4 Can I?

Captain Li was silent for a while. Under the two ducklings' expectant look, he expressionlessly rolled a stack of paper into a tube and smacked their heads with it. "Baseless assumptions. Baseless assumptions. Everything is baseless assumptions!"

Chen Lian: "..."

Kang Guanyu: "..." Why am I involved again? I didn't even say anything! QAQ

Li Zhi grumbled under his breath. "You two are so imaginative. You should just quit being a police officer and write a detective novel instead!"

Chen Lian rearranged her bangs and argued. "But Captain, this is psychological inference. In the book 'Guide To Criminal Psychology: Level Beginner' written by the renowned criminal psychologist Shen Jia, every piece of evidence in the scene, no matter how trifling it is, can be used to do a profiling that will lead us to the culprit."

Kang Guanyu nodded like a chicken pecking rice, so enthusiastic that his hair bounced all over the place. "Right, right, she's right!"

Captain Li rolled his eyes. "Then why don't you learn under his tutelage and become a criminal psychologist instead?" With a huff, he entered the room.

"Captain!" The criminal policemen and technicians inside the room stood up to salute as soon as Li Zhi entered the room.

Li Zhi merely gave a perfunctory nod before turning his gaze to the screen which showed their current prime suspect, He Juan. He was sitting calmly, a cup of warm water between his hands which he sipped once in a while.

Instead of a simple mathematics teacher, he looked more like someone who ought to hold a high position in a multinational corporation with his graceful and refined posture. His presence made the somber interrogation room seem like an extravagant office. Despite his gentle countenance, everyone could tell that he was an Alpha with how intense his aura was.

But really, this man was too unusual. As a Beta, Li Zhi had met tons of Alphas in his line of work and they all acted as if the whole world should bow down to them. Even if they were polite, Li Zhi could tell that they were forced to do so to humor him as the Captain. But He Juan… well, he was the most pleasant and humble Alpha Li Zhi had ever met. His smile was genuine and he never used his pheromones to intimidate others either.

They had left him there for more than an hour. If it was someone with a guilty conscience, they would have started to show signs of restlessness, especially Alphas with their prideful and headstrong nature. As for He Juan… either he was truly innocent, or he had superb psychological fortitude.

Li Zhi said without averting his eyes from the Alpha. "Tell us what you have found, Kang Guanyu."

"Oh yes!" Despite his many shortcomings, Kang Guanyu was a fast and competent officer. Of course he had already done his job. He grabbed his notebook and flipped the pages with a hum. "Zhao Xinya, 36 years old. Beta. Single. No children and spouses. She graduated from Yuyang Art University eleven years ago and ever since then, there is no record of her applying for a job anywhere. Instead, she chose to stay at home and become a freelance artist."

"Wait," Captain Li interrupted. "Eleven years ago? Then at that time, she was—"

"Yes, she was twenty five when she graduated." Kang Guanyu tilted his head and uncapped his pen with his mouth, hastily jotting something down. His voice was muffled when he spoke, "She applied a few years late. In the database, it's stated for 'economic reasons'. Her background might have something to do with this…"

Captain Li wrenched the pen cap out of Kang Guanyu's lips, causing the latter to offer a sheepish smile.

Kang Guanyu continued, "When Miss Zhao was nine, both of her parents died in a car accident and she was left in the care of her maternal aunt. Her mother and aunt had never gotten along, it was like they existed to be the bane of each other's existence. So you could imagine what kind of treatment she got in that household.

"It's sufficient to say that Zhao Xinya was truly a modern day Cinderella. She inherited her delicate features from her mother and because of that, her aunt often insulted her with derogatory slurs." Kang Guanyu shook his head with an angry huff. "It's better if I don't say it out loud. It can really make one's blood pressure spike. Her aunt, Bai Huan, is an elementary school dropout. When she curses out loud, it can rival the loudest supermarket aunties."

Li Zhi gave him a funny look. "Exactly how can you find out this kind of information?"

Kang Guanyu rubbed his nose proudly. "Hehe, I have my way!"

Then he continued with his discovery. "Miss Zhao's life suddenly took a turn for the worse when she was in Junior High. It's not clear which year it was because their neighbors' memory isn't good anymore. But this particular incident… they remembered it because it caused a great scandal in the village they lived in."

"What incident?"

Kang Guanyu lowered his voice and spoke in a somber tone to match the atmosphere, making sure to sweep his gaze around for good measure. "It was in the middle of a winter night when everyone was suddenly startled awake by Bai Huan's yelling. When they came out to see, they found Bai Huan accusing Miss Zhao of seducing her husband. She was also dragging Miss Zhao out by hair and hitting her again and again. Then she threw Miss Zhao's things out and chased her out."

Everyone who was listening was stunned. Detesting a little girl because she had bad blood with her mother and was forced to take her in, they could understand somehow. But to the extent of kicking a teenager out in the middle of a freezing night along with her entire belongings and lashing such harsh curses on her? Even without meeting, Bai Huan's image in the eyes of these policemen instantly plunged to rock bottom.

"Since then, Miss Zhao has severed her ties with her aunt and uncle — the only living relative she has in this world. I'd really like to confirm the truth of the matter with Bai Huan herself." Kang Guanyu shook his head exasperatedly. "But as soon as she heard Miss Zhao's name, she directly slammed the door shut.

"Captain, as far as I gathered, Bai Huan and her husband have always lived in that little village in the suburbs. The distance between there and Yuyang City is almost half a day. To go back and forth, it will take a full day at most. They are of lower financial background, only have that one house and no car. The only transportation they might use is the train. Based on the timeline, it's impossible for Bai Huan to commit the crime. Of course, this is the conclusion I derived from the second-hand facts. If you want, Capt, lend me your car and I will get there to investigate in less than a day."

Li Zhi shot him an impassive look. "We can leave that to the local sub-bureau. Tell the leader of the Crime Investigation Team there to report to me."

The sharp Chen Lian instantly latched on to the crux of the matter. "Captain, you have gotten permission from Director Zhang to form a joint investigation with the sub-bureaus?"

Li Zhi was nonplussed. "It's Director Zhang himself who gives permission for me to get as much manpower as I need."

Chen Lian was stunned.

As far as she knew, the last time a joint investigation was formed was seven years ago when the police were chasing after a high-ranking mafia member who was rumored to be so dangerous and had the blood of countless innocent people on their hands. The troops in the entire country were dispatched just to hunt a single person. Even then, the criminal managed to escape the police radar and went into hiding. Until this moment, they had not been found…

Back then, Chen Lian had not even graduated from high school yet. She remembered it perfectly because at her school, all of the evening extra lessons were cancelled because the teachers feared that innocent citizens would be caught in the crossfire between the police and the mafia. It was the most tumultuous time for the entire country where everyone was shaken just by the mention of this criminal.

But Zhao Xinya… Crudely speaking, she was a nobody. She was neither the daughter of an important official nor was she someone who had a huge impact on society. She had no close relatives, no connection nor remarkable background.

So why such a great fanfare?

"Enough, don't think too much about it." Li Zhi knocked on her forehead, breaking her line of thoughts. Chen Lian held onto her forehead, her face darkening. "All you need to do is to investigate properly. Don't come up with any shenanigans. Miss Zhao is a citizen of Yuyang, a single unmarried woman who had an accident in her own house." Li Zhi's tone was heavy with gravity. "Dead or alive, we must give her a proper account."

Chen Lian complained under her breath. "Say that to Officer Kang, Capt."

Kang Guanyu snapped his head up, speechless. He was only laying down so where did this stray bullet come from?!

"Especially you, Kang Guanyu." Li Zhi turned to the dumbfounded Officer Kang. "Don't pretend to be innocent. Do you think I have no idea who blew the fuse in the entire Bureau last month?"

Kang Guanyu rubbed his nose, sheepish. "It's just an accident, Captain."

Captain Li clapped twice and immediately divided the task. "Kang Guanyu and Chen Lian, this time I want you two to work separately. Kang Guanyu, dig out Miss Zhao's junior high to university record, check where she has gone after she was kicked out of her house, her relationship with her classmates, whether she has a boyfriend… everything! Remember to focus on anything that might become a motive to harm her.

"We have seized Miss Zhao's laptop and cellphone, right? Good. Chen Lian, go through her clients and check if there's anyone suspicious. Pay attention to those who have had a dispute with her before. Also, I want a list of the numbers Miss Zhao has called for the past few months and also her bank records. Time to work! We have to find Miss Zhao as soon as possible!"

"Yes, Sir!!"

"Let's go, brothers!" Kang Guanyu took a bunch of men with him and left swiftly like a hurricane. On the other hand, Chen Lian started to make her way to the technicians.

"As for you—" Captain Li turned to the man who had been silently watching the proceeding.

Mu Yuze tore his gaze away from the surveillance screen of He Juan. Before Captain Li could say anything, he said, "Capt, can I be the one to question him?"