Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 41 I’m Really Not a Suspect

Chapter 41: Chapter 41 I’m Really Not a Suspect

Hengli Gym.

Due to a homicide that occurred on the fourth floor of Hengli Company, the gym was also closed for the day on the 22nd.

That night, the lights were brightly lit.

Captain Hu Daqiang and officers like Shen Qianqian from Anling City’s Criminal Investigation Detachment rushed into the Hengli Gym.

“Captain, here, we’ve found traces of a blood reaction.”

One of the officers pointed to a corner of the gym where there was a dumbbell bench with several painted dumbbells stacked next to it.

But perhaps due to not being replaced for a long time, the surface of these painted dumbbells had slight rust.

Next to the dumbbell bench, spots of blue-green fluorescence emanated from the ground.

A blood trace reaction detected by Luminol reagent!

On one of the painted dumbbells, there was also a strong bloodstain reaction.

Hu Daqiang frowned, “That dumbbell is very likely to be the murder weapon!”

The forensic personnel immediately used a UV flashlight to check for the suspect’s fingerprints on it.

As expected.

Though there were sweat stains on the dumbbells, the gripping area made of rubber still allowed for partial fingerprint extraction.

The case finally made some progress!

Now, to compare the blood DNA on the dumbbell with that of the victim, and then compare the fingerprints.

This was an extremely important clue.

If possible, it could preliminarily lock down the crime suspect.

Even if it couldn’t lock down the crime suspect, there was a direction for the investigation.

Captain Hu looked at Shen Qianqian with slight relief, not sparing praise for the young detective, “You’ve been growing rapidly. Finding the primary crime scene is largely your credit.”

“Thank you for your praise, Captain Hu.”

Shen Qianqian smiled slightly, thinking that if credit was due, Lin Chuan should be acknowledged as well.

His “This Assassin Is Too Professional” provided a way of thinking about ‘fabricating a scene’, which indeed was of great inspiration.

If the case is solved, she should treat him to a meal.

But!

When the blood DNA test results and fingerprint comparison results came back, Shen Qianqian was utterly stunned.

The blood on the painted dumbbell was confirmed to be a complete match with the DNA of the victim, Zhao Lian.

But the fingerprints on the dumbbell made Shen Qianqian unable to believe her eyes.

Because, upon comparison within the database, they matched Lin Chuan’s fingerprints exactly!

Shen Qianqian’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as she spaced out.

Night fell, the hazy moonlight filtered through the clouds and spilled onto the brightly lit police station.

The evening breeze carried the lingering spring chill, skimming over treetops, casting monster-like shadows, and then sweeping into the Criminal Investigation Detachment’s office, brushing past Shen Qianqian’s hair and whispering in her ear.

Could this be a coincidence?

But, was this just too much of a coincidence?

Suddenly!

An idea from Lin Chuan’s novel popped into her head: the Scapegoat Plan!

Upon investigation, Lin Chuan had fitness records at the Hengli Gym, so it was normal for his fingerprints to be on the dumbbell.

Shen Qianqian thought for a moment and dialed Xia Qingqing’s number, “Qingqing, help me check Lin Chuan’s IP activity times.”

…

The evening breeze also blew into Lin Chuan’s rented room, swirling around the narrow space, assaulting Lin Chuan back and forth and causing him to shiver.

“Achoo!”

Lin Chuan was covered in goosebumps, quickly rubbing his arms to ward off the cold.

Tonight.

Besides the audience clamoring for playing Police Number, Su Qianqian’s livestream promotion of her book to attract traffic was quite effective.

[Work: “This Assassin Is Too Professional.”]

[Status: Already launched.]

[Current Popularity Value (Average Subscription): 1208/3000.]

Since the novel had a lengthy volume, it could not be read in a short time; therefore, the growth in average subscriptions did not seem so evident, but it was steadily rising nonetheless.

The following two evenings, Su Qianqian would continue to promote the book through livestreaming.

Tomorrow, the website would also arrange an exclusive promotion.

Let the bullets fly for a while.

I believe that “This Assassin Is Too Professional” will soon reach an average subscription of 3000.

The sun will still rise tomorrow.

A beautiful life is about to begin!

But.

The next day, March 23rd.

The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the beautiful life hadn’t arrived either.

Instead, an uninvited guest showed up.

‘Thud, thud, thud’.

The iron door outside the rental sounded with knocks, jolting Lin Chuan awake from his deep sleep.

“Who is it, so early?”

Lin Chuan suddenly sat up, rubbed his bleary eyes, threw back the thin blanket, swung out of bed, walked to the door, and peered through the small hole in the iron door that served as a peephole.

At that glance.

Lin Chuan got a shock!

All sleepiness vanished!

The visitors outside were Officer Shen and two other detectives.

“Shen… Officer Shen, why are you here?”

Lin Chuan opened the iron door of his rental, his face slightly tense.

He always conducted himself with integrity, so he should have no reason to be nervous about a visit from the police, but having frequently experienced the professional lives of the ‘criminal’ sector, he instinctively held a sense of awe towards the officers.

Moreover, the visitor was Shen Qianqian.

His only possible association with Shen Qianqian would be that of the catcher and the caught!

How could he not be nervous?

Shen Qianqian’s face was pale, with heavy bags under her eyes; she clearly hadn’t slept well all night.

She glanced at Lin Chuan and said earnestly, “Comrade Lin Chuan, we suspect you are related to a major case. Please come with us to assist in the investigation.”

Lin Chuan: “???”

The very thing he feared had come to pass!

But I am truly a law-abiding good citizen!

“Officer Shen, could there be some misunderstanding here?”

Lin Chuan asked with a pained expression.

Shen Qianqian took a deep breath and perked up a bit, “Comrade Lin Chuan, we have decided to make this move only after a night of discussion and investigation. It is not appropriate to disclose the specifics here.”

Last night.

When she learned the fingerprints on the dumbbell matched Lin Chuan’s, she couldn’t believe it.

The entire detective team worked all night long, pulled up Lin Chuan’s file, and began investigating him.

Lin Chuan, an online novelist with two records for ‘lock-picking’ and ‘cheating techniques’, has published novels like “Thief,” “Swindler,” and “This Assassin Is Too Professional.”

The word ‘assassin’ was too glaring.

Hu Daqiang glanced at it and felt something was off.

So, the officers started reading “This Assassin Is Too Professional” as part of the investigation.

Upon reviewing it, the detective team quickly developed strong ‘subjective suspicions’ about Lin Chuan. The killing methods and the techniques for fabricating crime scenes described in the book were too professional!

So professional that even the veteran team leader Hu Daqiang felt somewhat ashamed of his own ability.

But mere ‘subjective suspicions’ were far from enough.

Conviction required evidence.

Xia Qingqing from the Cyber Security Detachment sent over Lin Chuan’s IP activity times, which coincided exactly with Zhao Lian’s time of death. At that time, Lin Chuan was communicating with his editor.

Theoretically, there was no chance for him to commit the crime.

Shen Qianqian believed that this could very well resemble the ‘scapegoat plan’ in Lin Chuan’s novel.

The real killer wanted to frame Lin Chuan and mislead the police.

Therefore, Shen Qianqian wanted to invite Lin Chuan back to the police station to assist with the investigation, hoping to find new leads.

Outside the rental’s iron door.

Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian and the other two police officers, his face slightly bitter, “Officers, I really am not a criminal suspect.”

Shen Qianqian smiled, “Comrade Lin Chuan, we don’t currently regard you as a criminal suspect, but the case is somewhat related to you. We hope you can cooperate with the investigation to find effective clues.”

Only then did Lin Chuan breathe a sigh of relief.

As long as he wasn’t a criminal suspect, that was all that mattered!