Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Even a Cornered Rabbit Will Bite

Chen Xiao stepped out of the brick house.

He casually found a place to squat down.

He felt that there was some truth to his earlier thoughts. Whether it was Nanqiao Town or Qingsha Town, or even the nearby towns and villages, the most sensational case recently was undoubtedly the Xiaofeng Village incident.

Chen Xiao’s figure had already appeared on Qingxi’s TV station during yesterday’s press conference.

This also meant that many people in Qingxi knew of his presence.

Moreover, the newspaper reported that Yang Ziping had knelt down, begging him for help.

All these pointed to the possibility that Chen Xiao might be coming to investigate the disappearance of Xiao Diandian.

A detective who could solve the Xiaofeng Village murder case in just three days would likely intimidate whoever was holding Xiao Diandian, making them feel unable to compete.

But, what kind of place would that person choose as the second hiding spot?

It would need to be concealed, and possess the characteristics of being the most dangerous yet the safest.

Especially with the characteristic of being the most dangerous yet the safest, Chen Xiao instinctively thought it might be related to him.

But where would that place be?

For a moment, Chen Xiao couldn’t think of it.

Just then, Luo Dali called back.

“Brother Chen, I already reported it to the police. The Nanxi County Bureau says they will send people over immediately. But considering the travel and time to climb the mountain, it’ll take at least an hour and a half to get here.”

Chen Xiao nodded: “Mm, the first to arrive would likely be the Qingsha Town precinct. Let’s just wait here.”

“Okay, but did you notice anything while you were inside earlier?” Luo Dali asked curiously.

“What do you think of this place as a hideout?” Chen Xiao didn’t answer but asked instead.

Luo Dali rubbed his chin in thought and said, “It’s indeed a good place to hide someone. But you just got here looking for that Xiao Diandian and already found this place. It seems the person holding Xiao Diandian isn’t in your league.”

“Just analyze what I’ve said, don’t flatter me.”

“I’m not flattering; it’s a reasonable analysis! But I also have a question: Why would that person hold Xiao Diandian, a three-year-old girl? What’s the point of keeping her captive?”

Chen Xiao gave a thumbs up: “Good question, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

Luo Dali chuckled: “I’m a detective from Dongzhou after all, occasionally I need to perform exceptionally, right? So tell me, Brother Chen, why did he hold Xiao Diandian hostage?”

“Just like you, I also find this situation odd. Capturing implies another motive. But that motive clearly isn’t about money since no ransom call was ever made. So, if not for money, then what was it for?”

Chen Xiao was asking Luo Dali, and at the same time asking himself.

Luo Dali scratched his head and said, “Brother Chen, you’ve said before in murder cases that beyond random killings, there are always reasons for murder. He didn’t take Xiao Diandian for money, and it doesn’t seem to be for a grudge either. If there were a grudge, would he leave food for the girl?”

“Those foods were just raw chicken and duck, stuff a three-year-old couldn’t even chew,” Chen Xiao replied.

Luo Dali shook his head: “I can’t figure it out, but I believe one thing: If he didn’t want the girl alive, not even a piece of mud would be left.”

Chen Xiao squinted his eyes: “What you said makes sense. No ransom calls, so it’s not for money. Leaving food for Xiao Diandian could be seen as a lack of deep resentment, just a slight reprimand.”

“Excluding these two most common reasons leaves only one.”

Luo Dali considered and asked, “What else is left?”

Chen Xiao pointed to his heart: “Emotion.”

Luo Dali rolled his eyes: “Come on, Brother, Xiao Diandian is only three. How can that relate to emotion?”

“Emotions don’t only mean love. There’s also family, friendship, etc.,” Chen Xiao explained, a bit speechless.

Luo Dali suddenly understood: “Since she’s so young, it’s most likely family! Could it be her good-for-nothing dad who did it? You know he has a grudge with Liu Guai and knows this brick house. And considering the father-daughter relationship with Xiao Diandian, it might indeed be him.”

Chen Xiao did not respond.

By this point in the investigation, Chen Xiao had a clear feeling in his heart.

Chen Yan is a ruthless character.

He has no reason to come back to imprison his daughter, and he left so decisively, it’s even less likely he’d expose himself for Yang Ziping or Xiao Diandian.

His probability is too low.

As Chen Xiao was thinking, Luo Dali suddenly blurted out, “Brother, do you think Yang Ziping might have cheated on Chen Yan, and in rage, he came back to commit the crime!”

“You know you get overly imaginative when flattered. But I can assure you, Chen Yan wouldn’t care if Xiao Diandian was his or not. If he cared, why would he flee when Yang Ziping was just pregnant? He left and hasn’t been heard from since for one reason: he didn’t want to stay here any longer because he feared his past would be uncovered.”

Luo Dali nodded vigorously: “I get it when you explain it like that. But if it’s not Chen Yan, who else would have emotional motives?”

“We shouldn’t be too one-sided in thinking. By one-sided, I mean focusing only on one point. Mm, Dali, I’ll say a name, and you write it down.”

With that, Chen Xiao spoke as Luo Dali quickly grabbed a twig.

“Xiao Diandian.” Chen Xiao said the first name, and the latter quickly jotted it down.

Chen Xiao didn’t look, then continued: “Yang Ziping.”

“Yang Ziping’s husband—Chen Yan.”

“Had conflicts with Chen Yan—Liu Hua.”

After saying Liu Guai’s name, Chen Xiao paused, contemplating for a few seconds before saying, “Sort out the relationships among these people.”

“What’s there to sort? Xiao Diandian is Yang Ziping’s daughter, Yang Ziping is Chen Yan’s wife, Liu Guai fancied Yang Ziping, but she didn’t like him, she was devoted to Chen Yan. It’s that simple, right?”

Luo Dali spoke earnestly, yet Chen Xiao remained deeply contemplative.

“No, no, I missed something.”

“Missed? You only mentioned four people.”

“I mean I missed a person!”

Chen Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, and just as Luo Dali was about to ask who, Chen Xiao walked over to Liu Hua.

“Mr. Liu, how did you search for Xiao Diandian?” Chen Xiao abruptly asked.

Liu Guai was taken aback for a moment and replied, “What do you mean, how? Just searched around, of course.”

“I want the truth! How much manpower, resources, and money did you invest?” Chen Xiao asked sternly.

Liu Guai chuckled dryly: “I did spend some money. I’ve sent the guys who work with me to search for many days. But I can’t neglect other responsibilities, so I had to pull them back and asked some friends to keep looking.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao nodded, saying, “Then I know who locked Xiao Diandian in here!”

“Who was it?”

“I can’t tell you yet. Even a rabbit will bite when it’s cornered!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep