As the cold winter winds gradually swept through every corner of the city, the tense atmosphere surrounding the case became more suffocating. The weak light of the daytime sun barely filtered through the thick clouds, casting a faint glow on the crime scene where Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou were investigating. It was an exceptionally quiet high-end office building, and every corner of the building was infused with an elegant atmosphere, yet the environment starkly contrasted with the murder that had occurred there.
The victim was a well-known entrepreneur named Cheng Hao. Cheng Hao had been embroiled in a major financial scandal and had been heavily scrutinized by the media. However, his death turned out to be far more complicated than anyone had imagined. A few days before his death, Cheng Hao had unveiled a groundbreaking business plan that could potentially revolutionize the industry, and he was preparing to hold a press conference. However, the day before the event, he was found dead in his own office.
The biggest mystery surrounding the case was the time of death. According to surveillance footage, Cheng Hao was discovered dead at nine o'clock at night. However, after performing an autopsy, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou discovered that the time of death seemed to be much earlier than what was shown in the footage. The victim's body had been exposed for an extended period, showing obvious signs of livor mortis and rigor mortis, indicating that Cheng Hao had likely died several hours before the time recorded by the surveillance cameras.
"What's going on? When exactly did Cheng Hao die?" Lu Chenzhou stood in the corner of the office, his brow furrowed as he scanned the once-busy desk, still unsettled by the mystery surrounding the case.
"I need to check the scene more thoroughly," Su Wanqing said, taking a deep breath as she moved toward the center of the office. She crouched down and began observing her surroundings. Cheng Hao's desk was littered with scattered papers, and the clock on the wall had stopped. No one could explain why the surveillance footage didn't match the physical evidence.
At that moment, Su Wanqing noticed a seemingly ordinary desk clock on the table. The clock was intricately designed and appeared undamaged. However, when she reached out to touch it, she realized that the hands of the clock were stopped at exactly 8:15.
"This clock is probably a key left behind by the murderer," Su Wanqing thought to herself. She turned to Lu Chenzhou and said, "This is not a simple murder. The killer likely used some device to create a time illusion."
Lu Chenzhou was momentarily stunned before continuing, "Are you saying the murderer intentionally made the recorded time of death on the footage different from the actual time?"
"Exactly," Su Wanqing confirmed, her voice firm. "This wasn't just about falsifying the time—it was about creating an illusion through some kind of special device. If I'm not mistaken, the killer might have used a miniature device to interfere with the surveillance system's recording."
The two of them proceeded to examine Cheng Hao's office more carefully and noticed a series of timed switches on the wall. These switches didn't seem like normal office equipment but rather resembled high-tech timing devices. After an initial inspection, Su Wanqing surmised that these switches controlled the office's lighting and electronic devices. However, she speculated that these devices might have been used to interfere with the surveillance system, creating a disorientation in time.
"If I'm right, the killer probably activated this device at the time of Cheng Hao's death, altering the time recorded by the surveillance system, which gave him an alibi after the crime," Su Wanqing hypothesized.
Lu Chenzhou frowned, deep in thought. "So, the killer not only manipulated time but also precisely calculated the difference between the time of death and the surveillance footage. Their control over time is almost obsessive."
After returning to the police station, the two began further investigating the identity of the murderer. They soon discovered an important lead from Cheng Hao's social media and public records— the killer was a time management expert named Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu had once been Cheng Hao's business partner, but they had a fierce dispute during a collaboration and had severed ties. Zhou Yu's area of expertise was "time management," and he specialized in helping clients improve work efficiency through meticulous time planning.
Through the investigation, Lu Chenzhou learned that Zhou Yu not only had exceptional skills in time management but had also received high praise for his precise time control techniques in various fields. He had even been a respected instructor in corporate management courses. However, at the peak of his career, Zhou Yu gradually lost his sanity and began conducting extreme experiments with his technology. Several months ago, his laboratory was exposed for conducting unauthorized psychological experiments, and he had become increasingly paranoid in his personal life.
"A genius in time control, but he used his abilities to commit a crime," Lu Chenzhou said. "This murder was clearly a meticulously planned trap."
Upon further investigation, Lu Chenzhou found that Zhou Yu not only had the technical ability to manipulate time but could also create time illusions using high-tech devices. Based on his research and past projects, Zhou Yu could manipulate electronic signals and interfere with video transmission to create a false timeline in surveillance footage.
"How did he manage to do it?" Su Wanqing asked, puzzled.
"My guess is that Zhou Yu installed a mini interferer in Cheng Hao's office, possibly even hiding the device inside the desk clock," Lu Chenzhou said solemnly. "By altering the signal reception time of the surveillance cameras, he successfully created a time discrepancy."
However, as they continued to investigate, it became clear that Zhou Yu had realized his exposure. After discovering that the police had gathered substantial evidence, he chose to flee. During the subsequent pursuit, they found that Zhou Yu had vanished completely, leaving no trace.
But Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing knew that the case wasn't truly over. Zhou Yu's "time trap" was far from finished. Through this case, they had become acutely aware that the killer wasn't just manipulating the concept of time; he was trying to control everyone's fate. The battle between time and death had only just begun.
In the days that followed, as Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing continued tracking Zhou Yu, they uncovered more secrets related to time manipulation. With each step, they discovered that the relationship between time and fate was becoming increasingly complex, and the dark forces behind it were far more powerful than they had ever imagined.