(1) Body Parts

Yang Chunling, as a prime suspect, had been held in the interrogation room at the station.

Two detectives conducted a routine questioning, but Yang Chunling refused to cooperate. After two hours, there was still no progress.

With no other choice, they went to call Tao Jiang. It was at that moment that Yang Chunling took advantage of the situation—using the excuse of needing the restroom, she managed to slip away.

When Xiang Dong saw Yang Chunling suddenly appear, he hesitated for a moment, but Cui Luo and Shen Wanwan had already rushed forward.

The two of them blocked Yang Chunling on either side. Cui Luo coldly reminded her, “Ms. Yang, we’re only asking for your cooperation in the investigation. Please comply.”

Cui Luo was usually easygoing and didn’t care much about trivial matters. She rarely argued with others.

But she wasn’t the type to be easily pushed around either. With just a slight shift in her expression, the pressure she exuded became palpable.

Yang Chunling, who had been shouting moments ago, immediately fell silent.

Just then, a car pulled up in front of the station.

As soon as the driver stopped, he stepped out and opened the back door.

A man in a well-tailored suit emerged from the car.

In the 1990s, it was common to see people walking around in suits and ties.

Most of them were just ordinary salesmen, their thin bodies draped in ill-fitting suits, looking somewhat comical.

But this man was different—his presence was commanding, and the suit fit him naturally, as if made for him.

He appeared to be in his early forties, still in great shape—this was the prime of his life.

The moment Yang Chunling saw him, all traces of unease vanished instantly. She twisted her slender waist and threw herself into his arms, wiping away tears as she sobbed, “Brother Yaoming, you know about me and President Cheng. I told you everything from the beginning. Look at them—they won’t let me go, insisting that President Cheng’s death is related to me. How could I do something like that?”

Wu Yaoming—one of the earliest businessmen in Xuzhou to venture into private enterprise.

In the past two years, with the rapid development of the economy, his company had grown significantly, amassing considerable wealth. He was now a well-known figure in Xuzhou—not someone to be trifled with.

Although Yang Chunling still retained her charm, none of them had expected her to have ties to Wu Yaoming.

Obviously, her social connections were far more complicated than they had assumed.

Wu Yaoming hadn’t come alone.

He had brought several men from his company.

But calling them employees would be misleading—they were more like his personal enforcers.

Each one wore a black suit, a tie, and dark sunglasses, standing in two lines on either side of Wu Yaoming.

Wu Yaoming held Yang Chunling in his arms, murmuring a few comforting words into her ear.

Then, he raised an eyebrow and looked at Cui Luo with unmistakable arrogance.

“Where is your Captain Tao?”

The moment Cui Luo saw Wu Yaoming, she felt a headache coming on.

His men were far from clean.

She had dealt with them before—and every time, Wu Yaoming managed to walk away completely unscathed.

That’s why, the moment Cui Luo saw Wu Yaoming, she knew things were about to go south—she was worried he would interfere.

“Captain Tao is handling official business,” Cui Luo said. “President Wu, you’re here for…”

Before she could finish, Yang Chunling’s sobs grew even louder.

Wu Yaoming seemed to feel sorry for her. While gently patting her shoulder to comfort her, he turned to Cui Luo and barked, “I know all about Chunling and Cheng Liang. That’s in the past! Just because they had a relationship, you’re pinning a murder charge on her? You need evidence to solve a case!”

In Xuzhou, Wu Yaoming was a dominant figure, growing increasingly overbearing with time.

Now that he had vented his temper, there wasn’t much Cui Luo could say.

Yang Chunling flashed a coy, triumphant smile.

She even turned around slightly and winked at Shen Wanwan and Cui Luo, her eyes full of disdain.

With unwavering confidence, Wu Yaoming took Yang Chunling away.

Xiang Dong asked, “We’re just letting her go like this?”

“We don’t have a choice. There’s no concrete evidence linking Yang Chunling to the murder yet. We all know the truth, but…” Cui Luo sighed. 

“Even the dismembered body parts—yes, they were found outside her house, but…”

She shook her head. “You guys go back first. I’ll report this to Captain Tao.”

Even after returning home and lying in bed, Shen Wanwan’s mind was still filled with the arrogant figures of Yang Chunling and Wu Yaoming.

She used to believe that as long as she pieced together the logic, identified the suspect, and gathered solid evidence, a case could be solved.

But now she understood—everyone had their own agenda. Not everyone would cooperate willingly.

Even when they did, detectives still had to discern truth from lies.

The human heart is complicated. Interests come first. Perhaps everyone felt some degree of resistance when facing interrogation.

This was exactly what seasoned officers like Tao Jiang and Zhu Jianhua excelled at.

Shen Wanwan still had a long way to go.

Even though Tao Jiang had let them off for the day, by the time Shen Wanwan actually got home, it was already close to nine o’clock.

Xuzhou didn’t have much in the way of nightlife. By eight or nine in the evening, most people were already asleep.

Shen Zhuo wasn’t one for studying. After playing basketball, he hadn’t even bothered to shower—he just flopped onto the top bunk, snoring away.

Shen Wanwan was already overwhelmed with thoughts, and his racket only made things worse.

Although he was young, Shen Zhuo spent all day running around at school. By nighttime, exhaustion always knocked him out, and his snoring was relentless.

Out of humanitarian consideration, Shen Wanwan endured it for ten minutes.

But the snoring only got louder.

At this rate, he was about to shake the roof off.

Even Liu Cuixia, in her own room, could hear it. She often brought it up—not as a complaint, but as an affectionate remark about how her grandson was a “real man.”

After tossing and turning for another ten minutes, Shen Wanwan reached her breaking point.

She sat up in bed and looked over at Shen Zhuo.

His blanket was nearly kicked to the floor. He was wearing only a pair of shorts, his stomach completely exposed.

The original owner of this body had tried several times to request a separate room from her younger brother, but without exception, her parents always brushed her off with, “Your brother is still a child.”

Thinking about this, Shen Wanwan almost wanted to turn him into an actual child.

A girl would work too.

Shen Wanwan shook Shen Zhuo awake.

Still half-asleep, Shen Zhuo groggily sat up and stared at her in confusion. “Was there an earthquake?”

“You were snoring. Change your sleeping position and go back to sleep.” Shen Wanwan’s expression was terrible. After a brief pause, she added, “If you don’t, I’ll beat you up.”

Shen Zhuo: “…”

What??

Since when did his sister become like this? Beating him up again?!

Shen Zhuo stared resentfully at the lower bunk, wanting to argue, but as soon as he moved, his neck ached.

That was Shen Wanwan’s doing.

Left with no choice, he swallowed his anger and lay back down.

He really wanted to just ignore her and keep snoring, but the memory of Shen Wanwan’s terrifying strength when she snatched his bicycle made his legs tremble.

…Damn it, when did Shen Wanwan get so strong?!

Shen Zhuo swore to himself—he would never let this bicycle theft go unavenged. He would get his revenge. One day.

With Shen Zhuo finally quiet, Shen Wanwan could finally get some proper sleep.

She had no idea when she drifted off, only that she seemed to have been dreaming the entire time. The events of the day replayed before her eyes.

Especially Yang Chunling—her mocking smile appeared again and again, each slightly different but all full of ridicule.

Shen Wanwan tossed and turned, her head aching, trapped in the nightmare.

She had no idea when she finally broke free from the dream, but after resting peacefully for a while, she slowly opened her eyes.

Outside the window, the sky was still dark—it was still early. She could rest a bit longer.

She stretched lazily, about to turn over—

When suddenly, a furry paw appeared in front of her.

A dog’s paw?!