Chapter 572: Officer in Charge

    When Shen Nianzu received the distress call, it was already seven in the morning.

    He slammed the accelerator and raced all the way to Gu Luoxin’s campus, reaching his destination in less than an hour.

    The whole campus was on a total lockdown for the time being to prevent unauthorized people and reporters from swarming in. Still, the news must have spread far because Shen Nianzu met many boarding students on his way inside, and without a doubt, all of them were talking about the recent incident.

    "I know him... sigh, I can’t believe he, of all people, would do something like this."

    "That’s the freshman from Film and Television Production major, right? I’ve talked to him a few times before. He was a nice and cheerful guy."

    "Tsk, this is why you can never see through another person’s heart."

    "You know what? I heard he fell head first, and his body..." the speaker trailed off, shuddering with a mixture of fright and disgust.

    "Oh God, why must he jump from our dorm building? How unlucky ah! How are we supposed to sleep well from now on knowing that someone died here?"

    Shen Nianzu pursed his lips tight, his expression growing heavier with each passing second. He silently quickened his pace and soon after, the five-story building came to view. He had visited this place once before when he searched for Gu Luoxin in real life for the first time, hence he needed no one to show him the way.

    As he neared, Shen Nianzu noticed that the vicinity had been cordoned off with yellow police lines, while police cars and ambulances were parked on the side. Several uniformed officers stood on guard in each corner, warning anyone who got too close, "Please leave the area at once!

    "You punk, put down your phone! Do you want me to confiscate it?!"

    "Disperse, disperse!"

    Amidst the commotion of officers working to control the scene, a heart-wrenching cry pierced the air, thickening the already heavy atmosphere with sorrow.

    Without delay, Shen Nianzu approached the nearest officer and explained his purpose in a few concise sentences. Once his identity was verified, he ducked beneath the police tape and stepped inside.

    Almost in an instant, he spotted Gu Luoxin standing at the back of the open ambulance with a thick blanket draped over his shoulders— not because the young man was particularly eye-catching, but due to the middle-aged woman who was clutching onto him with desperation, crying out hysterically, "My Haohao... my Haohao could have never killed himself! Xinxin, you know him the best. You tell them... tell them that he didn’t do it... help Auntie tell them...!" The woman looked utterly disheveled with unkempt hair and tear streaks on her haggard face. She didn’t even have the time to button up her coat, proving that she had come in a hurry.

    In front of her, Gu Luoxin parted his chapped and trembling lips, yet no words came out.

    He didn’t look any better himself. His complexion was gaunt, his eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed with tears. His entire person exuded a sense of exhaustion and desolation that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.

    Noticing that he was slightly unsteady on his feet, a female officer kindly supported the grieving mother, consoling her with gentle yet futile words, "Mrs. Shang, please calm down first. I know this is hard for you, but you will collapse like this sooner or later. We will definitely investigate everything properly, so please be rest assured."

    Mrs. Shang had been holding onto Gu Luoxin so tightly that the moment she let go, Gu Luoxin couldn’t help but stagger, his legs numb and wobbly. He would have tumbled to the ground were it not for Shen Nianzu grabbing his arm in the nick of time, steadying him upright.

    "Xiao Shen..." Gu Luoxin whispered hoarsely as he rubbed his eyes. "Thank you for coming all the way here."

    "No problem," Shen Nianzu shook his head slightly. He wanted to ask ’are you okay?’ but he felt that the question sounded too superfluous. Even a random passerby could see that Gu Luoxin was not okay. How could he, after everything that had happened?

    Alas, while Shen Nianzu could barely be considered a qualified leader, he truly had no idea how to comfort people. After thinking for a while, he could only lead Gu Luoxin to sit on the back of the ambulance before addressing a paramedic nearby, "Excuse me, do you have any hot drink available? Water, milk, or tea will do, preferably something sweet. I think he needs it."

    "You are..." the paramedic couldn’t help but gawk at Shen Nianzu in surprise, taken aback. Clad in tailored, high-end clothing and long hair pulled into a high ponytail, he looked extremely striking and wholly out of place with the grim scene.

    Shen Nianzu flashed an impeccable business smile. "I’m here on behalf of Gu Luoxin’s guardian. The child only has his uncle, but he’s currently unreachable due to a business trip. I hope for your understanding."

    The paramedic was instantly bedazzled by Shen Nianzu’s smile. "O-Oh, okay... let me see what we have here. Water, milk, or tea is fine, right? Please... please wait for a moment." After saying that, the young paramedic scrambled away in a hurry, his cheeks blushing.

    Shen Nianzu did not place this minor interaction in mind. He swept his glance around, searching for the person in charge amongst the crowd, when he sensed a slight tug on his sleeve. Turning around, he could only see Gu Luoxin’s lowered head, but then he heard the young man mutter in a slight daze, his voice low and frail,

    "He called me a total of four times..."

    Shen Nianzu froze. He immediately knew who Gu Luoxin was talking about, having learned the situation on the way here, but before he could think of a response, Gu Luoxin continued, his shoulders trembling,

    "Four times... but I only accepted it in the end. He... He told me he didn’t want to die... he begged me to save— to save him..." Gu Luoxin choked out amidst ragged breaths, tears dripping down onto his pajama pants, one droplet after another, leaving behind wet patches. His voice was oh so heartbreakingly fragile, so small, sounding like the sorrowful keens of a trapped and injured animal, struggling helplessly against the cage of fate that held it captive. "I was so close, Xiao Shen... just a little bit more, and I could have—"

    "Ssh..." Shen Nianzu let the young man lean on him, patting him on the back. "It’s okay, you don’t have to say more."

    But Gu Luoxin wasn’t finished yet. He clutched Shen Nianzu’s hand in a desperate grip and asked in a near frenzy, "Will it be ruled as suicide? He... he climbed up the rooftop by himself. He also jumped by himself. The CCTV will prove that. No matter how much the police investigate, it can only be a suicide, can’t it? But how—" his breath hitched violently. "How am I supposed to tell Auntie that...?"

    He wept inconsolably, "Shang Hao is her one and only son... she knows – we both know – it’s impossible for him to kill himself. So how... how am I supposed to explain this to her, Xiao Shen? No one will believe me... no one will believe what I’m saying..."

    A heavy sigh escaped Shen Nianzu. He was just about to speak when a voice interrupted him,

    "Hello, Student Gu Luoxin? I’m sorry for interrupting, but can I take a minute of your time?"

    Shen Nianzu instantly stiffened, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and incredulity. This familiar voice...

    He whipped his head around, only to come face-to-face with a person he never expected to meet in a situation like this.

    "This case has officially been taken over by the Special Investigation Team from the Provincial Bureau." The woman speaking had neatly trimmed short black hair and wore a casual shirt under her thick bomber jacket, paired with jeans. She looked a little older than how she appeared in the Nightmare Cycle and the similarity was only sixty percent at most, yet those firm and determined eyes... plus the aura she exuded... they were unmistakable.

    Shen Nianzu recognized her almost immediately.

    The fourth ranked player, the newly ascended Legendary player—Ying—introduced herself formally, "I am one of the officers in charge, Su Ruying. I’m very sorry for your loss."