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“It does seem unlikely,” Su Xuan agreed. “He had good relationship with so many people. As for the other two who had some grudges against him, it was nothing more than minor issues. Killing someone over such trivial matters isn’t worth it.”

However, considering the fingerprint on the victim’s ankle, they couldn’t just dismiss this as a simple accidental drowning. While all the evidence pointed towards it being an accidental drowning, Su Xuan had a strong feeling that this was a murder case, based on that fingerprint alone.

“This is where Chen Jianguo fell into the river according to the surveillance,” Su

Xuan said as he reached the riverbank.

Zhou Qiang, who had followed him, found a spot and looked down. In their line of sight, there was indeed a fresh mark on the riverbank, indicating where Chen Jianguo had slipped down.

“Do you think Chen Jianguo could swim?” Su Xuan suddenly asked, catching Zhou Qiang off guard.

This question left Zhou Qiang momentarily stunned. Did Chen Jianguo know how to swim? Their records didn’t provide a clear answer to that. But if they assumed Chen Jianguo couldn’t swim, wouldn’t he have called for help when he slipped? And what if he could swim? In that case, why didn’t he swim back up immediately when he fell, especially if he hadn’t been drinking?

“That’s a good question,” Su Xuan remarked. “I’ll need to check it myself. You stay here and find out if he could swim or not.”

Zhou Qiang promptly made a phone call for the investigation. Meanwhile, Su Xuan closely inspected the area where the slip marks were. His face grew serious.

Actually, Su Xuan had considered asking this question back at the hospital. However, given how agitated Lan Xiaofen was, he decided to hold off. Now, with the visible slip marks, something felt off to him.

After a moment of contemplation, he left the spot and headed towards an open area about thirty meters away. Su Xuan took off his coat and pants, squatted by the river, and used a tree branch to retrieve something from the water.

“Splash!”

Hearing the splash while still on the phone, Zhou Qiang immediately turned to look. He saw Su Xuan plunging into the river and then rapidly swimming back to the shore. Zhou Qiang was surprised and hurried over, puzzled by Su Xuan s shivering as he put on his slippers and clothes.

“Did you intentionally jump in?” Zhou Qiang asked with a wry smile. “You’re quite bold, aren’t you? And you even undressed before doing it.” Ignoring the playful comment, Su Xuan urged Zhou Qiang to examine the slip marks where he had just resurfaced.

“What’s there to see?” Zhou Qiang mumbled. “Isn’t it just a slip into the water?

Let me check…”

As Zhou Qiang examined the marks, his words got stuck in his throat, and he turned pale.

“It seems a bit different,” Zhou Qiang commented as he observed the marks where Su Xuan had slipped into the water. “Did you do that intentionally?” he asked.

Su Xuan, now dressed, walked over with narrowed eyes to examine the marks. He shook his head upon hearing the question. “How could I? If I had done it intentionally, these marks would serve no purpose. These marks are quite distinct from the ones where the deceased slipped in.”

Zhou Qiang nodded in agreement and walked to the side. After comparing the marks where Su Xuan slipped and those where the deceased had slipped, they did appear different.

“What if someone hid here in advance, waiting for the deceased to approach and then pulled him into the water?” Su Xuan speculated. “Wouldn’t that be a bit extreme?”

After all, the deceased had been by the river for over half an hour. Who could skillfully hide underwater for such a long time just to harm someone who might not even come to catch fish? Even Su Xuan found this idea a bit far-fetched.

However, Zhou Qiang suddenly clapped his hands. “Yes!”

“Previously, we only studied the surrounding terrain, never considering the possibility of someone lurking in the water,” Zhou Qiang continued. “Su Xuan, your speculation is quite plausible! But among the clues we have, no one holds such a strong grudge against the deceased.”

“And besides, it was late at night, and the argument between the deceased and Lan Xiaofen happened suddenly,” Zhou Qiang added. “Even if someone had a grudge, they wouldn’t just happen to come over and hide so well.”

Based on Su Xuan’s own investigations, the police discarded the idea of accidental drowning. They also brought in forensic experts to compare the marks where the deceased slipped into the water. Their conclusion was clear: someone had dragged the deceased into the water.

With this new information, the case reached a bit of a stalemate. The question now was, who had done it? Were there any potential suspects? And how had they managed to avoid the surveillance cameras?

“I spoke to Lan Xiaofen,” Zhou Qiang walked into the room holding his notes. “She confirmed that the deceased had a habit. After every argument, especially when he had been drinking, he would take a walk by the river. It’s something he started doing after they moved here, and quite a few people knew about it.” Su Xuan’s desk was a mess, covered in papers and documents. He looked up, his youthful face bearing an oddly determined smile.

“Of course!” he said enthusiastically. Zhou Qiang was puzzled by the sudden burst of excitement. “I’ve identified a potential suspect. Initially, I was uncertain, but your information helped narrow it down.”

“First, we can rule out those who were too far away or didn’t have the knowledge. That leaves us with two individuals who seem the most likely.

As he spoke, Su Xuan neatly organized the materials on his desk, quickly turning the chaotic workspace into an orderly one.

It was Zhou Qiang who found himself lost in thought as he examined the information in front of him.

“You…” he began, his voice reflecting his puzzlement. “Are you seriously considering Chen Jianguo’s younger brother as a suspect? Isn’t that a bit extreme? Does his brother have any conflicts with Chen Jianguo?”

“Wasn’t it Chen Jiahui and Lan Xiaofen who had the argument?” Zhou Qiang continued. “This…”

In response to Zhou Qiang’s questions, Su Xuan nodded. “You’re right,” he admitted. “It was indeed Chen Jiahui and Lan Xiaofen who argued. But…” However, Zhou Qiang couldn’t comprehend why Chen Jianguo’s younger brother would be a suspect. After all, they were cousins, and it seemed unimaginable for someone to harm their own cousin in such a way. “Chen Jianguo’s younger brother, Chen Canjun, has a history,” Su Xuan replied with a chilling tone.

Zhou Qiang raised an eyebrow in surprise. “A history? What do you mean?” Su Xuan continued, “When Chen Canjun was younger, he nearly killed someone because of a single comment from his classmate. The other student even reported it to the police. We have records of it in our police files….”