Chapter 61: Inquiry

Qiong Cang gestured with her finger, taking the notebook from He Jueyun’s hand. She quickly scanned the contents while saying, “Being a sanitation worker must be very hard, right? Is your salary enough to cover your daily expenses? If you’re facing financial difficulties, you can seek help from the government. The state is actively supporting low-income individuals now, and grassroots services are very well-established.”

Hong Jun did not speak, only nodding almost imperceptibly.

Qiong Cang said, “Don’t be nervous. Could you please recall once more how you found the body and how you reported it to the police?”

Hong Jun’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and then he spoke: “I was passing by here while sweeping the road and smelled a bit of alcohol. I thought someone had vomited on the roadside. I kept walking along the curb, and just as I was about to leave, I saw the person in the bushes. I walked over and found he was already dead.”

Qiong Cang asked, “Did you go up to confirm he was dead before reporting it, or did you see him lying on the ground motionless and run to call the police right away?”

Hong Jun said, “I felt his neck. His body was already cold.”

Qiong Cang nodded and asked again, “When you found the deceased, were there any suspicious traces or pedestrians around?”

Hong Jun shook his head.

Qiong Cang lowered her gaze to get a clearer view of the subtle expressions on his face.

He Jueyun pulled another notebook from his pocket, opened it, and began taking notes. He didn’t understand why Qiong Cang was asking for such minute details.

Qiong Cang asked in a low, gentle voice, “Do you know the deceased?”

Hong Jun said, “I don’t know him.”

He Jueyun’s pen moved quickly as he took notes.

Qiong Cang suddenly asked an unrelated question. “How do you usually contact each other for work?”

Hong Jun looked up, his expression equally blank.

Qiong Cang smiled. “Do you have a cell phone? Phones are very cheap nowadays.”

Hong Jun froze for a moment.

Looking at the notes in the book, Qiong Cang said, “I see that you reported it at the nearby convenience store around five-thirty. Why didn’t you use your own phone instead of running to the convenience store?”

Hong Jun fell silent, picking at the seam of his pants with his fingernail, staring down at the tips of his dirty shoes.

“Is that hard to answer?” Qiong Cang smiled. “Did you lose your phone? Or were you too panicked at the time to think of it? Just tell the truth, you don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Hong Jun’s voice was quiet, sounding weak and breathless against the background noise. “No. At first, I didn’t want to get involved. I didn’t want to cause trouble. But when I walked near the convenience store, I felt that wasn’t right, so I went to report it.”

“I see,” Qiong Cang said, as if she believed him. She continued, “What are your usual working hours?”

Hong Jun gripped the broom in his hand, pursed his lips, and turned his body slightly away, subtly showing a hint of resistance.

These were very simple questions that even seemed unrelated to the case. Hong Jun’s behavior was clearly unusual, prompting He Jueyun to glance at him a few more times.

For the first time, He Jueyun paid close attention to the informant in front of him. Whether in dress, behavior, or appearance, this man was extremely ordinary. His demeanor leaned toward that of an honest, good-natured fellow, the kind of person who wouldn’t arouse the slightest suspicion and would be ruled out immediately.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Qiong Cang answered for him. “I recall that sanitation workers’ hours aren’t fixed. It depends on their cleaning areas and local conditions. Generally, near roads, they are required to finish sweeping before five or six in the morning. Once there are more vehicles on the road, the job becomes unsafe. Correct?”

Hong Jun didn’t refute her, only letting out a soft sigh.

Qiong Cang pointed to the road behind her, where vehicles were constantly passing.

“For example, here. Although there are no residential areas nearby, it’s close to an industrial zone and a highway entrance, so many large trucks pass by starting in the morning. There’s also a driving test center not far down the road. Overall, it’s a relatively busy stretch of road. If it’s too late, it gets unsafe.”

He Jueyun looked over, watching Hong Jun out of the corner of his eye. The latter showed no reaction.

Qiong Cang said, “Can you answer me? You can just nod or shake your head to tell me if I’m right or wrong.”

Hong Jun lifted his eyelids, revealing cloudy eyes. Cooperatively, he gave a slow nod.

Qiong Cang’s tone remained polite, without any hint of hostility. “Which area is your cleaning zone? What direction do you sweep? It takes about fifteen minutes to walk from here to the convenience store. Were you passing by here at five-fifteen as you were heading back to rest, or had you swept through here earlier and failed to notice the deceased?”

Hong Jun said, “I wasn’t feeling well today. I woke up late and only just arrived here.”

Qiong Cang asked, “Where did you feel unwell?”

Hong Jun said, “I was just tired.”

Qiong Cang stared at him, then nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

Hong Jun shifted the broom to his other hand and asked, “Can I go back now?”

“Yes,” Qiong Cang said. “We might need your cooperation for other matters later on. Please keep your phone line open.”

Hong Jun left his phone number with them, bent down to pick up his bag, and pushed his cart away.

He Jueyun kept his eyes on Hong Jun’s retreating figure. The man’s back was no longer straight, and his steps were uneven, as if he were weighed down by the countless burdens of life. It was a strangely heartbreaking sight.

Qiong Cang nudged his shoulder and said, “Brother Q, go verify the points I just brought up.”

She counted them off on her fingers. “Hong Jun’s usual working hours and cleaning zone. Then, check the nearby surveillance footage to verify his statement just now. While you’re at it, look up Hong Jun’s file. See what family members he has, his financial situation, and if he has any connection to the deceased. This includes his past education and employment history. Also, find his colleagues and ask them about his usual behavior. But make sure to keep your tone casual. Don’t let people think he’s a suspect, so as not to affect him too much.”

She rattled off the list in one breath. He Jueyun wrote it all down in his notebook and asked, “Is he suspicious?”

“Who knows?” Qiong Cang put away her notebook and shrugged. “Instinctively, no. But also instinctively, he seems to be deliberately hiding something. What exactly it is, I couldn’t tell. Mostly, I don’t understand the purpose behind his silences.”

He Jueyun said, “Maybe he’s just bad at communicating. Social anxiety, you know. He needs to think for a long time before speaking.”

“Hmm…” Qiong Cang pondered for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think he has social anxiety.”

He Jueyun paused mid-note and said, “Didn’t you say you don’t study psychology?”

“Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is a type of neurosis. It is characterized primarily by fear, and can manifest in various ways such as tension, anxiety, avoidance, or speaking without thinking.” Qiong Cang turned and paced along the route Hong Jun had just pointed out, her clear voice steady as she spoke. “At most, Hong Jun is an introvert who was slightly nervous when questioned by the police, which is a normal reaction for an ordinary person. His speech is very clear, and he mostly uses declarative sentences when answering. There were no abnormal tremors in his pupils or muscles, indicating he knows exactly what he is saying. When I asked difficult questions, he didn’t show anxiety or panic, but answered after thinking. Being reserved doesn’t mean being afraid. His expression and eyes tell me he isn’t afraid.”

He Jueyun said, “Then what is his angle? I feel like there are some questions he has absolutely no need to lie about. If he really killed the person and was reacting so calmly, he should have prepared his answers beforehand. But he didn’t. It’s very contradictory.”

Qiong Cang thought about it and said, “Maybe he just simply doesn’t want to talk to you.” He was unwilling to cooperate with the investigation.

He Jueyun: “…?” Why did he suddenly feel a bit hurt?

He Jueyun followed her for a couple of steps, then realized: “Shouldn’t it be that he doesn’t want to talk to you?”

Qiong Cang turned around and said frankly, “Aren’t we in this together?”

“You…” He Jueyun gave up. “Never mind.”

The two walked along the path, looking toward where the victim had fallen from time to time. They found that when standing on a certain stone ledge, it was indeed easier to spot Ding Tao’s body, just as Hong Jun had said.

Given the current month, at around five o’clock, the sky wouldn’t be fully bright yet. With the help of a flashlight or streetlights, the victim’s blue suit, half-hidden in the grass, would likely become even more noticeable.

However, they didn’t smell any alcohol, probably because most of it had already evaporated.

Qiong Cang remembered something and asked, “Oh right, how long will it take for those answers to come out?”

“I don’t know,” He Jueyun said. “It’s a closed beta, so we’ll have to wait. Generally speaking, if the files are complete, it’ll be within one in-game day.”

Qiong Cang wasn’t very satisfied, but still said, “Then let’s go meet the victim’s family first.”

·

The screening room was dead silent. Probably due to He Chuanzhou’s intimidating presence, the staff and psychological evaluators only discussed in low whispers.

At the moment, the Instance had just begun. Many Players were still making no progress in the questioning phase, so there was nothing for them to pay attention to. Fang Qi, on the other hand, was watching with relish, lacking only a bag of melon seeds and a bottle of alcohol to go with it, ready to spam “666^[1]” in the comments.

Just as he was engrossed in watching, He Chuanzhou, whose expression had remained cold all this time, suddenly spoke up: “Send Hong Jun’s file information to her right now.”

Everyone raised their heads in surprise.

A staff member on the side raised their hand obediently and asked, “Um, excuse me, which contestant is it?”

He Chuanzhou said, “Qiong Cang.”

Xie Qimeng was startled and said, “Captain, isn’t this against the rules? It will affect everyone’s Instance progress.”

He Chuanzhou swept a cool glance over him and said, “Qiong Cang has very strong observational skills, especially in analyzing people’s emotions. I might even mistake her for an experienced frontline officer. For someone like her, so-called control over Instance progress is just a waste of everyone’s time. Since she has already noticed Hong Jun’s abnormality and found the key clues, there is no need to make things difficult for her with timing. If other Players uncover the plot to the same extent, I can also give them the files early. Any objections?”

The crowd had nothing to say, tacitly accepting the proposal. 【Case Analysis】 was, after all, a matter of individual ability.

“Hahaha!” Fang Qi burst out laughing, carrying a casual air that was completely out of step with the rest of the screening room. He waved his hand, showing off to everyone, “Qiong Cang, my client, you all probably know her. No other merits, she’s just smart. No other flaws, she’s just too smart! Everyone, pay attention to her, you can tip her or give her a like, and we can all learn from each other. A newcomer’s growth needs everyone’s support, especially since this newcomer is a bit short on cash. Thank you, thank you!”

He Chuanzhou glanced at him, not understanding why he felt such a sense of reflected glory, but she still turned to Xie Qimeng and said, “Keep an eye on her for me.”

Xie Qimeng: “??” Are you serious?

·

He Jueyun was preparing to drive to the victim’s house. Just as he sat in the driver’s seat, the phone in his pocket vibrated continuously as if it had been electrocuted. He buckled his seatbelt, took it out to take a look, and found that the content on it was actually Hong Jun’s personal information.

The questions Qiong Cang had raised were all numbered and clearly written out.

He Jueyun froze, then said, “The investigation results are out.”

Qiong Cang leaned in to look, getting close to him, and said, “So fast? It seems the grassroots staff this time are working very hard.”

He Jueyun was silent.

This had nothing to do with the diligence of the grassroots staff; it only had to do with parameters.

Did he not know what those kids under him were thinking? This was definitely blatant pandering to Qiong Cang. They had all been turned foolish by Song Shu.

Shameless.