Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

"Student Gu, we’ll have to ask you to come with us."

Zhao Shuo showed his credentials.

Gu Zisheng glanced at it, his face a mixture of surprise and concern. "Yes, has something happened to Zihang?"

"Student Gu, please."

Zhao Shuo opened the car door, letting Gu Zisheng get in. Jiang Li simply sat down next to Gu Zisheng, propping her head up as she thought.

’Wang Changfeng, Gu Zisheng, Zhou Zihang...’

"Student Gu, you said Zhou Zihang wanted to see you about something. What was it?"

Zhao Shuo sat on the other side, his tone relaxed, as if just making casual conversation.

"He asked me to go swimming, but I had a cold that day, so I didn’t go. I thought it was strange at the time, too.

Isn’t his grandmother sick? Why would he go swimming?"

Zhao Shuo looked up at him. "Do you know which hospital Zhou Zihang’s grandmother is in?"

"Yes, the city hospital. I was the one who helped him find it. His grandmother is old and has Alzheimer’s. She wandered off once, and I helped look for her."

Gu Zisheng stared at Zhao Shuo and said, "Officer, what on earth happened to Zihang?

He can’t be in trouble. If something happened to him, what would his grandmother do?"

Listening to Gu Zisheng, Jiang Li thought about her dream. ’If someone really took over another person’s life, how could they do it so flawlessly?’

"We received a report that someone had fished up a body. After the forensic examination, the deceased was identified as your classmate, Zhou Zihang."

As he spoke, Zhao Shuo paid close attention to Gu Zisheng’s expression.

Gu Zisheng’s eyes showed only shock. He didn’t say another word.

「In the interrogation room」

Zhao Shuo looked at Gu Zisheng, who sat opposite him.

"Your academic advisor said you and Zhou Zihang were very close?"

Gu Zisheng took a sip of water. "Yes. Zhou Zihang was a diligent student and a devoted grandson. At first, I just felt sorry for him and wanted to help him out a little.

After a while, we realized we got along pretty well and became friends.

But about a year ago, he started to drift away from me. The next few times I went to look for him, I saw him hanging out with some local thugs near his home."

"Do you know their names?"

"Yes."

Zhao Shuo jotted down a few names. Then, a colleague came in and showed him something.

It showed that Gu Zisheng had indeed been hospitalized for a cold on that day. A nurse had even gone in to change his IV drip during that time.

Zhao Shuo stood up. "Thank you for your cooperation, Student Gu. If you think of any other clues, please contact us anytime."

"Okay, Officer Zhao. Thank you for your trouble."

Gu Zisheng walked outside, where his family’s car had long been waiting.

Jiang Li watched Gu Zisheng get into the car and leave.

"No wonder. He’s loaded. A Lexus worth over a million. So cool," Zhao Shuo couldn’t help but remark.

Jiang Li looked up. "Officer Zhao, do you remember what Officer Lu said? That BMW, how much was it?"

"Around five hundred thousand." After speaking, Zhao Shuo handed the list of names to a colleague, telling them to go check if those thugs were still around Zhou Zihang’s neighborhood.

Jiang Li sat to one side. ’Is there any connection between the two dreams? Where did Zhou Zihang’s head go?’

’Where is the person who killed Wang Changfeng and became Wang Changfeng?’

Jiang Li sat in her chair, her head aching from all the thinking. She decided to just put her head down on the table and take a nap. But even after half an hour, when Zhao Shuo woke her up to eat, she hadn’t dreamed of anything.

"Miss Jiang, let’s get something to eat first. You can’t rush these cases. The more you rush, the more you hit a wall. Hey, sometimes, the ideas just—POP!—come to you."

Zhao Shuo said as he handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Qin Shu and Ji Qinghe also came over, sat down, and started to eat.

"Forensic Doctor Qin, what kind of marks were on Zhou Zihang’s body?"

Qin Shu spoke as she ate.

"Some parts were struck with a hammer, others were hacked at. Based on the wounds, it looks like the kind of cleaver you’d find in the countryside—blunt in some places, quite sharp in others.

The killer used a lot of force, too. There were some very small fragments embedded in the victim’s body."

"What about the neck!" Jiang Li stopped eating.

Qin Shu gave her a strange look. "Are you planning on finishing your meal?"

’She was so scared before that her face went pale. It’s only been a few months, yet she’s gotten so much braver.’

"Oh, oh, sorry. I just want to know if the two dreams are connected. Based on my previous dreams, they’re usually about a single case.

But if it’s the same person, then Zhou Zihang should be Wang Changfeng..."

"We’ve already had someone contact other police departments to check on the person you mentioned.

Don’t worry. If it is the same person, it just means he’s completely changed his appearance."

Ji Qinghe looked at her comfortingly.

"That person was an orphan, but Zhou Zihang has a grandmother with Alzheimer’s."

Qin Shu put down her chopsticks and smiled at her. "Alzheimer’s causes memory loss.

No matter who he is, DNA, fingerprints, and irises don’t lie."

Jiang Li nodded. Thinking of the two "brothers" at home, she knew she had to go back.

When she left, Zhou Tiancheng and Lu Xingye still hadn’t returned to the station. They must have still been busy.

Back home, Jiang Li collapsed directly onto the sofa.

"Sister, are you tired?" Miao Anji looked at her curiously. ’Why is she so exhausted after just one trip out?’

Jiang Li looked at Miao Anji. "Right, Xiao Ji, what can your bugs do?"

Miao Anji thought seriously. "Healing, finding things... just some ordinary stuff."

’This is all simple stuff. His best skill is Gu control, of course, but Grandma said he can’t just use it recklessly now that he’s out here.’

’That’s pretty similar to Wu Ming, then. They can both find things.’

"Sister, what are you thinking?" Miao Anji leaned in closer to look at Jiang Li. "Sister, who do you want to place a Gu on?"

"PFFT! No, no! I was just curious, that’s all."

’Why would I place a Gu on someone? I don’t even know how.’

"If Sister is that curious, I’ll take you back home with me after a while. You’ll understand once you see it."

Miao Anji said with a smile, stroking the little snake’s head. ’This is great. I’ll be able to take Sister back home soon.’

"Okay, after things here are settled." Jiang Li nodded in agreement. ’It’d be good to get out and see more of the world, expand my horizons.’

"Yay!"

Miao Anji tossed the little snake aside, stood up, and went back into his room to call his grandma.

Jiang Li looked at Miao Anji’s room. ’His grandma must be very good to him.’

Yu Huannian had been on his phone the whole time, getting to know this new world through the device. He then started to think about what kind of job he could find for himself.

His mom said he could go move bricks at a construction site.

[Just turned eighteen. Male. Looking for a job.]

After typing, Yu Huannian put his phone down. ’If I can make a thousand a month, that’ll be enough for food. Then I won’t be freeloading.’

The moment Yu Huannian posted it, his phone started chiming. DING DING DING.

[Eighteen? Little brother, where are you eighteen?]

[I’ll take you! Room and board included. If you can make me happy, thirty thousand a month.]

[Let’s see the goods first.]

Yu Huannian’s brow furrowed as he read the comments. He then snorted angrily, tossed the phone down, and stood up to go back to his room.

Jiang Li jumped, startled. She glanced back. ’What’s with him?’

Seeing Yu Huannian’s phone on the table, she picked it up and took a look. Her eyelid twitched, and she quickly deleted the post.