The night was hazy, with dim streetlights casting a yellowish glow.

Si Hang drove on the wide road, faint light filtering through the car window, outlining his handsome profile.

A soothing pop song played softly from the stereo, the gentle voice of a female singer clean and comforting, echoing the phrase: “If it’s you, of course it’s different.”

He was surprised. Moreover, considering the twist of fate that had preceded, her clarity of mind in this restless society was somewhat rare.

However, her proposal was not enough to make him change his decision.

Although she was calm and objective now, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t become emotionally extreme later on. Besides, he had already handed the case over to Xie Kui. He didn’t deny Zhuang Zi’s suggestion; perhaps his experience was slightly more extensive. But Xie Kui handling the case wouldn’t affect its progress. He treated everyone in his team equally, and each member had their strengths. There was no need for any further action.

…

Starlight adorned the tranquil night sky, a faint moonlight enveloping the police station’s open-air parking lot.

The thin moonlight streamed into the car window, casting shadows. Zhuang Zi lay in her coat on the seat, eyes open in the dimness.

In truth, Si Hang’s decision had been faintly anticipated by her.

Yet she still held a glimmer of hope, wishing he would change his mind and agree, despite the slim probability.

It wasn’t that she doubted Xie Kui’s abilities; it was mainly her current anxiety and fear, hoping to solve the case as soon as possible. Moreover, regarding the events from two years ago, each had their own stance. Since things were already set, why stubbornly persist and delay addressing the imminent danger?

However, she had already stated her position and attitude, but the outcome was not within her control.

She bit her lip tightly, exhaled deeply through her nose, closed her eyes, feeling a sharp pain in her temples.

How she hoped that everything would come to light after dawn.

…

The dawn was breaking, the faint blush of dawn lifting the veil of night, a crisp mist enveloping the entire city.

Next to the police station was an ecological park, where many colleagues from the police station came to jog and exercise in the morning.

Si Hang was no exception.

Since he often worked overtime at night, he could only come out for morning exercises every day, except when he had cases to handle, never missing a session.

He put on his headphones, facing the sunrise, jogging along the lakeside in the park.

Just as he completed half a lap, he encountered a subordinate from his department who had recently joined the police station, smiling and greeting him, “Captain Si!”

Xiao Zhang was wearing a black T-shirt, with his back and front soaked with sweat, clearly having already run for quite some time, surprisingly earlier than Si Hang.

Si Hang nodded slightly and asked, “What time did you come?”

Xiao Zhang quickened his pace to catch up with him and said, “I had the night shift yesterday, so I’ve been at the police station since before five.”

Si Hang glanced at him.

Xiao Zhang suddenly realized that the night shift didn’t end until five o’clock. Afraid that the leader might think he neglected his duties by leaving without permission, he explained, “I’ve been assigned to protect the safety of the victim these days. But Miss Zhuang is afraid and has nowhere else to go, so she parked her car in the police station parking lot and stayed in the car overnight. That’s why I’ve been at the police station the whole time.”

“Stayed overnight in the police station parking lot?”

“Yes,” Xiao Zhang said, “sleeping in the car.”

…

Upon learning that Zhuang Zi had spent the night in her car, Jiang Zhihao insisted on taking her to a downtown hotel to stay.

After Jiang Zhihao made the suggestion, Zhuang Zi considered it. Staying in the police station parking lot was not a long-term solution. Going to a hotel was an option, as the security and surveillance facilities in hotels were more comprehensive and relatively safer.

However, she didn’t want to go downtown and already had another plan in mind.

After work, Jiang Zhihao found her downstairs at her company. It was mealtime, so they had a simple meal at a nearby restaurant.

After finishing their meal and leaving the restaurant, Jiang Zhihao said, “That hotel is managed by a classmate from my university. The environment and security facilities are quite good. Let me take you there to check it out. If you’re satisfied, you can stay there first.”

Zhuang Zi said, “I can handle where I stay myself. You don’t need to worry.”

Seeing her suddenly change her mind again, Jiang Zhihao frowned displeasedly, “We agreed on it earlier. Why are you changing your mind again? If you don’t go to the hotel, are you going to spend another night in your car?”

“The hotel across from the police station,” she said, “just in case something happens, it’s convenient to have the police nearby.”

…

The next day was Saturday, four days since Zhuang Zi’s incident early Tuesday morning.

Police work knows no holidays.

Xie Kui organized his team to gather at the station this morning for a summary and briefing.

Everyone worked efficiently, and within a day and a half, they had completed the investigation tasks as previously arranged by Xie Kui.

Regarding the residents on the same floor in Nanxin Community where Zhuang Zi lived, all their information had been thoroughly investigated.

However, they came up empty-handed.

Everyone had alibis, and since Zhuang Zi rarely interacted with others, her neighbors claimed not to know her. Therefore, the possibility of the culprit being someone from the same building was preliminarily ruled out.

“It seems that the culprit isn’t from the same floor. They managed to perfectly evade the surveillance cameras at the unit entrances. The only possibility is that the killer climbed up to the third floor from outside the Nanxin Community,” Xie Kui projected a photo of the community’s architecture onto the screen. “We’ve confirmed with the community security that there are no surveillance cameras on this part of the outer wall adjacent to the road, especially since the road is currently under BRT construction this year, and the monitoring facilities are still incomplete, making it a blind spot.”

Xiao Meng added, “If they really climbed over the wall, there are no traces of climbing tools on the wall, indicating they scaled up to the third floor using the anti-theft nets and air-conditioning units bare-handed. It was continuously raining that night, so windowsills, outer walls, and air-conditioning units didn’t leave any valuable evidence.”

Someone else remarked, “Since this person could climb up to the third floor bare-handed, they must have a hobby or participate frequently in outdoor climbing activities, and they’re quite skilled.”

Another person supplemented, “This person managed to sneak into the resident’s home several times, indicating they are very familiar with both the community environment and its surroundings. It’s likely someone from nearby residents or someone who frequents this area. But this scope is too wide, akin to finding a needle in a haystack.”

Xiao Meng continued, “Moreover, they were able to understand her home’s surveillance system and daily routines. They must have been tracking her for a long time or know her very well.”

Everyone chimed in with their thoughts and opinions, each contributing their ideas, though speculative.