Yin Feng said: “Xu, let me give Fu Wenxiu a polygraph test.”

You Mingxu was startled.

Yin Feng continued: “I just noticed there’s a polygraph machine in the storage room next to forensics. I suddenly remembered I know how to use one—learned it from my teacher.”

It wasn’t surprising that Huaicheng, an important city in southwestern Hunan, had a polygraph machine. There had been a province-wide initiative to promote this method, but since it was new technology and not absolute evidence, the smaller counties and cities rarely used it, leaving the equipment gathering dust.

You Mingxu: “Is that thing useful?”

Yin Feng: “We’ll know after we try.”

You Mingxu nodded: “Fine.” She figured that even if it proved useless, it could still intimidate Fu Wenxiu, or at least serve as a way to probe him.

“Do you think it’s him?” You Mingxu asked.

Yin Feng answered: “His mental state is abnormal, his emotions unstable. He has the technical ability to kill and dispose of Zhao Fei’er. We can’t rule him out as a suspect.”

“Moreover…” You Mingxu said, “His fingerprints were too thoroughly destroyed—the skin on all ten fingers has been practically worn away.”

They acted immediately on the idea, bringing two helpers from the forensics team as they returned to Fu Wenxiu’s house that night to bring him back to the station. Fu Wenxiu was roused from his bed, appearing gloomy throughout, occasionally breaking into sudden “hehe” laughter that gave everyone the creeps.

In the interrogation room, only Yin Feng and a young forensics officer who had experience with the polygraph faced Fu Wenxiu.

You Mingxu stood behind the dark glass. Perhaps because of his earlier “kindred spirit” encounter with Yin Feng, Fu Wenxiu didn’t resist or refuse to cooperate. Instead, when he saw the polygraph machine, he seemed excited.

Inside the interrogation room, the lengthy process of questions, measurements, and recording began.

You Mingxu watched for a while, then glanced at her watch—3:30 AM. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d last slept. Now, caught in this intensely quiet wait, her whole body seemed to suddenly sag. Her temples throbbed painfully as waves of exhaustion washed over her.

She settled back in her chair, watching the interrogation room as her eyes slowly closed.

Even though she told herself to rest, her mind wouldn’t stop racing. In her drowsy state, case-related details kept cycling through her thoughts. Faces flashed before her eyes, and streets passed by. The evil revelry at the Fenjin Bao Company, a hidden tunnel; Fan Jia standing up in the conference room saying: “Let me go.”

…

The scene shifted, and she found herself on a quiet long street, standing in the cold wind, watching someone lying on the ground as a tall dark figure hoisted that person up and walked into the darkness.

You Mingxu grew anxious, desperately giving chase in her dream. But in the vast slums, with streets spreading in all directions, twisting and turning, who knew where they had gone?!

…

Yes, the car! You Mingxu’s foggy mind suddenly raced, spinning so fast in her semi-conscious state that it hurt.

Back then, that person had to transport Zhao Fei’er’s body to the outskirts, so even if they didn’t own a car, they must have known how to drive one.

But she had already checked the system for the four suspects’ vehicle ownership status, and it matched what they had said. Except for Shao Yuansheng who owned one car, the others neither had cars nor driving licenses. Shao Yuansheng was suspected of sex crimes, but his fingerprints didn’t match the one on the box.

Car… fingerprints…

Car… fingerprints…

An image flashed through You Mingxu’s mind.

It was a courtyard, dark, with nothing unusual except some deep brown stains on the ground that had accumulated over the years.

It was a place she and Yin Feng had visited just hours ago.

There was a big tree in the yard.

Under the big tree was a deliberately cleared space.

There were traces of soil on the ground.

When they were in that yard, the lighting had been poor, and she had only glanced briefly. But now, between sleeping and waking, those marks in the soil appeared so clearly before her eyes.

They were tire tracks.