After Officer Ding left my house, I lay on the sofa, bored, and watched short videos.

Although I was very sleepy, I couldn't fall asleep because I was shocked.

After watching countless videos, I noticed a problem.

Most of the videos recommended to me by the platform were related to telecommunications scams in northern Myanmar, or there were reports of deaths, and the police were busy issuing bulletins.

As I was watching the videos, just as the drowsiness came over me, I felt like I saw an incredible person in one of the videos.

I paused the video, enlarged the screen, and took a screenshot with shaking hands, while also downloading the video.

This video only had two likes and not many views, but it was recommended to me.

It was posted by someone who claimed to have escaped from northern Myanmar, and he said he wanted to reveal the true face of telecommunications fraud.

The scene in the video showed a group of men and women locked in a dimly lit small room.

Among this group of men and women, I caught a glimpse of a familiar person.

"Are you asleep?"

I called Officer Ding.

He lived across from me, so if I encountered any trouble, I could call him, and he would immediately come to my house.

"No, what's up?"

Officer Ding's voice sounded a bit drowsy. If I hadn't called him, he would probably have fallen asleep.

Now he was forcing himself to stay awake and listen to my dispatch.

"I'm going to send you a few screenshots. I just saw them while watching short videos."

Then I sent all the screenshots I had just taken to Officer Ding.

Less than half a minute later, Officer Ding opened the door to my house.

"Are you sure you saw it while browsing? It wasn't someone sending it to you?"

Officer Ding didn't quite believe what I said.

"Do you think I'm lying to you? Anyway, you will investigate it, won't you?"

I was getting frustrated.

I was kindly providing him with clues for the case! Why did he start questioning me like he was interrogating a suspect?

"The image is a bit blurry."

Officer Ding looked down and used his phone to notify his colleagues.

"But the facial features are the same, so it explains why the landlord in Litang Xin Village saw Jixiao two months ago, even though Jixiao had been killed three months ago."

I said as I zoomed in on the screenshot.

I was sure I didn't see it wrong.

The girl in the screenshot had the same face as Jixiao.

She had been to northern Myanmar, but I didn't know if she was still there.

Three days later, Officer Ding, who was on a business trip to another province, called me: "Chen Ze, did you change your last name?"

"Yes! Why?"

After my parents divorced, I changed my last name to my mother's.

If Officer Ding hadn't asked, I would have forgotten my father's last name.

At this moment, I was standing at the entrance of a convenience store, watching a group of elderly people playing racewalking and a few young people playing skateboards arguing.

They were arguing fiercely, and I was engrossed in watching.

There was nothing else to do, so I liked to watch gossip when I was bored.

Because I had been working overtime too much recently, my boss gave me seven days off to rest. So when I had nothing to do, I would stroll outside the community on this street, and I would always see interesting things.

Especially in the evening, when people gathered to watch fights, it was really lively.

"It's nothing. What are you doing? Why is it so noisy?"

Officer Ding seemed concerned about me.

As he continued to ask, his tone became somewhat urgent.

"I'm shopping, and it's pretty noisy."

I stuffed a hot dog into my mouth and moved closer to the crowd.

There were too many onlookers, and I was far away, so I couldn't hear what they were arguing about.

"Stay safe!"

Officer Ding reminded me again.

<

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. It's just people arguing over something, nothing serious."

As I continued to observe the commotion, I noticed that the argument was escalating. The group of young people started shoving each other, and the elderly people tried to intervene and calm them down. However, their efforts seemed to be in vain as the situation quickly turned into a physical altercation.

"Officer Ding, I think I should call the police. This is getting out of hand," I said, my voice filled with concern.

"Yes, please call the police and stay away from the altercation. I'll inform the local authorities as well," Officer Ding replied, his tone serious.

I quickly dialed the emergency helpline and reported the ongoing fight. The operator assured me that help was on the way and advised me to stay at a safe distance until the authorities arrived.

As I waited for the police to arrive, I continued to observe the situation from a safe distance. The fight seemed to have subsided slightly, but tensions were still high. The elderly people were trying their best to separate the brawling youngsters.

Within a few minutes, I heard the sirens approaching, and a police car arrived at the scene. The officers swiftly intervened, dispersing the crowd and restoring order. It was a relief to see them take control of the situation.

After the commotion settled down, Officer Ding called me back.

"Are you okay? Did the police arrive?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes, they just arrived and handled the situation. Everything seems to be under control now," I replied, relieved.

"Good to hear. Stay safe and let me know if you need any further assistance," Officer Ding said, his voice filled with reassurance.

We ended the call, and I decided it was best to head home and avoid any further trouble. I thanked the elderly people for their bravery in trying to stop the fight and bid them farewell.

As I walked back towards my apartment, I couldn't help but reflect on the events of the day. It had been quite eventful, from the shocking discovery in the video to witnessing a heated argument escalate into a fight. I realized that sometimes, even in the most ordinary moments, unexpected things can happen.

Once I reached home, I made a mental note to follow up with Officer Ding regarding the video and the person who resembled Jixiao. It seemed like a significant lead that could potentially shed light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jixiao's death.

With these thoughts in mind, I settled down and decided to get some rest, hoping that the next day would bring some answers to the questions swirling in my mind.