Chapter 1553 — Setting Out on the Homeward Journey: The Fire Wolf Gang Is Full of Talent, Forgery Is No Hard Task at All, and a Lifelike Fake Can Still Fool Technological Means

However, Qiu Lingshan paid no attention to any of that. The moment she returned to the police station, she shut herself in her office and began working out the timeline on Chen Yutian's voice recorder!

It did not take long to reach a result. The day they walked out of the ancient tomb came after the first bank robbery in Songshan City! With such powerful evidence in hand, everything else was mere drifting cloud!

Qiu Lingshan was thrilled and wasted not a moment before dialing Yang Huaijun's number!

"Lingshan, how are things on your end?" Yang Huaijun had also learned that the task force suspected Wei Zhao, so he had set aside everything else in his hands and driven back to Songshan City at speed, and by now he was almost at the station.

"Director Yang, I have obtained a key piece of evidence proving Wei Zhao's innocence. Where are you? Can you come back to the station?" Qiu Lingshan asked.

"I am almost at the station. Wait for me in your office!" Yang Huaijun said.

Sure enough, Qiu Lingshan had not waited long before Yang Huaijun came to her door. Since only Yang Huaijun and a few other superiors knew about the tomb raiding, while her own subordinates did not, Qiu Lingshan was unsure whether she could speak of these matters openly with them, so she had to discuss it with Yang Huaijun first!

As for the archaeologists' plan to survey the ancient tomb, Chen Yutian had already said he did not recommend that they go to investigate now, for the perils inside the tomb had surpassed all imagination, and going in would very likely mean almost certain death!

"Director Yang, this is the complete recording from when Chen Yutian, Wei Zhao, and I entered the ancient tomb together. From it we can prove and deduce that when the first bank robbery occurred in Songshan City, Wei Zhao was with us inside the tomb. He had no time to commit the crime!" Qiu Lingshan said. "Chen Yutian and I are the best witnesses!"

"Oh?" Yang Huaijun paused briefly, then nodded. "Good. In that case Wei Zhao can be cleared for the time being. But things may not be that simple. Go ahead and present this evidence. The tomb-raiding case is essentially closed and can now be made public. Lao Hei and the others will stand trial in a few days."

"Understood!" Qiu Lingshan nodded and quickly called Liu Wangli, Wang Hekan, and the others by phone to meet in her office.

Once everyone had arrived, Qiu Lingshan laid out this crucial evidence. Both the recording and Qiu Lingshan herself served as proof of Wei Zhao's alibi, from which it could also be judged that the first bank robbery had not been committed by Wei Zhao!

"What does that prove?" After hearing Qiu Lingshan's evidence, Wang Hekan spoke in a sardonic tone. "From start to finish the criminal suspect wore a mask. In my view, this first robbery may well have been a smokescreen deliberately laid by Wei Zhao, who found someone of similar build to do it, then borrowed your and Chen Yutian's standing to furnish him with an alibi!"

"..." Qiu Lingshan was left speechless. Wang Hekan truly dared to imagine anything, yet she had to admit his suspicion was not impossible! Still, Qiu Lingshan said, "Your theory is far too unlikely. Leave aside where Wei Zhao would find someone resembling him to do this. If Wei Zhao could really find such a capable man, why disguise that man as himself? Would that not be asking for trouble? He might as well have some stranger do the robbery!"

"Have I not said it already? This criminal suspect is very likely a psychopath, so his actions cannot be understood by ordinary minds," Wang Hekan said. "His use of his own image serves as a provocation!"

"If he is not even afraid of exposing his identity, why bother manufacturing an alibi? Would that not be superfluous?" Qiu Lingshan retorted.

"That is exactly why I said he is a psychopath who wants to provoke the police, so he lays false trails to leave you bewildered!" Wang Hekan said. "That way you will fall into the criminal suspect's reverse thinking, and when even you feel he cannot be the criminal suspect and that someone else must have framed him on purpose, his goal is achieved! As for where to find someone resembling Wei Zhao, that is even easier to explain. Since even you assume someone framed Wei Zhao by finding a look-alike to impersonate him, why could Wei Zhao himself not find a look-alike to impersonate him?"

"..." Qiu Lingshan truly did not know what to say. Yet for all that, Wang Hekan's words could not be refuted. The possibility was small, but small did not mean nonexistent.

"I make sense, do I not?" Wang Hekan said smugly. "Do not forget, I am a famous great detective. No matter how cunning the criminal suspect, he cannot escape my piercing eyes!"

"By your logic, you have decided Wei Zhao is the criminal suspect?" Qiu Lingshan asked.

"All I can say is that the evidence you presented only highlights how abnormal Wei Zhao is, and further confirms the likelihood that he is the criminal suspect. If it was fifty percent before, it is eighty percent now!" Wang Hekan said. "I propose we begin issuing a wanted order for Wei Zhao at once!"

"It is too early to speak of a wanted order. Without conclusive evidence, it cannot be done," Yang Huaijun said at this point. "We do not even know the criminal suspect's face yet. To order Wei Zhao wanted now would be far too rash."

"I was only making a suggestion anyway." Seeing that Yang Huaijun had made the final call, Wang Hekan had no choice but to say so.

Just as all the evidence in Songshan City began to turn against Wei Zhao, Wei Zhao himself returned to the inn in Ice Snow Spirit Town.

To Wei Zhao's surprise, Zhao Qitan had not left, but had been waiting for him at the inn all along! The moment Wei Zhao stepped onto the square before the inn, Zhao Qitan rushed out from inside to greet him!

It seemed he watched Wei Zhao's movements every day without pause, which must have been quite an effort for the fellow.

"Brother Ling, you are finally back! I have been so worried about you. If I were not in awe of the Ice Palace's power, I would have gone up to look for you!" Zhao Qitan said to Wei Zhao with boundless enthusiasm.

"Heh..." Wei Zhao smiled faintly, naturally not believing a word of Zhao Qitan's nonsense. "That must have been hard for you. You waited for me, is there something you want?"

"Nothing in particular. It is just that I heard of your true identity..." At this point Zhao Qitan lowered his voice. He did not know whether the Ice Palace knew Wei Zhao's true identity, so in public he still addressed Wei Zhao as Brother Ling.

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