Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting

Chapter 67

Wang Ziyang stood up with a puzzled expression. He had been about to ask why Ye Sangsang was making such a move.

But before he could even start the question, he was completely stunned by her actions.

As soon as the door opened, his face paled, and he involuntarily took two steps back, hastily grabbing the nearby table to keep himself from falling.

"Police...?" His eyes widened, and his lips trembled several times before he could muster the words to identify the people he saw.

Ye Sangsang turned to look at him and introduced herself, "Let me reintroduce myself. I am Qi Qin, the defense lawyer for the deceased, Zhao Jiang."

After opening the door, she stepped aside, allowing the police behind her to enter.

"Wang Ziyang, you are suspected of murdering Zhao Jiang. We are arresting you according to the law," a police officer stepped forward, showing the arrest warrant.

Wang Ziyang kept backing away, his eyes filled with terror.

He was ready to run, to resist the police arrest.

But before he could even make a move, the police were already on him.

His arm was quickly twisted and pinned behind his back, and with a flick of the body, he was forcefully thrown to the ground and handcuffed.

In front of the police, such resistance was simply humiliating.

His face rubbed against the hotel carpet, and he couldn't help but twist his body, trying to escape. For someone who considered himself a member of the elite upper class, this situation was utterly mortifying.

The police paid no attention to his feelings. After handcuffing him, they lifted him up, one on each side.

Wang Ziyang, now captured, glared at Ye Sangsang with indignant eyes, shouting furiously, "You tricked me! Qi Qin, how dare you trick me! Weren't you my defense lawyer? How did you become Zhao Jiang's defense lawyer?"

"I never signed a contract with you," Ye Sangsang reminded him gently, watching his disheveled appearance.

Wang Ziyang's chest heaved violently, and he glared at Ye Sangsang with clenched teeth, before being taken away by the police.

Ye Sangsang handed over a brooch to the police behind her, "I know this can't be used as direct evidence, but it's better than nothing. It might give you some leads."

The crux of a strong evidence chain is to crack open the suspect's mouth and build the chain with confessions and evidence.

Ye Sangsang had already laid out the truth, and the rest was up to the police, who were quite experienced in such matters.

Wang Ziyang wanted to say something, but seeing Ye Sangsang's actions, his face suddenly darkened.

Only now did he truly realize that Ye Sangsang had been plotting against him from the very beginning.

Qi Qin, well done. Do you think this will defeat me? You're dreaming! Everything I said was a lie! I was just fooling you, haha! Haha! Wang Ziyang stared at her, his eyes filled with a whirlwind of emotions that eventually turned into a wild laugh, as he tried to appear insane and deny everything he had said.

The police pushed him, interrupting his rant. "At this point, just behave yourself. Do you think the world revolves around you? We know how to investigate. Don't worry, you can't escape!"

"Whether it's a dream or not, let's see the result," Ye Sangsang added.

Wang Ziyang was about to say more, but a cold snort from a police officer cut him off. With a slap on the back of his head, he was taken away, silenced.

As Wang Ziyang disappeared around the corner, the sound of a wheelchair approached. Ye Sangsang stepped out, her gaze falling on Lin Xiu and Zhao Jiang's brother, Zhao Yue.

【Hehehe, Sister Sangsang just gave him a big surprise.】

【Wang Ziyang was still thinking about stuff, but he's already confessed. Where's the room for him to argue? Once the evidence is compared, he's done for.】

【One shouldn't be overconfident. Thinking you're so smart, yet you're just being played.】

The live stream viewers were elated. Someone like Wang Ziyang, who callously took lives, deserved the full force of the law.

Recalling his indifferent expression earlier, many viewers in the live stream were grinding their teeth in anger.

No one could have guessed that under that handsome exterior lay such a filthy soul.

Ye Sangsang glanced at the two of them and softly asked, "Are you doing okay?"

Qi Qin was a very gentle person, so he would naturally care about Lin Xiu and Zhao Yue, who had just heard everything.

However, she was also curious about how these three had ended up together.

What had happened behind the scenes?

Ye Sangsang felt a surge of curiosity.

She took the two back to Qi Qin's house.

At midnight, Ye Sangsang temporarily arranged for them to sleep, as she wasn't in a hurry to know the details.

But what surprised her was that Wang Ziyang's parents quickly got wind of the situation and called her.

Ye Sangsang refused to get involved in such trouble and blocked their numbers.

After skipping the timeline, Ye Sangsang started the next day.

Instead of focusing on what had happened, she needed to deal with the car accident case. Wang Ziyang thought his plan was perfect, but it was full of holes.

Arriving at the office, Ye Sangsang contacted Zhang Xiaoxiao.

She was very familiar with this case, so having her help organize everything was the best choice.

Zhang Xiaoxiao entered the office in a huff, especially when she heard Ye Sangsang say she wanted her back, since the previous transfer was only temporary. Her face turned red with anger.

But when Ye Sangsang mentioned that she had already terminated the contract with Wang Ziyang, and he had agreed, Zhang Xiaoxiao's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

As lawyers, terminating a contract was relatively simple, given that they drafted the contracts themselves.

She was curious about why the contract was suddenly terminated.

However, she didn't get the answer, only receiving an order to hand all the documents to Lin Xiu.

The other party had already found a lawyer from another firm to handle the case.

"Tell Lin Xiu to ask her lawyer to look into Wang Ziyang's assistant, Xue Shan's financial flow, including his family's, and apply for an investigation. Meanwhile, let them check the witness's situation and look for people who were at the scene of the accident that night to get their statements," Ye Sangsang paused briefly and added.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoxiao's curiosity peaked. She couldn't help but ask, "So, Qi Qin has come to his senses and doesn't like that troublesome Wang Ziyang anymore?"

"Don't get involved. Just focus on the task," Ye Sangsang looked at her and urged.

Zhang Xiaoxiao's eyes gleamed. Since she couldn't get anything out of Ye Sangsang, she decided to ask Lin Xiu.

Taking the documents, she dashed out with light footsteps, her face beaming with happiness.

Ye Sangsang leaned back in her chair, watching Zhang Xiaoxiao's lively steps through the glass wall.

"No wonder Qi Qin likes having someone like Zhang Xiaoxiao as an intern. She's as passionate as Zhao Jiang." She murmured to herself.

Because of their similar temperaments, even if Zhang Xiaoxiao's words were sharp, Qi Qin wouldn't be angry. On the contrary, he would appreciate her even more.

【Zhang Xiaoxiao is like another Zhao Jiang. Zhao Jiang just didn't have the protection he needed, so he didn't grow up to understand the difference between right and wrong or the schemes of the world.】

【I've been wondering about the relationship between Qi Qin and Zhao Jiang, but now it seems unnecessary. At their core, the three of them share the same character. Qi Qin is the experienced, wise, and kind-hearted type, while Zhang Xiaoxiao and Zhao Jiang are the fresh, inexperienced rookies.】

【Compared to them, Wang Ziyang is just a filthy rat!】

Zhang Xiaoxiao soon contacted Lin Xiu, only to find that they were meeting at a coffee shop downstairs from Qi Qin's place.

At an empty, window-side booth, Zhang Xiaoxiao sat face-to-face with Lin Xiu.

"I'm sorry about what happened before," Zhang Xiaoxiao rubbed the back of her head, feeling a bit awkward as she handed over the documents to Lin Xiu.

Lin Xiu shook her head, her expression warm and friendly, "It's nothing."

She took the files and placed them on her lap, her face calm, no trace of the previous resentment or sorrow.

This piqued Zhang Xiaoxiao's curiosity, as the change was too drastic.

"May I ask... why? Why did Qi Qin suddenly change his mind? Did you scold him into waking up?" she asked cautiously, afraid that Lin Xiu would avoid the topic too.

She didn't mean to pry into what had happened between them.

But Qi Qin had seemed so heartless before, and now he suddenly changed his mind, even helping Lin Xiu put Wang Ziyang back behind bars. This reversal came too quickly.

She felt there must be a big secret involved!

Lin Xiu glanced at Zhao Yue beside her, then sighed, "He still likes to stay silent. Even at this point, he hasn't told you the truth."

Zhang Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in confusion.

What truth?

"Can I say it?" She was still very curious, but if the other person couldn't disclose, then she wouldn't ask.

Lin Xiu tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You can. I don’t want you to continue misunderstanding Lawyer Qi. He's a truly good person."

Zhang Xiaoxiao looked at Lin Xiu, curious about what had happened and what secrets lay behind Lawyer Qi's actions.

Lin Xiu looked back at her and revealed everything in detail.

Their investigation into the truth about Zhao Jiang's disappearance had begun from the moment he went missing.

No matter where they went, whether reporting to the police or

"Where are you going? You still have work to do!" Ye Sangsang handed her a file.

Zhang Xiaoxiao opened it and found the case file on Wang Ziyang's murder case.

After reading it, she looked up curiously at Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang looked back at her, "Why are you just standing there? We need to handle the case. We are now Zhao Jiang's defense lawyers."

"Oh! Okay!" Zhang Xiaoxiao understood and immediately agreed.

【Hehehe, once the trial is over, this case will be closed!】

【If it follows the usual process, Wang Ziyang might not even be convicted.】

【Waiting for Wang Ziyang to get the death penalty! I must see it tonight!】

As the investigator, the goal is to get the real murderer convicted and sentenced, only then will the case be considered closed.

Ye Sangsang's current task is to understand the case and communicate with the investigating police.

The police had viewed the entire recording, keeping it on until Ye Sangsang opened the door.

So, regarding the interrogation, Ye Sangsang didn't need to worry much, as the police had already cracked the truth and could easily break through Wang Ziyang's defenses.

There was still one issue: the group of hired killers.

They seemed to have caught wind and had already fled.

Of course, they couldn't escape, it would just take some time.

Ye Sangsang's job was to wait.

Three days later, Ye Sangsang received news of their capture.

At the same time, Wang Ziyang had also hired a lawyer, who tried to apply for bail, but was quickly rejected by the police.

The police swiftly initiated the investigation. The evidence on the clothes was extensive: every fingerprint's direction, indicating actions at the time, as well as the people he contacted that night to tip them off, and all the deleted but recovered files on his phone.

This included, but was not limited to, videos of the murder, records of extortion demands and conversations, various chat logs.

All these pieces of evidence were cross-validated with the details given by the fleeing suspects.

Even if Wang Ziyang recanted in court, it would be useless.

This was Qi Qin's goal: to push him into a corner where he had to confess, leaving no room for arguments, to ensure the case was watertight, otherwise, everything would be in vain.

In fact, the victory in this lawsuit was already certain, even without a lawyer.

But Lin Xiu and Zhao Yue felt it necessary, as they wanted the best outcome.

Skipping the timeline, Ye Sangsang arrived a year later, at the time of the first trial.

Lin Xiu was now able to move freely, and they eagerly awaited this day.

As the defense lawyer, Ye Sangsang sat at the plaintiff's table, with Lin Xiu and Zhao Yue seated in the audience.

The opposing lawyer seemed a bit distracted, likely already knowing the outcome of this case.

As the judge entered and struck the gavel, the lengthy trial began.

The prosecutor presented the case facts and evidence, with both sides presenting and cross-examining evidence.

After a year in jail, Wang Ziyang had gained weight, but his eyes still glared viciously at Ye Sangsang, as if wanting to slice her to pieces with his gaze.

As Ye Sangsang had anticipated, Wang Ziyang still refused to confess.

During the case presentation, he denied all responsibility.

He even claimed that the clothes were stolen by Zhao Jiang, and he knew nothing about everything else.

His words were sincere, and the uninformed onlookers were almost persuaded by him.

After presenting evidence, he claimed he wasn’t like that at all; he only wanted Zhao Jiang to gather evidence and report it, doing good deeds.

"Zhao Jiang's death was due to his own carelessness, not my doing! I refuse to admit it! Even if everything was intentional, it doesn't matter! As long as I didn’t do it, I don’t belong to intentional murder!" Wang Ziyang screamed hysterically, his voice echoing throughout the courtroom.

Only to be warned by the judge.

As for the actual perpetrators sitting beside him, they had all given in and detailed their entire crime process.

Including burying the body in a cement wall, expressing their desire to confess and repent.

Seeing this, Wang Ziyang shouted loudly, "Your Honor, look, they’ve confessed, the people were killed by them! Not me!"

Wang Ziyang's lawyer's face darkened like a pan, trembling lips closed, giving up on any defense.

Lin Xiu was initially furious, disgusted by Wang Ziyang's shamelessness.

But thinking of what Ye Sangsang had told her, that when heaven wants someone to fall, it first makes them act wild, she calmed down. Acting like this in court would lead to the worst outcome.

So, Wang Ziyang was once again warned.

The trial process was boring, long, and detailed, Ye Sangsang did not skip any part of the timeline, quietly participating the entire time.

During a brief recess, she stood up.

"I won't die! Qi Qin, don't waste your effort! Even if there’s a verdict, I’ll appeal again!" Wang Ziyang taunted Ye Sangsang as he was being taken away.

Only to be scolded by the police officer.

Ye Sangsang looked at him and said, "Perhaps only death will make you truly regret for a moment."

Wang Ziyang glared at her with hatred, possibly realizing his fate inwardly, his expression filled with madness.

Ye Sangsang, Lin Xiu, and the others went out for a break and had a meal together.

An hour later, the trial resumed.

Time flew during the trial, and after a series of procedures, it reached the final statement period.

Ye Sangsang was curious whether Wang Ziyang, as the defendant, would suddenly change.

This was a crucial part that could sway the judge's sentencing. Previously, the evidence and various aspects were already comprehensive. Now, it was all about the final statement.

First, the statements from the other criminals.

They had prepared, directly confessing without reservation, expressing remorse for their illegal acts, promising not to repeat, and pleading for leniency.

They said a lot, all in tears.

Ye Sangsang noticed that Wang Ziyang's lawyer was constantly hinting to him, pointing at a piece of paper in his hand.

She knew that this was the lawyer's written final statement for Wang Ziyang, hoping he would read it.

But Wang Ziyang didn’t look at the lawyer; instead, he directly stared at Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang, in turn, looked at Lin Xiu and nodded at her.

Soon, it was Wang Ziyang's turn to make the final statement.

Ye Sangsang was curious about what he would do, as a strong statement might make the death penalty uncertain.

To Ye Sangsang's surprise, Wang Ziyang was straightforward, "I have nothing to say. I'll directly appeal. Don't think of giving me the death penalty. Statement finished."

【??? So arrogant...】

【Hehe, that's the thing about virtual reality games. I stayed up all night digging into Wang Ziyang's case, and guess what? In real life, he actually said the same thing in court! As for the verdict... hehe, go check it out for yourself!】

【You're amazing! I couldn't find it before, but you did. Send me the case number!】

Ye Sangsang was still in shock; this person was clearly out of their mind.

The judge was also stunned for quite some time before finally declaring that the statement was complete.

Then came the announcement of the trial being adjourned for deliberation.

Judges usually need time to consult with jurors on how to deliver their verdict, as direct verdicts are rare in criminal cases.

Ye Sangsang wasn't in a hurry. After the court session ended, she skipped ahead in the timeline to the moment when the verdict notification was handed down.

The notification was delivered directly to Zhao Yue.

The instant he saw the result, a smile of relief spread across his face, but then, thinking of his brother, tears began to stream down his cheeks.

Lin Xiu, head down, was also in tears.

Ye Sangsang looked at them and informed them to wait for the second trial.

Wang Ziyang wouldn't give up easily.

Soon, the second trial began.

To everyone's relief, the second trial dismissed Wang Ziyang's appeal, upholding the original verdict.

In the first trial, Wang Ziyang was found guilty of intentional homicide, traffic accident-related intentional injury, and other crimes, resulting in the harshest penalty—death.

Zhao Jiang was finally arranged to be buried. Under Zhao Yue and Lin Xiu's invitation, Ye Sangsang attended the long-overdue funeral.

As she looked at the wreaths and the portrait, memories she thought she had forgotten surfaced in her mind.

She watched them stand before the tombstone, recounting their journey of hunting down the culprit, mentioning how Wang Ziyang was soon to be executed.

This long-awaited justice was finally being served.

Zhang Xiaoxiao sobbed uncontrollably.

Ye Sangsang, holding a bouquet of chrysanthemums, stood there for a long time without moving, until she was reminded to place it at Zhao Jiang's grave.

As she bent down, she seemed to see through the black-and-white photo another person.

A woman who had been gone for a long time, her age forever frozen by death.

Ye Sangsang stared, her emotions churning with complexity.

In the midst of Zhang Xiaoxiao and others' wailing, Ye Sangsang clicked to close the case.

【Congratulations to Player Ye Sangsang for perfectly completing the "Truth" case scenario. Scenario Evaluation: SSS.】

【Congratulations to Player Ye Sangsang for receiving the SSS-level mission reward: 1 Body Attribute Point, which can be freely allocated to basic body attributes.】

【Congratulations to Player Ye Sangsang for receiving the first-time clearance reward: 1 Plot Hint Card (usable only once).】

After closing the case, Ye Sangsang was about to click to exit the game when a super-intelligent alarm sounded in her ear.

In the next second, she was logged out of the game.

At the same time, a cotton cloth was swiftly pressed over her mouth and nose.

Ye Sangsang reacted quickly, holding her breath while simultaneously reaching out to grip the hand covering her face and trying to twist it away.

However, the person on the other side was incredibly strong, and Ye Sangsang couldn't budge their grip.

The strength disparity was clear, leaving her momentarily unable to fight back.

Holding her breath could only last so long.

Feeling the peculiar scent on the cloth, Ye Sangsang's mind raced.

With one hand preventing the attacker, she quietly reached for a book near the cabinet.

The assailant seemed to know Ye Sangsang well, quickly extending the other hand to stop her reaching hand.

Her slender wrist was utterly immobilized in the attacker's strong grip, leaving her helpless.

Ye Sangsang gritted her teeth and stealthily extended her leg.

Her leg wasn't fully recovered, so she had to bend it to gather strength for the kick.

This time, it was successful. Ye Sangsang's powerful kick landed hard on the attacker's abdomen.

The strength of her lower body surprised the attacker, who had assumed her leg was still weak, causing them to stumble back two steps.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Sangsang quickly rolled off the bed. Glancing at the cabinet by the side, she grabbed a knife from it and pointed it at the person in front of her.

"Su Xu... it's you..." Ye Sangsang said, her voice low and solemn, as she struggled to steady her wobbly legs.

Su Xu stared at Ye Sangsang, his eyes revealing a sickeningly triumphant smile.

Ye Sangsang's gaze darkened as she took a few steps backward toward the window, her hand behind it.

At that moment, perhaps hearing the commotion, a group of people rushed into the room from the hospital.

Seeing them, Su Xu quickly changed his demeanor, pointing at Ye Sangsang and declaring, "Patient Ye Sangsang is showing signs of relapse and is potentially aggressive toward others."

One of the bodyguards-cum-caregivers charged forward and smashed a fist hard into Su Xu's face.

"What a load of bull! She wouldn't attack anyone!"

Su Xu raised his hand to touch his injured eye, but instead of showing anger, he pointed at the others and declared, "I am currently her primary doctor. I believe her condition has worsened and requires treatment."

"The patient is currently in an agitated state and may become aggressive. Prepare to administer a sedative!"

After saying this, nurses began preparing, and two doctors cautiously approached Ye Sangsang.

It was clear they intended to restrain her and inject her with a sedative.

Ye Sangsang glared at Su Xu. "You've prepared for this, haven't you?"

"The patient might be hallucinating. Be careful and don't listen to her," Su Xu added, stepping forward to assist in restraining her.

According to their original plan, Ye Sangsang should now be holding the knife against those in front of her.

But as they approached, Ye Sangsang raised her hands and said, "What have I done? Who here thinks I'm having an episode? Who did I attack? I'm fine. Why are you administering a sedative?"

"I've already used the game system to report this. Whoever comes near me, I'll make sure they go to jail. No one can protect you."

"And Su Xu, you might not know this, but the game has surveillance and alarm systems. They just haven't informed you yet."

The room fell into an instant silence.

Ye Sangsang's calmness was beyond everyone's expectations.

In their minds, she should now be like a wild, out-of-control lunatic, full of malice and attacking everyone around her...

But she wasn't.

Su Xu stared at Ye Sangsang, taking a step back unknowingly.

He felt a hint of fear—the composed Ye Sangsang was far more terrifying than the supposedly "crazy" one.

Remembering his strategy, he hardened his resolve and spoke again: "I am her primary doctor. Follow my orders!"

Hearing this, the doctors and nurses carrying the sedative took another step toward Ye Sangsang.