Card Room (Rebirth)
chapter-87

Jing Weiguang thought the two train attendants had come to him to solve a medical problem. The result was that they said he was looking for his junior female student. He looked at Yan Ruru with a puzzled expression. “Do you know each other?”

Yan Ruru’s face was confused. “I don’t know.”

Xiao Lou smiled kindly at her. “Miss Yan, come with us. There are some things to ask you.

Yan Ruru frowned. “I don’t know you. What do you want?”

This girl was very wary. Yu Hanjiang lowered his voice and said, “The conductor asked us to check the passenger information. Please cooperate.”

Yan Ruru let out an ‘oh’ and stood up to follow them. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang took her back to the train attendant’s office. They turned on the phone and showed her the photos of Zhao Quan’s death.

Yan Ruru saw these bloody photos and her face became as pale as paper, but she didn’t scream. Nor did she show a frightened expression like Yue Xiaoquan and Yu Lin. Instead, her body trembled, she bowed her head and vigorously clenched her fists.

Xiao Lou thought she was going to cry and wanted to comfort her. As a result, he hadn’t spoken yet when Yan Ruru suddenly laughed. “Haha haha! Retribution! Zhao Quan died well, he died beautifully!”

Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang, “……”

Yan Ruru’s eyes were red as she spoke through gritted teeth. “Such a scum should’ve died a long time ago! He died so badly, he must’ve been scared and miserable before he died, right? Hahahaha, he deserves it!”

The girl looked at the photo of Zhao Quan’s death and actually couldn’t stop laughing. Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou faced each other. After half a minute, she stopped laughing and spoke coldly, “Why are you looking for me? I didn’t kill him.”

Yu Hanjiang asked, “Are you a doctor? You graduated from university with Jing Weiguang?”

Yan Ruru’s voice was cold. “Yes, Brother Jing was several years ahead of me. I didn’t see him in school and then I went to a hospital internship and Brother Jing was my teacher.”

Xiao Lou asked, “So you are graduating now?”

Yan Ruru replied, “I’m a graduate student and I won’t graduate until next year.”

Then it seemed she was two years older than Zhao Quan.

Yu Hanjiang spoke. “Your purpose in taking this train is the same as the other six girls, to clean up this scum?”

Yan Ruru had no expression. “Six girls? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Xiao Lou told her, “I have here the information for the seven of you. has saved your photos and the purpose of this group travel has been revealed. I hope Miss Yan doesn’t hide it and that you will cooperate with our investigation.”

Yan Ruru’s face changed. “What photo?”

Xiao Lou opened the laptop and showed her. Once she saw their photos appear on the USB disk, she couldn’t help clenching her fists angrily. “Zhao Quan, this madman. Calling me Imperial Concubine Ru? Oh, he really deserves it!”

Yu Hanjiang demanded, “Tell me more about your knowledge of Zhao Quan.”

Yan Ruru was silent for a moment before bowing her head. “He was my apprentice I picked up in the game. I often took him to clear instances and he always called me Master obediently. Later, for the couple activities in the game, he said he would marry me in the game for the rewards. Since the rewards were very rich, I had no objections. I didn’t mind if the other person was a man or a dog.”

Yan Ruru then continued, “One time, in order to facilitate doing the task in the game, I opened a video with him. He probably thought I looked really good and started chasing me. He was a few years younger than me and I was initially reluctant. However, his sweet mouth combined with his handsome appearance on a daily basis meant I developed some feelings over time and decided to be with him.”

Xiao Lou didn’t expect that Yan Ruru and Zhao Quan were actually master and apprentice in the game. Taking the game’s beautiful ‘master’ must be very satisfying for Zhao Quan?

Yu Hanjiang then asked, “How did you find out he was cheating?”

Yan Ruru said, “Once he and I dated, I accidentally saw a dating software on his phone’s desktop. I checked online and found it was a dating software. I suspected he had a problem and downloaded the software. Then I added him as a friend using a smurf account. I took the initiative to talk to him and talked to him for a week before he agreed to meet at the hotel. Then I knew that Zhao Quan was a scum man with a very chaotic private life.”

Yan Ruru’s face had a cold smile. “I had decided to meet at the hotel to confront him and break up with him. As a result, Yu Lin, Liu Xiaoyan, Song Xiaoyu and Si Yi… suddenly, a group of girls found me and said they were also Zhao Quan’s girlfriend. It wasn’t only the dating software, this man also stepped on N boats. My jaw almost dropped. This man was simply talented!”

Yan Ruru’s eyes were very contemptuous. She apparently felt that Zhao Quan, this scum man was very incredible.

She said, “He used this IQ to do something bad and to deceive women. He is a real good for nothing.”

Xiao Lou agreed in his heart as he asked, “Do you hate Zhao Quan?”

Yan Ruru shook her head. “It isn’t worthy of hate. I just think it is ridiculous. To be able to fool so many girls, Zhao Quan must be talented at coaxing women.”

Yu Hanjiang was silent for a moment. “During the party when the seven of you gathered, was there a proposal to scare Zhao Quan with a knife, cutting him dozens of times without killing him so you don’t have to take responsibility?”

Yan Ruru was a bit surprised but she soon realized that someone had confessed. She nodded and said, “It was proposed by Yue Xiaoquan and I thought it was very interesting and scientific. Everyone agreed to her suggestion and I offered to prepare the knife. I work in a hospital and can get a sharp scalpel. The cuts are very painful but aren’t deep.”

Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang glanced at each other before the latter wondered, “Where is the knife you prepared?”

Yan Ruru answered, “In my bag.”

Yu Hanjiang immediately stood up. “Come with us to show us.”

Yan Ruru returned to her seat and picked up her backpack from the luggage rack. She went out on this trip with only a single bag that can be easily held with one hand. She opened the zipper of the bag and took out a box at the bottom. Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou opened it back in the office. It was a neat box filled with a row of scalpels, seven in total.

Xiao Lou mused thoughtfully, “It seems that Yan Ruru prepared seven knives. Her intention should be for the seven people to surround Zhao Quan and slowly cut him, letting Zhao Quan experience terrible physical and psychological torture.”

“Professor Xiao, do you feel that the knife wounds on the deceased’s body matches the incision of a scalpel?”

Xiao Lou shook his head. “The scalpel is extremely sharp and the incision will be very fine. The deceased showed traces of something on the outside and the blade is much wider than a scalpel. The murder weapon should be the commonly used portable fruit knife.”

Yan Ruru had no need to bring a bunch of scalpels and then prepare a fruit knife. She was a doctor and would surely be able to balance a fruit knife. In addition, her feelings with Zhao Quan didn’t seem deep. She only thought that Zhao Quan was ridiculous and deserved to die. She didn’t have a very strong urge to kill. It appeared that she could be excluded as a suspect.

Xiao Lou stated, “Ask Cheng Mu.”

Yu Hanjiang nodded and called Cheng Mu to come over. Once Yan Ruru returned to her seat, she had told Cheng Mu about Zhao Quan’s death. Therefore, Cheng Mu wasn’t too surprised when she came over and saw his death photos.

She directly stated, “Ruru told me that Zhao Quan is dead. That scum really deserves to die but I didn’t kill him. I didn’t have any feelings with him. I was just friends with benefits.”

Yu Hanjiang calmly looked at her. “Please tell clearly how you and Zhao Quan got together and how you got with the other six girls to retaliate against Zhao Quan.”

Cheng Mu’s face was white and her voice softly trembled. “Zhao Quan and I knew each other through a chat software. It is known as the friends with benefits software. Every week, Zhao Quan would come to my house to find me when he was free. The two of us just had sex and had no feelings. Later, he said he wanted a fixed relationship with me. He was handsome and good in bed. I had nothing to lose by having him as a fixed bed partner so I agreed.”

She raised her hand and swore, “I actually didn’t mind him cheating. I was just sleeping with him. I followed this time because I thought Yue Xiaoquan’s proposal was very interesting. Seven people surrounding a scum and slowly cutting him with a knife is too exciting. I was just along for the ride.”

Xiao Lou didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. Zhao Quan’s appetite was really wonderful. What type of girls did he have as girlfriends? Cheng Mu might be a girl who was less serious about feelings so she was indifferent to Zhao Quan cheating. if they really were just friends with benefits, she wouldn’t be disappointed with Zhao Quan and had no motive to kill him.

Yu Hanjiang didn’t say much. “You can go back. Can I trouble you to call Song Xiaoyu over?”

Song Xiaoyu was like a small white rabbit who had wandered into a wolf’s den. She saw Zhao Quan’s death photos and started to cry. Her tears didn’t stop and she couldn’t answer questions properly. Xiao Lou patiently comforted her, “Don’t cry, it isn’t worth crying over such a person.”

She cried for a moment before choking out, “I’m not feeling sad for him, I, I am dizzy at the sight of blood.”

Xiao Lou, “…”

Song Xiaoyu trembled. “This photo is too scary. There is a lot of blood.”

Yu Hanjiang took back the phone and no longer showed it to her. He asked, “Do you know which girl has the deepest hatred with Zhao Quan?”

Song Xiaoyu shook her head like a drum. “I don’t know, I don’t know them very well.”

Xiao Lou had doubts. “Since you don’t like blood, why did you agree with Yue Xiaoquan’s proposal? Won’t Zhao Quan bleed if you cut him with a knife?”

Song Xiaoyu was white-faced. “I didn’t want to participate in this. I thought that cutting him with a knife is terrible. However, Sister Xiaoyan encouraged me. It is just a knife cut and cutting him would increase my courage. I could completely come out of his shadow and no longer be afraid of being deceived by a scum man. I thought it was reasonable and plucked up my courage.”

Yu Hanjiang wondered, “Do you have deep feelings for you? I heard you were in the hospital after finding out he cheated?”

Song Xiaoyu was somewhat lost. “He was my first love. I was really serious about the relationship and very committed. Once I knew he was cheating, I couldn’t stand the stimulus and was hospitalized because of my heart disease.”

The weak girl with clear eyes spoke very seriously, “After being discharged from hospital, I heard that he cheated with many people at the same time. There was the evidence given to me by Sister Xiaoyan and the other girls. This caused me to wake up. I blamed myself for being blind. I didn’t need to be too sad. I was serious about this relationship but he wasn’t serious. I wasn’t wrong, it was him.”

“Emotions are important but studying is more important to me.” She clenched her fists tightly. “I just entered the literature department of a key university. Sister Xiaoyan’s words were correct. Cut this scum man with a knife and once I completely cut off the past, I will start a new life.”

Song Xiaoyu left and Yu Hanjiang looked back at Xiao Lou. “Do you think this girl’s words are credible?”

Xiao Lou thought about it. “Her physical fitness is worse than an average person and her voice is also very small. She doesn’t have the condition to play with Zhao Quan. Besides, the hospital records will tell if she was hospitalized. In this case, I don’t think it is necessary for her to lie.”

Yu Hanjiang nodded and continued to interrogate Liu Xiaoyan. Liu Xiaoyan also learned about Zhao Quan’s death from Song Xiaoyu’s mouth and was very calm when she came to the office.

She willingly said, “I’m not well-educated. Previously, I was bolder when I worked at the Internet cafe but I’ve changed. My hairdressing store has just opened and my sisters helped me a lot. Now my business is good. Why should I ruin myself for a scum man? I wished that Zhao Quan would die but I didn’t do it myself.”

Yu Hanjiang asked, “You used to have an uninhibited style? Did you ever play the bondage game with Zhao Quan?”

A hint of embarrassment flashed on Liu Xiaoyan’s face. “Cough, I wasn’t very sensible when I was young. Indeed… I was relatively open.”

She paused before clarifying. “However, it really isn’t me.”

Xiao Lou took back the blood-stained black dress. “The clothes aren’t yours?”

Liu Xiaoyan shook his head. “No, the five of us packed our luggage together before the trip. I only brought two sets of dresses, one red and one orange. My sisters can testify for me.”

Yu Hanjiang said, “Your thing with Zhao Quan has been over a long time. This time, you came out because of Song Xiaoyu?”

Liu Xiaoyan’s face was dark. “Yes, Xiaoyu is like my sister and she was cheated by Zhao Quan, that beast. I was angry when investigating and didn’t expect to find out the truth. HE was too much of a scum! Fuck him!”

Liu Xiaoyan let out a few coarse words before steadying her breathing. “I wanted to directly castrate him and let him die without any children. Then Yue Xiaoquan suggested something more interesting. Each of us will cut him several times but it would only be judged as a minor injury. We won’t go to jail because the crime is only wounding with intent. I can only say that knowledge is power. Yue Xiaoquan’s method was too absolute.”

Yu Hanjiang asked, “Does everyone know that you and Zhao Quan played the bondage thing?”

Liu Xiaoyan touched her nose with embarrassment. “They know. I said it to them in the group chat. During Zhao Quan’s high school summer vacation, he knew me for three days before we opened a room. In order to amuse him, I suggested an exciting play. He was very excited and agreed.”

Yu Hanjiang, “…”

This sister’s style was really tough.

Judging from her testimony and attitude, she didn’t seem like the murderer. Her hairdressing store had just opened and it could be considered as her career just starting. There was no need to ruin herself for a bad man. Her participation in this action was more to completely free Song Xiaoyu.

Finally, the questioned Si Yi told them about Zhao Quan’s software. She said, “Zhao Quan performed very well when he was interning at the company. He was serious, hardworking and ambitious. He ignored emotional things and was actually very smart. Many complex programs were learned at the same time. Our boss liked him very much and hoped he would come to the company for an interview directly after graduating.”

She pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose and continued, “The little software he developed was a software for sorting information. I think he probably used his experience of stepping on N boats as inspiration. He usually used this software to record the personalities, preferences, anniversaries and birthdays of different girls so he wouldn’t make mistakes.”

Xiao Lou, “…”

This guy was too talented! Sorting out the information of six girlfriends.

Yu Hanjiang asked, “Was there ever a contradiction in the process of the software research and development?”

“No,” Si Yi shook her head. “I only guided him with some of his interface design. After he sold his software, I was invited to a romantic candlelit dinner and he gave me a limited edition commemorative gift bag. I didn’t know about his cheating at that time and felt I had found true love. I thought that once he graduated and came to our company, we would get married.”

She sneered as she pushed up her glasses. “I have been checking the information of wedding companies when Liu Xiaoyan came to the door to talk about Zhao Quan. Zhao Quan really deserves to die but I didn’t do it. I will be promoted to a department head next year. Why should I ruin myself for such a scum?”

Yu Hanjiang let Si Yi go back for the time being.

These girls, each of their testimonies had no loopholes. Xiao Lou finished recording and felt like his head was going to explode.

Yu Hanjiang frowned and thought for a moment. He rewrote the names of the seven people on the paper and sorted the information. “Yu Lin, Yue Xiaoquan, Song Xiaoyu and Yu Lin have black hair and they might be the one who entered your office to get the key. However, it is also possible that someone was wearing a wig.”

He paused before continuing, “Si Yi just had a slop of the tongue. She is in the software development area and guided Zhao Quan on the interface design. This shows she is proficient in photoshop and was probably the one who designed the ‘train to hell’ photo on Zhao Quan’s phone.”

Yu Hanjiang’s pen stayed on the name ‘Cheng Mu’. He said, “Cheng Mu’s answers are the most questionable. She said that she and Zhao Quan are just friends with benefits and there are no feelings. She is indifferent to Zhao Quan’s cheating. However, would an indifferent person be involved in such retaliatory behaviour? Is interest a valid reason to join the party?”

Xiao Lou’s eyes suddenly lit up.

If her feelings with the other party weren’t deep, wasn’t the first reaction to break up rather than cut him together with his other girlfriends? Joining in this lively party, wasn’t she afraid of being bloody? Or what if there was an accident?

According to normal thinking, it should definitely be avoided. Cheng Mu’s reason for ‘getting together’ was far from sufficient.

Yu Hanjiang looked at the name with deep eyes. “The more people act like they don’t care, perhaps the deeper the care in their hearts. I wonder if Professor Xiao knows this saying? Those who lose one’s love will burst into tears, drink to forget and fall ill. People who use all types of means to vent their emotions are easy to come out of it. Those who look very calm and like they don’t care are more likely to have psychological risks.”

Xiao Lou had also heard this. He turned to the other person. “Group Leader Yu, do you mean that Cheng Mu’s suspicion is the largest? She seems to care the least but in fact, she is psychologically the one hurting the most. In fact, her hatred with the deceased is the deepest?”

Yu Hanjiang nodded. “Based on an analysis of her testimony, she is the least credible one. From past experiences, she often has friends with benefits. No woman is born to be so debauched. Perhaps she previously had her feelings hurt and started to indulge herself. She took Zhao Quan seriously and Zhao Quan’s betrayal became the last straw that overwhelmed her.”

Xiao Lou added, “In addition, the other girls expressed that their feelings are insignificant compared to their future. Yu Lin is a student, Yan Ruru is a graduate student who will graduate soon, Yue Xiaoquan is a medical student, Liu Xiaoyan opened a new hairdressing store, Song Xiaoyu will soon go to university and Si Yi will soon be promoted to the department head. Only Cheng Mu didn’t say anything about herself.”

The two people glanced at each other and went out in tacit agreement.

At the same time.

Cheng Mu returned to her seat, turned her head and looked at the trees speeding past outside the window.She placed her hand gently on her belly, a bitter smile appearing on her face. It wasn’t long before the two handsome train attendants reappeared in front of her.

Xiao Lou smiled. “Miss Cheng, please come with us. There are some questions that we need you to cooperate with for the investigation.”

Cheng Mu’s hands slightly trembled as she stood up with a blank expression.

Yu Hanjiang told her, “Please bring your backpack as well.”

Cheng Mu’s face was white. Then a moment later, she made a relieved smile. “Yes, the time has come.”

She took her backpack from the luggage rack and went to the attendant’s office, letting Yu Hanjiang open her backpack. At the bottom of the bag were several scheduled outpatient checklists that read: 4 weeks pregnant.

There was also a test sheet. Xiao Lou saw it and his pupils tightened. It was HIV positive.