When I heard what Huang Xiaotao said, I froze on the spot.
She quickly continued over the phone, "Forensic pathologist Qin went to Deng Chao's dorm this morning and collected hairs and skin flakes from his personal items. And guess what? When we ran the DNA comparison—"
"They matched the victim?" I asked.
"Exactly! Our entire theory was wrong. Deng Chao is already dead. The killer is someone else... Hello? Song Yang? Are you still listening?"
"I'm here," I replied.
"Don't let this shake you. I still believe in you. We'll re-investigate from scratch. I'm coming to campus right away."
She hung up. Wang Dali, who had been listening nearby, exclaimed, "Yangzi, how could we have messed up like this? Was all our effort for nothing?"
To be honest, I was rattled by the news too—but only for a moment. Then I steadied myself. "We didn't get it wrong."
"You sure you're not in denial?" Wang Dali asked. "DNA doesn't lie. No two people have the same genetic code. I know you trust those old coroner tricks your ancestors passed down, but let's face it, modern forensic science is way more advanced."
I smiled faintly. "I don't deny that forensics is powerful. But someone like Qin? No thanks. In fact, I'm even more confident now—because he just walked into a trap."
"Yangzi..." Wang Dali started to say something else.
I cut him off. "Do me a favor—go buy something for me."
"What about you?"
"I need to get some sleep. It's going to be a long night."
I hadn't been asleep long when I was jolted awake by someone pounding on my bed. I opened my eyes to see Huang Xiaotao standing there, Wang Dali behind her. Their sudden intrusion had startled the whole dorm.
"Song Yang!" she frowned. "Get up. We haven't given up on you, but how could you give up on yourself at a time like this?"
I laughed. "Who said I've given up?"
"Wang Dali told me you went straight to bed. If that's not giving up, what is? We're already behind Qin—we need to catch up, fast!"
"Fine, just step outside so I can change."
Once I was dressed, we stepped out. They looked so worried I knew I had to explain myself.
"You think Qin is ahead of us, but it's the opposite. He's fallen hard into the trap—and I doubt he's getting out anytime soon."
"But Song Yang," Huang Xiaotao said, "the DNA results are right there! You're being overconfident. There's a line between confidence and arrogance, you know?"
"Yeah, just face it," Wang Dali added. "It's not a big deal. We'll just start over."
"You're all missing the point," I said. "Yes, the DNA results are accurate—but that doesn't make my deduction wrong. Xiaotao, where did Qin collect those samples from?"
"Deng Chao's personal belongings. Why?"
"Then those flakes and hairs weren't Deng Chao's. They were from Ma Baobao. Qin unknowingly collected Ma Baobao's DNA and matched it to the corpse—so of course he concluded the victim was Deng Chao."
They both looked dumbfounded.
"But why would Ma Baobao's DNA be in Deng Chao's dorm?" Wang Dali asked.
"There's only one explanation—Deng Chao planted it there ahead of time. He's a brilliant manipulator. This kind of trick is well within his capabilities."
"That's still just your theory," Huang Xiaotao cut in. "It's far more likely the DNA belonged to Deng Chao."
"Nope," I said confidently. "Not even a chance."
"And how can you prove that?" she challenged.
"You're asking the right person." I grinned and pulled out Deng Chao's phone, showing them a purchase receipt.
The last item listed was a razor.
"He bought that razor specifically to scrape off skin and hair from Ma Baobao's corpse."
"That's overkill," Wang Dali frowned. "Every guy has a razor. Why buy a new one?"
"Because his own razor would've been contaminated with his DNA. He must've thrown it away."
Huang Xiaotao's expression slowly shifted. "You're right... That makes perfect sense. Just this morning, Qin was still gloating—looks like he's the one neck-deep in this trap."
"Exactly," I said. "We're leading the race, not him."
Wang Dali gasped. "Damn... Deng Chao really is a top student. That kind of foresight—"
"This wasn't a minor detail," I cut in. "It was a critical part of his escape plan. He didn't just fool two girls—he tricked the entire police force. If they followed standard procedures, they'd fall right into his setup."
Suddenly, Huang Xiaotao turned serious. "Song Yang... You scare me a little. The killer thinks like a genius, but you're keeping up with him step for step. If your brain were used for crime, the police wouldn't stand a chance."
I smiled. "Don't worry. I'd never use my mind for evil."
"Still, I'll be keeping a close eye on you. You'll be working for me from now on—and don't worry, you'll get your share of the reward money."
"Sure, I'll be your consultant." Then I remembered something. "By the way, did you retrieve what I asked from the artificial lake?"
"I don't have that kind of authority," she sighed. "If Captain Lin finds out I acted on my own, I might get suspended."
"It's fine. We can retrieve it later," I said.
"That thing in the lake... Is it the murder weapon?" she asked.
"Most likely. And when we find it, it'll be key evidence."
"Oh, right—did your plan to lure Deng Chao work?"
"Of course."
I explained how he contacted me via Weibo and laid out the trap: I'd go to the fourth music classroom alone tonight, while Xiaotao and Wang Dali lie in wait.
At the mention of the music room, Wang Dali began to panic again. Xiaotao had to threaten to cut him out of future investigations before he reluctantly agreed.
I asked her, "Did you find out about that old piano murder case I mentioned?"
"Yeah. The killer's name was Cao Bufan. The girl was called Xia Mo."
I nodded. "Thanks."
"Why did you want to know? That case has nothing to do with this one."
"Maybe not. But if we run into Xia Mo's ghost tonight, it'd be rude not to know her name."
"Wha—what!?" Wang Dali went pale. "You're still planning to meet that ghost?! I'm not going! No way!"
Huang Xiaotao suddenly pulled out her gun and pointed it at his forehead. "Say that again, and I'll shoot."
I knew she wouldn't actually fire, but Wang Dali was so scared he almost fainted. "Okay okay! I'll go! Just put the gun down! What if it misfires?!"
"It won't. Safety's still on." Then she paused, mock-serious. "Oops... Wait, was it off? My bad."
Wang Dali nearly collapsed in fear. I had to catch him before he hit the ground.