Chapter 13: Unfinished Sketch, Suspect Cleared

"What manuscript?"

Li Li asked. "At the beginning of the year, she mentioned to me that she was conceptualizing a new work. She showed me the character designs, the story outline, and the storyboards for the first few chapters. With my years of experience, I knew this story would be a hit once released! I urged her many times to start serializing it first and update gradually, but she always refused, insisting on completing the entire work first. Now, the work is unfinished, and she's gone before it."

Li Li's eyes turned cold, "Wang Qiong, if it weren't for Zhou Xinyu, you'd still be a small web editor, never having climbed to the position of chief editor, let alone getting shares in the website. Now you're making light of her death, don't you think that's a bit cold-blooded?"

"Hmph, officer, there's no need for moral blackmail. We had a cooperative relationship, mutually beneficial, neither of us owes the other!"

Wang Qiong looked up at Li Li, his fearful eyes showing a hint of defiance, "Back then, she was just a nobody, a novice. If it weren't for me, no one would have been willing to sign her. Without my marketing and promotional efforts behind the scenes, no matter how well she drew, she wouldn't have reached such heights! If anyone's at fault, it's her for breaking the cooperative relationship and insisting on terminating the contract! She's the one who wronged me!"

Mentioning Xiao Yumao's intention to terminate the contract, Wang Qiong's expression and tone were clearly displeased. "Does Xiao Yumao terminating the contract have a big impact on you?"

Li Li continued to ask. "Of course it does! In the past two years, the cultural and entertainment industry has seen significant differentiation, and the rise of short videos has greatly impacted us. Yes, our website has Xiao Yumao, the cash cow, supporting it, and on the surface, it still looks quite glorious. But under the giant tree, no grass grows. Xiao Yumao's prominence is too overwhelming, making it hard for mid-level artists to stand out on our platform, leading to a very unreasonable structure of artists on our website—one king leading a bunch of rookies. If this king leaves, our website would be like a novice village, easily wiped out by any small monster."

Li Li sneered, "You're quite good with metaphors."

"Officer, you flatter me, it's just professional habit, professional habit..."

"Do you really think I'm complimenting you!"

Li Li raised his voice, "Xiao Yumao wants to terminate the contract, your website is about to be destroyed, so you're anxious, planning to silence her, aren't you!"

Wang Qiong shrank his shoulders in fear, his chubby body wriggling anxiously in the chair. If not for the safety barrier, he would have rushed to Li Li to explain with tears. "Officer, I may be timid, but I'm not stupid! Yes, the lawyer Xiao Yumao brought in is indeed formidable. We studied that contract for several days, and if it goes to litigation, we can't win and might even have to pay compensation. But that doesn't mean I would kill her, does it?! The copyrights of Xiao Yumao's early works are still in our hands, living off the old works could sustain us for a few more years. Besides, only if she's alive do we have a chance to cooperate again. After all, she started from our website, there's still some sentiment there, right? Even if the website really goes bankrupt, with my resume, finding a job to make ends meet wouldn't be hard. Why would I commit murder, that would mean going to jail!"

"Do you know that destroying a crime scene is also punishable?"

"I know, but the consequences are different..." Wang Qiong muttered softly, "Murder means jail time, and no benefits. I've consulted, my kind of behavior would at most get me a year in jail, but if I found the manuscript, that could mean tens of millions in profit!"

Li Li and Lao Du exchanged glances, thinking Wang Qiong was indeed a shrewd businessman, calculating everything so well. "Next question, do you know Ahua Convenience Store?"

"No."

"Answering so quickly, don't you need to think about it?"

"Officer, I'm telling the truth. I have a maid at home and assistants at the company, they handle all the shopping and trivial matters. I haven't stepped into a convenience store in years. If you're talking about chains like 7-Eleven or Lawson, I might have heard of them, but this Ahua Convenience Store, I really haven't."

"When was the last time you met Zhou Xinyu, where did you meet, and what did you talk about."

Wang Qiong's psychological defenses had long been crushed by Lin Che's kick, so he cooperated fully, making the interrogation go smoothly, answering whatever was asked, very obediently.

—Large office.

"This is the manuscript Wang Qiong stole from Zhou Xinyu's computer."

Xu Yang handed the printed copies of the manuscript to the others, "I just looked at it, it's really well done, such a pity, such a good story, we'll never see the ending."

Xu Yang, as a fan of Xiao Yumao, couldn't hide the regret in his voice. "Wang Qiong's suspicion can be basically ruled out, he entered the crime scene just for this thing."

Lao Du patted the manuscript in his hand, "Wanting to make a big profit off the hype of Xiao Yumao's posthumous work!"

Li Li sneered a couple of times, "It's the first time I've seen someone literally scared to the point of wetting themselves. Indeed, for money, these people wouldn't hesitate to go to hell wearing diapers."

Lin Che flipped through the comic, asking, "Xu Yang, how's the investigation going on the number that called Zhou Xinyu on October 6th?"

Xu Yang frowned slightly, "Captain Lin, the number's location shows it's from overseas, it's a zombie number like those 'call you to death' services, can't trace specific information."

Lin Che glanced at the wall clock, it was already past two in the morning. "Alright, it's getting late, everyone should get some rest."

Lin Che said, taking the manuscript into the 1209 office, Li Li asked, "Captain Lin, aren't you leaving?"

"I'll sleep on the sofa."

Li Li pouted, exchanged a look with Xu Yang, turned off the lights in the large office, and walked out together, "Sheep, want to grab some midnight snack?"

"No, I'm dead tired, heading back to the dorm first."

After saying that, Xu Yang waved, yawning as he walked towards the dormitory building behind the police station. The nature of the criminal police team's work is special, overtime is the norm, everyone has a dormitory for convenience to rest. When cases are urgent, Lin Che usually just sleeps on the sofa in the office. Lin Che took a grey blanket and lay down, flipping through the manuscript in his hand. The story is set in ancient times, about a young monk who goes down the mountain for training and, by chance, meets the domineering young master of a general's mansion. They get to know each other, become close friends, the plot isn't complicated, but the emotions are genuine, very engaging. The first few dozen chapters of the manuscript are fully colored, with dialogues in place, the middle parts are detailed line drawings, not yet colored, and the last few chapters only have rough storyboard designs. The last chapter where the plot is visible shows the young master, now a young general, shedding his mischievous ways, taking on the responsibility of protecting the country, while the young monk, returning from his travels, becomes his military advisor. On the eve of a great battle, they stand on the city wall, promising each other that after reclaiming the three border cities, they will retire together to travel and enjoy the landscapes. The two young men in the comic, vibrant and spirited, their friendship, unbound by the disparity in their statuses, is truly touching. It's such a pity that such a good story has no ending.