a shower and change, then come get you."

Watching Xu Nian enter his home and close the door, Guan Xia returned to her own apartment. She first gathered the photos scattered on the coffee table, looked through them carefully again, and then curled up on the sofa.

Hugging the long pillow Pang Le had given her when she moved in, as if Pang Le herself were there with her, Guan Xia suddenly felt a sense of security and allowed her thoughts to drift.

She was worried, but only for a moment. After all, compared to how things were when she first arrived in this world, things were much better now.

Not only did she have the system, but she also had her own home, money, friends, and she had matured. She was no longer that weak child who had to cling desperately to the only thing she knew how to do, pushing forward without daring to stop for even a moment. Although the road ahead was uncertain and might be dangerous, she believed she would overcome any challenges and eventually live the life she wanted.

As she had done countless times before, Guan Xia made a simple judgment and assessment of the path ahead, feeling more grounded. She then began thinking about what would be most beneficial for her next steps.

She didn’t need to overthink it with Pang Le—she could just ask directly. Pang Le was straightforward: if something worked for her, she’d do it; if not, she wouldn’t force herself. Given her personality, she would definitely want to be part of something this exciting.

Aside from Pang Le, the person Guan Xia most wanted to collaborate with was naturally Xu Nian. As a criminal investigator, he was excellent at his job, calm, and didn’t talk much. From their few interactions, she could sense his trust and respect for her. In every way, he seemed like a very suitable partner. But upon further reflection, the same problem remained: if the cases she discovered were outside Pingjiang District, there was very little Xu Nian could do.

After much thought, another name surfaced from the depths of Guan Xia’s mind.

Before today, Guan Xia had only briefly considered the possibility of collaborating with him, but it was just a fleeting thought she quickly dismissed. Now, however, bringing it up again, it suddenly didn’t seem impossible.

But before that, Guan Xia needed to confirm two things: one was the final verification of her guess, and the other was control.

No matter who she collaborated with, she couldn’t put herself in a submissive position. That would make her feel very insecure.

Only when she had control in her hands could she vaguely see the path under her feet, without worrying about suddenly falling into some unseen ditch.

Like finally finding the end of a tangled thread, Guan Xia’s thoughts became clearer the more she pondered. Just as she was mulling over how to negotiate with Lu Tingfeng to her advantage, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Interrupted, Guan Xia paused for a moment before remembering she had dinner plans with Xu Nian that evening.

Quickly grabbing the photos from the coffee table and tossing them into her bag at the entryway, Guan Xia slung the bag over her shoulder, opened the door first, and then changed her shoes.

"Have you decided what to eat tonight?" Guan Xia asked Xu Nian while changing her shoes. "It’s your treat, so you decide. I’ll go with whatever you choose."

Xu Nian didn’t stand on ceremony either. After a moment’s thought, he asked, "How about something hearty?"

Guan Xia had expected Xu Nian to suggest something like barbecue, so his answer surprised her. But after a moment’s reflection, she quickly understood.

While the task force was in another city working hard to find the killer’s first case, Xu Nian and the others in Yongquan City hadn’t been idle either. Although she didn’t know the exact arrangements, surveillance alone was mentally and time-consuming work, leaving little appetite for proper meals. Now that the culprit was finally caught, it was natural to want to make up for it.

Guan Xia readily agreed, "Sure, let’s have something hearty."

They left the building and didn’t go far, choosing a place near the neighborhood. It wasn’t crowded, the food was average, but the portions were generous, and the environment was pleasant.

It was clear that Xu Nian had indeed been neglecting his stomach lately. Although he ate quietly, he was noticeably faster than last time.

Guan Xia wasn’t very hungry, but watching Xu Nian eat with such appetite, she managed to finish half a bowl of rice. Then she put down her chopsticks, took out the photos, and quickly browsed through them again to reinforce her memory.

After another ten minutes or so, Xu Nian finally finished eating. Wiping the grease from his mouth, he looked at Guan Xia and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Guan Xia directly handed him the photos.

Xu Nian took them with some confusion but understood after flipping through them. "Are these cases that happened near where you lived?"

Guan Xia nodded.

Xu Nian asked again, "Did you remember anything?"

Guan Xia had been waiting for this question. Sure enough, as soon as Xu Nian finished speaking, the system interface appeared as expected.

You have been questioned by the police. You suddenly remember: at 16:32 on the afternoon of December 19, 2020, while taking bus No. 912 back to school and passing Zhenhua Road, you saw a middle-aged man attempting to jump into the river to commit suicide. You and other passersby saved him. After returning to the bus, you noticed the middle-aged man talking to another passerby who seemed to be comforting him. But through lip-reading, you suddenly realized it might not be comfort at all because, from the lip movements, you deduced that the passerby was saying: "Do you want revenge? I can help you." You sensed something was off and decided to tell the police.

After the text, there was another video. This one was even longer than before, possibly for continuity, starting from the moment the driver of bus No. 912 Guan Xia was on noticed the suicide attempt and slammed on the brakes. The driver got out, and in the chaos, many passengers, including Guan Xia in the front compartment, also got out to help. After saving the man, everyone didn’t immediately return to the bus but offered words of comfort until traffic police arrived to direct traffic. Then, one by one, they hurried back onto the bus.

Guan Xia sat back in her original seat, her gaze intermittently falling on the rescued man. The man seemed calmer but looked defeated, his eyes numb, tears streaming down his face continuously. Most of the passersby had dispersed, but one young man sat down beside him. Because of the distance, no sound could be heard. It looked like a normal comforting, but as the video zoomed in, red frames appeared around both men’s heads, becoming more obvious. The playback speed slowed down. With the prior text prompt, Guan Xia focused all her attention on the speaking passerby’s lips. Perhaps due to preconception, upon careful observation of the mouth movements, it indeed seemed like he was saying those words: "Do you want revenge? I can help you."

The screen paused for a few seconds, the system interface gradually disappeared, and Guan Xia fell silent.

Her guess was confirmed as expected, but Guan Xia wasn’t particularly happy. Instead, she suddenly thought of a problem: the two men highlighted with red frames in the video were not among the victims in the cases she had identified. Only the rescued man appeared in a very marginal position in one of the photos.

Guan Xia quickly said, "Let me see the photos again," and took them from Xu Nian to flip through quickly.

After a few minutes, she found the one she was looking for. Her gaze fixed on the face of a man hidden among the onlookers in the photo—the same man who had attempted to jump into the river in the system video.

Although she found what she was looking for, Guan Xia was still confused. The logical relationship—why couldn’t she quite figure it out?

Based on past experience, judging solely from the text and video, the perpetrator should be that passerby. No, wait—maybe not a passerby. Perhaps the two were friends? Or had some other close relationship? After all, no one would kill for a stranger.

Her mind was confused for a moment before clearing again. Guan Xia handed that photo to Xu Nian. "I remember something about this case, but I’m not entirely sure. Can you tell me the general details of this case?"

Xu Nian took the photo and examined it carefully. After a moment, he said hesitantly, "I don’t have a strong impression of this. It probably isn’t a case from Pingjiang District, right?"

Guan Xia wasn’t surprised. She nodded. "Right, it’s from the district where my university was."

Xu Nian thought for a moment. "That would be Chengxi District. Because of the current case we’re working on, I’ve had some contact with Chengxi District’s Criminal Investigation Team. We’re on decent terms. After things settle down in a few days, I’ll see if I can ask them and let you know."

Since the case crossed districts, this was the only way for now. Guan Xia thanked him, thinking that she had bookmarked the web pages when she searched for the cases earlier. She could go back and first find out which case that photo came from.

Returning home, Guan Xia immediately rushed into the study, turned on the computer, and found the desired webpage from her bookmarks.

The case was an unsolved quadruple homicide that occurred in Chengxi District on January 29, 2021, involving a couple and their two sons.

Aside from a brief news report, there were two photos: one was a group photo of the family of four close together, and the other was the one that triggered the system—a cordoned-off apartment building, numerous police officers at the scene, crowds of onlookers behind the police tape, including the man who had jumped into the river in the video. I wonder what his relationship with the deceased family was, and what grudge he held.