Chapter 52: Interrogation—Whose Jade Bracelet Is It?

“The suspect was pretty cooperative, didn’t make a fuss, so it wasn’t too much trouble,” the police officer said with a smile, glancing at Bian Changxi. “These are extraordinary times, and we’re short-staffed. So, the interrogation is being handed over to Boss Zhang here. He’s been approved by the chief’s son himself, so don’t start talking about what’s legal or not. Once you’re in here, you do as you’re told. Old Zhang, she’s all yours. Here’s everything we found at her place.” He handed over a large bag.

Before bringing her in, they’d already searched Bian Changxi’s residence and taken anything they could find.

Bian Changxi frowned but didn’t protest. She followed Boss Zhang into an office. Inside, a woman was waiting. Boss Zhang said, “First, a body search.” He gave the elite-looking man a look, and the man left the room with the bag.

Bian Changxi knew full well there was something fishy about all this, but she said nothing, keeping her face expressionless as she raised her arms for the woman to search her.

It tickled a little, but she endured it.

Boss Zhang watched her in surprise. Didn’t this woman feel humiliated at all? She was so calm and cooperative.

“Boss Zhang, nothing unusual,” the woman reported.

Boss Zhang nodded for her to leave, then pulled out the chair in front of the desk and sat down. “Sit. Miss Bian Changxi, right? Do you know why we brought you here?”

“I do. To cooperate with your investigation.”

“Then tell me, how did you kill Tian—uh, Tian Jiaxing?” He glanced at the file.

“I’ve already said, I didn’t kill Tian Jiaxing, or anyone else.” Bian Changxi calmly and honestly described what happened, though she left out many details. Looking at him, she added, “With today’s forensic methods, it should be easy to verify what I’m saying.” The implication: go check your facts and stop asking dumb questions.

Boss Zhang kept a smile on his face, but inside he was annoyed. Was she playing her part too well? Anyone with a brain could see something was off here—shouldn’t a normal person be confused, scared, or angry?

He didn’t know much about the art of interrogation—he just ran an internet café—but after so many years, he knew that to control someone, you had to seize the initiative, make them wary, make them afraid.

He’d expected to face a nervous, angry suspect. If she panicked while he stayed calm, he could slowly turn up the pressure until she lost her composure, then introduce the real topic of the day. But this Bian Changxi, whether she’d been tipped off or was just slippery by nature, wasn’t playing along at all—she was even trying to play Tai Chi with him!

He quickly jotted down a few notes. “Then why did you leave the new district and go all the way out there? People without a special reason wouldn’t travel so far, not with zombies everywhere these days.”

“I heard there was a little village where people were still raising chickens and ducks, growing vegetables. Boss Zhang, you know, it’s the sixth day of the apocalypse—fresh food is hard to come by. Who knew I’d run into something like that? I wasn’t in the mood for much, just brought back two ducks.”

As she answered, Bian Changxi watched Boss Zhang closely. What worried her most was whether she’d been followed. If someone had seen everything, including her going in and out of the farm, her secret would be out.

But for now, it didn’t seem like that was the case.

Boss Zhang smiled, wrinkles creasing at the corners of his eyes. At that moment, the elite-looking man returned, whispered something in his ear, and Boss Zhang’s expression darkened slightly. He waved his hand, and the office door closed. Then he said, “Miss Bian, I know you’re a smart person, so let’s not waste time. I’m sitting here because I want to ask you about someone.”

He took out a photo. “Have you seen this person before?”

Bian Changxi glanced at it, a little surprised. Someone had just asked her about this same person not long ago—short black brows, hooked nose, bronze skin, a slightly sinister look, the kind of face you wouldn’t forget. She said, “Not long ago, someone else showed me this photo and asked me the same question.”

Boss Zhang’s eyes were like scanners, locking onto every flicker of her gaze and expression.

With a hint of sorrow, he said, “Actually, the person who asked you last time was sent by me. The man in the photo is Zhang Jingang, one of my employees. Two years ago, a family heirloom jade bracelet of his was stolen. He was devastated and angry, and he’s been searching for it ever since. About ten days ago, he got word that the bracelet had been sold somewhere in Jiangcheng. He quit and went there alone, but never came back.” He paused. “I was worried, so I looked into it. Supposedly, the bracelet is now in the hands of a female university student surnamed Bian. And the last time Jingang called me, he said he was staking out S University in Jiangcheng.”

“Bian isn’t a common surname. At S University, you’re the only female student named Bian, aren’t you?”

The office fell silent.

They stared at each other for a while before Bian Changxi finally spoke slowly: “So, Boss Zhang suspects I met this Zhang Jingang, and maybe did something to him, which is why he’s missing?”

Wow, what a caring boss—following the clues all the way back, just to find his employee, and accidentally stumbling on a major lead.

But was that really possible? Would he go to all this trouble for such a small matter? The Tian Jiaxing case—how much power would it take to get involved in that?

At least Bian Changxi understood one thing: they really were after her jade bracelet, but they almost certainly didn’t know about the farm.

Boss Zhang apologized, “You’re the only one who can give me answers. I heard about the Tian Jiaxing case from Young Master Xiao. Even though it’s clear you’re not really involved, I still asked for a chance to speak with you alone. I hope you don’t mind.”

Boss Zhang was no fool—he knew the holes in his own story. With a single sentence, he pushed everything onto Xiao Jing, making himself look like he was just going with the flow.

Bian Changxi waved her hand. “Let’s keep things separate. Aren’t we supposed to be talking about Tian Jiaxing? Let’s finish that first.”

Boss Zhang’s eye twitched, and he forced a laugh. “It was just that Zhao Amin happened to see a fire on the hillside when she was heading home. Who’d have thought it was a body being burned? Like someone trying to extort money…”

“So how do you know I set the fire?”

“Well, someone saw you riding a bike from that direction.” Damn! Who’s interrogating who here?

A bike…

Bian Changxi lowered her eyes, cursing inwardly.

She hadn’t brought her motorbike when she came to the new district yesterday, yet Boss Zhang mentioned it, so he wasn’t lying. But if someone really looked into it, this would be a loophole—a clue to the farm’s existence.

She’d been careful, getting off the bike far from the new district. How had someone still seen her? Was there someone else out there, wandering around for a chicken or duck just like her?

“I see.”

Boss Zhang said, “That’s settled, then. Now, about Zhang Jingang…”

Bian Changxi glanced at him, pretending to sigh. “Boss Zhang, you really care about your employees. But I’m sorry, I really haven’t met Zhang Jingang. As for the jade bracelet, I do have one…”

Boss Zhang’s lower eyelid twitched. He took a sip of water and said politely, “This might be a bit presumptuous, but Miss Bian, could I see your bracelet? We heard that your bracelet looks a lot like Jingang’s. That’s why we thought you might have bought his. If I could see it for myself, and confirm it’s not the same one, I could look elsewhere, and you wouldn’t be wrongly suspected.”

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