"That's right. On the evening of the 15th, I returned to the dorm, and suddenly someone sent me a message: 'I have a way to help you. Don't you want to get rid of Deng Yuanwu?'"
"Seeing it was an unfamiliar number, I thought someone was playing a prank and ignored it. The person sent more messages, five at once, all saying similar things, as if they were a professional killer who would help me kill Deng Yuanwu if I paid."
"So you wanted to see if the person could actually help you?" Liu Yuning probed.
"I didn't intend to get involved at first. Who knew that at night, someone knocked on my dorm door. I thought it was someone I knew, so I opened the door, but there was no one there. I cursed them as crazy and closed the door. Less than a minute later, there was another knock. This time, I didn't open the door but looked through the peephole."
"Again, I saw no one. I yelled at the door, 'Who is it? Get out! Stop scaring me!' I thought that if I shouted like a madman, they would stop bothering me. But the knocking grew louder and more continuous."
"The banging on the door was driving me crazy. Coupled with not seeing anyone outside, I thought I was seeing ghosts, and I couldn't even bring myself to open the door."
At this point, Song Xingguo was too scared to continue. Xiahou urged, "What happened next?"
"Ahem, ahem." Song Xingguo struggled to drink some water. Xiahou walked over and helped him lift the cup. After he took a sip, Song Xingguo slowly said, "I went back into the kitchen, picked up a hammer, and then opened the door. The next second, my head was covered by a black bag. No one hit me, but I felt a heavy sensation, as if something with anesthetic was in the bag. As soon as I inhaled, my limbs went weak."
"After that, I don't know how I woke up. My back felt sore. The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself in a small dark room. The place was about 10 square meters. Even for me, who isn't a very large person, it felt cramped. You can imagine how small it was. There were no windows or doors. I was terrified. How did I even get in without any entrance?"
"I figured there must have been a gap that opened up, but I couldn't find it. So I started to move, reaching out and feeling around. My body was still a bit numb, probably from the drugs. But after trying a few times, it slowly got better. My movements became agile within a few minutes. I tried to find an exit, but after a long search, I discovered it was completely sealed. I thought I was dreaming and pinched my neck hard. It hurt! The pain was very real, and I told myself, this is all real!"
"I managed to calm myself down. Otherwise, things would only get more complicated. After my emotions settled down, I started to recall what happened before I came here. Didn't I receive some messages earlier? That person actually said he could help me deal with Deng Yuanwu. Could it be true?"
"Perhaps realizing the other party's intentions, I shouted towards the ceiling, 'Okay, then do as you said. I agree. Can you let me out? I don't want to stay here anymore.'"
"Actually, I was just trying my luck at the time, because I had no idea where that person was. Unexpectedly, as soon as I finished speaking, a voice from above truly replied, 'Hehehe, it seems you finally believe me. Alright, but you'll have to wait a while longer. Someone from the other side said that once it's handled, I can let you out, because I'm worried you might change your mind midway.'"
"I said I wouldn't and that I had made up my mind. But the other party insisted. I was very curious about who these people were. He mentioned someone relaying messages, which meant there was more than one of them. Could they be some kind of killing syndicate? Did they find out I was in trouble recently and decide to help? But why would they help me? I don't seem to know them at all."
"With these questions, I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up again, do you know what happened?"
Song Xingguo paused as if to build suspense. Liu Yuning impatiently blurted out, "Stop dawdling! Get to the point!"
Song Xingguo made an apologetic gesture and smiled awkwardly before continuing, "I was back in my dorm. I touched the back of my head and sat up in bed, looking around. I really doubted if I had been dreaming. In fact, until I heard about Deng Yuanwu's death, I thought it was all a dream. But I know those people really helped me get rid of Deng Yuanwu."
In the observation room, I stared intently at Song Xingguo's micro-expressions. His reactions seemed normal; he probably wasn't lying. But Liu Yuning didn't think so. She stared at Song Xingguo with disdain, "Heh, Song Xingguo, do you think you can absolve yourself and distance yourself from this crime by concocting such a story? I'm telling you, I can see through your lies in an instant. Don't try to play games with me!"
"No, Officer Liu, I'm really not lying. You just said I wasn't being honest. Now that I've confessed everything, you say this. What do you want me to do? I really didn't kill anyone. It was done by that strange group! It was them! It has nothing to do with me. When I got back to the dorm, I thought I was dreaming! There was no blood on my hands, and no traces of me were left at the scene, right?"
Song Xingguo's words were careless. He didn't realize that by saying this, he would only make the police suspect that he was the killer who had cleaned up the scene, which was why they hadn't found anything.
Liu Yuning indeed seized on this point, her gaze turning into one of contempt for a suspect. She said coldly, "It's precisely because the scene was too clean that it aroused our suspicion. Now that the surveillance footage shows you at the scene, even if you can provide an alibi, it's useless."
"Then what should I do? I really didn't do it. It was someone else. As I said, I only had the thought, but I absolutely didn't act on it!"
"It seems you're still stubborn. Fine, I don't want to waste any more time. You won't talk, right? Don't regret it. The court will pass the most severe sentence on you!"