"That's right!" I replied simply. The police officer looked at my clothes, the gear on my feet and head, and asked with some doubt, "Glad you at least knew to preserve the scene."
"They say it on TV, otherwise we wouldn't have dared to come in!" I lied deliberately.
"Oh, TV programs are quite good these days, and there's the internet. No wonder people can know everything without leaving their homes. So it's true." I felt this police officer was a rookie, a bit too talkative.
Then a forensic doctor arrived to examine the scene. However, that forensic doctor, alas, it's hard to describe.
When facing my aunt's corpse, he actually showed fear. Then he slowly began to take out his tools for examination: "Rigor mortis has spread to the major joints, indicating death was over 4 hours ago. Pupils are cloudy, blood is all over the bed and the floor. This is the primary crime scene. It's different from the body outside. This woman was killed here. The man was likely killed elsewhere. His lower leg was severed, with contusions and irregular spiral marks on the cross-section. His thigh has many knife marks. Based on trace analysis, it appears the blade was deliberately rotated once after every three cuts. This is likely the killer's preferred cutting method. The murder method might have room for change, but habits cannot be changed!"
This guy's analysis was pretty good, passable, just a bit lacking in courage. He should be around 35 years old.
Seeing me standing there, the forensic doctor asked a police officer to question me. Now I've become a witness. Fortunately, they didn't recognize me.
In fact, before the police arrived, I had smudged my face on the wall. My face was now covered in dirt, and my hair was messy. I no longer looked like a big boss, but a rustic villager.
"Sir, how did you and the uncle outside discover the body?" the rookie police officer began to question me.
I tried to maintain my composure, playing the role of the witness: "The uncle and I knocked on the door together. We were looking for the owner of the house, but we found the bodies after entering."
"Oh? What is your relationship with Liang Daye?"
"Me? I'm a friend of his nephew, Cao... Tianming." I deliberately changed my name.
"And how is your relationship with his nephew?"
"We're good friends."
"How did you meet?"
"How should I put it, I'm his informant."
"Oh, have you been to jail before?"
"No, I'm from the streets."
"Understood. We will contact the victim's nephew later. Please don't leave for now."
"Okay!"
The police officers left. I watched the forensic doctor take the body away. My uncle's body outside was also taken away. I followed them out, and the uncle came over: "Did you notify He Sheng?"
"I did."
"That's good. Alas, his aunt and uncle were his last relatives. I can't imagine what he'll be like when he hears the news. Could it be that he's solved too many cases and offended too many people? Is this revenge? Revenge!"
I was also very sad, but I couldn't reveal myself now. Even if I told him I was He Sheng, he wouldn't believe me. I could only sigh, "I'll comfort him."
"I can see you have a good relationship with He Sheng. Are you perhaps a police officer too?"
I shook my head. "Actually, I'm his informant. Strictly speaking, I'm a private investigator."
I had already prepared a story for myself, and I wasn't just saying it. I had my own plan. Cang Xuesong wanted to play? Play pretend? I thought on my feet and decided to go along with it.
"Oh? Then we're in the same line of work. He Sheng probably only likes to meet people like you."
"Yes, I'll be going back now."
"Alright!"
The police officers, seeing that we weren't suspicious, let us leave. I acted as if nothing had happened. But after returning to the company, I had to change my identity. Continuing to play Cao Xiangyang would surely be the death of me.
Back at the company, I found the secretary: "What was your name again?"
"Ah, boss, how could you forget even me..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't been feeling well lately. You're Xiaoxia, right?"
"Yes, boss. I thought you'd forgotten me. You know, my first time was with you too!"
"Uh... was it? Alright, Secretary Xiaoxia, from today onwards, this chapter is closed. I'm going to open a detective agency. Will you still follow me?"
"What? But can you do this?"
"Don't worry, my parents were detectives." I continued to lie.
But Xiaoxia seemed to trust me: "Alright then. After all, with only the two of us in such a large company, it's bound to fail."
A week later, the building was sold. We took some money, and I contacted the minister. The moment he saw me, he said, "You are, He Sheng..."
"Uh, how did you know it was me?"
"You scoundrel! What did they do to you? Your demeanor and habits are undeniable!"
I thought to myself that the minister was indeed extraordinary. Then I told him everything that had happened recently.
"Alas, Cang Xuesong, Cang Xuesong. I was still a department head when I first confronted you. I thought you had disappeared, but I didn't expect you to dare to change gender. But it doesn't matter. He Sheng, continue to play your current role. This time, I'll set a trap for Cang Xuesong."
"Okay, thank you then!"
The minister arranged a new identity for me: Cao Daming, director of Guangming City Decisive Detective Agency.
Although such agencies are not allowed in China, under a different name, it was changed to a legal consulting company.
Most detectives in China are private and lack professional qualifications and training, which is why they are not permitted. Most Chinese detectives are engaged in debt collection or investigation of infidelity and stalking, and are not used for legitimate purposes.
In fact, the "Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that it is strictly forbidden for any unit or individual to open various forms of "civil affairs investigation offices," "security affairs investigation offices," and other private detective agencies. Of course, this is generally the case, and mine is a legal consulting company, theoretically similar to a law firm.