Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 35: He and “He”

After discovering the gunpowder residue at the scene, the team’s investigators further complicated their speculation about the nature of the case. During their discussions in the meeting, they threw out various imaginative ideas, taking wild guesses that ranged from the bizarre to the supernatural. They even speculated whether He Wei might be connected to some kind of arms group or military faction, leaking high-level secrets, and that’s why he was mysteriously assassinated.

“… ” Cheng Zesheng felt a headache, unsure of how to tell them that it wasn’t that way at all and that they were overthinking it. There was indeed a shooting incident at the scene, but it was from another world entirely. They couldn’t investigate that, so they could temporarily set aside considerations of gunpowder residue.

Le Zhengkai sat beside him and whispered softly, “They’ve become very motivated suddenly. They always enjoy investigating big cases.”

“But we still need to let them investigate to some extent,” Cheng Zesheng replied with a tilted head, whispering, “They’ve completely gone in the wrong direction. They’re all fixated on the possibility of a concealed shooting incident.”

A colleague asked, “Vice-Captain Cheng, you were the one who discovered the gunshot evidence at the scene. Could you share your thoughts on our next steps?”

Everyone fell silent, attentively awaiting Cheng Zesheng’s insights. He cleared his throat and stood up, presenting the graph of the gunpowder residue analysis. “My suggestion is to—disregard this. Keep focusing on tracing He Wei’s recent activities. Don’t lose sight of the key direction.”

“… ” The group exchanged puzzled glances and hushed whispers, doubting Cheng Zesheng’s judgment. Zhao Yu from the second team raised his hand, “Vice-Captain Cheng, we feel that the information about the gunpowder residue is important. How about starting by investigating the manufacturer? See where it was made. Maybe we could uncover more.”

“I think that makes sense. The leads in this case have been cut off for so long, and now we finally have a breakthrough. We can’t let it slip away.”

“Yes, and there’s also something odd about He Wei’s body. Isn’t his genetic makeup different? Let’s explore this avenue. He might have been used as a test subject by some arms group, involved in illicit biological experiments that led to these genetic anomalies.”

“Exactly. Some criminals like to conduct experiments on human bodies. I have a feeling we might reel in a big fish. This line of investigation is worth pursuing.”

“…” Cheng Zesheng pinched his brow, deciding to remain silent. It was understandable that they would think that way, but the crucial point was that Cheng Zesheng knew the truth but couldn’t refute their speculations. If he were to reveal the story of parallel worlds and the other version of He Wei, he would likely become the first Vice-Captain in the history of the Shengzhou City Bureau to be officially recorded as suffering from “neurological disorder” due to “excessive stress.”

This feeling of not being able to speak out was incredibly uncomfortable. Despite Cheng Zesheng’s hint that they didn’t need to dig deeper, public sentiment was strong, and helplessly, he could only let Zhao Yu’s Second Team investigate the lead regarding the gunpowder residue manufacturer. He carefully chose his words, suggesting without outright saying, leaving no room for further probing.

Zhao Yu and the others were enthusiastic, “Vice-Captain Cheng, don’t worry, we’ll surely bring back unexpected results!”

“…Well, give it your best shot and do a good job.”

——

He Lu visited the police station again, inquiring about He Wei’s case and when the body could be cremated and buried. His parents didn’t want their son to keep lying in the cold morgue, especially his mother, who had been having dreams of her eldest son holding his arm and saying, “It’s so cold.” She would wake up in tears.

“There are still many uncertainties in He Wei’s case. As family members, shouldn’t you want the murderer to be caught as soon as possible? Why are you in such a hurry to cremate his body?” Cheng Zesheng narrowed his eyes, “Or is it that you’re afraid we might find something unfavorable to you on the body?”

“What am I afraid of?! I didn’t kill anyone!” He Lu’s voice grew louder, “You always suspect me. Show me the evidence! What was the point of taking my DNA for genetic testing last time? Did you find evidence of me being the murderer?!”

Jiang Tan stood beside them, his ears aching from He Lu’s shouting, and he was quite annoyed, “You’re so loud! Are you really acting like this as a younger brother? Does your attitude toward your older brother’s death not bother your parents at all?!”

“What does our family’s business have to do with you guys? Investigate your cases and stay out of our family’s affairs!”

“You!” Jiang Tan couldn’t take it anymore. He clenched his fists and muttered, “Zesheng, give him the body back! Since the autopsy report is on record, there’s no use keeping it. It’s just wasting electricity!”

“… ” Cheng Zesheng signaled to Jiang Tan, asking him not to bother arguing with someone like this. Over the years, they had encountered all sorts of relatives of victims. People with He Lu’s impatient and impolite temperament were not uncommon at all.

Liu Renyu walked out of the small office, holding a beaker containing a small piece of bloody organ tissue, and asked Jiang Tan, “Professor, should we send this for toxicity testing now?”

For a few seconds, a fleeting look of confusion crossed Jiang Tan’s youthful face as he saw the meaningful smile on Liu Renyu’s face. He immediately played along, “Ah… yes, let’s do it now. Take this gentleman with you to submit the sample. This way, he won’t keep crying and shouting for his brother here.”

“…Where are you taking me?” He Lu frowned, staring at the beaker in Jiang Tan’s hand. “What’s this?”

Liu Renyu approached, lifting the beaker and placing it in front of He Lu, smiling gently, “It’s your brother’s liver tissue.”

“…” He Lu’s complexion turned pale and unsightly. He took a step back in fright, his stomach churning. He covered his mouth and quickly ran out.

Jiang Tan burst into laughter. Look at him, acting all tough and domineering with the living, but scared out of his wits by a piece of internal organ tissue. If he didn’t speak more respectfully next time, he might just lock him up in the mortuary!

Cheng Zesheng, on the other hand, was puzzled, staring at the beaker. “Doing the toxicity test at this point?” He hadn’t thought of it during the previous two autopsies?

“Of course not. We’ve thoroughly examined He Wei’s body. The toxicity test was already conducted during the initial autopsy,” Liu Renyu placed the beaker on the table. “He was making too much noise, and I could hear him clearly inside. It was affecting my work on organizing files, so I scared him a bit.”

“What about this piece of tissue—”

Jiang Tan rolled his eyes. “It’s pig liver, can’t you tell? I bought it this morning. I plan to make a dish called ‘Heart and Liver Sweetheart’ with pig heart tonight. Do you want to join in?”

“…No, thanks,” Cheng Zesheng stiffly shook his head. He wouldn’t dare touch Jiang Chief’s “Heart and Liver Sweetheart.”

Jiang Tan huffed. If he didn’t want to, then fine, no good food for him. Crossing his arms, he curiously asked, “Hey, seriously, I’ve done two rounds of examination on He Wei’s body, and there’s been nothing significant found. Why didn’t you let them take the body away?”

“Just not fond of him. I guess if he takes his brother’s body, he might even crush his brother’s ashes.”

Upon careful consideration, Jiang Tan realized there was some truth in it. However, the storage time limit was nearing its end, and by then, they would still have to ask the victim’s family to complete the necessary procedures, or their police institution would hand the body over to the funeral home.

Unspoken by Cheng Zesheng was his personal intention—he didn’t want to see He Wei confined to that cramped little box.

—

At night, Avenoir. 

Before Cheng Zesheng was a glass of soda water again. The bartender stuck out their tongue, feeling that this Sir was restrained and dull. Anyone who dated him would surely die of boredom.

However, their boss didn’t share the same sentiment. The police had come over for investigations time and time again. Instead of getting annoyed, they were patient and cooperative. The two of them chose a booth and whispered to each other in the corner.

“Senior has a reserved personality, is unwilling to socialize, and has only a handful of people he likes.” Lian Jingyuan supported his cheek with his hand, raising one finger. “During university, there was only one person, and it was just a vague crush. It ended without any progress after that person emigrated. So, that night, when I witnessed his emotional outbreak for the first time, I was genuinely shocked and couldn’t believe it.”

Subconsciously, Cheng Zesheng had already made a distinction between the later appearance of “He Wei” and the victim He Wei, treating them as two different individuals. But he couldn’t figure out who this extra “He Wei” might be. The He Wei from his world was already deceased, while the one from that world was still alive and well. Could there really be a third parallel universe?

As soon as he thought of this possibility, Cheng Zesheng’s scalp tingled. If a third parallel universe existed, it would mean they had a third version of their lives. What kind of life would the Cheng Zesheng from that universe lead? He didn’t want to imagine it at all and couldn’t dare to.

“Did he mention the breakup to you? Did he say who the person was and the reason behind it?”

“Officer Cheng, I answered this before. He didn’t mention anyone. Most of the time, Senior would drown his sorrows with alcohol. He didn’t say much, and even when he did speak, he blamed his failed relationships on fate,” Lian Jingyuan spread his hands, giving a bitter smile. “I don’t really understand. A person’s emotions are within their own control, something they need to strive for themselves. So why would he blame the world for not giving him a chance?”

“…Blame the world for not giving him a chance?” Cheng Zesheng paused, detecting a different layer of meaning. Last time, he had taken these statements from Lian Jingyuan as the melodramatic words of a jilted lover. Now that he thought about it, maybe everything He Wei had said was true. Could it be that some uncontrollable factors from another parallel world were truly hindering him?

“You find it strange too, don’t you? This isn’t the kind of thing Senior would usually say during your investigations.” Lian Jingyuan gave a faint smile. “Officer Cheng, allow me to babble for a moment. I’ve always felt that Senior didn’t die. I don’t know why, but I have a sensation that his death isn’t real, as if he’s still alive somewhere.”

Cheng Zesheng’s index finger traced circles around the rim of his glass. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, “What if I told you that He Wei is indeed leading a good life, but he’s not your senior? Would you believe me?”

“I would.” Lian Jingyuan gazed out at the lights beyond the window. The warm glow within the booth enhanced the tenderness and charm of his face. He softly continued, “The world is full of wonders. The last time he came to see me, the aura and feeling he exuded weren’t those of the He Wei I knew. Yet, I strangely enjoyed that composed self-assurance, which brought an unprecedented sense of comfort.”

The atmosphere within the booth grew even more silent. Realizing the lateness of the hour, Cheng Zesheng stood up, preparing to bid farewell. He had urgent matters to attend to and couldn’t linger.

As Lian Jingyuan walked his guest to the exit, he stood by the roadside and watched Cheng Zesheng open his car door. Suddenly, he called out, “Officer Cheng!”

Cheng Zesheng turned around. “What is it?”

“The day Senior left, I also escorted him to the door, and he said something to me.”

Cheng Zesheng looked at him, and Lian Jingyuan lowered his voice, speaking slowly and deliberately, his tone becoming deep and cold:

“He said, Since there is no encounter, there will be no beginning, so I can only find a way to create an encounter’.”

Cheng Zesheng’s body tensed, and goosebumps spread across his arms.

This tone and feeling were imitating the demeanor of He Wei.