Chapter 253: Chapter 231: Guilty Conscience

Inside the car.

Shen Xin stopped Lai Yong, who was about to leave, and explained Yang Maocai’s situation.

Then he said, "Although I didn’t ask that middle-aged woman for the exact time when Yang Maocai got rich, her original description was ’those two years.’"

"So, I think she must have meant the two years after the crime."

"Two years later, in ’14, Yang Maocai was killed in a hit-and-run, and the driver was never found. Now, with Zhou Hui suddenly visiting Yang Maocai’s home, if we connect all this information, can’t we deduce some kind of link?"

Shen Xin didn’t spell out what the link was, but the three men with him were all veterans and understood almost instantly. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Ding Junbao sucked in a sharp breath. "Are you saying that Yang Maocai witnessed the crime and then blackmailed Zhou Hui? That’s how he got the money to build a house, get married, and suddenly become rich."

"And Zhou Hui, unable to bear the extortion, decided to run Yang Maocai over and kill him, solving the problem once and for all."

It’s not like he won the lottery. A person doesn’t just get rich overnight; it must have been a windfall.

Lai Yong added, "Around ’12, building a two-story house like that would’ve cost at least two hundred thousand. Add in getting married, and that’s probably another hundred thousand plus. That means, all told, Yang Maocai blackmailed Zhou Hui for over three hundred thousand."

"And blackmail is easy money. There’s only a first time, never a last time. So it’s definitely possible that Zhou Hui chose to murder Yang Maocai to eliminate this threat for good."

"Also, Yang Maocai’s house is just northeast of the body disposal site. He was in a perfect position to have witnessed the crime."

At this point, Lai Yong immediately turned to Liu Jie. "Liu Zhi, I think we need to search Yang Maocai’s house right away. Zhou Hui going there at this time probably means he’s looking for evidence Yang Maocai left behind."

Without evidence, how could he have blackmailed Zhou Hui?

Lai Yong figured that Yang Maocai might have recorded the crime on his phone.

His spirits lifted.

They had just been worrying about the lack of evidence to nail Zhou Hui, and now a lead had appeared.

"No!"

But Liu Jie shook his head.

He crossed his arms, his brows furrowed in concentration. After a long moment of thought, he finally spoke. "First off, Xiaoshen’s theory is very reasonable. It’s possible Yang Maocai witnessed the crime and chose to blackmail him."

"However, we can’t act rashly. I think there’s something strange about Zhou Hui suddenly going to Yang Maocai’s house at this particular time."

"Think about it. If he really couldn’t stand the blackmail and chose to murder Yang Maocai four years ago... and let’s say, just as Lai Yong suggested, that Yang Maocai had some kind of evidence, like a video on his phone."

"Now, if I were Zhou Hui, before making a move, I would have definitely planned it out. I’d make sure that evidence couldn’t get out, or that I had a way to find it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have acted so rashly."

"Since he did act, it can only mean one of two things: either Zhou Hui had a way to get that evidence, or the evidence never existed in the first place, and Zhou Hui spent two years probing and testing until he was sure of it."

"Besides, after Yang Maocai’s death, he had a full four years to search for this evidence. Why not look for it then? Why suddenly come looking for it now? Isn’t that a bit strange?"

After his analysis, everyone present frowned.

Shen Xin nodded thoughtfully.

It was true. Based on Zhou Hui’s actions just now, it seemed like the evidence was hidden in Yang Maocai’s house.

That’s why he showed up with a gift, using the excuse of visiting the old couple to wait for a chance to search for the evidence.

But if it were that easy to find, he’d had plenty of time over the past four years.

He could have even snuck in when no one was home. Four years... he definitely would have had an opportunity.

But not looking for it over the past four years, only to suddenly start now—it really didn’t add up.

Seeing that everyone understood, Liu Jie continued, "So, the way I see it, Zhou Hui’s behavior is like a fish in the water, constantly nibbling at the bait to see if there’s a hook hidden behind it."

"Think about it. Mao Yanru called him a murderer in front of so many people, and Old Jiao specifically asked him about it. How could he not be panicking right now?"

"He’s definitely afraid the case will be reopened, but he’s also clinging to a sliver of hope, thinking that six years have passed and that we’ve probably given up."

"So he might be testing us. If we were to search Yang Maocai’s house right now... well, you can’t keep secrets in a village. He would know immediately that we’ve been watching him."

"That’s why we absolutely cannot act rashly at this moment."

"Yes, that’s it."

Liu Jie seemed to have straightened out his thoughts. He muttered to himself before saying, "If that piece of evidence really is in Yang Maocai’s house, we can look for it anytime."

"The fish is testing the bait. He’s scared, but he can’t resist the temptation. Sooner or later, he’ll bite the hook."

"At times like these, we have to be patient. We have to be even more patient than the killer."

"Besides, the more he acts, the more he’ll slip up. And in this contest, that only increases our odds of winning."

After speaking, he immediately ordered Ding Junbao to go to Lishui, contact the local police, and thoroughly investigate that traffic accident.

"Especially the car."

Using a car to kill someone inevitably raises some basic questions: where did the car come from, and how was it disposed of?

"Lai Yong, you go and check Zhou Hui’s financial situation for the two years following the crime. I suspect it was all cash transactions, but cash doesn’t just materialize out of thin air. Dig into it."

The two men left.

Liu Jie was energized, his mind racing as he considered all the possibilities.

Shen Xin couldn’t help but say, "Liu Zhi, you must really like fishing. I bet you’re an expert angler."