Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
His words left the beautiful women feeling awkward and embarrassed.
Quan Shaoteng was indeed an unromantic person.
Members of Serious Crime Division One who knew him well were laughing inside their heads.
The rest of them… seemed like they wanted to say something but ultimately kept quiet.
Hmph! Quan Shaoteng grunted and seemed to be very serious with his work.
“Be more serious. Stop grinning and smiling. Quickly get the work done so we can go home earlier!”
In about an hour, this task was finally completed.
As expected by Bai Muchuan, there were people that Zhang Houfa didn’t know.
One of the guests was holding an invitation card that didn’t belong to him.
The other was a service personnel who was not officially employed. He was there to stand-in for another worker.
The guest who came to the party with someone else’s invitation card was slightly overweight. He was standing on the right, which meant that he had been to the swimming pool.
The worker who was standing in for an employee was thinner and stood with the group on the left, which did not go to the pool.
Everyone started to whisper amongst themselves.
Which one of these two was more suspicious?
“So… which one is the murderer?”
“Of course it must be the one who went to the pool.”
“Yeah. The corpse was found in the pool. If he didn’t go to the pool, how would he be able to kill her?”
For a moment, many people had their gaze fixed on the plump man on the right.
Maybe he had never experienced or expected something like this would befall him. He was so nervous that his forehead was filled with perspiration.
“I didn’t. I’m not. Detective comrades, you can’t solve a case this way… I didn’t kill anyone…”
Quan Shaoteng gave him a warning glare. “Why are you making a fuss? If you didn’t kill anyone, the truth will be out after we bring you back for an investigation.”
“I really didn’t!” The man wiped the sweat on his forehead. “This invitation card belongs to my uncle. He didn’t come tonight as he has something on, so I came in place of him… I’ve heard about the Zhang Family’s party, that it’s enjoyable with plenty of beautiful women as well as good food. That’s why I came here to see for myself.”
In order to lift the suspicions off him, he couldn’t care about his face anymore.
Quan Shaoteng let out a low chuckle. “You’re quite honest. However, what can these prove? You’re still a suspect.” After that, he looked at Bai Muchuan. “Little Bai, do you want me to bring him back?”
Bai Muchuan shook his head and walked over quietly.
With everyone’s attention on him, he passed by Quan Shaoteng and walked towards the left, to the honest looking stand-in employee.
“You’ve never been to the pool?”
…
The stand-in employee looked nervous. His state of mind seemed no better than the plump man on the right.
“No.”
“What’s your name?” Bai Muchuan asked again.
“Feng Yingjun.”
He was standing in the middle of the group of taller, bulkier service personnel. He seemed small among them, his hands were placed at his stomach just like the other staff but his face was pale.
Just earlier, the butler of Zhang Houfa had pointed him out and said that they had never employed him. The service personnel beside him also expressed that they had never seen him before. He was there that day as a stand-in for another employee who was his buddy.
Before he came to stand-in for his buddy, his buddy had informed the chef about his situation, who confirmed that this was true.
Zhang Houfa pays his workers well and they need not do a lot of work. Hence, it was considered a good job. Nonetheless, the butler was mean and rigid. He did not allow any of them to take leave, even when they were sick and unwell. As long as it was not a major issue, the employees had to show up every day. According to him, this was training for better service discipline and endurance.
And as there was a party that night, it was even more critical that all employees show up for work.
Feng Yingjun’s buddy worked as a prep cook in the kitchen and was on rather good terms with the chef. He felt unwell so he let Feng Yingjun stand-in for him. The employees working in the kitchen could understand as this was actually quite common there. If not for the murder, no one would have thought anything of it.
At this moment, everyone’s gazes were on this stand-in prep cook.
Feng Yingjun was so nervous that he faltered. “Detective, I’ve never been to the pool. I’m just a stand-in for my buddy… I won’t wander around the place unnecessarily…”
Bai Muchuan: “What’s your actual job?”
He lowered his head. “I’m also… also a prep cook…”
A prep cook prepares the ingredients and food for use in the kitchen, as well as routine and day-to-day tasks like stocktaking of food and replenishment.
Bai Muchuan nodded his head. “I get it now.”
Feng Yingjun just heaved a sigh of relief when Bai Muchuan turned to Quan Shaoteng.
“Bring this guy back!”
What? Quan Shaoteng was confused for a moment.
The rest of the people were also astonished.
It was obvious that the plump man who took the invitation and went to the pool was more suspicious. He also looked lecherous. There was also footage of him in contact with Xu Siqi. Hence, the possibility of him killing her was greater.
As for the prep cook, Feng Yingjin, he looked honest and seemed pitiful. No matter how many times they looked at him, they didn’t think that he would have the courage to kill someone.
Everyone was bewildered but Bai Muchuan was very firm and decisive.
“Take him to the pool, to the wall next to the ladies changing room to identify the first crime scene…”
To identify the first crime scene?
Upon hearing this, Feng Yingjun’s legs went soft and almost plopped down to the ground.
“Detective, I didn’t… Detective… please have mercy… I beg of you… I really didn’t kill anyone…”
“The evidence will do the talking. Just my words alone will not pin you to the crime. Let’s go!”
Feng Yingjun plopped down and sat on the ground.
The main hall was now filled with whispers.
The crowd had never witnessed that a case could be solved in such a manner.
As Quan Shaoteng and his men were taking the guy to the pool, many people came to Bai Muchuan. “Detective, how did you know that he’s the murderer?”
Bai Muchuan: “Wait for the police to make the official announcement. For now, he’s just a suspect.”
He nodded at the crowd and also headed to the pool.
Xiang Wan smiled and followed Bai Muchuan closely with the crowd watching.
“You’re really something! Sir Little Bai, how did you think of that?”
“Aren’t you the one who told me?” Bai Muchuan took at her, perplexed.
Huh? Xiang Wan was puzzled.
“Aren’t you the one who said that the possibility is higher for the murderer to be hiding amongst these people? Bai Muchuan smiled. “Because of that, I used the elimination method. That was all.”
Xiang Wan grunted a laugh. “I don’t think that was all.”
Bai Muchuan revealed a smirk. “Of course, my nickname as Sherlock Holmes of the East is not purely for show.”
Xiang Wan: “…”
He’s getting smug.
And complacent.
But she liked Bai Muchuan behaving like that.
He was elegant and stern as well as indifferent and serious. Confidence was all over his face. A confident man who was serious and took pride in his work was the most charming…
Xiang Wan’s gaze followed him. “The elimination method could prove that these two men are the most suspicious. But how did you ascertain that the thinner guy who didn’t go to the pool is the prime suspect, instead of the plump man who did go to the pool?”
