Leading the group was a tall man in a suit, appearing in his forties.
His hair was meticulously combed; he wore black leather shoes and walked directly toward where Lin Chen and company stood.
Zhang Tian'ai and the other officers widened their eyes in surprise and saluted the man.
"Mayor!" They all called out together.
Bao Qingshan and his wife stared in disbelief — the mayor... actually showed up?
Their little daughter was oblivious, holding some candies.
The man in the suit was Miao Zhengxiong, the mayor of Tianhai City and the police station chief.
After nodding to Zhang Tian'ai and the others, Miao Zhengxiong swept his gaze over his daughter, then landed on Lin Chen.
"You must be Lin Chen?" he asked.
Lin Chen knew instantly from the first glance at Miao Zhengxiong that he was related to Miao Yunfei; they shared many facial similarities.
Miao Yunfei's beauty naturally came from her father's good looks.
"Yes, that's me," Lin Chen responded calmly.
"Your work on the Donglin University Dismemberment Case was excellent. The reasoning process was brilliant. You're talented," Miao Zhengxiong said, extending his hand.
Lin Chen also extended his hand and shook it.
Miao Yunfei, observing Lin Chen's expression, thought to herself, "Is he really so calm or just pretending? Not a hint of nervousness seeing my father, still with that annoying attitude."
After shaking hands, Miao Zhengxiong withdrew his hand.
"I'm here only to observe your investigation. You can ignore me and focus on your case," he said.
"Understood," Lin Chen replied briefly, then turned and headed toward the rental building.
Lin Chen's behavior made Zhang Tian'ai sweat nervously.
This guy was ignoring the mayor and police chief — a man with vast power.
Normally, when the mayor politely said he could be ignored, people would laugh and politely let him lead the way upstairs.
But Lin Chen just ignored Miao Zhengxiong and walked ahead.
In a bureaucratic environment, the leader usually leads the way.
Miao Zhengxiong shook his head but said nothing and followed Lin Chen.
With the mayor's arrival, the police seemed more energized. Bao Qingshan and his wife grew nervous — the mayor was beside them.
They soon reached the rooftop.
Miao Yunfei and Miao Zhengxiong didn't speak during the ascent — typical for this father and daughter.
Upon arriving at the rooftop, Miao Yunfei looked at Lin Chen impatiently.
"Everyone's here now. Lin Chen, you can tell us who the murderer is."
"Yeah, officer, if there really is a killer, catch him already! This case has scared off many tenants," said a man in his thirties — the landlord of the building.
Since Wang Xuefeng's death, the landlord had received many calls from tenants wanting to move out.
More than thirty people were present, including Mayor Miao's entourage.
Lin Chen beckoned Bao Qingshan and his wife closer.
"Your husband was watching TV with you before 8 p.m., right?"
"Yes," Bao Qingshan's wife said nervously, nodding.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. That night, since we were going to a friend's house for dinner, I didn't cook. We spent a long time watching TV starting around five or six o'clock," she said.
Miao Zhengxiong stood with his hands behind his back, quietly observing Lin Chen's interrogation, his deep eyes serious.
"I know you want to protect your husband, but your lie is too easy to expose," Lin Chen said, shaking his head.
"A lie?" Bao Qingshan immediately responded. "We're not lying. That night we were home watching TV from five or six o'clock until eight, then went to my friend's place for dinner."
Lin Chen opened his phone album and showed a photo.
It was a plastic bag containing some snacks and daily necessities, and a crumpled receipt with a timestamp of 7:12 p.m. on the night of the incident.
"This plastic bag was found in the corner of your dining table. Look closely at the receipt — it's stamped at 7:12 p.m. You said you were watching TV from five or six until eight. Tell me, who bought these things?"
Lin Chen's question left Bao Qingshan and his wife speechless.
"I'll take a look," Miao Yunfei stepped forward, took Lin Chen's phone, glanced at the photo, and said, "Yes, this receipt is from 7:12 that night."
Lin Chen looked at the hesitant couple and said, "I know you're thinking of excuses, but don't tell me someone else bought this for you."
"There are sanitary pads, feminine cleanser, and a little girl's hair accessory inside this bag. Who else would buy these things for you?"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]