Before watching the surveillance footage, Guan Xia first asked Xu Nian a question that had been weighing on her mind: how had the deceased, Sha Guoliang, managed to locate Cen Cuiman after his release from prison? Had Cen Cuiman's family been so indifferent after the rape case that they hadn’t even bothered to move to a new residence?
At Guan Xia’s question, Xu Nian fell into an uncharacteristic silence before replying, "During our investigation of Case 611, we learned that after Sha Guoliang was imprisoned, his family kept close tabs on Cen Cuiman’s family."
Guan Xia had imagined several possibilities, but this was the last thing she expected. She was so stunned she momentarily lost her words.
Xu Nian continued, "According to Sha Guoliang’s relatives, before his arrest, he repeatedly warned them not to lose track of Cen Cuiman. He threatened to burn down their house if they failed, leaving them homeless when he got out."
Guan Xia was so shocked her mind flooded with questions. How could someone be so vile? After inflicting such immense harm on Cen Cuiman, he had already decided before imprisonment to ruin her entire life.
Though she knew Xu Nian wouldn’t have the answer, Guan Xia couldn’t help but ask, "Why? Why would he do this to Cen Cuiman?"
Xu Nian opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. It was Pang Le who broke the silence, her voice cold with disdain. "Because he knew he could never deserve her. Since no honorable means would ever make Cen Cuiman look his way, he resorted to this despicable act."
Pang Le sneered, her expression full of scorn and fury. Ji An, though less visibly emotional, pressed her lips tightly together, betraying her own inner turmoil.
Guan Xia had initially wanted to ask why Cen Cuiman’s then-husband, Sun Kangyu, had agreed to divorce her. But after Xu Nian’s explanation, she felt the question unnecessary. Faced with such a ruthless and cruel man, not everyone could maintain unwavering courage. Perhaps Sun Kangyu had once tried to protect her.
Accepting the external hard drive containing the surveillance footage from Xu Nian, Guan Xia took a moment to steady herself before diving into the recordings.
It was a novel experience, one that temporarily pushed aside her tangled emotions and demanded her full focus.
Still, the task was tedious. Guan Xia managed to last nearly an hour, but Pang Le’s attention waned after barely forty minutes. Her eyes glazed over, her expression numb, and she shifted positions every few minutes as if her chair were lined with nails.
Pausing a recording from thirty minutes before the crime—captured less than a kilometer from the scene—Guan Xia glanced at Pang Le and couldn’t help but chuckle. "Had enough? Want to take a walk or should I order coffee? Though I’m not sure if delivery reaches the station."
As soon as she spoke, Wang Yu walked in carrying two takeout bags. Handing out the contents, she said, "Courtesy of Director Ren. He wanted to stop by but thought you might feel awkward, so he just asked me to take care of you."
Guan Xia was surprised and flustered. Director Ren oversaw criminal investigations for Ping District—and not only did he remember her, but he seemed to hold her in high regard.
Accepting the milk tea Wang Yu handed her, Guan Xia reflexively murmured, "Thank you."
Noticing her discomfort, Wang Yu smiled. "No need. You’ve helped us so much—you have no idea how grateful we are."
Pang Le, far more at ease, thanked her and immediately gulped down half her drink, her expression instantly revitalized.
After distributing the coffee, Wang Yu pulled out several elegantly packaged cakes and pastries from the larger bag, placing them at the center of the table. "These are from Captain Xu. Help yourselves—no need to stand on ceremony."
While Director Ren’s gesture had unsettled Guan Xia, she had no reservations about Xu Nian’s. She grabbed a custard tart and took a bite before asking, "Is this how you usually work cases at night?"
Wang Yu considered it. "Pretty much. Though most nights it’s burgers, pizza, or fried chicken—stuff that keeps you full. We often pull all-nighters."
Guan Xia exchanged a glance with Pang Le. They were here out of curiosity, not planning to stay the whole night.
Xu Nian, easily reading their silent exchange, picked up a coffee and said, "You can leave anytime if you’re tired. I can even drive you back."
Guan Xia looked at him in surprise. She noted his use of "drive"—meaning he’d return to the case after dropping her off.
Pang Le caught it too. Mouth full, she mumbled, "No need. We’ll head back when we’ve had enough. I’ll make sure Guan Xia and Ji An get home safe."
Xu Nian nodded. "Up to you."
Refueled with sugar and caffeine, their drowsiness faded, and they resumed their work with renewed focus.
Time flew as they worked. Before Guan Xia realized it, her neck and shoulders ached from tension. The screech of Pang Le’s chair snapped her back to attention—it was already past 10 p.m.
Pang Le blinked dazedly at her. "What? Did you find something?"
Guan Xia shook her head. Pang Le turned to Ji An, who, still fixated on her screen, replied absently, "Nothing yet. You?"
Just as Guan Xia was about to answer, the system interface abruptly popped up.
You’ve been questioned by the police. Suddenly, you recall that at 9:07 p.m. on June 13th, while reviewing surveillance footage with friends, you spotted a familiar figure in a taxi driver’s dashcam video near the crime scene. Despite her drastically different attire, her height, build, and the nervous urgency in her stride made you recognize her instantly. You decide to inform the police.
As Guan Xia stared in shock, the screen changed, displaying another video.
The scene showed a slightly blurry surveillance footage, captured from a low, parallel angle—likely from a taxi's dashboard camera. The driver seemed to be waiting for a passenger to board or exit, as the vehicle wasn’t moving. About ten meters away, on the narrow sidewalk by the roadside, a petite figure dressed in an oversized black T-shirt, loose black casual pants, and white sneakers walked briskly, a black baseball cap pulled low over their short hair. Without clear reference points, it was hard to gauge their exact height, but judging by the residential area’s wall lining the sidewalk, they couldn’t have been taller than 1.7 meters. Despite only showing a back view, the system dutifully highlighted the figure with a bright red frame around the head.
Even after the system interface disappeared, Guan Xia remained dazed. She couldn’t help but scream internally—who knew the system could be used like this? That figure hadn’t even shown their face, captured only under the dim glow of streetlights in the dead of night. And yet, the system had recognized them?
Once again, Guan Xia’s understanding of the system was refreshed. No wonder it was considered a cheat—it really defied logic.
After marveling for a moment, Guan Xia quickly muttered that she might have found something and hurriedly located the surveillance footage the system had played earlier. She fast-forwarded repeatedly until, with her colleagues crowding around, she paused on the exact frame the system had highlighted.
"Look at this figure," Guan Xia tapped the computer screen. "Doesn’t it look like Yuan Yue?"
Including Xu Nian, everyone scrutinized the figure Guan Xia pointed at. After a few seconds, they shook their heads in unison. "Can’t tell."
Those words made Guan Xia hesitate. After all, she had the system’s confirmation, but to everyone else, the figure only vaguely matched Yuan Yue’s height. There was nothing else to identify her—especially since Yuan Yue had long hair, while the person in the video had very short hair.
After a long pause, Guan Xia finally blurted, "I think it’s her. My gut tells me this is Yuan Yue."
She wished she could come up with a logical argument to prove it, but after racking her brain, she could only attribute it to intuition.
Fortunately, no one pressed further. After a thoughtful moment, they chose to trust Guan Xia. Pang Le even patted her shoulder admiringly and said, "As expected of you. I knew you’d find something tonight."
Guan Xia was speechless. She instinctively glanced at Xu Nian and Ji An—one wore a faint smile, as if saying, "Well done," while the other remained expressionless, though the admiration in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine.
Though she’d discovered another way to use the system, Guan Xia had a feeling her reputation in Xu Nian’s Second Division was about to shift again.
"Heping West Road, South Second Alley," Xu Nian quickly pulled up a map. "The suspect was walking northbound. This alley connects to Wanshou Street North First Road. If I recall, the surveillance cameras here were also tampered with by Sha Junhao before the crime. But there’s a 24-hour convenience store at the intersection—their outdoor camera might’ve caught the suspect."
Before he even finished speaking, the other three were already scouring the screen, swapping hard drives intermittently. About ten minutes later, Ji An spoke up. "Found it. It’s here."
The others immediately gathered around. Ji An decisively dragged the progress bar, paused, adjusted twice, and fast-forwarded to exactly 2:10 AM on June 11 before replaying the footage. All four watched intently. Two minutes later, the same petite figure in identical clothing appeared. This time, thanks to the angle, they caught a frontal view—but the suspect wore not only a black baseball cap but also a black mask, keeping their head down the entire time, obscuring their face completely.
"Covered up tight," Pang Le suddenly remarked. "If they weren’t taught how to do this, they definitely did their homework before the crime."
Xu Nian quickly scanned the map. "The suspect turned right at the intersection. Up ahead is Heping East Road—a six-lane major intersection. They might’ve taken a taxi."
The team resumed their search and soon spotted the suspect again in the footage. Just as Xu Nian predicted, the figure walked over a hundred meters westbound along Heping East Road. They pieced together several surveillance clips until, finally, a courier station’s camera captured the suspect boarding a green taxi before vanishing from view.
Due to the angle, the license plate wasn’t visible. They had to keep searching until past 11 PM before confirming the plate number: WT2372.
With a clear target, Xu Nian turned back to the map. "Past Heping East Road is Huanghe Road."
This time, Pang Le made the discovery first, excitement in his voice. "Found them! They turned right at the intersection, driving eastbound on Huanghe Road."
Like a relay, they worked tirelessly into the early hours, tracking the suspect’s movements through existing footage until their last confirmed sighting: traveling southbound on Taibai Mountain Street. The suspect still hadn’t exited the taxi. Beyond that, the trail went cold—outside the scope of the Second Division’s retrieved surveillance—forcing them to halt for the night.
"Tonight wasn’t a waste," Pang Le said, stretching as he stood up. "At this rate, can we reopen the cold case tomorrow?"
Guan Xia looked at Xu Nian, who was organizing the scattered hard drives. After a brief calculation, he replied, "If the rest of the investigation goes smoothly, then yes."
Pang Le’s eyes lit up. "So, we could be heading to Guanglin Province, Fuan City the day after tomorrow? That case has even more mysteries—I’m dying to know Yuan Yue’s motive. I can’t fathom why she’d kill such a close friend."
Ji An added, "I checked flights earlier. It’s not peak travel season—plenty of seats left. We could even book tickets the morning of."
"Guanglin Province, Fuan City?" Xu Nian suddenly asked. "Do you know anyone in their police department? If needed, I have a former classmate who works there now."
Guan Xia was surprised. "You know someone that far away?" Dingyuan Province and Guanglin Province were thousands of kilometers apart.
Ji An smiled faintly. "Police are family everywhere. Besides, Dingyuan Provincial Police University is the most renowned for criminal investigation in the region—it’s not strange for alumni to be spread far and wide."
Guan Xia suddenly understood—no wonder Ji An and Lu Tingfeng could continue investigating around even after leaving the police force. It seemed their former colleagues were willing to offer assistance within permissible limits.
Xu Nian was reminded by this remark. After a brief pause, he asked, "Will Lu Tingfeng be joining you on this trip to Fu'an City in Guanglin Province? He was also my classmate. Having him along would probably make things easier for you."
Both Guan Xia and Pang Le waited curiously for Ji An's response.
Ji An thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I’m not sure about that. But he’s tied up with something urgent right now, so it’s unlikely he’ll have the time."
Guan Xia immediately recalled what Ji An had mentioned earlier that day—they had a missing friend. Compared to this case, the disappearance was clearly the higher priority. If Guan Xia hadn’t reached out to Ji An, she’d probably still be part of the search team.
