Hey! The Criminal Assistance System Can Even Be Used Like This? 86

There were a few more scenes with my parents that I couldn’t remember before,” Xu Zhizhi said.

Several people had already reviewed Xu Zhizhi’s file and smiled in surprise at her words.

Remembering her parents was indeed good news for Xu Zhizhi.

“You can choose not to participate in this case. You’re an assistant, after all; we won’t force you,” Li Feng said, looking at Xu Zhizhi.

Xu Zhizhi shook her head. “It’s alright. Their deaths settle the human trafficking case, but it doesn’t settle everything…”

At this point, her gaze changed abruptly, turning towards Li Feng, Wang Yuyan, and the others.

She lowered her head, continuing to flip through the files, one by one, examining the records of women and children victimized by these three criminals.

Finally, her hand stopped at an unfamiliar yet familiar name, her pupils trembling slightly.

Wang Yuyan, standing beside Xu Zhizhi, saw where Xu Zhizhi’s finger was pointing and looked up at her. “This Yang Jiao? Is there a problem?”

They had spent countless hours poring over records and compiling the data, but the verification hadn’t even started yet. After all, they had only confirmed her identity this morning, and obtaining this much information was already a significant accomplishment by many people working together. So she assumed Xu Zhizhi thought there was an error.

Rescuing these women and children was a certainty, but they hadn’t fully launched the operation yet, as it had only been ten hours since they received this information.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with her. The problem is, I’ve heard about her before!” Xu Zhizhi muttered to herself.

Wang Yuyan looked at Li Feng; this sounded strange. Yang Jiao was abducted and sold before Xu Zhizhi was; where could she have heard about Yang Jiao?

Li Feng walked to Xu Zhizhi’s side. “Tell us in detail, what’s going on!”

He felt that the information Xu Zhizhi possessed held the key to breaking the case.

After confirming Yang Jiao’s record once more, Xu Zhizhi sighed deeply, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.

“Let me start with the drama, ‘Tracking and Searching’. You know what scene we’re filming now… Yang Jiao’s story is the prototype for the story we’re currently filming!” Xu Zhizhi slowly revealed what she had only learned that day.

The plot of ‘Tracking and Searching’ was naturally kept confidential from the public, but it would certainly be investigated by the criminal investigation department. After all, it involved her, and the coincidences were eerily similar to the dog finding the bones.

“Originally, we didn’t know about the prototype. Zhou Ling accidentally discovered it while watching a livestream where the story was being told…” Xu Zhizhi recounted the story of the prototype she had seen, including her suspicion of Su Yue.

The portrait and the water cup were enough to make one suspicious of Su Yue.

Finally, there was the screenwriter. The moment she saw the name identical to that in the prototype story, she realized the screenwriter must be involved.

The script was entirely developed by the crew’s screenwriter; it wasn’t an IP adaptation purchased from an external source.

Earlier, Zhou Ling and Xu Zhizhi were puzzled because the plot had a prototype, yet it was never mentioned.

And the similarities were too striking to be mere coincidence, especially in the details: a mother with children, a family torn apart by human trafficking, and parents who came looking but mysteriously disappeared.

Even the tools used were the same axe.

As for avoiding the mention of a prototype, that’s unacceptable in some circles. But it’s incredibly common in the film and television industry; many films and TV series even emphasize that they are based on true events.

This gives the audience a psychological sense of validation for the plot, because if it’s entirely fictional, the audience can easily dismiss it as unrealistic or say that reality wouldn’t be like that.

Once a real-life prototype is established, even if some aspects seem unbelievable, the audience will accept it. It’s a way to say, “This movie or TV show is based on a true story.”

This is especially common in suspense, crime, and detective genres. Because compared to imagination, the cruelty of reality is far more impactful.

Given this industry practice, if the screenwriter had nothing to hide, they wouldn’t have concealed the prototype. There was no reason to; revealing it would even be advantageous.

Therefore, the fact that the prototype wasn’t revealed, and even the director didn’t hear about it, is very intriguing.

Coupled with the fact that both names contain the character “jiao” (娇), it’s practically confirmed.

So, upon seeing the familiar name Yang Jiao, Xu Zhizhi felt a sense of relief.

After hearing Xu Zhizhi’s explanation, the expressions on Li Feng and the others’ faces shifted from surprise to excitement.

Xu Zhizhi lowered her head and forwarded the article to the other party, something she hadn’t had time to do earlier.

After a cursory glance at the article and comparing it to the general location of Yang Jiao’s abduction, they quickly reached a conclusion.

The lack of a specific address was mainly due to the fact that the person who recorded the information was young at the time and only vaguely remembered the general area.

It could even be said that Xu Zhizhi remembered the details the most clearly because she was the first victim, and her cuteness made a strong impression on the perpetrator.

Li Feng compared the details and confirmed that this Yang Jiao was the same person mentioned in the report about the dismemberment murder.

News reports cannot be used as reliable investigative evidence, so Li Feng asked his teammates to retrieve the case file; they needed to be factual.

Several people, including the forensic doctor, decided to postpone the examination of the body and focus on the screenwriter and Su Yue to determine what was going on.

“I was too busy and tired this morning, and the filming was rushed, so I didn’t have time to take pictures. I can only give you the hand-drawn portraits,” Xu Zhizhi said, bringing up the matter. Everyone looked at her. “Based on the later interrogation, their plan must have involved framing me,” she continued.

Based solely on an eyelash and the discovery of the dog with the bone, the police wouldn’t convict her. Even though she seemed highly suspicious, they couldn’t pin everything on her. Unless they had further actions.

Li Feng nodded. “So, arresting you was also a consideration because you might have been framed. The hatred between those three and you could constitute a motive for murder.”

“The suspect didn’t stop the portrait from being submitted, or didn’t try to replace it, which means they were indirectly helping us uncover the truth behind the victims, giving the police the motive,” another criminal investigator said, tapping the table.

Wang Yuyan sat up straight. “In this way, the real murderers could hide in the shadows, watching Xu Zhizhi be imprisoned. This could be considered the next phase of their plan.”

Unexpectedly, thanks to a fortunate coincidence, Xu Zhizhi learned about the prototype, and everything became clear.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening came from the office entrance. The person who went to retrieve the case files returned and placed them in front of Li Feng.

“It’s similar to the report, but the case file is much more detailed,” the person said.

Li Feng picked up the crew’s script, his eyes growing brighter, as he saw the comparison.

The crew’s script was more detailed than the news report, only lacking some descriptions of the crime scene from the case file.

Xu Zhizhi couldn’t see the case file, but she could hear the description, so she said, “Then, is there something fishy about the screenwriter and Su Yue?”

She had a motive for murder; these two must have a motive as well. What prompted them to kill those three?

They didn’t have much evidence and couldn’t make arrests directly. There wasn’t even direct evidence linking everything to them.

Zhou Ling could see the prototype story; Qian, the screenwriter, and his assistant could also see it. Even their family and friends might have seen it accidentally.

So Xu Zhizhi thought the breakthrough lay in the identities of the two.

“Could Yang Jiao’s son and daughter be a breakthrough point? Their ages match Su Yue and the assistant screenwriter,” The match, of course, wouldn’t apply to Qian, the screenwriter, who was middle-aged. If Yang Jiao wasn’t sentenced to death, she would be around the same age as Qian now.

Li Feng focused his attention on the assistant screenwriter. The assistant screenwriter could also write scripts. With only two screenwriters in the crew, Li Feng didn’t have to eliminate many suspects.

Others began to speak, and the team sprang into action, starting to investigate Su Yue and the assistant screenwriter, Wang Xin.

They also needed to investigate the human trafficking case—to find out how many people were involved. Li Feng felt there were probably more people behind this.

They split into several groups to search for the truth hidden in the fog. Meanwhile, personnel were sent to Minjia Village to assist the local criminal investigators, monitor the crew’s activities, and protect the crew members.

Xu Zhizhi propped her chin in her hands, watching them work. She didn’t have much left to do; she just needed to think things through. After the meeting, she would examine the body.

The forensic doctor in Beijing was a man in his forties. He looked at Xu Zhizhi with a kind expression and said, “You’re quite knowledgeable about autopsies. The deduction that the victim’s face and scalp were peeled off while still alive was quite interesting.”

“I wasn’t sure at first. After hearing Li Feng say that other body parts were also removed while alive, I confirmed that he was indeed a sadist who peeled off the victim’s face and scalp,” Xu Zhizhi sat up straight, intrigued, and began discussing it with the forensic doctor.

The forensic doctor placed his hand on the blue file folder on the table and smiled thoughtfully. “This person was arrogant and meticulous. All traces on the body were meticulously removed with a cleaning agent. He was a skilled dissector. I got very little information from the body; even less than your analysis.”

“May I take a look?” Xu Zhizhi asked.

The forensic doctor handed her the folder, inviting her to view it.

Xu Zhizhi solemnly opened the folder and examined the photos, recalling the appearance of the body she had seen earlier.

There were few wounds on the body, because the victim was drugged and tied to a makeshift bed, so there were ligature marks on the wrists, ankles, and neck.

The forensic doctor was very conscientious, thoroughly analyzing every detail of the body.

Xu Zhizhi inputted all the data into the Crime Simulator. She was thankful that the system’s voice could only tempt her; it couldn’t prevent her from using any of its functions.

She guessed it couldn’t disable skills and functions not only because it wanted to indulge her continued use of the system.

The data on the three bodies, including the various types of knife wounds, ligature marks, and abrasions, were all meticulously determined by the forensic doctor.

Xu Zhizhi could input the data page by page; her own dissection skills were only slightly superior to the forensic doctor’s.

The forensic doctor had already done a good job in deducing the dismemberment process. She thought she could use the Crime Simulator to see if there were any details she missed.

After inputting the data, the Crime Simulator quickly completed the simulation, resulting in a hefty 30 points of malice value.

Looking at her 203 points of malice value, Xu Zhizhi felt that the system was really trying to take advantage of her.

Later, she went to the autopsy room and inputted a scan of the actual body.

For user privacy, the system provided real-time scanning through the power of thought.

Xu Zhizhi didn’t leave, fearing that members of the gang might be watching. So she found a place to sleep in the criminal investigation team.

Wang Yuyan even brought extra bedding for Xu Zhizhi, ensuring she was comfortable.

As for them, besides the current situation, they had to wait for news from the people who went to investigate the orphanage where Yang Jiao’s children were.

At nine o’clock that night, Xu Zhizhi, lying in her bed, replied to Yun Ziwei’s message and naturally closed her eyes to sleep.

Car beds aren’t as comfortable as real beds. As she closed her eyes, she opened the Crime Simulator.

30 malice points were deducted. Xu Zhizhi suddenly found herself in a vast space.

She turned her head and saw a round light fixture with a long black cord emitting a white light. She subconsciously walked towards it.

She tested the ground and found it to be concrete. This vast space resembled an abandoned factory.

She raised her head. Under the white light was an iron frame welded together, with a board laid on top… a bed.

A young woman lay on it. She had lost an arm, which was bandaged. Her eyes, devoid of expression, stared at the white light, filled with despair.

Blood splattered everywhere on the board, even on the light.

Looking at the woman’s body, indistinguishable from a corpse in a mortuary, Xu Zhizhi looked around.

Another faint light could be seen in another area. The figure of a man came into view. He wore a pure white mask and a white coat, his features obscured. He was about 5’8″ tall, thin.

His left hand held a small scalpel. Next to him were many medical supplies, including bandages for hemostasis, and some emergency medical equipment.

These items were all there to keep the woman alive—and to allow for better torture to ensure she died at his hands.

Xu Zhizhi heard a muffled scream from behind her. Turning around, she saw two middle-aged men tightly bound to chairs. Their mouths were gagged, and their eyes, filled with terror, were fixed on the operating table.

Xu Zhizhi ignored them and looked at the left-handed killer.

The autopsy report didn’t mention this; did he originally use his left hand?

The man was experienced, pushing a small cart with the necessary items before going to the woman.

He stared at her terrified expression for a while. With the woman in utter panic, he removed her arm.

Xu Zhizhi was curious that she didn’t make a sound. She moved closer to observe. The woman’s mouth opened wide from the intense pain.

The next second, an empty mouth appeared in Xu Zhizhi’s line of sight.

Xu Zhizhi froze, momentarily shocked.

However, having experienced Chen Xu, her ability to accept such things was quite good.

The man severed the woman’s arm, quickly stopped the bleeding, and injected her with a large amount of medication.

Then, he was satisfied upon hearing the muffled whimpers.

“This is called… the pain of cutting to the bone, right?” the man murmured with interest.

Unlike the human traffickers, Xu Zhizhi continued to watch.

The Crime Simulator didn’t waste the user’s time; time flowed rapidly.

The only thing that surprised Xu Zhizhi was the large man’s doctor-like precision, his head and body completely covered by a mask.

Like a butcher in a white coat, he mercilessly severed the victim’s foot, thigh, and skull.

His movements were swift and ruthless, like a puppet only knowing how to vent its anger.

The man was dissatisfied, often mocking his actions.

Xu Zhizhi watched their actions expressionlessly.

Soon, it was the turn of the other two. Xu Zhizhi noticed that the warehouse outside had a change in time. During the day, the warehouse was well-lit; at night, only a few lights were on.

She deduced this from the ligature marks and the time those three individuals were seen in public.

Watching the man’s relentless methods and professional skill, Xu Zhizhi concluded that he was a pure sadist.

He was someone whose pleasure was derived from violence, bloodshed, and the suffering and struggle of his victims.

This was similar to the character Jiang Ningfu, except Jiang Ningfu was more restrained.

The killer likely started by torturing animals, slowly escalating to torturing and murdering humans. Such individuals often witnessed extreme violence in their childhood. Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that they were simply born evil.

After witnessing the man finish his work, Xu Zhizhi opened her eyes.

It was midnight when she woke up, alone. The bathroom door was open, for easy access.

Xu Zhizhi got up and went to the bathroom.

After using the bathroom, she looked up at her reflection in the mirror, but her eyes were unfocused.

Listening to the sound of water flowing nearby, she thought in confusion.

Why would they go to so much trouble to frame her?

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