Chapter 1497 - 1496
"If it wasn’t suicide, then who killed him? Didn’t you say that masked woman is no longer a problem?" Loli said.
Lin Fan said, "It wasn’t her. But anyone capable of making this kind of neurotoxin is no ordinary person. My preliminary guess is the Tang Sect, though we still need more evidence."
Loli nodded. She wasn’t worried at all; Lin Fan would find the killer.
"When did you get back? Why didn’t you tell me in advance?" Loli said with a hint of complaint. If Lin Fan hadn’t come to her himself, she wouldn’t even have known he’d returned.
Lin Fan said, "I only got here tonight. There’s still some unfinished business on Miss Li’s side. I originally planned to deal with it first, then come back to you and give you a surprise."
Loli bit her lip. "You’re already quite a surprise right now."
As long as Lin Fan was back, she was happy.
As the two were talking, a policeman surnamed Wang walked in. "Mr. Lin, Captain Luo, I’ve already pulled up the surveillance footage."
Lin Fan said, "Let’s go take a look."
They went over to the monitors.
The policeman surnamed Wang said, "Ye Tianyu is a key detainee, with dedicated guards. Because they’re afraid he might escape again, the prison has ruled that he can only have yard time once a week, under strict supervision, and he’s not allowed to have contact with other prisoners. Even for meals, his food is delivered separately."
Lin Fan said, "Has Ye Tianyu’s movements for today been clarified?"
The policeman surnamed Wang said, "Yeah. Today wasn’t his yard day, so Ye Tianyu spent most of the time in his cell. In the morning Miss Li came to visit him, then he went back to his cell. All three meals were delivered directly to his cell."
Lin Fan said, "Between six and seven in the evening, what was Ye Tianyu doing?"
The policeman surnamed Wang said, "That time period was indeed dinner time. Ye Tianyu was eating in his cell then."
Lin Fan said, "Who brought him his meal?"
The policeman surnamed Wang said, "His guard, surname Zhao, named Zhao Qiming. I’ve already summoned him."
Lin Fan said, "Okay, let’s watch the footage first."
The surveillance showed that around six-thirty in the evening, a middle‑aged prison guard delivered food to Ye Tianyu’s cell. After Ye Tianyu finished eating, the guard took away the tableware.
After that, the guard left, and Ye Tianyu stayed in his cell until he relapsed and died.
"According to the on‑duty guard, he heard some commotion and came in to check. Ye Tianyu was already lying motionless on the ground. He immediately hit the alarm. Once they confirmed Ye Tianyu was dead, they called the police." The policeman surnamed Wang said.
At that moment, a middle‑aged man came hurrying in.
"Hello, officers, I’m Zhao Qiming," the middle‑aged man said.
The policeman surnamed Wang beckoned. "Perfect timing, Old Zhao, come over here, we’ve got some questions for you."
Zhao Qiming said, "When I heard Ye Tianyu was dead, I rushed right back. Officers, what exactly happened?"
Lin Fan said, "We’re investigating. Old Zhao, when you brought Ye Tianyu his dinner tonight, did you notice anything unusual?"
Zhao Qiming said, "No, nothing unusual. I just brought him his food, and he finished it. I’m actually quite familiar with Ye Tianyu. He used to be very outgoing—every time he saw me he’d greet me first. But ever since his escape attempt failed, his personality changed. These past few days I’ve found him gloomy and restless. When I delivered his meal today, I tried joking with him, but he ignored me. If what you mean by ’unusual’ is that, then that’s all."
Lin Fan said, "Ye Tianyu died of poisoning. The toxin he ingested can lurk in the body for several hours. Based on my estimation, he was poisoned while eating dinner. In other words, someone poisoned his food. What’s your take on that?"
Zhao Qiming was taken aback. "It was like that? I had no idea. Officers, are you suspecting I poisoned him? Why would I do that? And where would I even get that kind of poison you mentioned? I really don’t know anything, don’t wrong me. When I heard he was dead, I came back at once. If I’d poisoned him, shouldn’t I have run off long ago?"
Reading his expression and manner, Lin Fan had already ruled out Zhao Qiming as a suspect.
Zhao Qiming had not lied.
"What’s your daily procedure for delivering meals?" Lin Fan asked.
Zhao Qiming said, "Ye Tianyu is held in the key detention area. Only us guards are allowed in there. For the three daily meals, the cook brings the food over, and I then deliver it into the cells. After the prisoners finish, I’m responsible for collecting the dishes and returning them to the cook."
Lin Fan said, "Is there any difference between the meals in the key detention area and the meals for other prisoners?"
Zhao Qiming said, "No. The meals for them and for the other prisoners all come from the same pot. The cook plates them, then sends them over."
Lin Fan said, "How many inmates are currently held in this key detention area?"
Zhao Qiming said, "Four."
Loli frowned slightly. "So the cook sent over four portions of food, and only Ye Tianyu’s portion was poisoned. Since all the food was the same, how did the poisoner guarantee that the poisoned portion would end up with Ye Tianyu?"
Zhao Qiming suddenly said in realization, "Now that you put it that way, it hits me. When the cook brought the meals, he specifically told me that Ye Tianyu was getting an extra dish tonight—an extra portion of meat—said it was at Miss Li’s request. Since Miss Li had visited Ye Tianyu today, I didn’t question it, thinking she’d asked the warden to take care of him..."
Lin Fan looked over at Li Zixia.
Li Zixia shook her head. "I didn’t."
There was no need to say more; at this point everyone realized the cook was suspicious!
"What’s that cook’s name?" Loli asked.
Zhao Qiming said, "He’s called Little Sun, I think. He’s new. I don’t actually know his full name."
Loli pressed, "Do you know where he is right now?"
Zhao Qiming said, "No idea."
Loli turned and ordered, "Pull up the surveillance. I want this Little Sun’s details in three minutes—name, age, appearance, address, everything! It’s highly likely he’s already fled. Tell all units to prepare for a city‑wide dragnet!"
After giving her orders, Loli got ready to go arrest him.
Lin Fan said, "I’ll go with you."
This Little Sun was a major suspect, but his motive had two possible angles. One, he was the mastermind himself. Two, he might have been bought off by someone.
Either way, catching this Little Sun was the key to solving the case.
By the time they reached the prison gates, three minutes had just passed. The policeman surnamed Wang sent a file to Loli’s phone.
"Sun Hao, 27 years old, a local from Yun City, home address 18 Heping Road."
Late at night, the police cars sped along the road.
Heping Road was a street in the old district. The street itself wasn’t wide, and the buildings lining both sides were already very run‑down. Number 18 Heping Road was a two‑story detached house, also quite dilapidated.
Sun Hao’s parents were both deceased. He had no girlfriend and lived alone.
When the police arrived, the lights were on in Sun Hao’s house, as if someone was home.
The police quickly surrounded Sun Hao’s house, and Lin Fan and the others broke down the door and rushed in.
To their shock, a young man was nailed to the wall by a long sword, dead on the spot!