Chapter 16

 Yan Ge had noticed something unusual from his professional perspective, but he knew Zhen Yi had her own viewpoint.

"For example?" he asked.

Zhen Yi raised her head confidently, "She said a lot of words to reprimand me after I provoked her. When people are agitated, they tend to blurt things out. The tone of her speech was also really strange. Didn’t it sound like she was sure Song Yi was not the murderer? But how can she be so sure? She must have been at Ecstasy that night."

"In a measured tone, Yan Ge pointed out, 'Her tone was a little suspicious.' While it suggests a reluctance for anything untoward to befall Song Yi, it falls short of confirming her certainty that Song Yi is innocent. Your inference may be stretching too far."

"You're thinking too conventionally," Zhen Yi muttered and continued, "She's in a relationship with the club manager, Suo Lei."

"How do you know?"

"In the photo, the club manager was wearing a couple's bracelet on his left hand."

"But Tang Yu wasn't wearing one in the photo."

"She wasn't. She tied it to a small potted plant."

Yan Ge remained silent, surprised that she could notice such details.

Zhen Yi lifted her chin, "Why hide a boyfriend? It's just to avoid people connecting her to the crime scene."

"Far-fetched," he bluntly commented. "Some people just don't like to publicly share their relationships."

"You think everyone is like you!" She realized too late the impact of her words. After dealing with people for too long, she almost forgot he wouldn't mind. He was too indifferent, he never seemed to be bothered by anything.

With him, there was never a need to fret about causing offense, leaving a negative impression, or fostering hidden conflicts. It was an unforeseen advantage of being in his company.

Zhen Yi resumed their discussion effortlessly. "Alright, even if my evidence is insufficient, I have one more point."

He walked alongside her, nodding slightly, showing an attitude of being willing to hear more.

"Remember when she said the police didn't come to her. Why? It must be because no one at the scene noticed her, and those few lousy monitors didn't capture her."

"So?"

"So it must be the manager's familiarity and convenience with the venue that allowed her to escape," she declared excitedly.

"It could also be that she really didn't go, and she doesn't like talking about her boyfriend," he proposed another possibility.

"Ah, that's true too. But I have one more point to prove it." She tried hard.

"Oh, enlighten me," he said.

"What?" She hadn't presented the next argument yet.

"You're a lousy detective novelist."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"You've shown me the ultimate art of sophistry," he generously "praised."

"You're spouting nonsense," she retorted indignantly.

"You're making baseless claims," he responded calmly.

"... "

Yan Ge glanced at her and said, "You assume she went to the crime scene and then try to find evidence to support your hypothesis. It's like conducting an experiment, the method is correct. However, the evidence you just listed only holds true if the assumption 'she went to the crime scene' is true. How do you feel about using this evidence to prove your initial assumption?"

Zhen Yi was speechless, this scientific reasoning left her at a loss for words. It seemed like it was always like this—she would babble on, he wouldn't really listen, and with a few words, he turned her into the unreasonable one.

Her face turned hot, embarrassed, but also somewhat relieved. She was grateful to have someone clear-headed enough to see her mistakes, knocking on her head and preventing her from developing this dangerous error into a mindset.

She indeed needed self-reflection. Relying too much on her criminal intuition and little tricks that her lawyer colleagues lacked, she had been too smooth sailing in her work, forgetting herself.

Very dangerous!

Zhen Yi took a deep breath, blushing, and raised her head, "Thank you, Yan Ge."

As she said this, he remained silent, pursing his lips, not saying a word, and continued walking with his hands in his pockets.

Zhen Yi followed him, saying, "But in reality, my unscientific methods are often used and quite effective. How do you explain that?"

She unconsciously lowered her voice, thoughtful and puzzled, rather than provocative.

"I know," his voice was clear and warm, "often, there are already clues, and you start the first step of suspicion and hypothesis. The probability is fifty-fifty, there's a chance of failure, but of course, there's a chance of success. Moreover, when objective evidence is lacking, the intuition and experience of some people can indeed be effective. I don't know how you feel, but in my judgment, Tang Yu did lie. She is connected to this case."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, what I just said was just a reminder to always see clearly when using this 'unscientific' method. Remember that there's another 50% chance of failure. Even if successful, the correct result doesn't mean the process is rational."

Zhen Yi lowered her head, silently repeating in her heart.

It was precisely because she had achieved many correct results that she wrongly thought the process was all reasonable. How dangerous was such thinking?

"I'll remember," she said softly.

He still didn't respond, whether he heard or not was unclear.

The alley was narrow and crowded. After a few steps, they saw a row of adult stores. Thinking of the case, Zhen Yi said to Yan Ge, "Wait for me here; I'm going to buy something."

Yan Ge glanced at the exaggerated posters and banners at the store entrance, various poses, and various explicit descriptions. He remained calm, looking at Zhen Yi. After she entered, he stood at the door, subjected to the curious gaze of passersby.

After half a minute, Zhen Yi came out, looking regretful, "They didn't have what I wanted; they need to expand their product range."

Yan Ge made no comment, thinking she finally calmed down, but she surprised him, jumping from one store to another, going through one block, then the next.

Seeing strange looks from passersby, Zhen Yi asked Yan Ge, "I didn't make you feel uncomfortable, did I?"

"No," he said indifferently, paying no attention to the gazes of others.

Zhen Yi played a trick, "Oh, that means you're comfortable."

"..."

Yan Ge decisively remained silent.

Passing another adult store, Zhen Yi once again left Yan Ge standing in front of the bold and explicit sign, running inside.

The store was very narrow, dirty shelves displaying various family planning and intimate items.

"Hey? Lawyer Zhen, how come you're here?" The shop owner was very enthusiastic; Zhen Yi had handled a hit-and-run case for him, and many people in the neighborhood knew her.

"Are you here to investigate a case? If I know anything, I'll surely spill the beans," the owner said.

Zhen Yi grinned, "No, I'm here to buy something."

The owner's expression was subtle. Although he worked in this industry, he still looked at "sex" with colored glasses.

Zhen Yi was unashamed, "We all have to use it anyway. Let the big supermarket make money; it's better to support small retailers."

The owner smiled, "What do you need?"

Zhen Yi mysteriously looked outside, bent down, and whispered, "The one Tang Yu bought a few days ago, she said it's very good, recommended it to me."

The owner frowned and stopped talking.

Zhen Yi stared at his expression, gradually losing confidence. Perhaps, like countless other stores before, he would say, "Is it that Tang Shang who handled the hit-and-run case? She never comes here." Then she would immediately correct herself, "Tang Yu, a man." Since they didn't recognize her, she would leave empty-handed.

However, after a few seconds of recollection, the owner slapped his forehead, whispering even lower, "Wait here, I'll get it for you."

Zhen Yi was instantly revitalized, waiting until the owner brought out the item. When she saw the label, her heart nearly jumped out. Heaven is on my side!

The owner glanced outside, seeing Yan Ge standing straight by the roadside. Curious, he asked, "Is he Lawyer Zhen's boyfriend?"

Zhen Yi turned her eyes and used a sorrowful expression to shake her head.

The owner looked at the item in her hand, thinking he knew the inside story. He looked Zhen Yi up and down, flattering, "Lawyer Zhen is so beautiful; there's no need for this to capture a man's heart."

Zhen Yi remembered Yan Ge ignoring her earlier, and a mischievous idea came to her. She stood tall, raised her head, and with a cunning and proud smile, said, "I am indeed beautiful, but he has erectile dysfunction."