On a Stormy Night, the Campus Belle Knocked on My Door Seeking Shelter
Chapter 7: Two Overlapping People

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Two Overlapping People

"A knife!?" The three punks stared blankly at Chen Mo, not understanding what he was saying.

"You three are in the life, don’t tell me you go out without even a single knife." Chen Mo looked at them with a taunting expression.

As expected, goading them was the most effective method. The short, green-haired guy next to Yellow Hair, immediately taking the bait, pulled a butterfly knife from his pocket. "Who said we don’t have one? I can even do tricks."

As he spoke, he showed off some butterfly knife tricks right in front of Chen Mo.

Chen Mo only needed a single glance to determine this wasn’t the murder weapon described in the forensics report. According to the report, based on the incision, the weapon was a fruit knife.

He shook his head and turned his gaze to the other two, asking, "This kind of knife is too flashy. Do you have anything more reliable?"

"What do you need a knife for?" Yellow Hair didn’t rise to the bait and asked back.

"I have some personal business to take care of, and I need something like this to build up my courage," Chen Mo lied without missing a beat.

"You, Young Master Chen, have nothing but money. Can’t you just buy one yourself?" Although Yellow Hair was just a punk, it didn’t mean he was completely brainless. He felt that Chen Mo’s request was strange.

"Fine. I’ll buy one from you for 100 yuan. Something durable, like a regular fruit knife, will do." Chen Mo pulled out a red bill.

"Holy shit, 100 yuan for a knife? You really are rich. I’ll sell you one."

Before Yellow Hair could even speak, the other punk next to him, the one with the non-mainstream hairstyle, eagerly pulled a Swiss Army knife from his pocket.

"This is a Swiss Army knife. It’s got all sorts of tools, and the blade is solid. Most importantly, you don’t have to worry about getting stopped for it. You can take it anywhere."

"So, this should work, right?" As he spoke, he was already grinning and reaching for Chen Mo’s red bill.

But Chen Mo’s smile vanished in an instant. "Nope. Unless I open the blade beforehand, by the time I find it among all these tools, it’ll be too late. And I can’t just walk around with the blade out in my pocket, can I?"

"Bro, do you have a useful knife?" Chen Mo moved the red bill in front of Yellow Hair.

"I have one, but it cost me over a hundred. You’re not getting it for just a hundred yuan."

As he spoke, Yellow Hair pulled a military-style folding knife from his waistband. With a flick of his wrist, *CLANG!* The blade snapped out, its impact against the hilt creating a short metallic hum. The crisp sound of the spring lock cut through the curtain of rain, and as Yellow Hair twisted his wrist, the hunting knife’s cold glint flashed.

The 12-centimeter blade of the hunting knife glinted with a cold, blue-gray light under the streetlamp. The serrated spine of the blade cut fragmented spots of light through the sheet of rain.

"This was modified from a genuine M9 bayonet." Yellow Hair said smugly, lightly scoring a nearby cardboard box with the tip. The box was sliced open, even though he had barely used any force. "Strong enough for you?"

In terms of cool factor and intimidation, his knife definitely had the upper hand.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the murder weapon Chen Mo was looking for.

"It’s a good knife, but I only brought a hundred yuan. Forget it." After saying this, Chen Mo turned and walked away.

"Dammit, why do I get the feeling that kid just played us?" the green-haired guy said, annoyed.

"I don’t think so. He looked dead serious when he was asking for a knife. It didn’t seem like he was just messing with us," Yellow Hair replied, shaking his head.

"What kind of trouble could that kid possibly get into that he’d need a knife? His parents are so powerful."

"I heard he has no idea how much his parents have his back. Whatever. As long as he’s not causing trouble for us, we’re golden. Just ignore him."

...

In the curtain of rain, Chen Mo’s expression was grim.

These three punks were a lead he hadn’t investigated in his previous life, because back then, Lin Yu’an hadn’t said anything.

He’d thought he had found a breakthrough today.

He never expected he was completely on the wrong track.

’I don’t think the three of them deliberately hid a fruit knife from me,’ he thought.

’After all, I specifically asked for something like a fruit knife. If they’d had one, they would have shown it.’

’How much does a fruit knife even cost? Why wouldn’t they trade it for a hundred yuan? They haven’t committed the crime yet, so there’s no reason to be secretive.’

The rain fell like steel needles, piercing through Chen Mo’s thin shirt now that he was without his jacket. His bangs stuck to his brow bone, and the curtain of water blurred his surroundings.

He clenched the hundred-yuan bill, now soggy from the rain, his knuckles turning white from the force. The image of the wound from the 13-centimeter, single-edged fruit knife in the forensics report replayed in his mind.

He wiped away the rain blurring his vision. The soaked fabric clung to his back, a chill crawling up his spine, but it couldn’t extinguish the burning anxiety in his chest. ’With my years of experience as a detective, there’s no way I won’t find a single potential suspect tonight.’

Returning to the vicinity of the convenience store and confirming that almost no one was passing by at this hour, Chen Mo finally headed directly to the real crime scene.

If Su Yuqing wasn’t targeted in advance, then it was likely a crime of opportunity. This meant the culprit would appear at the designated location around the time of the crime. All he had to do was go to that spot and wait.

’Actually, I overlooked the simplest method from the very beginning. I could have rejected Su Yuqing just like in my previous life and then secretly followed her. No matter what happened along the way, I wouldn’t have interfered. That way, I would’ve been guaranteed to catch the real culprit at the scene of the crime.’

’But obviously, I can’t do that. I’m a person of flesh and blood.’

The moment he saw Su Yuqing again, excitement, joy, and tenderness had flooded his mind, causing him to instantly abandon any thought of using her.

’No matter what, I will never reject Su Yuqing again in this life.’

’So it wasn’t an unintentional oversight; I ignored it on purpose. Even if my rational mind tells me the correct course of action, I’d rather follow my heart.’

Back at the convenience store, after buying an umbrella, Chen Mo prepared to set out again.

As it turned out, the kind young lady at the store handed him a clean towel. "Hey, you’re soaked. You should dry your hair first, or you’ll get a headache."

Suddenly, Chen Mo felt a sense of temporal dislocation.

His situation at this very moment overlapped perfectly with Su Yuqing’s from that moment in the past.

He smiled, said thank you, and took the towel to dry the rain from his hair. Instantly, his vision seemed to clear up.

After putting his phone in a waterproof bag and saying goodbye to the kind clerk, Chen Mo began walking toward the crime scene, imitating Su Yuqing’s movements and pace as she left the store.

Su Yuqing had been delayed by the matter with Lin Yu’an, and he had been delayed by it too. Although the length of their delays might differ, it shouldn’t be by much.

With the hope of catching the culprit, Chen Mo once again stepped out into the wind and rain, umbrella in hand.