“Still not ready to confess?”
Shen Qianqian asked coldly.
This was the first case she had taken on after transferring to the Criminal Investigation Team, involving a huge amount of money. The chief personally urged to crack the case as soon as possible.
Looking back at the case, the suspect had not left any fingerprints in the room, not even footprints. There was only a lock at the door, which, after meticulous investigation, revealed slight traces of tampering.
As for surveillance, the criminal suspect had already destroyed it.
At that time, facing this perfect level of burglary, the entire criminal investigation team was at a loss where to start.
As Shen Qianqian felt completely stumped, she happened to see a novel.
Novel author: Mr. Lin.
The protagonist of the book was a thief.
This immediately piqued Shen Qianqian’s interest, and as she followed the story up to the most recent chapter, Shen Qianqian was astonished.
In Mr. Lin’s novel, the latest chapter detailing a theft was alarmingly similar to the perfect burglary that had occurred in the Jiangnan Residential Community of Qingxiu District!
Coincidence?
Impossible!
Unless it was his own experience.
She suddenly remembered a saying: every suspect who commits a perfect crime will record the entire process of the case in some form, which they consider their art.
So, seemingly a novel, Mr. Lin’s book was actually a record of the crime.
The possibility was significant!
Inside the interrogation room.
Lin Chuan wore a troubled expression, “Officer, I have never been to that Jiangnan Residential Community! How can you convict me just because my novel resembles the case?”
“Never been there?”
Shen Qianqian’s brows furrowed, “Your novel has about an eighty percent similarity to the case, please explain that.”
If the novel was published before the crime happened, it would be a prophecy.
If the crime happened first and then the novel was published, it would be considered a crime record.
In Lin Chuan’s case, it was the latter.
He didn’t understand the law well and didn’t know if the similarity between a novel’s plot and a case could make him a criminal suspect, but the current situation was very unfavorable for him.
Several big names in the online fiction circle wrote themselves into their stories.
“Officer, the plot of my novel came from a dream I had,” Lin Chuan tried to explain.
The dream... was an excuse fabricated by Lin Chuan.
In reality, he was a system owner.
On March 7th, Lin Chuan activated the Career Life Experience System, which allowed one to experience different careers’ lives by accumulating a certain Popularity Value.
Similar to a life simulator, it was conducted in first-person perspective using Virtual Reality AR technology.
Every scene felt as real as an actual experience.
After completing the experience, Lin Chuan would gain the skills of that profession, and the life experiences he went through would automatically generate a novel.
The system gifted him a Life Experience Card upon initiation.
Lin Chuan immediately began to Experience Life.
Unexpectedly, the first career he experienced turned out to be a thief!
After the experience, Lin Chuan gained a series of theft-related skills, and his life experiences automatically generated the novel “Thief.”
What a predicament!
Lin Chuan decided to try and publish the novel “Thief,” but the editor Youyou was on leave, delaying its release until March 9th.
“A dream... isn’t that a bit too coincidental?”
Shen Qianqian laughed.
No wonder he was a novelist; making up stories came naturally to him.
But no matter how much he fabricated, it couldn’t possibly have such a high degree of similarity to the case.
A novel as a record of crime, possession of a complete set of professional lock-picking tools, strong lock-picking skills and no record...
Buff stacked to the max!
So, there was only one truth!
Lin Chuan was in the police station for the first time and was very nervous, repeatedly emphasizing, “But on March 8th, I didn’t go to the Jiangnan Residential Community in Qingxiu District at all.”
“We retrieved the surveillance footage from the community where you rent your house, and it shows you went out around 4 pm, which matches the time of the crime exactly!”
Shen Qianqian said.
According to the marks on the door lock at the scene, the crime should have occurred within the past three hours, which is between 4 pm and 7 pm.
Lin Chuan argued back, “I went out that day because I was helping my reader catch a cheater.”
Shen Qianqian was stunned, “???”
The male officer who had been taking notes also stopped writing, “???”
Do those involved in internet novel literature all have such wild imaginations?
Even daring to weave a tale about helping readers catch a cheater?
Who would believe that?
“Tell me about it.”
Shen Qianqian eyed Lin Chuan suspiciously.
Lin Chuan explained everything in detail.
It turned out that Lin Chuan was an unsuccessful novel writer whose work had never been well received.
He didn’t socialize much and mostly just chatted with fellow writers and readers.
Over time, he became familiar with his readers.
Lin Chuan would chat with the readers about anything, including that he could pick locks.
On the 8th.
Suddenly, a reader from Anling City contacted Lin Chuan via voice message, saying he couldn’t enter his home because the door had been locked from the inside.
He suspected his wife was cheating and hoped Lin Chuan could help him pick the lock.
The reader then sent over his property deed, identity card, and other information.
After much consideration, Lin Chuan decided to help him out.
The lock was picked.
The reader cried.
His suspicions were confirmed; his wife was cheating.
Lin Chuan described the events in great detail, leaving the two police officers stunned.
This kind of scenario is really quite rare in real life.
“With such a talent for storytelling, your novels shouldn’t be flopping,” Shen Qianqian said, giving Lin Chuan a strange look.
Lin Chuan’s mouth twitched.
That really hit home!
But the story wasn’t made up!
“Officer, I’m telling the truth. You can ask the reader. He even has a video of catching the cheater, I should be in it.”
Shen Qianqian and another officer were skeptical.
After asking for the contact information of the reader, Shen Qianqian stepped out of the interrogation room and called the reader.
After a long wait.
Shen Qianqian re-entered the room, “Lin Chuan, you’ve been cleared of suspicion.”
It was confirmed that Lin Chuan indeed went to catch a cheater and had an solid alibi.
Lin Chuan left the interrogation room, relieved.
“But you can’t leave yet!”
Shen Qianqian’s beautiful eyes looked at Lin Chuan as she smiled.
Lin Chuan was taken aback, “Why not?”
Shen Qianqian smiled sweetly, revealing shallow dimples, “You can pick locks, but you haven’t registered with the police station yet. You need to come with me to the public security bureau to make a record.”
After confirming Lin Chuan wasn’t a suspect, Shen Qianqian’s attitude towards him changed significantly, less oppressive than in the interrogation room and a bit more gentle.
“Thank you, officer.”
Lin Chuan let out a sigh of relief, hurriedly thanked her, and once again noticed how delicate Shen Qianqian looked and how her voice was slightly muffled.
Who would have thought that such a girl would be a criminal detective?
Could it be she apprehends criminals by saying, ‘Hello, may I see your ID please (in a Taiwanese accent)?’
So pure, yet so prison-like, I dare not think further.
With Shen Qianqian leading the way, Lin Chuan smoothly completed the lock-picking registration.
At the entrance of the police station.
“Lin Chuan, your novels are so realistic and immersive, I think you don’t need to take up lock-picking as a side job,” Shen Qianqian’s curly eyelashes and shallow dimples made her smile very attractive.
“Officer Shen is joking.”
Lin Chuan said with a bitter smile, shaking his head helplessly.
When he first started writing novels, he thought highly of himself and believed just that.
Now he understood, flopping was the norm.
Struggling to get by on perfect attendance was the reality.
If he didn’t find a side job, he might not even be able to pay the utility bills.
Failure, always a constant in life.
Dammit!

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