Chapter 22: The Murderer, Nowhere to Hide (Ten Thousand Words Update)

After dying once, all sins would be wiped clean.

For Ye Sansang, being able to let go of grudges and survive was a rather decent ending.

She hadn’t expected the other party to find her and deliver a conclusion.

A very satisfactory conclusion—the deceased found peace, and the living could live well.

As for the “Crime Files” game live stream?

Ye Sansang wasn’t prepared to speak about it; let the matter rest.

She maneuvered her wheelchair back to her room, feeling inexplicably better. Sitting by the window, she slowly tore the letter into pieces.

Some secrets are best kept forever locked within the heart.

Ye Sansang resumed her daily routine, adding some reading time today.

Her father only intended to keep her confined in this psychiatric hospital. Besides surveillance and preventing her recovery, there were few other restrictions.

Even the room and the nurses and doctors assigned to her were the best in the entire hospital.

The books were delivered to her an hour later.

She sat in the pavilion, surrounded by other patients out for fresh air. Some sat beside her, babbling incoherently before turning away.

Others swayed aimlessly, unsure of what to do next.

Ye Sansang remained unmoved amidst it all.

She skipped her afternoon nap, spending time moving around the yard and ward, taking her medication as scheduled.

By six in the evening, she had shifted herself onto the bed to read the third professional book. The books delivered were specialized, and the lawyer was indeed reliable—Ye Sansang was beginning to trust he was an old friend of her mother’s.

At half past seven, Ye Sansang turned off the room lights, leaving only a night lamp on, then closed her eyes to sleep.

The Star Ring live stream detected the broadcast instantly, and the viewer count began to soar.

Ye Sansang recalled that Ye Zhe hadn’t followed up.

No matter, if he didn’t show, it was meaningless.

She entered the game and picked up Shen Yu’s sketchpad and drawing pencils. The red-striped pencil bore the name of Zhongzhou Nation, with an eraser on the tip showing signs of use.

She couldn’t help but admire how realistic the game was.

She imagined that once the game officially launched, viewers would love scrutinizing every detail.

“Does Sister Sang want to profile the killer? Can she do it?”

“Sister Sang’s finally streaming; I love her hardworking spirit!”

“I wonder how this mission will go. It always feels like the ‘Crime Files’ missions aren’t simple. I’ve followed many streamers—not to put them down—but few complete the missions, let alone perfectly.”

“Someone next door is also running this mission, a big internet detective influencer! I wonder who’s better, them or Sister Sang.”

The chat flooded with messages, discussing everything imaginable.

Yet few held hope about criminal profiling.

From Ye Sansang’s previous performance, she was clearly intelligent and ruthless. Criminal profiling required specialized training and wasn’t easy.

Behind her routine screen filter, the smart system had already read her thoughts, automatically shielding her from such comments whenever she entered the game.

Therefore, Ye Sansang couldn’t see those words. She lowered her head slightly, contemplating everything about the killer.

“Hmm? Let me see what this criminal profiling is all about,” Qin Jiang said, rolling his office chair over and crossing his legs, curious as he glanced at Ye Sansang.

---

Qin Jiang had a sharp, serious face, his skin tanned and weathered from years outdoors. His slightly curly hair covered more than five fingers’ width of his forehead; four fingers was normal, but the fifth showed thinning.

He wore a blue short-sleeved polo shirt favored by middle-aged men these days, casual pants, and simple black mesh sneakers.

His eyes held a ferocity and sharpness uncommon to most, with a somewhat rogue-like aura.

Ye Sansang glanced at him and said, “No new information yet.”

“You, kid, listen to me. Just focus on learning well with me, your master. Don’t waste time thinking about all that crime stuff,” Qin Jiang said, tapping the desk with his index and middle fingers as he lectured.

Ye Sansang looked at him sincerely. “I think criminal behavior analysis is quite useful.”

Qin Jiang pondered briefly. “We haven’t known each other long. How about this: analyze me. If you guess some things right, I’ll admit your criminal behavior analysis is legit.”

Ye Sansang nodded, eager to test her skills.

“You don’t have a family, probably lost your wife and child early on. When you were young handling cases, you suffered some psychological trauma that left you with mental issues. You’re cold on the outside but warm inside, a kind-hearted person.”

She paused. “You’re a cop passionate about saving others and deeply devoted to solving cases.”

That was all Ye Sansang could discern.

Qin Jiang stared at her seriously before breaking into an enlightened smile, pointing a finger at her. “You little rascal, did you check my files?”

“No,” Ye Sansang replied.

Qin Jiang laughed heartily and waved it off, “If not, then not!”

Ye Sansang silently tagged him as stubborn and said no more.

Qin Jiang stood up, looking at her appreciatively. “No matter the outcome, I think you have great potential. Come on, let’s meet the suspect.”

“Who?” Ye Sansang didn’t argue. His words confirmed her analysis was mostly correct. The case was the priority.

She stood up alongside him.

Qin Jiang smiled mysteriously, grabbed a blue folder, and headed for the door, motioning for her to follow, saying, “Someone who saw the victim before she died.”

Ye Sansang got up and followed her master toward the interrogation room.

---

“Curious, who is it?”

“This case seems easy to solve!”

“Who exactly did the police say saw the victim before she died?”

The live chat buzzed with excitement.

These viewers were not only Ye Sansang’s fans but also devoted followers of the game.

The stream switched to the best camera angles, only focusing on Ye Sansang once she and Qin Jiang sat together in the interrogation room.

The person who saw the victim, Qian Chunmei, before her death was a prime suspect and could no longer be questioned in the interrogation room.

Ye Sansang sat on Qin Jiang’s left side; in the previous mission, she had sat opposite him.

Qin Jiang leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. “Speak. When did you see Qian Chunmei? How did you kill her? Tell the truth.”

Ye Sansang sat upright, serious, pen in hand recording the transcript.

As a supporting figure in this interrogation, her job was to record accurately.

“I didn’t kill anyone! I just saw her four days ago in the afternoon, did some things at a hotel, then we went our separate ways…” The man was thin, wearing an ill-fitting suit, his face showing panic and shame.

Qin Jiang supported his forehead with his hand, slammed the table. “Still not telling the truth? I see you didn’t just do some things! A few years ago, you’d have been charged with hooliganism!”

The man trembled at these words.

“I just have a little hobby! I swear I didn’t kill her! I gave that woman money! We had a fair exchange!” he pleaded, frantic, trying to convince Qin Jiang of his innocence.

---

Ye Sansang sat nearby, writing down every word, silently thinking how twisted this was.

“SM? So thirty years ago, the elders already had this niche interest.”

“Maybe he had trouble finding a partner, so he paid a lot? And that money led to Qian Chunmei’s death.”

“Doesn’t feel like the killer.”

Qin Jiang pinched the bridge of his nose and asked again, “Tell me about the hotel four days ago and the money you gave Qian Chunmei. Did she mention any recent troubles or people?”

“Alright, alright...” The man nodded quickly, bowing his head, then began a detailed account.

He had contacted Qian Chunmei by chance, agreed to pay her five hundred yuan once to fulfill his hobby. They met at room 304 of Hongxin Hotel. She left at 5:30 p.m.

He said bitterly, “You know, it’s hard to find someone for my hobby, so I paid her a deposit for next time. Didn’t expect she’d die now; the money’s a small matter…”

His face flushed briefly, hoping this wouldn’t reach his family.

Ye Sansang remained cold and expressionless.

Qin Jiang frowned and sighed, “Think carefully if there’s anything else. We’ll verify your story. Make sure you’re telling the truth.”

The man nodded repeatedly, hopeful, fearing they wouldn’t check.

Soon, Qin Jiang and Ye Sansang got in a car to check the hotel’s surveillance.

Ye Sansang sat in the passenger seat, pencil in hand, sketching on white paper, occasionally pausing to think.

Qin Jiang drove silently, occasionally glancing and then focusing on the road.

This city was about the same size as Lincheng from the previous mission—a mid-sized inland city. In a little over ten minutes, they arrived.

The front desk clerk was a young woman with dyed blonde hair, wearing a white shirt and red pencil skirt. She stood up upon seeing them.

Qin Jiang and Ye Sansang showed their IDs and requested the surveillance footage.

The footage was black and white and not very clear, but it showed the two entering the room and leaving one after the other after 5:30 p.m.

Qian Chunmei looked around anxiously, possibly afraid of running into someone she knew.

The arrested man had even paid for a next appointment, giving him no motive to kill.

Qin Jiang and Ye Sansang checked nearby cameras, confirming Qian Chunmei left alone.

After finishing, the department called to inform them the autopsy report was ready.

Qin Jiang took Ye Sansang back.

Ye Sansang kept writing and pondering.

“Are you still thinking about profiling the killer?” Qin Jiang suddenly realized and asked in the car.

Ye Sansang tapped her chin. “Yes, some clues are emerging.”

Qin Jiang shook his head. She didn’t believe in it; if the other side did, he’d have to find the killer to prove her wrong.

“Suit yourself,” he said.

Ye Sansang fell silent, focusing on sketching the possible traits of the suspect.

The car stopped in front of the major crimes unit, and Qin Jiang strode toward the forensic lab.