Chapter 841 - 839: For the Departed Her 9

The room fell into silence once more. It was clear that Zhao Kehan was very patient, quietly leaning against the wall, waiting for Zhou Jiayang to continue.

Of course, he didn’t miss the struggling expressions on Zhou Jiayang’s face throughout.

The sound of a message notification resounded. Zhou Jiayang glanced at it and turned off the phone. It seemed not to be any important information, perhaps even spam.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Zhou Jiayang suddenly lifted his head and looked at Zhao Kehan, as if preparing to spill everything.

He took a deep breath and said, "Su Chen’s path to suicide has something to do with Jiang Yizhou."

"Is it only related to Jiang Yizhou?" Zhao Kehan stared into Zhou Jiayang’s eyes, "If it was only related to Jiang Yizhou, why would the murderer kill Liang Cheng, and why are you so afraid? Zhou Jiayang, at this point, I think you should explain things clearly."

Zhou Jiayang’s expression tangled for a moment. He looked deflated, like a deflated balloon, saying lifelessly, "Yes, Su Chen ending up like this is somewhat related to us, but not substantially."

"She did jump off the building and commit suicide, didn’t she?"

"Even if we are somewhat at fault, the penalty shouldn’t be death." Remembering Jiang Yizhou and Liang Cheng’s tragic deaths, fear enveloped Zhou Jiayang’s body, "Officer Zhao, you must save me! Jiang Yizhou and Liang Cheng are both dead, and the killer surely won’t spare Xu Zhao and me."

"Then explain clearly your relationship with Su Chen’s death, what did you do to her?"

Perhaps realizing that further concealment would only bring peril to himself, Zhou Jiayang now only wanted to escape from the chilling gaze of the murderer. He said, "Our dormitory collaborated on a project, and Su Chen was also a participant."

"She was from the law department, very capable in her field, which I’m sure Officer Zhao knows. She was the top in her major, greatly favored by the professors. Though she was just a third-year student, she had obtained her certification by sophomore year. She might not have contributed directly to the project itself, but she helped us avoid a lot of potential pitfalls."

Zhao Kehan nodded, "I did indeed find out that you and Su Chen had a close relationship, occasionally dining out together."

When Jiang Yizhou died, he hadn’t pinpointed any issues related to Su Chen’s suicide.

Although he had investigated before and found that Su Chen occasionally joined them for meals, he hadn’t thought much of it, since Su Chen’s boyfriend was Jiang Yizhou. It was common for dormitory gatherings to include girlfriends; others had brought theirs along.

But when Liang Cheng fell to his death, things seemed clearly amiss.

He then arranged for deeper investigation into their circumstances, only to find out that they were involved in a project together. These people were all computer science majors, and the project was related to it. Later, it was discovered that Su Chen was drafting the contracts for it.

Although there was no evidence, it was clear that Liang Cheng was murdered, as if the murderer was declaring, deliberately making everyone aware of this act, a provocation, also telling everyone this was revenge.

"And then?" Zhao Kehan asked.

Zhou Jiayang’s eyes struggled, followed by his voice, "Half a year ago, we had dinner with the collaborators and finalized the partnership, signing the contract on the spot. Everyone was happy and drank a lot, getting quite drunk..." He paused and glanced at Zhao Kehan, finding him staring, he continued, "Usually, Su Chen doesn’t drink at gatherings, as someone needed to drive, and she didn’t like alcohol. So, she often took the task of driving us one by one back home, but this time, she drank."

"While we were all inebriated, she said she needed to go to the restroom. Though the private room had a restroom, it was occupied, so she had to go outside. Initially, Jiang Yizhou was called to accompany her, but he was too drunk. Su Chen called him twice, but he responded without acting upon it. She didn’t return the entire night."

Seeing Zhao Kehan frowning, Zhou Jiayang continued, "At that time, we were all drunk and naturally didn’t go looking for her. We stayed in the room, which allowed for overnight stays if guests didn’t leave, hence the staff saw us sleeping and didn’t disturb us."

"The next morning, we woke up to find just us four; Su Chen and the collaborators were gone. At that moment, Jiang Yizhou’s phone rang; it was Su Chen." Zhou Jiayang looked at Zhao Kehan, "It seems Officer Zhao might have guessed it. That night, Su Chen was with Mu Shiming. She said it wasn’t of her volition; she was muddled, dragged off by someone. When she woke up in the morning, she found herself lying with Mu Shiming, with everything that should and shouldn’t have happened, happened."

"If only Jiang Yizhou hadn’t been so drunk, or even if he was, he had accompanied Su Chen, perhaps none of this would have happened." Zhou Jiayang lamented, "The killer hates us too, presumably because we didn’t seek justice for Su Chen at that time."

"During such an incident, didn’t you report it to the police?" Zhao Kehan asked, "Su Chen was a law student after all and had obtained certification. There’s no reason she would suffer silently and let herself be bullied. The Mu Shiming you mentioned seems like a notable figure. Should this go public, it would definitely be adverse for him even if the event couldn’t be changed; he ought to face due punishment."

Zhou Jiayang let out a bitter laugh: "Officer Zhao, some things aren’t as straightforward as they seem. Back then, we and Mu Shiming had already sealed the partnership, that was one implication. Additionally, Mu Shiming helped clean Su Chen’s body and recorded several videos and photos. Lastly, Su Chen’s background is well-known; she came from humble beginnings, barely making it to where she was. If this became public, the public uproar would be unimaginable."

"Even for a law student like Su Chen, with strong professional skills, not everyone has the courage to face such a situation. Moreover, if it were to be made public, the repercussions are hard to predict. Mu Shiming comes from a wealthy background, playing public opinion would be a breeze for him. At that point, the outcome would be unpredictable, and the cost of fighting for rights too high for Su Chen to bear."

"Jiang Yizhou is similar; he too comes from an ordinary family and still needs to integrate into this circle, not daring to offend Mu Shiming. Once offended, even if Mu Shiming were convicted, Jiang Yizhou might still struggle to make a living as the Mu Family is more than just Mu Shiming."

"Even Liang Cheng’s family couldn’t compare to the Mu Family, relying on Mu Shiming for many things, thus wouldn’t dare offend them for Su Chen. As for me, a mere school principal’s nephew, blessed with some wealth, required favors for projects—what could be done? As for Xu Zhao, he might seem financially stable but lacks background, not a match for Mu Shiming."

"Originally, Su Chen wanted to escalate the matter, but upon hearing our analysis, she fell silent, realizing we wouldn’t stand with her nor testify against anyone."