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“You know him?” Lin Xian asked, curious.

Chu An Qing nodded. “Yeah, my dad talked about him once. His name stuck with me because it’s so unique. My dad loves science and follows a lot of scientists, especially those from Donghai City. He practically knows every one of them.”

Lin Xian’s interest grew. “Did your dad ever support Ji Xin Shui’s research financially?”

Chu An Qing shook her head and smiled. “No, he didn’t need funding from my dad. Mr. Ji Xin Shui is actually pretty wealthy, maybe even more so than my dad.”

Wealthier than Chu Shan He? Lin Xian blinked in surprise. That was saying something. If he was richer than Chu Shan He, he must be among the country’s wealthiest. Though Lin Xian wasn’t sure about Chu Shan He’s exact fortune, he knew there were many rumors about his wealth.

Seeing Lin Xian’s intrigued expression, Chu An Qing continued, “My dad told me Ji Xin Shui had a rough start. He wasn’t well-respected in the research community and was even shunned by some at Donghai University. But he eventually made a breakthrough. He published a bunch of important research papers and really made a name for himself in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. He even became the head of the research institute at Donghai University.”

So, it’s one of those classic rags-to-riches stories, Lin Xian mused. Never underestimate someone young and struggling. Ji Xin Shui’s journey reminded him of Xu Yun, who also faced academic exclusion but later rose to prominence.

“If Ji Xin Shui was Xu Yun’s mentor from his grad student days to his research career, they must have been really close. In this graduation photo, Ji Xin Shui looks at Xu Yun with such affection, almost like he’s looking at his own son,” Lin Xian observed.

Chu An Qing nodded. “Exactly. My dad mentioned that Xu Yun and Mr. Ji were like family. Mr. Ji even introduced Xu Yun to his future wife, who was his niece.”

That explains a lot, Lin Xian thought as he listened to Chu An Qing. Chu Shan He’s strong relationship with Xu Yun was well-known. He had supported Xu Yun financially for ten years, and Xu Yun was deeply grateful. The details Chu An Qing shared probably came straight from Xu Yun.

But one piece of the puzzle was missing. If Xu Yun and Ji Xin Shui were so close, why did their relationship deteriorate over hibernation research, leading to a decade-long silence?

“Why did their relationship deteriorate if they were so close?” Lin Xian asked directly.

Chu An Qing shrugged. “I’m not sure. My dad didn’t go into details; he just mentioned it in passing. I know that Mr. Ji Xin Shui left Donghai University at some point, maybe to start his own business or pursue other research. My dad said he became very powerful and influential.”

Lin Xian took out his phone and searched for Ji Xin Shui. Several old news articles popped up, the most recent one from two years ago. It seemed that as he aged, Mr. Ji preferred to stay out of the limelight.

Lin Xian clicked on a news article about an international medical conference where Ji Xin Shui was a prominent figure in the front row. Clearly, his status was still significant. Zooming in on the photo, he noted Ji Xin Shui looked much older than in the graduation photo. His hair was nearly gone, and what remained was white. His face bore wrinkles, and his skin seemed dry and aged.

Time spares no one. Lin Xian compared the aging man in the photo to the young man from the graduation picture. Ji Xin Shui now appeared at least twenty years older, likely in his eighties.

Remembering that Ji Lin and Ji Xin Shui shared a surname and Ji Lin had mentioned that Xu Yun was his sister’s husband and that he was adopted, Lin Xian connected the dots. These people were all intertwined. Their relationships were complex.

Deciding to organize his thoughts, Lin Xian took a picture of the graduation photo, bid Chu An Qing goodbye, and headed home. At home, he spread out a piece of paper and started to map out the relationships.

From the information he gathered, Lin Xian deduced the following:

Ji Xin Shui was a highly successful, influential figure who suddenly rose to prominence. When he met Xu Yun, he was already heading the research institute at Donghai University. Their bond was deep, almost father-son like. Ji Xin Shui even introduced his niece to Xu Yun, leading to their marriage and the birth of their daughter, Xu Yi Yi.

The niece had a younger adopted brother, Ji Lin. Since Ji Lin referred to Xu Yun’s wife as ‘sister,’ she must have been adopted by Ji Xin Shui’s brother, thus sharing the same surname.

Initially, everyone was content. Ji Xin Shui and Xu Yun grew closer through family ties. Xu Yun and Ji Xin Shui’s niece formed a loving couple, and young Ji Lin became friends with Xu Yun, enchanted by his stories and the books he shared.

Then tragedy struck. Xu Yun’s wife passed away from a rare complication during childbirth. Surprisingly, this event didn’t strain Xu Yun and Ji Xin Shui’s relationship. Their fallout happened later when Xu Yi Yi, around four or five years old, had a severe accident and fell into a coma. Xu Yun’s determination to pursue hibernation technology led to their separation.

For ten years, they lost contact. Xu Yun relentlessly pursued his research, which tragically led to his death after Lin Xian handed him a manuscript that resolved a critical issue with the hibernation chamber.

Xu Yun’s death triggered a series of events. Tang Xin arrived in Donghai City at Ji Xin Shui’s invitation for research. Ji Lin sought revenge for Xu Yun, and Yellow Finch warned Lin Xian about a deceptive game, hinting at Tang Xin’s imminent death, likely implicating Zhou Duan Yun as one of the conspirators.

Lin Xian set his pen down. “That’s roughly how these people are connected.”

Yet, something still didn’t quite make sense. Lin Xian had suspicions about Ji Xin Shui and Zhou Duan Yun’s involvement in Tang Xin’s murder. But if Xu Yun and Ji Xin Shui were as close as father and son, could Ji Xin Shui really harm Xu Yun?

“Maybe,” Lin Xian thought, realizing it was futile to look for humanity in a killer. If one could murder a stranger for a cause, they might kill a family member for greater gains.

Continuing this thought, if Ji Xin Shui did harm Xu Yun, then Ji Lin’s quest for revenge in Donghai City was either because he was kept in the dark or he was knowingly pretending.

Lin Xian pondered this for a long time. Ji Lin wasn’t naive. He was a globally recognized genius detective who had assisted the Long Kingdom police in solving several international cases and had quickly resolved many complex cases in Donghai City.

“So, if even I, an average person, can suspect Ji Xin Shui and Zhou Duan Yun, how could Ji Lin, with his superior intelligence and investigative skills, not see it?”

Lin Xian slammed his pen down on the table. Suddenly, everything clicked. He had uncovered the biggest oversight in the entire case. With all the obvious clues, Ji Lin hadn’t accused Zhou Duan Yun or Ji Xin Shui. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of fake chat records and used them to test him!

Thankfully, Lin Xian had been cautious and hadn’t cleared Tang Xin’s name prematurely. It was a deep trap, crafted to ensnare him.

“It seems the Donghai City police aren’t as inept as I thought,” Lin Xian mused, calming himself and staring into the dark night sky. “Someone is deliberately misleading the investigation… A thief shouting ‘Catch the thief!\'”