Chapter 581: If… I’m the Murderer

Book Chapter 581: If… I’m the Murderer (Update 4)

Only someone who could develop a commercial apartment building in the heart of Bin City. Lin

At the very least, they wouldn’t be poor, and they wouldn’t be ordinary either.

Ordinary people can’t even afford to erect a building in a place like this.

Of course, they didn’t get rich by merely selling a few apartments.

They earned their wealth by renting out commercial office spaces and suites.

Now a murder has occurred inside the business building, casting a deeply negative shadow over it.

Soon, this building will be labeled a ‘haunted house’.

Whether for companies, office tenants, or residents,

who would want to work or live in such a building?

……

Xia Pengzhan, 54, a native of Bin City and the owner of Hongda Real Estate Co., Ltd…

He sat in his office, staring blankly at the police superintendent’s shoulder badge on Xiao Yu’s shoulder.

Unbelievable and beyond comprehension.

Xia Pengzhan had once been a soldier; after discharge, he ventured into business with the ‘553’ approach.

Yet he still kept in touch with some of his comrades.

One of whom even became a policeman after retiring.

Thus, Xia Pengzhan fully understood what a ‘First-Class Police Superintendent’ signified.

But the other party was a genuine cop…

A First-Class Police Superintendent in his twenties? You’ve got to be kidding!

“I’m here to ask for your help in investigating a case,” the officer stated.

Seated on the reception sofa, Xiao Yu locked eyes with Xia Pengzhan and asked, “Do you have any enemies?”

“……”

Coming back to his senses, Xia Pengzhan, clearly puzzled, shook his head slightly and replied, “I’m just a small-time developer. Who would have a grudge against me?”

He spoke with a surprising note of modesty.

A real estate magnate with billions in assets isn’t exactly inconspicuous.

“Have you ever inadvertently offended anyone?” Xiao Yu continued.

“In business, you’re bound to upset someone at times,” he answered.

Xia Pengzhan frowned. “I don’t see what you’re getting at.”

“One final question.”

Xiao Yu spoke slowly, “Could any of those you’ve offended possibly resort to killing or framing you for revenge?”

“Uh?”

Xia Pengzhan wore an expression that practically screamed, ‘Are you out of your mind?’

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Xiao Yu said as he stood and walked away.

Xia Pengzhan was left dumbfounded.

What on earth was that cop really asking about?

Xiao Yu wasn’t really there to ask questions.

He was simply there to confirm one thing.

Whether the murderer was targeting Xia Pengzhan.

The answer… was no!

One must admit…

An entrepreneur with a military background inevitably retains a bit of a soldier’s demeanor.

At the very least, Xiao Yu hadn’t detected any lies.

No enemies.

Offending someone doesn’t automatically lead to murderous revenge.

If both these points are proven, the idea of a revenge-driven killer can be ruled out.

A deduction overturned!

Such twists are commonplace in police investigations.

If solving cases was always that simple, anyone could be a cop.

But Xiao Yu did make progress.

The murderer wasn’t out for revenge against a particular group.

Yet still managed to orchestrate this heinous murder.

For what purpose? What gain was there?

As the investigation principle goes: whoever benefits is the prime suspect.

In this case, it seemed that everyone… ended up losing out!

From developers to tenants, and from tenants to owners.

Hardly anyone profited.

So, how does one become the beneficiary?

Who could possibly profit from this apartment building?

As Xiao Yu headed toward the police car, he suddenly halted.

He thought of a certain type of person.

A buyer!

Now that the building’s been branded a crime scene, how could there possibly be any buyers?

A ridiculous question indeed.

How does a ‘haunted house’ come about?

It was the murderer’s doing!

Would the murderer really care if someone died in that building?

Xiao Yu conceived an even more absurd theory.

There was someone who wanted to buy an apartment in that building.

But the prices for those apartments were exorbitant.

She didn’t have enough money — not even close to affording one.

Yet she was madly in love with the building.

She adored the apartments inside.

Short on cash but still eager to buy—what could she do?

She’d drive the prices down!

Doesn’t that theory sound utterly ridiculous?

Killing to drop prices in order to buy a house?

Could an ordinary person really pull that off?

The answer is… yes!

Xiao Yu recalled a real case.

This case had taken place in the former life of Xiangjiang.

And the murderer was, again, a woman…

A family of four lived in a modest apartment building.

They were, in fact, a family of four.

Because the place was too cramped, the elder sister refused to share a room with her brother, suffering abuse at the hands of their chauvinistic father…

As a child, the girl had wished for a home of her own.

She grew up, graduated from college, and worked hard to land a decent job.

But in a place like Xiangjiang…

even a good job could hardly ever lead to affording one’s own home.

It would take forever!

Years later.

Her mother died in a car accident, and her father was diagnosed with cancer.

Overwhelmed by these tragedies, the girl felt utterly drained.

In her despair, she switched off her father’s ventilator, watching helplessly as he passed away.

Why would she do such a thing?

Because once her father died, she would receive an insurance payout.

With that money, plus her hard-earned savings over the years,

she could put down the deposit for a prestigious home in Xiangjiang.

But…

While she had enough for the down payment, the bank refused to grant her a loan, citing her apparent inability to repay.

Her mother was dead, and in striving for a new home, even her father had to perish.

After painstakingly saving every penny, she still couldn’t buy a house.

The cascade of misfortunes stirred a dark resolve in the girl… A woman who couldn’t even bring herself to kill her own father was never a good person!

That day, she murdered the security guard of the prestigious building, destroyed the surveillance cameras, broke into a resident’s home, and wiped out an entire family.

She succeeded.

On her own, she managed to crash the building’s property value, turning it into a crime-ridden house.

3.9

Subsequently, not only did property prices plummet dramatically, but the building was left deserted.

But… she still managed to buy her dream home.

And she became the owner of the building!

This case wasn’t cracked by Xiangjiang police until years later, making headlines.

It was even adapted into a movie based on the real events…

“Could this murder case be similar to the one from her past life?”

Xiao Yu’s expression grew complex.

He couldn’t rule out the possibility.

But he simply didn’t have the time to verify it.

“Looks like we’ll have to rely on old methods!”

Xiao Yu managed a bitter smile.

In an instant, his expression turned cold, the spark in his eyes devoid of any trace of human emotion.

His mind switched into a state of calculation far beyond normal comprehension.

If… I’m the murderer!.

Wen

Xue