"I've said all I need to say," Zhang Lu replied with a bitter and helpless smile.
At this moment, he felt deeply regretful.
If he hadn't been driven by greed and instigated by Sheng Qingqiu's words, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.
Jiang Cong looked up at the window. It was completely dark outside.
"What time is it?" Jiang Cong stood up, his voice cold as he stuffed his hands into his suit pockets.
"It's already seven. Should we arrest Ji Pei now?" Qin An inquired tentatively after finishing the transcript.
Jiang Cong nodded. His dark eyes were calm, as if they could draw people in.
"Hurry up. The fire in the alley was probably Ji Pei's doing. He didn't want us to rescue the key witness, Zhang Lu."
Yang Heng looked serious. He exchanged a glance with Qin An and rushed out of the ward to inform the police station to carry out the arrest.
"Will I be sentenced?" Zhang Lu asked hoarsely, his fingers unconsciously clutching the bedsheet.
Looking at Zhang Lu's anxious face, Jiang Cong said calmly, "School bullying doesn't currently constitute a crime. You'll probably just receive educational management. As for stealing others' work, I'm sure the school will take appropriate action."
Zhang Lu smiled in relief. All his previous pursuits suddenly vanished.
He felt a sense of unprecedented relief. Sincerely, he said, "Thank you."
Jiang Cong shook his head and corrected him, "You should thank yourself."
After saying that, Jiang Cong turned to leave. But then he stopped and looked back at Zhang Lu in the hospital bed. "If you don't want others to know, don't do it. Remember, justice may be delayed, but it will never be denied."
Zhang Lu pondered Jiang Cong's words and suddenly asked, "What if you fall in love with someone, and she does something wrong? Will you expose her?"
Jiang Cong thought seriously about the possibility. "No. I'll encourage her to turn herself in. Everyone should take responsibility for their mistakes. That's what it means to be responsible."
On the other side, the police received Yang Heng's call and immediately headed to Ji Pei's house.
"Freeze! Police!" Yang Heng kicked open the door and scanned the area warily.
But there was only silence.
Qin An followed closely behind. She slowed down, holding her gun as she searched for Ji Pei.
Suddenly.
"Qin An! That's Ji Pei!" Xiao Lin pointed at the teenager on the balcony with his back to them.
Everyone tensed up and tightened their grip on their guns.
As they got closer, Qin An noticed something was wrong with Ji Pei.
She reached out and poked his back.
Ji Pei fell forward, his eyes closed and his face pale.
Yang Heng checked Ji Pei's breathing but found that he had already stopped breathing and his heart had stopped beating.
"Call Professor Jiang and tell him that Ji Pei committed suicide."
Soon, Jiang Cong arrived at Ji Pei's house.
Jiang Cong examined Ji Pei's body. "The victim has been dead for about a day. His calm expression indicates that he didn't experience significant emotional distress before his death."
"Did Ji Pei commit suicide out of guilt?" Yang Heng asked the crucial question.
Jiang Cong didn't give a definite answer. He just ordered the body to be taken away.
"Whether he did or not, as the mastermind of the murder, he's already paid the price. Go back and report the situation to Chief Wang." Jiang Cong rubbed his temples as he thought deeper.
Why did Ji Pei choose to commit suicide?
Was it simply to escape punishment?
Jiang Cong didn't know the answer.
Chief Wang was satisfied with the outcome of the murder case.
Although Ji Pei's death meant the case couldn't be fully solved, in a way, it was still a conclusion.
They could give Sheng Qingqiu's parents an acceptable explanation.
"Professor Jiang, thank you so much. If it weren't for your guidance, this case wouldn't have been solved so quickly!" Chief Wang said excitedly as he shook Jiang Cong's hand.
At the same time, Chief Wang had an idea of poaching Jiang Cong.
If such a talented person could stay at the police station, it would be a great asset. Solving cases would be a breeze.
But looking at Jiang Cong's detached and unworldly demeanor, Chief Wang hesitated.
After all, this was just a small county police station. Why would Jiang Cong leave the superior work environment in Beijing to come here?
Jiang Cong saw Chief Wang's hesitation but didn't say anything.
If Chief Wang was sincere enough, he would offer.
Moreover, Jiang Cong wanted to stay for a while.
There were still many doubts in this case.
It wasn't about the case itself. Jiang Cong just wanted to confirm some of his suspicions.
Chief Wang hesitated for a long time. Finally, he summoned the courage to say, "Professor Jiang, I have a request. I was wondering..."
"Go ahead," Jiang Cong said briefly.
Chief Wang frowned. He chose to keep Jiang Cong over his pride.
"Professor Jiang, if you're not too busy in Beijing, could you be the police station's criminal psychology consultant? It would help the officers learn more about solving cases."
Jiang Cong didn't hesitate. He simply nodded and said, "Sure."
Chief Wang watched Jiang Cong's departing figure in disbelief.
He grabbed Yang Heng's arm and asked repeatedly, "What did Professor Jiang just say? He agreed? Really?"
Yang Heng nodded vigorously, smiling from ear to ear.
It was great that Jiang Cong could stay.
After spending so much time together, Yang Heng had developed a deep affection for the cold - on - the - outside but warm - on - the - inside Jiang Cong.
Qin An felt the same way. But due to their positions, they couldn't directly ask Jiang Cong to stay.
Both of them were overjoyed.
The clouds that had been hanging over the police station finally dissipated. The light broke through and shone on the land again.
However, the mysterious messenger who appeared during the investigation remained a mystery.
The technicians searched hundreds of times but couldn't find any useful clues.
It seemed that the identity of this person, along with the unresolved case, was gradually forgotten.