Seeing the middle-aged man immediately bolt upon spotting the police, the officers sensed something was off and promptly gave chase.
Anyone who runs at the sight of the police definitely has something to hide. Even if they’re not involved in this particular arson case, they’re likely connected to some other crime.
For all they knew, this man could be a fugitive.
The officers were in peak physical condition, and chasing suspects was their forte. This was largely thanks to the nature of their job, which often required them to pursue criminals, and over time, their stamina had been honed to perfection.
In contrast, the middle-aged man’s physical fitness was lacking, likely due to his age. You can’t fight time, after all.
Adding to his troubles, the hospital corridor was crowded, making it difficult to run fast. As a result, the man didn’t get far before the officers caught up and pinned him to the ground.
Onlookers in the corridor and patients in the nearby rooms gathered to watch the commotion.
One particularly clueless “good Samaritan” even stepped forward to lead the charge in criticizing the officers’ actions.
“What are you doing? Bullying an elderly man? Shame on you!”
Once someone took the lead, others quickly joined in.
“In broad daylight, you’re going to treat an old man like this in front of all of us? Let him go!”
The situation escalated as more self-proclaimed “champions of justice” stepped forward, loudly condemning the officers.
“Committing crimes in broad daylight… Who do you think you are? Let that man go, and deal with us if you dare!”
“Yeah, do you even respect the law?”
It was hard for anyone to watch a group of young, strong men pinning an elderly man to the ground in broad daylight.
Where’s the justice?
Where’s the rule of law?!
The crowd was outraged.
The more timid ones stayed back, hurling verbal abuse and berating the officers.
The bolder ones even stepped forward, ready to physically intervene and “rescue” the man.
Once the officers had the man fully under control, they took a moment to explain the situation.
One of the officers, after ensuring his colleagues had the man secured, stood up, pulled out his badge, and addressed the crowd.
“Everyone, calm down. We’re not bad guys. We’re police officers, and we’re investigating a case. This man is connected to an ongoing investigation…”
After a brief explanation, the crowd fell silent. The looks of pity they had directed at the man on the ground vanished.
Oh, it’s a police investigation… That changes everything.
Why didn’t you say so earlier? They had assumed these young men were troublemakers and the elderly man was their victim. Turns out, the man on the ground was the real villain.
The crowd’s gaze shifted to the man pinned to the floor, his face pressed against the ground. In their minds, they had already painted him as a despicable criminal.
Someone being pursued by the police isn’t necessarily a criminal—they might just be needed for questioning.
But someone being pinned down like this? That’s a different story. He must be guilty!
The tide of public opinion shifted instantly. The crowd stopped criticizing the officers and instead turned their anger toward the man.
Even the first person who had spoken out against the officers quickly changed their tune.
“I knew that old man was no good! Look at his shifty eyes—he’s clearly a bad egg! Good job catching him!”
The crowd: “…”
You were the one who started this whole thing!
Quick to flip sides, huh? Impressive.
“Yeah, yeah, I could tell he was trouble from the start. Wonder what he’s done.”
“I said earlier this was all a misunderstanding, but you didn’t believe me. You almost messed up the police’s work by siding with this criminal!”
“Hey, you up front, stop gawking and move aside! Don’t block the officers!”
“…”
The officers: “…”
They were used to scenes like this. It happened almost every time they worked undercover.
With the crowd watching, they escorted the man out of the hospital.
…
Based on the victim’s behavior and the fact that her father had fled upon seeing the police, Xu Mo had already pieced together the likely truth behind the case.
Of course, this was just a hypothesis. The specifics still needed to be verified.
Interrogation room.
The man sat in the interrogation chair, nervously glancing around. It was his first time in such a place.
“Are you Ms. Gao’s father? Why did you run when you saw us?” Xu Mo asked, his piercing gaze fixed on the man.
The intensity of his stare made the man even more anxious.
“I… I wasn’t running… I just… I suddenly needed to use the bathroom. Yeah, that’s it. I had to go.”
“So, it was just a coincidence, then?” Xu Mo asked with a smirk.
“Yeah, yeah, a coincidence!” The man nodded eagerly, seizing the opportunity. “It was just a misunderstanding. You’ve got the wrong guy. Let me go—I need to get back to the hospital to see my daughter.”
Letting him go wasn’t an option. The man clearly knew something, and Xu Mo was counting on him to confirm his suspicions.
“Ms. Gao’s piano shop was set on fire last night. We found traces of gasoline at the scene, which points to arson… Do you know anything about this? Or do you have any suspicions about who might be responsible?”
The man, already nervous, grew even more tense at the question.
“No, no… We just found out about it. We don’t know anything.”
“We? Who else is there besides you? Your wife?” Xu Mo pressed.
The man stiffened, his pupils contracting slightly, and nodded.
“Where is she? Why wasn’t she with you at the hospital?”
“She didn’t go.”
“She didn’t go? Your daughter nearly died, and she couldn’t be bothered to visit her in the hospital?”
The man avoided Xu Mo’s gaze, his eyes darting around uneasily.
“She… She hasn’t been feeling well lately, so I told her to stay home.”
For the next minute, Xu Mo didn’t ask any more questions.
The interrogation room was eerily quiet.
The man could even hear his own heartbeat.
Just as he thought he might have gotten away with his lies, Xu Mo suddenly stood up, pulled out his phone, and played a video, shoving the screen in the man’s face.
“We found surveillance footage of the arsonist setting the fire. The person in this video is the one who set the piano shop ablaze. Do you recognize her?”
As he spoke, Xu Mo watched the man’s reaction closely.
The moment the man saw the video, his body froze. His face filled with shock and worry, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.
Xu Mo also noticed a flicker of anger in his eyes.
His reaction was different from the victim’s, yet there were similarities.
Combined with the man’s earlier responses and behavior, Xu Mo was almost certain his hypothesis was correct.
The arsonist was the man’s wife—Ms. Gao’s mother.
Of course, Xu Mo had only deduced this based on the man’s reactions. As for the motive behind the arson, that remained a mystery.
But he was confident this man could provide the answers…
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
