Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Fatal Joy (25)

Wan Jiayong and Wan Changgui's tragic car accident had been investigated by the police. They confirmed that it was caused by a combination of improper driving, overloading, nighttime driving, and extremely poor road conditions on a rainy night. The truck crashed into the mountain, causing it to flip. A large portion of the cargo fell onto the Wan brothers, with glass and steel pipes piercing their bodies.

Hai Shu asked, "Wan Zeyu was only... 18 years old at the time? Did he tamper with the truck?"

Liu Qiong curled up on the bed, her voice muffled.

After Wan Zeyu was scolded by Wan Jiayong, Liu Qiong thought the father and son would stay in a cold war for a long time. But to her surprise, Wan Zeyu suddenly seemed like a different person. He came home early, helped with the housework, greeted Wan Jiayong with a smile, and was particularly obedient to him. Liu Qiong found it strange and secretly asked around at school. She learned that Wan Zeyu had become particularly violent recently, often beating people up.

She immediately understood that Wan Zeyu was deliberately suppressing himself at home, and he wanted to do something. She felt as though a knife was hanging over her head, knowing that this monstrous son would eventually explode.

Before Wan Jiayong's accident, it had been raining intermittently in Zhou Ping Town for half a month, making the mountain roads particularly difficult to navigate. Wan Jiayong and Wan Changgui had finished their work and planned to rest for a few days. However, Guang Yongguo came to find them, saying there was an urgent shipment that needed to be sent immediately.

Wan Jiayong didn't immediately agree. Although the Wan family relied on Guang Yongguo, he still needed to weigh the danger of hitting the road. At that moment, Wan Changgui stepped forward and assured him that there would be no problem. Wan Jiayong glanced at him and reluctantly agreed.

That day, Wan Zeyu did not appear. Wan Jiayong didn't think much of it, as it was common for him not to be at home.

That night, after the cargo was loaded onto the truck, the Wan brothers set off. The rain grew heavier as the night wore on. Before dawn, Liu Qiong received a phone call saying the truck had flipped and the men were gone.

It was an incredibly chaotic day. Although Liu Qiong felt that her home was a prison, Wan Jiayong, except for avenging his sister, didn't seem like a murderer. They had feelings for each other. Liu Qiong rushed to the scene, and upon seeing the bloody sight, she fainted. She couldn't think about whether the accident was part of some conspiracy.

The heavy rain that night washed away the traces of evil. After the investigation, the police defined it as a traffic accident. Liu Qiong didn’t have the courage to look at Wan Jiayong’s body again, and she wanted Wan Zeyu to handle the funeral arrangements. It was at that moment that she horrifiedly remembered Wan Jiayong’s words of scolding Wan Zeyu, and later, Wan Zeyu's fake obedience, and… Wan Zeyu had not appeared before or after the accident.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Wan Zeyu came into the hospital room, wearing a white tracksuit, smiling innocently and looking pure. Liu Qiong immediately felt that his smile came from having gotten rid of his father.

She had seen this smile before! It was exactly like the smile Wan Jiayong had after avenging his sister!

Wan Zeyu gently leaned in, "Mom, the old man is gone. From now on, it's just us, relying on each other. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you."

The others in the room thought that Wan Zeyu was being filial, but Liu Qiong only felt cold.

The Wan brothers' funeral was handled by Wan Zeyu and Guang Yongguo, and it was done very grandly. To outsiders, it seemed like Wan Zeyu had grown up overnight, becoming a reliable man like his father.

After Liu Qiong was discharged from the hospital, she mustered the courage to visit the wrecked vehicle. That one glance confirmed to her that Wan Zeyu was the murderer.

Hai Shu asked, "What did you see?"

Liu Qiong said, "The blocking lock."

The Wan family's truck had been modified many times. In the past, when Wan Changgui delivered goods, there had been an incident where a steel pipe used for blocking had pierced the driver's seat from behind, but fortunately, no one was injured. Wan Jiayong had added a horizontal blocking lock to the truck. In the event of an accident, the blocking lock could stop the steel pipes and glass.

However, the wrecked truck didn't have the blocking lock. That was why the cargo had instantly killed the Wan brothers.

Liu Qiong covered her mouth and stood frozen beside the truck. The blocking lock wasn't something that came with the truck; the police likely overlooked this detail during the investigation. But she was so familiar with this truck that she knew someone had tampered with it.

It was Wan Zeyu, her son!

"What are you looking at?" A familiar voice came from behind. Liu Qiong felt like she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her whole body stiffened as she heard the footsteps getting closer. Suddenly, her shoulder was wrapped by an arm, and Wan Zeyu’s breath was right next to her ear. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

She trembled and couldn’t speak. "I… I…"

Wan Zeyu: "Oh, I almost forgot. You are the one who knows everything best, aren’t you? Mom, you’re an accomplice."

She forced herself to speak, "What… what identity?"

"A perverse murderer," Wan Zeyu chuckled.

Liu Qiong's mind buzzed, like a swarm of flies was circling her head. She desperately tried to break free from Wan Zeyu’s arm, but it was impossible. She couldn't move. It was just like the countless times she had wanted to leave Wan Jiayong over the years, but had never been able to act on it.

She was weak, she couldn't do anything.

Wan Zeyu rested his chin on her shoulder. From a distance, they looked like a close mother and son, grieving together for the loss of the family’s pillar. The mother was comforting her son, and the son was assuring his mother that he would take care of her.

"Oh, how could I forget? You were the one who knew everything best," Wan Zeyu said. "Mom, you’re an accomplice."

She trembled and said, "I’m not…"

"How can you say you’re not? Ever heard of the term 'helping the tiger to do its bidding'? I just learned it at school," Wan Zeyu sneered, holding her rough hands, "He didn’t have time to teach me, but you helped him beat me. Mom, do you want to recall how many times you whipped me?"

"I’m not... please don't..."

"But you are my mother, I won't treat you the way I treated him." Wan Zeyu suddenly gritted his teeth, "As long as you don't say—'as long as I'm here, you don't get to speak.'"

Liu Qiong kept swallowing her saliva.

Wan Zeyu pointed at the scrapped truck and confessed in a threatening tone, "Second uncle was an idiot. I told him, Deputy Factory Director Guang helped our family so much, and now he's in urgent need. If we don’t help, how would he think of us? As soon as second uncle heard this, he immediately promised Guang in front of the old man. The old man had no choice but to go on the road."

"I was the one who removed the blocking locks. It was an urgent shipment, and there were many workers moving the goods. It was pouring rain, and nobody could recognize anyone in their raincoats. I was the last to get off the truck, and the box in my arms was the one with the blocking lock."

Liu Qiong’s ears were filled with an ear-piercing shriek. She couldn’t hear clearly, and she didn’t want to hear it. She had no idea what else Wan Zeyu said. When she woke up, she was already lying in her own bed.

But Wan Zeyu had no intention of letting her go. Day after day, year after year, Wan Zeyu became a well-known filial son and a successful independent businessman. But at home, in that noisy, damp little house, Wan Zeyu often put on the face of a filial son and told her that nightmarish story.

"I was there at the scene. I saw the broken glass piercing them. Yuan Zhong is a good dog. He does things for money. If he hadn’t ridden out on his motorcycle, they might not have crashed into the mountain. Hahaha, my luck was pretty good. Unfortunately, Yuan Zhong, that dog, was luckier and didn’t die."

The knife Wan Zeyu was using to peel the apple cut his finger, and the room was filled with the stench of blood. Liu Qiong shrank back. Wan Zeyu impatiently sucked away the blood, "What are you hiding for? Haven’t I been good to you? What have you done in this life? You have no education, no skills. When the old man didn’t support you, you had to go out and beg. Now if I don’t take care of you, how many days do you think you’ll last?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she mechanically apologized.

"Tch, the mercy of a woman." Wan Zeyu casually quoted an idiom.

Over the years, Liu Qiong often became delirious. She was afraid of Wan Zeyu, but she also depended on him. Whenever Wan Zeyu needed her, she played the role of the dutiful mother, even though she didn’t dare resist and never thought about reporting him. After all, he was her child.

The times she felt the most relaxed were when Wan Zeyu was not in Zhou Ping Town. Of course, Wan Zeyu wasn’t always cruel to her. He would occasionally bring her gifts from outside. But when Wan Zeyu was in a bad mood, he would drag her into hell. The two of them would lock themselves in the room, and Wan Zeyu would repeat the story of that rainy night over and over again.

In the story, the Wan brothers died a thousand times. Outside the story, he tortured Liu Qiong with his words.

"He’s taking revenge for the whips I gave him. He hates me, he hates everyone related to him by blood." Liu Qiong muttered, "But he doesn’t want to kill me. He enjoys seeing me, the accomplice, suffer."

Hai Shu and Wen Xu exchanged a glance, processing the vast and cruel information. Hai Shu calmed herself and continued, "Wan Zeyu directly said that Yuan Zhong helped him kill Wan Jiayong?"

Liu Qiong numbly nodded, "He said it, said it many times. He also said that Yuan Zhong is a ghost haunting him."

Connected, Wan Zeyu’s motive for attacking Yuan Zhong and why Yuan Zhong was being protected in the glass factory began to make sense. Hai Shu's mind raced, and the logical links were falling into place. Wan Zeyu had used Yuan Zhong, and the best outcome for him was that Yuan Zhong would die in the crash. But Yuan Zhong was lucky and not only survived but the rain washed away any traces of their involvement.

From then on, Yuan Zhong and Wan Zeyu became partners, with Wan Zeyu secretly looking after him to ensure Yuan Zhong wouldn’t be fired, even if he missed work. Their interactions were discreet, appearing completely unfamiliar with each other. They had lived in peace for many years, but with Wan Zeyu’s personality, he could never truly let go of Yuan Zhong.

His original intent was to have Yuan Zhong dead. As long as Yuan Zhong was alive, he couldn’t have peace. And Yuan Zhong seemed to have asked for more benefits, clearly knowing that he was provoking him...

That night, in the old workshop, only one person could survive.

Hai Shu suddenly snapped back to her thoughts, her brows furrowing. But even so, the identity of the person who killed Wan Zeyu still hadn’t surfaced.

Wen Xu asked, "Has Wan Zeyu told you anything else? Besides Wan Jiayong and Wan Changgui, who else did he kill?"

Liu Qiong said, "There was also a girl. She went out of town, studying in the city. Her name, her name was..."

She couldn’t remember, but Hai Shu and Wen Xu both knew it was Xu Qiao.

Wen Xu asked again, "Who else?"

Liu Qiong shook her head, "I don’t know anymore."

Wen Xu said, "Then think again. Who else could have killed him?"

Liu Qiong shivered again, "It’s karma! His father and uncle killed the Luo family, and now they’ve become ghosts, coming to take his life! That forest, that forest was where they laid Cai Mei’s soul to rest, wasn’t it? The Luo family wanted to cut off the Wan family’s bloodline!"

After saying this, Liu Qiong lost control of her emotions, and the questioning couldn’t continue.

Leaving the hospital, snow mixed with rain began to fall in Zhou Ping Town. Wen Xu complained about the cold, stomping his feet as he rushed into the car and quickly turned on the air conditioning. Hai Shu followed him into the car, staring out the window in a daze.

Wen Xu laughed, "The criminal investigation team is really efficient this time. Our own case is still unresolved, but we’ve solved a few old ones."

Hai Shu turned her face, "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"I swear I’m not being sarcastic, just stating the facts." Wen Xu ticked off with his fingers, "Xu Qiao hasn’t been found yet, but the suspect has confessed. As for Cai Mei and her daughter drowning, the Luo family massacre, and the Wan brothers’ car accident, for now, it’s all based on Liu Qiong’s testimony."

Hai Shu sighed, "We’ll report these cases later. There’s not much more we can do."

Wen Xu nodded. Even if Liu Qiong’s words were true, these cases would be difficult to investigate further since the suspects were already dead. The criminal investigation team’s focus was still on uncovering the truth behind Wan Zeyu’s death.

"You know what surprised me just now?" Wen Xu said.

Hai Shu: "Hmm?"

Wen Xu: "Wan Zeyu’s description of the process of designing and causing the car accident could be seen as a threat to Liu Qiong—'You must be obedient to me. If you act like Wan Jiayong did, your fate will be the same as his.' But he also told Liu Qiong about killing Xu Qiao. Xu Qiao and Liu Qiong are completely different people."

Hai Shu thought for a moment, "Wan Zeyu’s mentality might not be entirely about threats. Initially, when he described the car accident to Liu Qiong, it was definitely a threat, but after repeating it several times, he clearly gained a sense of pleasure from boasting. This pleasure could only be shared with Liu Qiong, and her fear and shivering gave him a thrill equivalent to killing. So after killing Xu Qiao, he couldn't help but confide in Liu Qiong. He knows very well that, in this world, Liu Qiong is the only one who will never expose his secret."

Wen Xu said, "Then this is a problem."

Hai Shu frowned, also thinking of this, "Following this line of thought, Wan Zeyu will tell Liu Qiong about every evil deed he commits, but Liu Qiong knows of only two of his murders. She can't think of any 'living' person who would take revenge, so she concludes it must be the work of ghosts and gods."

Wen Xu said, "But if you think about it, Cai Mei, the Wan brothers, the Luo family, and Wan Zeyu form a cycle of revenge. Liu Qiong's thinking makes some sense. The Luo family killed Cai Mei, the Wan brothers exterminated the Luo family, and the people of Zhou Ping Town believe it’s the vengeful spirits causing trouble. After they set up a soul-releasing ritual in the forest, now the Wan brothers' son dies in the so-called soul-releasing formation. If this isn't revenge, then what is it?"

Hai Shu said, "You mean, there are still people alive from the Luo family?"

Wen Xu started the car, "This is just an unfounded guess. I'm just a forensic doctor. I can indulge in wild imaginings, but I'm not responsible for verifying them."

After a while, Hai Shu said, "It’s an interesting theory."

Wen Xu: "Oh, so what’s your theory, Captain Hai? Care to share it with me, the forensic doctor?"

Hai Shu: "It's simple, and I thought of it a long time ago—Wan Zeyu and Yuan Zhong were dismembered, and the incense burner, all of this is a smokescreen. The first layer is to make the police mistakenly believe that the two cases were committed by the same person, which we have already cracked. The second layer is to make us think it's revenge. After all, the ritualistic nature and the degree of cruelty would suggest revenge. As long as we keep pursuing it like this, the killer will remain invisible."

Wen Xu nodded, "Indeed, the killer is still in an invisible state."

"Hai Shu," she continued, "the place where Wan Zeyu killed Yuan Zhong, the old workshop, may be the reason he had to die." Her expression grew serious as thoughts of rumors about the old workshop, Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue—both students expelled from prestigious universities—along with the paper money and incense at the base of the old workshop’s walls, and even the unresolved missing student case in the city, came to mind.

"Wan Zeyu saw something he shouldn’t have during the crime, something he might not have even noticed—because his behavior after returning to the town didn’t seem abnormal. But the eyes watching from the shadows saw Wan Zeyu, and they probably thought he had seen them, or a certain secret. Therefore, he had to be eliminated. On the morning before the wedding, Wan Zeyu mysteriously left his house because he received a message from the killer."

The car was quiet for a moment. Wen Xu said, "An interesting hypothesis, but how should we verify it next?"

Hai Shu looked into the rearview mirror, where the person who seemed most suspicious to her appeared—Zhao Yue. The infertile woman was riding a bicycle, with the back seat filled with meat and vegetables freshly bought from the market, probably preparing for New Year’s Eve dinner.

As Zhao Yue got smaller in the mirror, Hai Shu withdrew her gaze, "Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue, the fact that they came to Zhou Ping Town is a bit suspicious. I’ll wait for Sui Xing’s investigation results. They just returned from the old workshop; it’s unlikely they’re just there to burn incense for their ancestors."

Back at the police station, Hai Shu organized the Cai Mei case, the Luo family massacre, and the Wan brothers’ traffic accident, then reported it to the city’s criminal investigation team. Qiao Heng paused for a moment, clearly surprised that a murder case had led to so many self-generated cases. "Thanks for your hard work. I’ll arrange for someone to verify the details."

Hai Shu didn’t want to waste time and was about to hang up when Qiao Heng stopped her, his tone softer than before. "Captain Hai, did you assign a task to Sui Xing again?"

Hai Shu replied seriously, "Did I delay the team’s arrangements?"

"No, no, don’t misunderstand. I’m just asking out of concern," Qiao Heng laughed, joking, "You came in and immediately took team members, gave them tasks, I’m relieved. I just hope that, as a new captain, you’re not too cautious and afraid to make moves."

Hai Shu smiled politely.

"I pulled Sui Xing back to focus on the missing student case, and now you’ve sent her out again." Qiao Heng sighed, "If we don’t solve the Zhou Ping Town case soon, I’m really short on manpower."

Hai Shu said, "Actually, I had Sui Xing investigate the truth about Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue’s expulsion, which may also be related to the missing student case."

Qiao Heng: "Oh?"

Hai Shu: "They were both university students, and considering Xu Qiao, I think the issue may lie in their group identity."

The two exchanged some more thoughts. Hai Shu, not wanting to withhold clues and judgments just because she wasn’t familiar with Qiao Heng, detailed her thoughts. Qiao Heng nodded, "Okay, investigate it your way. As your team leader, I’ll back you up."

"Thank you, Captain Qiao."

Sui Xing pushed open the door of a café near Guiyong University, ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of bread, finished them quickly, then leaned back into the chair, zoning out.

The investigation into Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue’s expulsion had not gone smoothly. Not long ago, she had visited Guiyong University a few times because of Xu Qiao’s case. The staff at the university, who were there during the holidays, recognized her and were somewhat guarded, fearing she was "looking for trouble" again. Since Liang and Zhao’s expulsion had occurred quite some time ago, their direct teachers and counselors were either no longer at the university or on vacation, making it difficult to find anyone. The students had scattered across the country, and she was temporarily unable to obtain their contact details.

Exhausted from turning the wheels, Sui Xing squinted for a moment, then, after a quick break, she got back on her feet and walked back into Guiyong University.

During the Spring Festival, the journalism department had more staff on duty, and many students stayed on campus, helping with internship reports for city events. Sui Xing decided to stay in the academic affairs office, even creating small tasks for herself, like helping students with form filling.

"I say, Officer Sui, it’s not good for you to keep hanging around here. Look at us, all in our thirties. That Zhao Yue, when she dropped out, we weren’t even working here. If you want leads, you’ll have to wait until school resumes, and we’ll have to bring in the teachers from back then."

Sui Xing said, "You can show me the teaching records from back then. She must have some records about her drop-out, or you can give me a contact, and I’ll find it myself."

The staff was very hesitant, not wanting to take on the responsibility, but having a police officer standing in the office made it hard for them to explain if the students started gossiping.

Unable to avoid it any longer, a slightly older teacher pulled up the records from Zhao Yue’s year. Her record only mentioned she dropped out "for personal reasons," without specifying why. No wonder the later teachers said they had no idea.

The staff reported the police visit to the department head, who was a fifty-something associate professor named Jiang. Sui Xing compared the information and realized that she was Zhao Yue's subject teacher back then.

Facing the police, Professor Jiang seemed uneasy. "I did teach this student, but I don’t know anything about her dropping out. Back then, I was just a regular lecturer."

Sui Xing nodded, "But I heard Zhao Yue’s drop-out caused quite a stir. Not just the journalism department, but other departments were talking about it for a long time. Could you recall anything? You must remember something, right?"

Professor Jiang remained silent for a long while, then stood up and said, "It's noisy here. Come to my office."

He closed the door, and the only sound in the air was the hum of the air conditioning. Professor Jiang asked Sui Xing to sit down, but stood by the window. "After all these years, I still don’t know how to describe Zhao Yue as a student. Why don’t you tell me first, why are you suddenly investigating her? Did something happen to her?"

Sui Xing hesitated to answer. What had happened to Zhao Yue? Even she didn’t know. Their new team leader had seen Zhao Yue appear at an inappropriate location, triggering a series of assumptions. But such details couldn’t be revealed during the investigation.

Professor Jiang turned around and gave a helpless smile. "See, even you police sometimes don't know how to put things into words."

Sui Xing frowned. "Zhao Yue’s past may have an impact on our investigation of a strange case, so I hope you can cooperate and provide as many clues as possible."

There was another long silence. Professor Jiang lowered his head and said, "She was one of the best students in that year. We all thought she was bound for greatness. Journalism requires a high level of overall quality—solid fundamentals, good eloquence, critical thinking, sympathy, and sensitivity. If you have all that, and you’re also beautiful, then that’s even better. Zhao Yue was just like that, her enthusiasm was just right, and she dedicated herself to her studies and school activities. Before the incident, we never heard she had a boyfriend, and then, suddenly, she was pregnant."

Sui Xing: "Suddenly pregnant…"

Professor Jiang seemed somewhat pained. "Of course, I’m not saying that college students shouldn’t date or have children. You all think it’s normal now, but back then, it caused quite a stir."

Sui Xing said, "I don’t really understand. In those days, pregnancy wasn’t necessarily a reason to expel someone, right? Besides, Guiyong University has always been known for its openness and tolerance."

"Yes, it wasn’t a reason for expulsion. We in the department were planning to handle it quietly. If she passed, that would be the end of it. We even planned to give her a year off to have the child or recover if she decided to terminate it. She could arrange things at her own pace. But students can be easily influenced, and some people at student events said she was tarnishing the school's reputation, setting a bad example for all the girls. University is a place for learning, not… Well, let’s just say things got very ugly. We didn’t manage the students' emotions well, and then someone reported it. More and more reports came in, and it quickly blew up."

Sui Xing said, "So they expelled Zhao Yue?"

Professor Jiang said, "If you ask the department what exactly was discussed with Zhao Yue, I don’t know. At that time, I didn’t have the authority to be involved in such matters. But what I do know is that the department didn’t give up on her. They wanted her to tell them who the man was, so they could all take responsibility together. But she refused to say, and in the end, they had no choice but to..."

Sui Xing couldn’t help but think, why didn’t Zhao Yue say? None of her classmates knew about this man, and she didn’t seem to be in a relationship. So how did she get pregnant?

Professor Jiang continued, "Zhao Yue set up a stall at the school gate. We all knew about it and even secretly helped her. But once she left, she was gone. Everyone has their own life to handle, and no one went back to investigate how she got pregnant, why she wouldn’t say, or why she later miscarried. The man who got her pregnant never showed up."

Since he mentioned Zhao Yue’s stall, Sui Xing immediately asked, "Do you know if Zhao Yue later married a male classmate who was also expelled from Guiyong University?"

Professor Jiang was very surprised. "Who? I’ve never heard of that!"

Sui Xing said, "Liang Lanjun from the College of Agriculture. Three years before Zhao Yue was expelled, he encountered a similar situation."

Professor Jiang thought for a long time. "I think I remember. Was it because of a fight?"

Sui Xing nodded.

But Professor Jiang didn’t say more about Liang Lanjun. The College of Agriculture and the Journalism Department were on different campuses, so although major events would circulate, it was normal for the teachers not to be aware.

After leaving the Journalism Department, Sui Xing kept thinking about one question—under what circumstances would Zhao Yue tightly clamp her mouth and refuse to reveal who had gotten her pregnant?

Were they deeply in love, and she didn’t want him to be dragged into the scandal, so she chose to bear it alone? But reality obviously disproved this assumption. First, none of her classmates knew she was in a relationship. This man didn’t even seem to exist. Maybe she hid it well, but then there’s the second point—this man never appeared afterward. Zhao Yue eventually married Liang Lanjun, who was also expelled, and didn’t even keep the child.

Zhao Yue didn’t have a boyfriend, her pregnancy wasn’t voluntary, and as for why she didn’t say, perhaps it was because she was threatened, or there was something unspeakable.

As a woman herself, Sui Xing suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility—what if Zhao Yue had been assaulted? This person was powerful, and at that time, Zhao Yue—no, even Zhao Yue now—couldn’t possibly stand up to him?

People in Zhou Ping Town said Zhao Yue couldn’t bear children. Could the reason for her infertility be linked to the injury she suffered in college?

The more Sui Xing thought about it, the more she felt a chill. She didn’t want to insert herself into Zhao Yue’s shoes, but she empathized with many women who didn’t have the ability to protect themselves. If they were violated in their prime, with a pair of large hands suffocating them, surrounded by overwhelming slander, what should they do?

Soon, Sui Xing had to pull herself out of this almost hopeless assumption. Time was not waiting for her. She still had to break through the "barrier" of the College of Agriculture.

The duty officers at the College of Agriculture were even more difficult to deal with than those in the Journalism Department. They were all men—rigid and silent. Anything she asked, they answered with "I don’t know" or "I’m not sure." At the moment, Sui Xing didn’t have the means to force them to cooperate.

The College of Agriculture had many posters about lectures and well-known experts. Sui Xing stared at those posters in frustration until her eyes stopped on a professor named Ju Ning. He was wearing a suit, glasses with gold rims, looking composed and elegant. The poster detailed his personal information, perhaps to attract students, and highlighted his experience of being recommended from their school to an F-country prestigious university, including his participation in a cooperative project during his senior year.

Sui Xing opened her notebook and checked the timeline. She realized that Ju Ning and Liang Lanjun were in the same year and the same major. Liang Lanjun had competed for a research qualification from an F-country university during his junior year.