Zhang Liao knew his mind wasn't as sharp as Wang Jian's, but he had his strengths—meticulousness. He never overlooked any detail, no matter how trivial. For anything related to the case, he would clarify as much as possible.
"Left early? Did he say anything?"
"That day, Chen Youwen had arranged to drink with friends, but unlike usual, he didn't stay till the end. Halfway through, he said something had come up and needed to leave, claiming it was a matter at the sugar mill. Everyone heard him and didn't keep him, and when he left he seemed perfectly sober—not at all like someone drunk."
Drinking out of character, leaving early, acting normal—yet dead in the pond the next day.
How drunk must you be to fall into a pond without shouting or struggling? At least dead drunk, right? Someone in that state couldn't even walk properly, let alone be described by friends as "didn't seem drunk." The only explanation is that Chen Youwen's "drunkenness" wasn't while drinking with his friends.
