Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1213: Required Lesson

Right in front of Wang Liang’s rental, Chen Mingming stopped and looked down the stairs.

The hallway lights of the old building flickered on and off, and because a body had been discovered here, the few residents upstairs and downstairs had gradually moved out over the past few days.

Even light footsteps could now be heard clearly.

Finally, Zhao Le came into Chen Mingming’s view… his hand on the stair railing, he looked up with a blank expression and ascended step by step.

When Zhao Le reached the top and stood beside Chen Mingming, he finally spoke, his face less tense than while climbing, though still wary, “Isn’t this a bit… not okay? There’s a seal on this door.”

Chen Mingming didn’t pay it much attention and casually tore off the seal (he had been here once with Zhou Yusheng and had placed a new seal when leaving).

Seeing Chen Mingming tear the seal, Zhao Le opened his mouth as if to say something but swallowed it back.

Then, Chen Mingming pulled out the key, and when he opened the rental door, Zhao Le could no longer stay composed, exclaiming, “Y-you have the key?”

“Come in.” Chen Mingming pushed the door open, casually saying, and then turned on the lights inside.

He removed his shoes at the entrance, placing them aside before walking in.Zhao Le hesitated for a few seconds, questions flooding his mind… but thinking he had already followed up here, he took a deep breath and went in. He didn’t remove his shoes, only gently closed the door behind him.

Inside, Chen Mingming leaned against a freezer placed in the center of the living room, looking directly at him.

Zhao Le opened his mouth to speak, but Chen Mingming interrupted, “How about we do a little exercise?”

“Exercise?” Zhao Le blinked in surprise.

Chen Mingming nodded, “Like a homework assignment from a teacher… let’s reason through what happened here during the incident.”

Zhao Le said, “Mingming, don’t play around… this is for the police to handle. We’re just students, nothing more… Did you get the key from your dad or… steal it?”

“Don’t worry, the key was obtained legitimately,” Chen Mingming said calmly. “No illegal entry consequences… Let’s continue with the exercise we were discussing.”

“I don’t have time to play your games.” Zhao Le’s face darkened. “I have things to do, I’m leaving.”

Chen Mingming replied, “You wouldn’t want the police to know you sneaked here alone at night, right? You not only came but parked your bike outside the supermarket, planning to ride it back when leaving?”

Zhao Le turned, silent for a moment, then frowned, “Y-you didn’t leave?”

Chen Mingming didn’t answer, speaking to himself instead, “This is the original crime scene. The victim, Wang Liang, was buried in this freezer. His body was cut into many pieces by the murderer and is incomplete. Several parts are still missing, likely taken away, so the cause of death is unknown… Let’s speculate: if you were the murderer, how would you commit the crime?”

“I said, stop playing!” Zhao Le shouted.

Chen Mingming suddenly lay down on the sofa, “Assume I am Wang Liang, lying here asleep. What would you do?”

“That’s enough!” Zhao Le nearly roared.

Chen Mingming, expressionless, picked up the phone casually, “Though it seems a bit sneaky, I don’t think your sister would want you questioned, right?”

“You…” Zhao Le gritted his teeth and exhaled slowly, “Fine, I’ll play along.”

He walked to the sofa, looked at Chen Mingming lying there, then glanced around… Zhao Le saw a fruit knife on the coffee table, grabbed it, and glared at Chen Mingming coldly.

“Use the knife?” Chen Mingming said calmly.

“How would I know? You use whatever is handy when angry… isn’t that how impulsive murders happen?” Zhao Le snapped.

Chen Mingming said, “The body was dismembered; using this knife wouldn’t be practical. The kitchen has heavier knives…”

“I said I didn’t kill anyone!!” Zhao Le interrupted angrily.

“This is just an exercise,” Chen Mingming sat up and said, “Why are you so agitated?”

Zhao Le sneered, “Who wouldn’t be? What are you trying to do? Playing detective? Or is this just some bored kid from a police family trying to prove themselves?! I’m supposed to be suspected just because I’m the victim’s family?!”

Chen Mingming continued calmly, “Using the knife wouldn’t make sense. It would splatter blood on the sofa, bed, floor… the police can detect all that.”

“I already said, I’m not the murderer.” Zhao Le slowly lowered his hand… though the knife remained.

Chen Mingming said, “Actually, one thing hasn’t been disclosed: the dismemberment took place… in the bathroom.”

Zhao Le instinctively looked toward the bathroom, frowning, “So what!”

Chen Mingming explained slowly, “Blood tests show large amounts on the walls and ceiling… also, fragments were found in the U-shaped drain pipe, belonging to Wang Liang…”

Zhao Le suddenly said, “You’re wrong. Why the living room sofa? Why not the bathroom? Wang Liang was bathing, the killer broke in, and killed him there!”

Chen Mingming didn’t answer, asking instead, “You said it was impulsive murder… why do you think that?”

Zhao Le shouted, “How would I know! You’re forcing me to do this exercise! I just picked up the fruit knife I saw… isn’t that impulsive?”

Chen Mingming shook his head, “Not impulsive. Planned murder… see the freezer? Wang Liang had a second freezer used to hide the body. The killer clearly prepared it in advance.”

“That has nothing to do with me.” Zhao Le snorted.

Chen Mingming stepped closer, “The police have already traced where this freezer was sold and even learned from the shopkeeper about the buyer… some identifying features.”

Zhao Le’s grip on the knife trembled slightly.

“The police… found that person?” Zhao Le looked at Chen Mingming, holding his breath.

“You’re nervous,” Chen Mingming said suddenly.

“Who wouldn’t be? You brought me here and said all this!” Zhao Le took a deep breath, “I’m going crazy!”

Chen Mingming looked into Zhao Le’s eyes, “Earlier, you said… ‘that person’? Strange, why not just say the killer?”

Zhao Le replied calmly, “Whether it’s ‘that person’ or ‘the killer,’ it’s just a reference.”

Chen Mingming nodded. Seeing Zhao Le still holding the knife, he stood, “Alright… the exercise is done, let’s go.”

Zhao Le was taken aback; he had been ready for something, but Chen Mingming’s sudden stop left him unsure.

“Mingming… what… what exactly are you doing?”

“I told you, it’s just an exercise.”

Chen Mingming went to the door, grabbed a shoehorn from the cabinet, put on his shoes, “I’m not a real cop… Aren’t you leaving? I’m locking the door.”

Zhao Le moved his lips, finally putting down the fruit knife.

He remained silent, following Chen Mingming all the way to the street corner of the old street.

Nearby, the street was no longer empty; there were people moving about… not a crowd, but any small movement could be noticed.

Chen Mingming checked the time. “About thirty-seven minutes each way… you’d better pedal faster on the way back.”

Zhao Le hesitated, unsure of Chen Mingming’s intent. “Tonight…”

Chen Mingming waved his hand. “You’ve actually been to the scene before, right?”

Zhao Le’s breathing quickened noticeably.

Chen Mingming slowly stepped back and said, “When I mentioned that the dismemberment happened in the bathroom, you instinctively looked that way… Of course, you could also say you noticed it when entering. But some sudden reactions can’t be controlled, right? Anyway, no matter what I say tonight, I have no proof; these are just my guesses… who knows.”

Zhao Le opened his mouth.

Chen Mingming turned toward the dimly lit area and said, “I’ll be leaving in a few days… I hope that before I go, I can hear your story.”

Zhao Le ultimately said nothing and quickly turned to leave… then ran.

…

On the old street, Chen Mingming walked and then stopped.

He turned, looked up, and saw two dimly lit lanterns, an old pinewood door… Chen Mingming thought for a moment, then pushed the door open and entered.

The lobby wasn’t particularly spacious, but it had a strong sense of space. Chen Mingming saw the Boss sitting at the bar with his back to him.

A low sound came from the record player in the corner.

Chen Mingming approached the Boss and looked around, curious. “Where’s your Miss Maid?”

Boss Luo said casually, “She’s busy with something…”

Then he walked around to the bar, his fingers lightly brushing over the cabinet. “Sit, want a drink?”

Chen Mingming sat down but didn’t order anything, only asked, “Did I come on my own, or did you send me?”

Luo Qiu smiled. “Those who want to come will naturally come. This place… doesn’t refuse anyone.”

Chen Mingming was silent for a moment, then softly said, “Thank you… for giving me this identity.”

“You’re welcome,” Luo Qiu said quietly. “It’s just for convenience in assessment… Since it’s a test, there’s naturally a correct answer and method. I only designed the problem, not an unsolvable one.”

Chen Mingming looked up, meeting the Boss’s eyes. “Zhao Le… might not be the killer?”

Luo Qiu smiled slightly.

Chen Mingming continued, “But he might know who the killer is… otherwise you wouldn’t have given me that hint on the scroll. Yet such hints easily lead my subconscious to misjudgment. So the hint is meant to mislead, right?”

Luo Qiu said, “If a test had no difficulty, it would lose its meaning… Your progress is actually not bad.”

Chen Mingming frowned subconsciously.

He didn’t think it was impressive to reach this stage with hints—the progress Luo Qiu referred to must be something else.

There were two questions in this assessment: the first, assisting his father in a case; the second… the progress referred to the second question?

Chen Mingming sighed and bitterly smiled, “As expected, the information volume is completely unequal. Facing such a huge information gap, facing you leaves me with only a deep sense of helplessness.”

Luo Qiu nodded, “Indeed, even I am not necessarily smarter than anyone else.”

Chen Mingming said, “Perhaps that’s the charm of intelligence… Setting aside the information, if you and I were at the same intelligence level, how would you judge this case?”

Luo Qiu began mixing a drink, using the ‘Mortal Dust’ method learned from Miss Maid. “The invigilator won’t have a good outcome.”

Chen Mingming’s eyes brightened. “This assessment doesn’t limit my ability to acquire information… I could buy intelligence directly to help me complete it, right?”

Luo Qiu smiled, “You planning to buy information?”

Chen Mingming shook his head. “You didn’t say cheating is forbidden, but you didn’t say it’s allowed either… It’s only natural for the invigilator to expel anyone cheating.”

The ‘Mortal Dust’ mix was nearly complete. Boss Luo looked focused, carefully pouring it into a glass.

Chen Mingming suddenly asked, “The question… is it really just solving the case?”

Luo Qiu said, “What do you think?”

Chen Mingming shook his head, looked at the glass pushed in front of him, sighed, and stood. “I’m not drinking… thank you for hosting.”

“You’re welcome.”

Chen Mingming turned and left, his brow deeply furrowed.

…

“Did a guest come?” Miss Maid’s voice came from the stairs. “Chen Mingming?”

“You’ve been busy.” Luo Qiu waved.

Miss Maid stepped forward, appearing at the bar. “Seems he’s encountered something confusing?”

Luo Qiu smiled, not hiding it. “He asked me about the meaning behind the test question.”

Miss Maid smiled as well. “And how did you answer?”

Luo Qiu shook his head. “Had a sudden whim, so I didn’t say.”

You Ye said, “Solving the case is only about finding the truth. Finding the truth affects a person’s fate… controlling someone else’s life is entirely up to you. Good or bad depends on your will. Manipulating life… the Required Lesson of the Black Soul Envoy.”

Boss Luo pushed the ‘Mortal Dust’ to Miss Maid. “Don’t waste it, taste my craft, see how much worse yours are.”

“Mm…”

(End of Chapter)