This case has completely shattered Xiao Lou's worldview.
Initially, they found Zhou Quan being abused in the bathroom, with one of her organs removed and a handprint left on her face. Therefore, they deduced that it was highly likely that the crime was committed by a woman or a crime of passion, and that the murderer and Zhou Quan must have had a romantic dispute.
Following this, they discovered a picture of a "train to hell" on Zhou Quan's phone, and that Zhou Quan had a large history of reading harem novels. They deduced that Zhou Quan might have had ambiguous relationships with multiple girls, and that his infidelity led to his downfall, which resulted in him being tortured and killed by one of the girls in revenge.
The USB drive in Zhou Quan's backpack provided a very important clue: the photos of the seven girls he collected were clearly those of his seven ex-girlfriends with whom he had ambiguous relationships. More importantly, all seven of them were in the car at that moment, which could not be a coincidence!
Xiao Lou carefully recalled the process of the seven girls getting on the bus, picked up a pen and paper, and quickly drew a picture in his notebook.
The train's carriage layout is as follows: [Locomotive][Carriage 9][8][7]...[Carriage 6]-[Restroom]-[Dining Car]-[Carriage 4]-[Restroom]-...[Carriage 3]...
Because high-speed trains generally travel in both directions, once they reach the terminal station, the position of the locomotive is reversed, and the train can run in reverse. This train runs in reverse; the carriage closest to the locomotive is number 9, and the carriage furthest is number 1.
Each carriage has two doors: the front door is for getting off, and the rear door is for getting on.
Seating arrangement: Row 1 is near the front door, and Row 15 is near the rear door.
Since passengers exit from the front door and board from the back door, the last 15 rows are directly in front of them when boarding.
At the starting station, Zhou Quan and his girlfriend boarded the bus first and sat in the 8th row. After a while, his girlfriends boarded the bus and sat in the 15th row. The five of them did not need to pass by Zhou Quan's row of seats, so Zhou Quan did not know that there were actually two girlfriends sitting behind him.
Xiao Lou drew a seating chart for the train carriage and marked the positions of Zhou Quan and his girlfriends with circles.
He said to Yu Hanjiang, " Zhou Quan probably only found out about his girlfriends' gathering before he died. Judging from the seating arrangement, Zhou Quan, his younger brother, and his current girlfriend Yue Xiaoquan were sitting in the 8th row, while the five members of his girlfriends' group were sitting in the 15th row. They were quite far apart, and they boarded the bus at different times, so they didn't meet directly."
Last night at 9:30 PM, Zhou Quan took his girlfriend to bus number 6, which was turning left. However, the three girls who boarded the bus midway boarded from the rear door on the right side, and he once again missed the chance to bump into his three girlfriends head-on.
Yu Hanjiang frowned and said, "So, when the train stopped at Cangzhou Station last night, Yu Lin was in sleeper car number 6. She boarded first and closed the sleeper car door. Immediately after, Zhou Quan saw his girlfriend Yue Xiaoquan off to car number 6. Naturally, Zhou Quan couldn't see who was in the sleeper car with the door closed. Then, Si Yun, Yan Ruru, and Cheng Mu boarded from the back door and sat in car number 4. Everyone perfectly avoided Zhou Quan's timing."
Xiao Lou said, "When Zhou Quan returned after dropping off his girlfriend, he probably didn't notice that the girls who got on the bus looked familiar, since they were quite far away... I remember that Yan Ruru and Cheng Mu covered their faces with their hats and went to sleep as soon as they got on the bus. It was already 9:30 p.m., and I thought they were just too tired. Now it seems that they were worried about being discovered by Zhou Quan and having their operation exposed prematurely."
If Zhou Quan had discovered beforehand that all seven of his girlfriends were on the train, he would have been shocked and alert. He wouldn't have followed one of them to the restroom to play a bondage game without any precautions.
Clearly, Zhou Quan was unaware that seven girls had come to his funeral before he died.
Yu Hanjiang stated confidently, "This was a meticulously planned murder, and all seven people were involved... Even if they didn't personally carry out the act, they must have known about it. I suspect they had a WeChat group or QQ group, where a certain girl was coordinating everyone's actions to ensure they avoided direct contact with Zhou Quan before taking action, so as not to alert Zhou Quan."
For example, if the group of girlfriends arrives before Zhou Quan at the starting station, Zhou Quan is likely to see them. At Cangzhou station, if Zhou Quan turns around to go to the restroom, she might run into the three girls who board from the back door.
But none of these accidents happened. This wasn't a coincidence; someone was monitoring Zhou Quan's every move. Even if Zhou Quan suddenly turned to go to the restroom, this person could announce in the group chat, " Zhou Quan is going," allowing Liu Xiaoyan, Song Xiaoyu, and other girls in the back rows to get out of the way in advance.
Who is the person who can accurately grasp all of Zhou Quan's actions?
Only his current girlfriend, Yue Xiaoquan, was sitting next to him!
Xiao Lou said, "It seems that Yue Xiaoquan is very likely the scout for this operation. She will report Zhou Quan's movements at any time and let the other girls avoid direct contact with Zhou Quan. So, although Zhou Quan and these girls are in the same carriage, they have never met."
Yu Hanjiang has solved many cases, but this is the first time he has encountered a case where seven girlfriends teamed up to kill a scumbag boyfriend.
What's even more terrifying is that these seven people are united in their hatred of the enemy, unlike in the usual situation where the legitimate girlfriend and the mistress or the fourth mistress would fight each other when they meet— Zhou Quan must have done something outrageous to make all seven girls hate him so much.
Xiao Lou pressed his temples hard and said, "If Yue Xiaoquan planned this murder, it would indeed explain many of the doubts."
Yu Hanjiang analyzed in a low voice: " Zhou Quan wouldn't be stupid enough to tell his other girlfriends where he was going and what seats he was going to. Obviously, Zhou Quan's ticket information was leaked to the other 6 people by Yue Xiaoquan, who was traveling with him."
Xiao Lou turned to Zhou Zheng and asked, "Was it Yue Xiaoquan who suggested that the four of you go to the concert together?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zheng's face turned extremely ugly. He clenched his fists tightly and roared, "Damn it! Yue Xiaoquan, that freak, did she kill my brother?! I'm going to get her..."
Yu Hanjiang coldly interrupted him: "Don't jump to conclusions. Tell us, was this concert proposed by Yue Xiaoquan?"
Zhou Zheng was silent for a moment before stiffly nodding and saying, "Yes. Yue Xiaoquan said that her favorite singer is Goddess Luo. Goddess only holds a concert once every three years, and this time it happens to be during the holidays, so she doesn't want to miss it. Plus, Ranran also really wants to go to the concert. After discussing it with my brother, we decided that the four of us would go together."
Xiao Lou then asked, "I remember you and Mo Jiaran argued about not being able to buy sleeper tickets. Were you originally planning to buy sleeper tickets?"
Zhou Zheng also sensed something was wrong and said with a dark face, "I originally planned to buy sleeper tickets, but just as I was about to buy them, Yue Xiaoquan suddenly messaged me and told me not to rush to buy them because she might have to do experiments during the holiday and the specific departure time was not yet confirmed. I had no choice but to wait for her... As a result, about a week before departure, she told me that the time was confirmed. When I went to buy them again, there were no sleeper tickets left, and I could only buy hard seats."
At the time, Mo Jiaran complained about him, and he felt wronged, but he couldn't say, "It's all Yue Xiaoquan's fault for not confirming the time." If he did, his brother would be angry, Yue Xiaoquan would be angry, and Miss Mo would think he was shirking responsibility. So he could only grit his teeth and admit his mistake.
He got scolded by his girlfriend for this, but it wasn't entirely his fault.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance, and in this way, the clues could be connected—no wonder Zhou Zheng and Mo Jiaran had a big argument about seats as soon as they got on the bus; there was a hidden reason behind it all.
Zhou Zheng failed to buy a sleeper ticket because of Yue Xiaoquan!
She said at the time that she couldn't determine the time, and it was definitely not just a simple experiment.
More likely, she was coordinating the schedules of the other six girls!
After all six people confirmed their travel dates, she notified Zhou Zheng to buy tickets. However, Zhou Zheng couldn't buy sleeper tickets and could only buy hard seats, which conveniently allowed the other girls to also buy tickets for the same train.
Xiao Lou asked, "Did you send the ticket to Yue Xiaoquan immediately after you bought it?"
Zhou Zheng nodded with a serious face: "The four of us created a WeChat group to make it easier to stay in touch for this trip, and I just posted the ticket information in the group."
To prove he wasn't lying, he took out his phone and showed Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang the chat logs.
The earliest record dates back to a month ago when the four of them decided to go to a concert together. Yue Xiaoquan added everyone to a small group called [Goddess Concert]. Most of the conversations in the group revolved around the trip plans. Yue Xiaoquan suggested, "Let's split the costs when we go out together. How about we go Dutch?"
Zhou Quan said, "How can we let the girls pay? I'll cover the expenses for this trip; you two can just come along and have fun."
Mo Jiaran said, "Isn't this inappropriate? You're a student too, where do you get so much pocket money?"
Zhou Quan feigned composure and said, "The small software I developed with some classmates has found a buyer and we received several million yuan in royalties. Consider this my treat to you all."
Mo Jiaran exclaimed, "Big brother is amazing! [thumbs up]"
Yue Xiaoquan only sent a smiling emoji.
Afterwards, the four of them discussed the departure time. Since Zhou Quan had been very busy recently, Zhou Zheng took the initiative to take care of miscellaneous tasks such as booking train tickets and hotels.
Originally, Zhou Zheng planned to buy tickets on July 1st, depart on July 20th, spend a few days in Moon City, and then attend the concert. However, Zhou Zheng opened his private chat history with Yue Xiaoquan and said, "On June 30th, Yue Xiaoquan suddenly contacted me privately."
Yue Xiaoquan: " Zhou Zheng, I'm sorry, I might have to do an experiment after the holiday. I'm not sure if I can leave on the 20th. Don't rush to buy tickets. I'll confirm with the teacher as soon as possible."
Zhou Zheng had no doubts at the time and simply said he would wait for her reply. Afterwards, Zhou Zheng urged her twice to confirm as soon as possible, and it wasn't until July 17th that she said, "I will finish my experiment on the 24th, can I leave on the 25th?"
Zhou Zheng said worriedly, "The concert is on the 29th. If we leave on the 25th, we won't arrive until the evening of the 28th. Won't that be too tight a schedule?"
Yue Xiaoquan said, "There's no other way. The earliest I can leave is the 25th. We'll rest for one night after we arrive, and then watch the concert the next day. Other plans can be postponed for a few days. I've already spoken to your brother. Thank you for your help."
Since his brother had no objections, Zhou Zheng had no choice but to agree.
His chat history with Yue Xiaoquan only involved booking tickets, proving that he wasn't lying.
Yu Hanjiang stroked his chin and said, "Most of these seven girls are college students with plenty of time during the summer vacation, but Si Yun and Liu Xiaoyan seem to be already working, so it might not be convenient for them to take leave. Yue Xiaoquan postponed the departure time to the 25th, probably to coordinate everyone's time so that all seven girls can catch this train."
Xiao Lou nodded in agreement: "She's definitely lying when she says she's doing experiments."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The only person who can clearly grasp Zhou Quan's movements and notify others at any time is Yue Xiaoquan."
Xiao Lou added, "Moreover, Yue Xiaoquan is a clinical medicine major and is familiar with human anatomy. She could have made 29 stab wounds, each one avoiding vital organs, and the last one was fatal... Also, she changed her clothes today. Was there blood on her clothes when she committed the crime last night?"
Based on the current clues, the official girlfriend, Yue Xiaoquan, is indeed the most suspicious.
But...
Thinking of that girl's delicate features
Despite her appearance, indifferent expression, and constant "it's none of my business" attitude, Xiao Lou still couldn't believe that she would so extremely torture and kill her boyfriend.
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Zhou Zheng trembled with anger: "I never would have guessed that Yue Xiaoquan was such a pervert!" He turned around, wanting to punch the other person, but Yu Hanjiang calmly stopped him: "Don't get excited. This is just our preliminary reasoning. There is no evidence to prove that she is the murderer."
Zhou Zheng was stunned for a moment, then said angrily, "Isn't it obvious?! She suggested that my brother go to the concert, and she knows my brother's seat number. Only she could have revealed our travel plans to other girls!"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "That's right, she was definitely involved in this and was responsible for coordinating the travel time, but whether she was the one who ultimately carried out the act remains to be verified."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Don't forget, your brother had a relationship with someone before he died. Where was Yue Xiaoquan at that time?"
Zhou Zheng was slightly taken aback: "She moved to carriage number 6?"
Xiao Lou analyzed, "Your brother was tied up with his hands and feet, playing bondage with someone in the bathroom. It looks more like he was having an affair and seeking thrills... Yue Xiaoquan and he are a couple, and he slept in carriage number 6 last night, so it's not necessarily her doing it."
Zhou Zheng's face flushed red and then turned pale: "What do you mean?"
Yu Hanjiang said coldly, "Your brother is juggling multiple relationships and has offended quite a few girls. Currently, Yue Xiaoquan is the most suspicious, but the other six also have motives and opportunities to commit the crime."
Zhou Zheng: "..."
Xiao Lou said, "Furthermore, we cannot rule out the possibility of a joint crime."
Zhou Zheng: "......"
Yu Hanjiang said, "I hope you stay calm and don't impulsively go to any girls. For now, please go hide in carriage number 9 for a day. We will notify you after the investigation results are available."
Before Zhou Zheng could agree, Yu Hanjiang gently pressed down on Zhou Zheng's shoulder and forcibly led him to carriage number 9.
Zhou Zheng was completely dumbfounded, clearly still in shock. How could his brother be a scumbag, attracting seven women to his funeral? It was terrifying... Thinking of the horrific scene in the bathroom, Zhou Zheng felt a chill creep down his spine.
He's definitely going to have nightmares!
***
After seeing Zhou Zheng off, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou returned to their office and fell silent.
All seven suspects had motives, making this case even more complicated than the death of Li Zhemin in carriage 6.
Yu Hanjiang closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts, saying, "Currently, we are still missing some crucial clues— what are the ropes that bound Zhou Quan's hands and feet, and where are they? When the murderer tortured Zhou Quan, his clothes must have been stained with blood, so where is that blood-stained clothing hidden? Finding these two clues will definitely help our deduction."
The biggest advantage of a train as an enclosed space is that criminal evidence is difficult to destroy, so it will definitely still be on the train.
Xiao Lou nodded: "Let's go ask Yue Xiaoquan first."
The two turned and went to the carriage. Yue Xiaoquan and Mo Jiaran were looking down at their phones watching a TV series. When the train attendant stopped in front of them, Mo Jiaran looked up and asked, "Where did you take Zhou Zheng just now?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, " Zhou Zheng didn't sleep well last night and wasn't feeling well, so I told him to go to carriage number 9 to sleep for a while."
Mo Jiaran laughed and said, "Your flight attendants are quite considerate."
Yu Hanjiang calmly said, "Ms. Yue, please come with us. Your boyfriend needs to speak with you."
Yue Xiaoquan raised an eyebrow slightly, got up and followed them.
The two men took her to the restroom. Xiao Lou stood guard outside, while Yu Hanjiang led her into the crime scene and closed the restroom door.
Upon seeing Zhou Quan lying on the ground, Yue Xiaoquan immediately covered her mouth and screamed, "Ah—!"
Her pupils constricted, her face filled with shock.
Yu Hanjiang carefully observed her expression and whispered, "This is your boyfriend, right? Do you know who killed him?"
Yue Xiaoquan shook his head vigorously: "I don't know! I... I switched to carriage number 6 at 9:30 last night, watched TV until midnight, and then went to sleep and slept until dawn... I sent him a message but he didn't reply, so I thought his phone was out of battery."
Yu Hanjiang frowned: "Can anyone prove that you didn't leave carriage number 6 last night?"
Yue Xiaoquan said, " Ranran was in the bed next to mine. Last night, when we went to sleep, we locked the door to the No. 5 sleeper room from the inside, and I didn't go out all night."
She looked at the bloodstains and white liquid on the ground, turned her head away, covered her mouth, and began to vomit.
Yu Hanjiang took her out of the crime scene and to his office to calm her down.
Once the girl stopped vomiting, Yu Hanjiang continued, "You're a medical student, so you should be able to tell that Zhou Quan suffered cruel torture before he died, right? Do you know who had such a deep grudge against him?"
Yue Xiaoquan shook his head: "I don't know, he rarely talks to me about his private matters."
Yu Hanjiang stared into her eyes and asked directly, "Is the WeChat group you created with the other six girls still there?"
Yue Xiaoquan was stunned, and his face suddenly turned extremely ugly.
Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "The chat history must have been completely deleted, right? In the WeChat group, besides you, there should also be Yu Lin, Liu Xiaoyan, Song Xiaoyu, Si Yun, Yan Ruru, and Cheng Mu —am I right?"
Yue Xiaoquan: "... "
…
The look of horror on her face proved that Yu Hanjiang had hit the nail on the head regarding their secret.
They thought their plan was foolproof, but they didn't expect that Zhou Quan had a hobby of collecting photos of his ex-girlfriends and had stored all of them on an inconspicuous USB drive.
The author has something to say: The reasoning process in this case is actually quite clear.
The victim was tortured and murdered, had his organs removed, was slapped, and had long black hair in the office → a crime of passion, committed by a woman.
The deceased's phone was full of harem novels and pictures of trains heading to hell → it's possible that he was juggling multiple relationships, which led to his downfall.
Photos of the deceased's USB drive → Seven suspects identified.
It's not that he deduced he had multiple girlfriends just because he read harem novels; there's a detailed backstory.