Chapter 8: Everyone Looks Like the Killer

The man's pupils suddenly contracted, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

His reaction was clearly suspicious.

Ji Yuanyuan stared in shock, wide-eyed, and looked blankly at Jiang Yao. "How do you know he was abusive?"

Xie Huaili also looked over with interest.

Jiang Yao’s eyes turned cold as she looked at the timid woman. "This auntie's reaction told me. When she was pulling this man just now, he struggled a little, but instinctively, a flicker of fear appeared in her eyes, and she instinctively recoiled."

The woman’s gaze flickered slightly, her face uneasy.

"Only those who have suffered long-term domestic violence develop this kind of conditioned reflex."

Jiang Yao spoke with certainty.

More importantly, it was hot now, and everyone was in short sleeves, yet she was covered head to toe in long sleeves and pants. Aside from hiding bruises, Jiang Yao couldn’t think of any other reason.

At this moment, the girl in the couple also stepped forward, her face full of sudden realization. "Yes! I often hear yelling and fighting outside room 605. I even called the police once, but they just gave a verbal warning and left! That man threatened me not to interfere!"

"Stop, Xiaoyou..." The boy awkwardly tugged his girlfriend, worried the man might hold a grudge against her.

Xiang Yu shot the middle-aged man a look full of disgust. "Cowards who bully the weak only dare vent on women!"

Having studied law, she understood all too well how weak the legal protections were in cases of domestic abuse.

Once it’s stamped as a family dispute, it’s almost impossible to get a divorce.

The man’s face flushed red, his threats loud but hollow. "I beat my own wife, not anyone else’s business!"

Everyone looked at him with contempt.

The woman was too timid to say a word.

The police looked a bit speechless but quickly returned to business. "Who lives in room 607?"

The young man who had not spoken until now looked up, his voice thick with a nasal tone. "That’s me."

The police looked at him. "You live opposite the victim. Did you hear anything at the time of the murder?"

The young man hesitated briefly before shaking his head. "Sorry, I had a bit of a cold and took some medicine, then fell into a deep sleep. I only realized there was a murder when the police knocked on my door."

His explanation was somewhat flimsy but hard to disprove.

The middle-aged man stoked the fire again. "There’s noise even when killing a chicken! This was murder—you didn’t hear a thing?"

The young man shook his head again.

"Officer, he’s definitely suspicious! I never see him go out, and when he does, he wraps himself up like a thief. You should investigate him thoroughly!"

Clearly, this man just wanted to stir trouble.

The police gave him a deadpan look. "Stop causing trouble! Do you think everyone is a suspect?"

The middle-aged man forced a smile. "Come on, officer, want a smoke?"

The police ignored him and turned to Xie Huaili politely. "Sir, do you have any thoughts?"

Xie Huaili raised an eyebrow. "I have a few points. First, no murder weapon was found at the scene, so it’s likely the killer brought it with them. They probably didn’t have time to dispose of it. I suggest searching the entire floor carefully, including the drains and nearby bushes."

"Second, no neighbors heard anything during the murder, which suggests the victim was familiar with the killer and caught off guard. The killer must have overwhelming physical strength, and the victim had no chance to scream. So, we can initially exclude the possibility of the killer being female."

"Third, aside from killing the victim, why deliberately slash the victim’s face? The face is a symbol of identity and status, so this act is highly humiliating, implying a deep conflict between killer and victim."

Everyone listened and nodded repeatedly.

The police chief also nodded in agreement, clearly intending to investigate along those lines.

At this point, Jiang Yao raised an objection.

She fixed her gaze firmly on Xie Huaili. "I don’t quite agree with your second point."

Xie Huaili smiled faintly, adopting a posture of attentive listening.

"Besides being acquainted with the killer, another reason the victim might have let their guard down is if the killer was female. Also, I don’t think a woman lacks the capability to kill—what if she’s naturally strong, or has accomplices?"

Her tone was calm, clear, and convincing.

Xie Huaili tilted his head, pondering briefly before saying frankly, "I accept your correction; it’s indeed a possibility."

Xiang Yu and Ji Yuanyuan exchanged excited glances and secretly gave Jiang Yao a thumbs-up.

The police chief immediately instructed the others to conduct a thorough search without blind spots, leaving one female officer to begin interviews.

"Since you all live on the same floor, do you recall if the victim had any conflicts before death?"

The girl named Xiaoyou thought for a moment and recalled something. "I came home from work the day before yesterday and heard the occupant of 608 shouting loudly at the door of 607."

Everyone’s gaze turned to the young man, who cleared his throat and explained in a hoarse voice, "My job is home-based, so I don’t go out much. I sometimes leave my trash by the door for several days before throwing it out. The neighbor opposite complained about the smell and argued with me a few times, but I always handled it politely. I’ve been feeling unwell recently and forgot to take out the trash..."

So, he was a recluse.

Ji Yuanyuan was curious. "May I ask, what do you do for work?"

The young man awkwardly tugged at his hat brim. "I write online novels."

"Wow, a big writer! You must make a good amount each month," the middle-aged man sneered sarcastically.

The young man didn’t argue; he was used to people thinking writing novels was a frivolous career.

Everyone suddenly understood and could explain his introverted personality.

Then the young man suddenly spoke up. "About half a month ago, when I went out to pick up food, I heard arguing in the hallway. He and the victim seemed to be discussing money."

He pointed at the middle-aged man, whose eyes flickered with panic as he snapped, "That’s slander! On what grounds do you accuse me?"

Afraid the man would attack him, the young man stepped back quickly. "You yell and argue all day—everyone on this floor recognizes your voice."

The man lost his temper, raised his fist, and was about to charge.

Two police officers quickly stepped forward to restrain him, handcuffing him behind his back and pinning him to the wall. "Trying to hit someone in front of the police? Do you think we don’t exist? You’d better confess honestly—what’s really going on?"

The woman burst into tears and threw herself at the police, pleading loudly, "Let go of my husband! You have no evidence, how can you hit him!"