The Military Police Directorate moved immediately into the Qingyuan Villa Estate, splitting into groups and spreading out for a thorough search.

In the main hall of the Qingyuan Villa Estate, more than a dozen guests were waiting, standing or sitting. These were people who had been playing at the estate and had stayed the night. None of them expected that waking up from a night’s sleep would turn them into suspects.

“Officer, we haven’t broken the law.”

“That’s right, we just came here to have fun.”

“Stay calm and cooperate with the inspection.” Bai Jin held up the search warrant. “This is a search warrant personally stamped by the Marshal. Anyone who resists will be charged with obstruction of official duties. In serious cases, they will be shot on the spot.”

These people were all pampered young wastrels, creatures of food and drink. With Bai Jin’s one warning ringing in their ears, they immediately submitted meekly to the investigation.

Shi Ting sat down across from Meng Xiangli. Meng Xiangli held a wine glass in his hand, bearing himself with an air of supreme arrogance.

“Chief of Staff Meng, where were you after 1 a.m. last night?”

Meng Xiangli’s cold, dark eyes narrowed. Hostility gathered between his brows. “Are you interrogating me?”

“Routine questioning.”

“Oh, requiring Director Shi to personally ask the questions — what an honor that is for me.” Meng Xiangli took a sip of red wine, making absolutely no effort to cooperate.

“Director Shi.” Meng Xiangli swirled the wine glass in his hand. “You haven’t still been entertaining thoughts of becoming the Young Marshal, have you? First, you’re not a legitimate heir — as long as Shi Guang and Shi Qian are around, that position will never come to you. Second, even if the Marshal favors you, do you think the Meng Family would allow it? As the saying goes, a toad shouldn’t dream of eating swan meat — there are plenty of flies and mosquitoes around; isn’t that enough to fill you up?”

Shi Ting, upon hearing this, remained calm on the surface. He simply repeated, “Chief of Staff Meng, where were you after 1 a.m. last night?”

“Shi Xingzhi.” Meng Xiangli glared at him in fury. “Who do you think you are? What right do you have to sit here and question me? Even the Marshal himself would show the Meng Family some face. Who do you think you are?”

“Bai Jin.” Shi Ting beckoned to Bai Jin with a hand.

“Read the search warrant to Chief of Staff Meng. If he can’t understand the written language of Xin Guo, read it to him character by character until he understands.” Shi Ting leaned back lightly against the sofa and looked at the man opposite him with a cool, measured gaze.

Bai Jin received his orders and walked to Meng Xiangli’s side, reading the search warrant aloud in a booming voice.

Perhaps his voice was too loud — the reverberations were making Meng Xiangli’s eardrums throb. He couldn’t help but snap furiously, “Shi Xingzhi, what are you doing?”

“Chief of Staff Meng, you’d better listen carefully. Under this search warrant, no one may obstruct the Military Police Directorate — you included, of course. However, you may also choose to continue refusing to cooperate. In that case, we’ll have to invite you back to the Directorate’s interrogation room for a proper account.” A cold curve appeared at the corner of Shi Ting’s lips. “Chief of Staff Meng, I believe you’ve heard of the Han Qiren affair. I could cut down Han Qiren without hesitation — I’m certainly not afraid of a Chief of Staff.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I’ll ask you one last time: where were you after 1 a.m. last night?”

Shi Ting leaned his body slightly forward. The light that blazed from his eyes carried a lethal edge — like the cold gleam of a blade reflecting a terrifying chill.

Meeting his gaze, Meng Xiangli couldn’t help but inwardly flinch.

All these years he had sailed along smoothly, using his authority to lord it over every social circle. Aside from that tactless Xie Jun, there had been no one who dared to treat him with such disrespect.

In the brief moment their eyes locked, Meng Xiangli looked away. He admitted it — under this relentless pressure, he felt his own momentum had clearly fallen short.

“After 1 a.m. last night, I was in my room sleeping.”

“Who can verify this?”

The veins on Meng Xiangli’s forehead bulged visibly. “Feifei.”

“Bring Feifei over.”

Shortly after, a young woman in a silk sleeping robe, with one shoulder partially bare, was brought in. She was of average looks but possessed a curvaceous figure. Her alluring phoenix-shaped eyes darted about with every blink, as though capable of bewitching souls.

“Didn’t you sleep well last night, Miss Feifei?” Shi Ting gave her a passing glance.

Feifei looked at the man in uniform before her and felt her heart bloom. She had been in the pleasure trade for so long — it was the first time she had seen a man this handsome. Especially with this uniform on, he looked even more dashing and heroic, cool and alluring all at once.

Without realizing it, she began to stare.

“Miss Feifei, Director Shi is asking you a question.” Bai Jin was well accustomed to seeing the lovesick expressions that such women wore.

Feifei came to her senses and quickly smiled. “Director Shi has a sharp eye. I went to sleep a bit late last night and did some rather energy-consuming activities…”

As she spoke, she subtly leaned a few inches closer to Shi Ting.

“After 1 a.m. last night, where were you?”

Feifei quickly glanced at Chief of Staff Meng, seeing him frown slightly.

Just as she was about to speak, Shi Ting looked at her directly. His eyes were sharp as a blade. “Chief of Staff Meng said that after 1 a.m. last night, he was not with you.”

Feifei paused, then immediately reacted. “That’s right — we weren’t together.”

“Shi Xingzhi!” Meng Xiangli suddenly shot to his feet, glaring furiously at the man before him. “What are you doing? When did I say I wasn’t with her?”

Shi Ting unhurriedly looked at Feifei. “Feifei, tell me — were you actually with Chief of Staff Meng last night or not?”

Caught in this situation, Feifei was completely at a loss. She looked at Meng Xiangli, then looked at Shi Ting, back and forth.

She — what on earth was she supposed to say?

“Weren’t we together last night?” Meng Xiangli, maddened by her obtuseness, let several degrees of stern menace enter his voice.

Aggrieved tears surfaced in Feifei’s eyes. She quickly followed his lead. “Yes, I was with Chief of Staff Meng.”

Shi Ting’s long fingers tapped lightly on the table. A mocking light flickered in his eyes. “It seems that wherever Miss Feifei was last night depends on Chief of Staff Meng. If he says she was in the sky, she cannot be on the ground — is that right?”

Meng Xiangli was so enraged he was trembling. He hadn’t expected Shi Ting to be such a difficult man to deal with.

“Director Shi, I swear to heaven — I really was with Chief of Staff Meng last night. We were in Private Room 204 on the second floor.”

“For the entire night?”

“Yes, yes — the entire night?”

“You didn’t sleep at all during the entire night?”

“Hm?” Faced with Shi Ting’s rapid-fire questions, Feifei swallowed hard. “How could I not have slept?”

“Since you did sleep, why are you so certain you were together the entire night? Can you confirm that Chief of Staff Meng never went out while you were sleeping?”

“I—” Feifei was momentarily speechless.

“Enough.” Meng Xiangli raised his hand and hurled the glass in his hand onto the floor. Red wine splattered in all directions; the glass shattered into several pieces.

Yet Shi Ting didn’t even blink, continuing to watch Meng Xiangli in his towering fury with the same cold composure.

“Shi Xingzhi, if you think I’m the killer, just say so outright. Why keep misdirecting Feifei here? What — has the Military Police Directorate’s method of cracking cases sunk to the level of fabricating false testimony without evidence?”

The people nearby didn’t quite follow, but looked over with curiosity.

“Chief of Staff Meng, it’s strange — everyone here has been undergoing perfectly normal questioning. Why is it only you who keeps refusing to cooperate?” Shi Ting’s tone carried a faint note of mockery. “Is Chief of Staff Meng acting out of guilt, or is he simply unwilling to take the Marshal’s document seriously?”

“You—” Meng Xiangli was left completely speechless by that single line of Shi Ting’s.

Shi Ting stopped paying him any attention, and instead turned to Feifei. “Miss Feifei, did you sleep well last night?”

Feifei, at Shi Ting’s sudden show of concern, felt her heart fill with warmth. She replied with a touch of bashful coyness. “Thank you for asking, Director Shi — I slept very well.”

“Was Chief of Staff Meng at your side before you fell asleep?”

“He was.” Feifei assumed an air of reluctance to say more, as though she had something to hide. “Director Shi, I think you may be wrongly suspecting Chief of Staff Meng. After he and I did those kinds of things last night, he really shouldn’t have had the energy left for anything else, should he?”

Bai Jin raised an eyebrow inwardly, thinking: this Feifei really does talk boldly.

“Feifei, you can’t say that.” Meng Xiangli’s tone was saturated with sarcasm. “Director Shi is saying I had the energy to commit murder — how could I possibly argue against that?”

Just then, an officer came striding over carrying a bundle, excitement plain on his face. “Director, Deputy Chief Bai — we found something.”

The officer handed the bundle to Bai Jin. “We found this in the lake behind the building.”

The lake was an artificial one. Though it covered a considerable area, the water was shallow. Several officers had rowed a small boat, using a wide net to drag the bottom inch by inch. Their effort was rewarded — they had at last recovered the single most crucial piece of physical evidence.

Watching Bai Jin open the bundle, Meng Xiangli, who was standing not far away, showed a brief flash of panic — though being a man who had seen much, that momentary disturbance passed as quickly as it came, replaced immediately by a composed indifference.

Inside the bundle was a gray bathrobe, its surface heavily splattered with blood, concentrated mainly below the chest area.

Apart from the bathrobe, there was also a handgun — a revolver, still loaded with rounds.

“What’s this?” Bai Jin picked up a copper object, weighing it in his hand. It was impressively heavy.

“A copper candlestick.” Shi Ting had by now summoned the owner of the Qingyuan Villa Estate — given the magnitude of events, the owner had no choice but to show his face.

“This is an item from our private rooms. It was custom-made when we renovated the estate. This candlestick can hold a candle to create a romantic atmosphere, or be used for lighting.” The owner explained carefully.

“Does every room have one?” Shi Ting asked.

“Yes, one per room. The only difference is the color of the base.” The owner said, and cautiously glanced at Meng Xiangli.