SFTD -Chapter 129 Campus Gunfire (Part 10)

At the same time, Changhe Detachment interrogation room.

Wang Man slammed the table and pointed at a thin, bespectacled boy across from him. The boy kept his head down, looking completely indifferent. His acne and pitted skin covered his face almost entirely. He showed no reaction to Wang Man’s anger, continuing to stare at the table in silence.

“Zhang Pengyu, don’t think staying silent means I can’t do anything to you. So what if you’re a hacker? You think that makes you some kind of genius? We have professionals in the police too. You hacked the traffic control system—do you even realize that’s a crime? We’ve already traced your IP. The evidence is solid. Start talking honestly!”

After Wang Man finished shouting, Zhang Pengyu slowly raised his head.

“It was me who hacked the traffic system. So what?”

“So what?” Wang Man snapped. “You’re committing a crime, do you understand that? Tell me why you did it. What were you trying to do?”

Zhang Pengyu bit his lip, frowning tightly.

“I didn’t think I was going to do anything. A forum user made a bet with me. If I could hack the traffic police system in Dongnan City—even just freeze all operations for one hour—I would win. If I won, they’d give me a top-tier League of Legends item—Liandry’s Torment.”

Wang Man froze. He blinked several times, then pointed at Zhang Pengyu in disbelief and rushed up to him.

“You’re telling me you attacked a traffic police network… just for a game item?!”

Zhang Pengyu lost his earlier confidence and nodded slightly.

“Then tell me—what’s your online friend’s name?”

Zhang Pengyu spread his hands, looking at him like he was an idiot.

“It’s the internet. Who knows real names? Nobody tells the truth online.”

“Did he actually give you the item?”

“Yes.”

Wang Man pressed further, “Think carefully—did he ever say why he wanted the traffic system hacked?”

“He didn’t say much…” Zhang Pengyu muttered.

At that moment, the interrogation room’s one-way mirror was knocked on. Wang Man immediately straightened his cap and walked out.

In the next room, he saw Chu Menghan and Zhou Hai.

“Chief, Dr. Zhou!”

“Mm.” Chu Menghan nodded. “Dr. Zhou thinks Zhang Pengyu might know something. Take him in and talk to him. You can reveal some case details if necessary. The car crash cases involving Lin Jiajia and Sun Jingya are already pinned at the top of the school forum.”

Wang Man naturally had no objections. Zhang Pengyu was stubborn but clearly had his own secrets. If Zhou Hai could help, that was ideal.

Chu Menghan turned and nodded to Zhou Hai. Wang Man brought Zhou Hai back into the interrogation room.

Neither of them sat down. They stood in front of Zhang Pengyu. Zhou Hai placed a tablet in front of him and played a video clip—surveillance footage from a nearby intersection showing the traffic accident.

After watching it once, Zhang Pengyu immediately widened his eyes and waved his hands.

“This crash has nothing to do with me!”

Zhou Hai stared directly into his eyes.

“I think you know these two girls. They’re famous as the twin campus beauties at Dongnan University. What I want to know is: how did you contact that online user? Had you already been in contact before this? Can you trace him? Because if you can’t find him, you won’t be able to explain this clearly. Your previous actions helped the real killer cover his tracks and wasted our time. And now you’re still saying this has nothing to do with you?”

Zhang Pengyu stared at Zhou Hai. Zhou Hai’s gaze was unsettling—there was no need for intimidation, yet it felt like he could see straight through everything. Zhang Pengyu’s voice turned disorganized.

“I… I… I don’t know how to say it.”

“Then just say whatever comes to mind,” Zhou Hai said calmly. “From a technical perspective, did you figure out who gave you the item?”

Wang Man watched closely, afraid even to interrupt.

Zhang Pengyu hesitated for a moment.

“Yesterday, when he told me to restore the traffic system, I didn’t immediately undo everything. I just checked the nodes I created. I found that some positions had been modified, and the technique looked familiar. Then I thought—if he had that skill, he could’ve intercepted the system himself. Why would he spend money to hire me? That night when he sent me the item, I checked it. It had never been traded before.”

“What do you mean?” Wang Man asked urgently.

“It means it wasn’t sold in-game. It can only be obtained through competitive events. It’s extremely rare and valuable—only a dozen have ever appeared since the game launched.”

Wang Man grew impatient. “So what are you saying? He’s rich? Or a top-ranked player? What does that even mean?”

Zhou Hai narrowed his eyes.

“You mean whoever has that item represents status and rank in the game. And someone in your university fits that profile. If you check account transactions, you can trace who paid him.”

Zhang Pengyu exhaled slowly and nodded.

“That person is a senior in our computer science department—Liu Wuping.”

Zhang Pengyu was taken away.

Zhou Hai used a swab to collect saliva from him, then pressed a wax film onto his right palm and wrist joint. After ensuring it adhered completely, he quickly peeled it off.

Later, they returned to the room next door. Chu Menghan glanced at Zhou Hai.

“Why did you use wax film on his right wrist and palm? Are you trying to check for gunshot residue?”

Zhou Hai nodded.

“Even if a suspect wears gloves, residue particles can still remain around the wrist. They can’t be washed away easily. That’s why we do gunshot residue tests on every suspect as a precaution.”

Chu Menghan did not object.

“I’ve already sent people to retrieve Liu Wuping’s background information and track his bank transactions. Wang, bring Cen Yimin up.”

Then she turned to Zhou Hai.

“You seem convinced the killer is inside the university—and a student at that. Do you have evidence I don’t know about, or is this all just inference?”

Zhou Hai shook his head.

“Some things are hard to explain. It’s not intuition. It’s just that all the evidence points toward the school. People’s routines are habitual. If someone can align both their daily life and perspective with students, then that person is likely a student.”

Seeing Zhou Hai’s confidence, Chu Menghan relaxed slightly.

Soon after, a slightly chubby figure was brought into the interrogation room on the right. Since there was no solid evidence, she was only questioned as a cooperating witness.

Zhou Hai stood in front of the one-way mirror, carefully observing Cen Yimin.

“Cen Yimin, don’t be nervous. We’re just talking. What’s your major?”

“Chemistry.”

Chu Menghan smiled faintly. “A chemistry major who plays piano so well—I thought you were a music student.”

Cen Yimin relaxed slightly. Her fingers rubbed quickly together under the table, then she wiped her sweaty palms on the tabletop. Her lips pressed together lightly.

“Music is just a hobby. My family wouldn’t agree with studying it seriously.”

Chu Menghan showed a sympathetic expression and pulled her chair slightly closer.

“Oh? Why wouldn’t they agree? Your piano playing was really good. What do your parents do? Are they very traditional?”

“My father works in a government department in Dongnan City, and my mother is a teacher at the First Primary School in the West District. They’re both in traditional professions. They don’t accept unstable careers for their daughter.”

Chu Menghan nodded. This kind of family often planned children’s paths early.

“Do you know what happened to Lin Jiajia and Sun Jingya? What was your relationship with them?”

Cen Yimin nodded, lips tight.

“I heard about it. Our relationship was pretty good.”

Chu Menghan then pulled out a photo from the file—a group picture of four girls and one boy holding a trophy—and placed it in front of her.

“Pretty good? From this photo, I don’t really see that at all.”