Qin He turned around and saw Officer Li smiling as he walked over from not far away.
"Officer Li." Qin He chuckled, her gaze sweeping over the person beside Officer Li.
Gu Qishen, why did she encounter him again—
Recalling that he had just sent her evidence and recordings that morning, Qin He managed a smile.
"Mr. Gu, what a coincidence."
Gu Qishen's eyes flickered. Seeing Qin He's unfamiliar and avoidant attitude, he felt a prick in his heart.
Before, he had followed the doctor's advice and endured his longing for these past few months to allow Qin He to rest and recuperate.
But now, it seemed she was even more distant towards him.
Officer Li didn't notice the emotions between the two.
"Miss Qin, you must thank Mr. Gu profusely. Not only did he bring the evidence today, but he also brought photos of the suspect and a witness!"
"A witness?" Qin He looked at Gu Qishen with some surprise. "Is it the owner of the camera?"
"Yes." Gu Qishen said gently.
Qin He's brows furrowed. She had also listened to the recording Gu Qishen had sent her earlier, and it was evident how fearful the camera owner was of this matter.
"How did you persuade him?" Qin He was a little curious.
Gu Qishen's gaze was tender. "No persuasion was needed. He had already broken the law."
Officer Li explained to Qin He, "That brat, he got into such a good university but didn't study properly. He took a lot of lewd videos and sold them online for money! I've already spoken with him, and this is an opportunity for him to atone for his crimes."
After the three spoke, they entered the office. Officer Li sat in his chair with some emotion.
"I never expected you two to be so capable. The police hadn't even finished their investigation, but you two already figured it out. However, Mingxue and Gu Ranran's suspicion has indeed been largely cleared."
Qin He quickly asked, "When can my sister be released?"
"I know you are anxious. Your sister has done nothing wrong, lost her boyfriend, and is now locked up here." Officer Li sighed. "But this is normal procedure. To release your sister now, there is one last issue."
Qin He's eyes narrowed. "You're talking about the evidence?"
"Yes." Officer Li said. "After it was basically confirmed that Mingxue and Gu Ranran were not suspects, I showed the knife from the evidence to both Mingxue and Gu Ranran. Both said they had never seen the knife and clearly stated they had absolutely not touched it. But if that were the case, there shouldn't be their fingerprints on the knife."
Gu Qishen's expression was cold. "But there are their fingerprints and skin cells on that knife."
"Yes, because people can lie, but evidence cannot."
Qin He pondered for a moment, then suddenly let out a laugh. "Officer Li, you called Mr. Gu and me here today for this matter, didn't you."
Officer Li gave an awkward laugh.
"Of course, I couldn't hide it from you. But I do have the intention of seeking your help. When Xiang Mingjun died, the police checked all the surrounding traces, but no one expected that a footprint on the wall would be left by the killer."
Officer Li looked at Qin He.
"Miss Qin and Mr. Gu are both meticulous people. I thought I would let you two also take a look at the evidence."
This actually went against regulations to some extent.
But Officer Li was convinced that Mingxue and Gu Ranran were innocent, and he felt there must be something wrong with the evidence.
Both Gu Qishen and Qin He agreed.
Before long, the knife identified as evidence was brought to Officer Li's office and placed before them, enclosed in a transparent bag.
Qin He gazed at the knife before her.
It was a foot-long knife with a red plastic handle. The blade was slightly blackened, indicating it was quite old.
Qin He looked at the handle, and her heart skipped a beat.
"I think I might know where the problem lies."
Officer Li was somewhat surprised. "So quickly?"
Qin He nodded and, through the plastic bag, touched the handle of the knife.
She smiled faintly. "So that's how it is."
Seeing Officer Li looking at her curiously, Qin He didn't keep him in suspense.
The blade of this knife was blackened, and the marks on the knife proved it was quite old.
Qin He pointed to the handle.
"This kind of hard plastic wouldn't last so many years. Yet, it's on this knife now, and it's brand new, with no fading at all."
Officer Li immediately sat up straight and stared at the knife.
"This—"
He had been racking his brain for an answer, but after Qin He pointed it out, he immediately noticed the disharmony between the blade and the handle, and it became more and more unsettling the more he looked.
"This handle should be from a fruit knife. If Mingxue and Gu Ranran used the same fruit knife, then it would be perfectly normal. And because it's hard plastic, you only need to heat this knife with fire and insert it directly into the plastic handle, and it would fuse firmly with the handle."
Officer Li immediately stood up.
"I will immediately have the evidence analysis department investigate when this handle was attached!"
As he spoke, Officer Li looked at Qin He with admiration.
"Miss Qin, it's a shame you're not in criminal investigation, given your sharp insight."
Qin He's lips curved upwards. "Officer Li, you misunderstand. I'm not relying on sharp insight this time."
"Then what?"
"I have the same model of fruit knife at home. Also, look at the circular groove below the handle. It looks like decoration, but it's actually the logo of this knife brand." Qin He smiled. "This knife brand was only established last year. Compared to the traces on the blade, it must have been fused on."
With the flaw in the evidence discovered, and now with eyewitnesses and fingerprints on the crossbow bolts left by the killer, Officer Li looked energized.
"Alright, with this, everything is complete. We can immediately search the database for this suspect!"
Officer Li looked at Qin He.
"However, your sister might need to wait a while. I need to report this information to my superiors. The knife also needs to be tested, as we can't just say something without proof. We need to submit detailed information to the superiors, and only after their approval can your sister be released."
Qin He nodded. "Can I go and see her now?"
"You can see her anytime, for as long as you want." Officer Li smiled. "You have helped the police a lot. From now on, Mingxue and Gu Ranran's visiting hours will be unlimited. I can make this decision!"
Qin He stood up, preparing to visit Mingxue.
Gu Qishen behind her also stood up.
"I want to go see Ranran. Let's go together."
Without Gu Qishen, even if she found the evidence and witnesses, it wouldn't have been so quick.