Hao Lin Arts and Crafts Co., Ltd.
In an office on the top floor of the company’s administrative building, Sun Zhao politely shook hands with Shen Haolin, Shen Xin’s father. "Mr. Shen, thank you for supporting our work."
Shen Haolin, who had a prominent potbelly and a jade ring on his finger, was a man of average looks. He waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, no need for such formalities. We’re practically family. You’re Shen Xin’s superior—I should be thanking *you* for looking after him."
As he spoke, he pulled out a pack of Venerable Emperor cigarettes and offered them around, insisting everyone take one.
Shen Shuang and Shen Xin’s mother, Zeng Wenxi, were also there.
Unlike the unrefined Shen Haolin, Zeng Wenxi had an elegant air and was quite beautiful. She and Shen Shuang stood close together, their eyes glued to Shen Xin, who was busy working inside the office.
Shen Xin was standing on a stool, taking books one by one from Ding Yuwei’s hands and placing them on a bookshelf.
"Mom, they’re such a good match. Both are police officers, and more importantly, she’s gorgeous," Shen Shuang whispered.
Zeng Wenxi didn’t speak, only nodding.
Inside, after filling the last space on the bookshelf, Shen Xin jumped down from the stool. He walked to the doorway and glanced at a photograph.
It was a match. A 95% match.
The original cri scene had already been renovated, so if they wanted to recreate it, they had to find a new location.
Shen Xin imdiately thought of his dad’s office—it was the sa size.
So, he decided he might as well borrow it.
He rented an office desk and sofa from a used furniture market that were nearly identical to those at the cri scene.
The "Great Roc Spreading Its Wings" sculpture was borrowed from one of his dad’s friends.
Then there was the "Heaven Rewards the Diligent" calligraphy, the potted lucky bamboo, and the Money Toad on the desk. In short, Shen Xin had gone to great lengths to recreate the cri scene as accurately as possible.
"Captain Sun, what do you think?" Shen Xin asked.
Sun Zhao took the photograph, made a quick comparison, and nodded. "Alright, let’s get started."
Outside, a female colleague from the station who was skilled with makeup was helping the two actors get ready.
Shen Xin wanted to do a cri scene reenactnt.
So, Shen Xin hadn’t been idle the past few days. He’d wracked his brain, going through everyone he knew to find look-alikes for Sun Kai and Liu Laibin.
Ding Yuwei had even made a special trip to the Nanzhu film studio to see if she could find a suitable candidate among the extras.
And luckily, she’d found soone who bore a strong resemblance to Liu Laibin.
As for the other one, Sun Kai, Shen Xin found him too. There was an employee at his family’s factory who looked remarkably like the Sun Kai in the police sketch.
When Chen Chao saw him for the first ti just now, he almost cried out in shock.
Of course, they couldn’t forget the star of the show.
After getting in touch with the zoo, Li Xiaobing had brought Broo over.
"Actors in position."
The actor, an aspiring extra, got into character imdiately, smoothing his hair.
To play the part well, he had even gotten the sa haircut as Liu Laibin.
He sat formally behind the desk.
The employee playing Sun Kai also took his place. Dressed in a similar suit, he sat in front of the desk, looking a bit nervous.
"Don’t be nervous. If you do a good job, I’ll have my dad give you a bonus."
After offering a word of encouragent, Shen Xin signaled for Broo to be brought in.
Li Xiaobing pushed the cage in. It was covered with a black cloth.
Shen Xin went forward and took Broo out.
Then, everyone else left the office and closed the door, watching the events inside on a monitor.
Broo was placed to the right of the desk, near the "Great Roc Spreading Its Wings" sculpture and the lucky bamboo. Diagonal to his position was the sofa, and to his right was the office door. From this spot, he had a panoramic view of the entire office.
"Begin."
Shen Xin gestured to the two actors, then placed Broo on his perch.
His view had been blocked until now, but he had been very well-behaved and hadn’t struggled.
Now, Shen Xin retreated to a corner to observe him in silence.
He was in a new environnt. His body was perfectly still as he tilted his head, looking all around.
A parrot’s eyes are rather vacant, and unlike cats or dogs, their faces don’t have enough muscles to form complex expressions.
But thanks to their genuine rapport, Shen Xin could still sense Broo’s emotions from his movents and posture.
And, of course, he could also hear his thoughts.
’Where am I?’
Clearly, Broo was a little confused.
anwhile, the actors began their performance.
Shen Xin had devised a scenario: After work hours, Sun Kai, who had already received the bridge loan paynt, suddenly reappeared at the company.
The reason for his return was irrelevant. It was plausible to assu the two n sat together, making small talk, just as the actors were now.
What they talked about wasn’t important either; he let the actors improvise.
Sure enough, the two actors captured Broo’s attention. He stared at them intently.
Shen Xin didn’t hear any thoughts, but from Broo’s reaction, it was clear he had recognized Liu Laibin.
If he could rember Tingting, there was no way he’d forget Liu Laibin, the man who bought him.
Shen Xin gestured to the two actors.
"Liu Laibin" stood up and pulled "Sun Kai" over to the reception area.
Broo tilted his head, watching them intently.
Still no thoughts.
But Shen Xin was now certain that Broo had definitely recognized Liu Laibin.
Shen Xin raised a finger again: Act Three.
"Sun Kai" suddenly pulled out a switchblade, pointed it at "Liu Laibin," and threatened him to open the safe.
The autopsy had revealed defensive wounds on Liu Laibin’s body; he had been choked and kicked. The police theorized that Sun Kai had threatened him.
This was because there were no signs of the safe being forced open.
"Liu Laibin" looked panicked.
"Sun Kai" was getting into character too. He cursed loudly, pretended to land a few kicks, then wrapped an arm around "Liu Laibin’s" neck, threatening him to open the safe.
Shen Xin silently stared at Broo’s reaction.
’Strange, I’m not hearing any thoughts.’
’I’m only at Stage Two, first bar, but there shouldn’t be so few thoughts.’
Broo just watched, tilting his head.
On the other side, in front of the monitor, Sun Zhao and the others watched in silence.
"Solving a case like this... it’s absolutely wild!" Chen Chao said, looking exasperated.
He never would have dread of reenacting a cri for a parrot.
Sun Zhao felt the sa way. He stared intently at Shen Xin before saying, "The key is, why isn’t the parrot saying anything?"
He’d thought Shen Xin’s plan was to teach the parrot to speak and then have it describe the scene.
Just then, the reenactnt reached its final act.
"Sun Kai," holding the switchblade, stabbed "Liu Laibin" again and again. The actor playing "Liu Laibin" was excellent, falling to the ground, convulsing.
At that exact mont, Broo, who had been motionless, finally reacted.
He began hopping back and forth on his perch.
And Shen Xin, who had been observing Broo the entire ti, suddenly had a look of utter shock on his face.
Finally, Shen Xin heard Broo’s thoughts again.
’Strange, who is he?’
Shen Xin was baffled.
’Was the acting bad? Or is there a flaw in the scenario I devised? Who is the ’he’ Broo’s talking about?’
’Liu Laibin?’
’No, that’s not right. I’m sure Broo already recognized Liu Laibin.’
’Then he must an Sun Kai.’
’Is it because the actor doesn’t look enough like Sun Kai? Is that why he didn’t recognize him?’
’That can’t be right. The employee I found was a fluke, but he’s a ninety percent match for the sketch. With makeup, he should look even more like him.’
Just as he was puzzling over this, Shen Xin heard Broo’s thoughts again.
’Wrong. Not the sa person.’
A chill ran down Shen Xin’s spine.
’Does Broo an Sun Kai didn’t co alone? That it was really a group of them?’
’Then who were the others?’
Suddenly.
Broo flapped his wings and took flight.
He circled the office, letting out a sharp cry from his beak.
"Asshole! Asshole!"
The two actors froze.
Shen Xin was stunned.
’Asshole?’
’Isn’t that Li Weiqin?’
The next mont, Shen Xin heard another thought.
’They all ca. The assholes all ca. Where are they?’
Shen Xin’s eyes flew wide open.
In an instant, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning, making his scalp tingle.
"Broo!"
Shen Xin shouted.
Broo turned his head and obediently landed on Shen Xin’s shoulder.
Shen Xin quickly pointed to the baffled "Sun Kai" on the floor. "This person wasn’t there, was he?"
"Right! Right!"
As Broo spoke, his thoughts ca through at the sa ti.
’Who is he?’
Shen Xin sucked in a sharp breath, genuinely frightened.
BANG! The office door flew open, and Sun Zhao and the others rushed in.
"Shen Xin, what was that about ’asshole’?"
They had all heard Broo shouting "Asshole."
Among them, Ding Yuwei also had a thoughtful expression.
Shen Xin looked at Broo, then at the two actors on the floor, and finally said in a daze, "Captain Sun, do you think... it’s possible..."
"That... that there’s no such person as Sun Kai!"
Sun Zhao started, frowning. "What do you an?"
In the crowd, however, Ding Yuwei’s eyes suddenly widened.
It seed she had realized it too.
Shen Xin turned to look at the recreated cri scene before him, a deep, horrifying chill rising in his heart.
"I an, is it possible that the killers were a group of people, and they all conspired to give matching testimony... fabricating a murderer for us police?"
Broo’s reaction was clear: he had never seen Sun Kai. He didn’t know who that person was.
But he did know the "asshole" was present.
And not just one of them. They *all* ca!
So how many were there?
The entire company had only five employees in total.
And in this case, the testimony regarding Sun Kai was basically identical from all five of them. They had all seen Sun Kai.
Li Weiqin had even taken Liu Laibin to inspect Sun Kai’s company.
But Sun Kai didn’t exist.
That could only an they were lying.
All five of them. They were all lying.
And Liu Laibin’s murder was committed by every single one of his employees!
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