chapter 6
Chen Shu narrowed his eyes, suddenly thinking of something.
“Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows…?”
Chen Shu’s mind was racing, making plans.
He recalled that the idiom “Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows” originated from Strategies of the Warring States, Qi Strategies IV.
The story behind this idiom involves the famous Qi statesman Lord Mengchang and his retainer Feng Xuan.
In the story, Feng Xuan uses “Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows” as a metaphor, suggesting that a person should have multiple places to hide to avoid disaster.
He helped Lord Mengchang establish three safe refuges, allowing Lord Mengchang to protect himself during turbulent times.
Later, “Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows” became a commonly used idiom, referring to people taking multiple precautions or preparing several escape routes to guard against risks and dangers.
Now, as “Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows” surfaced in Chen Shu’s mind, he immediately associated it with the “Chen Shu” before him, who had come up with this plan.
He waited for me to leave, then pretended to be unconscious, and was taken away after waking up.
Then he told the police that multiple versions of himself had appeared, anticipating my plan as well.
He left the police station and went into hiding.
Finally, he returned.
When everyone thought he was the murderer.
Therefore, he left his knife at the scene, switching his knife with mine.
Because we are both Chen Shu.
We share a habit: we always carry a knife with us!
And next, “Chen Shu” would tell the police:
I lied to them, I killed everyone, knocked him out, and even took a corpse out to provoke the police, and the knife is the evidence of the murder!
As for the “temple” in Xiao Gao’s painting, it should be a psychological refuge or belief for Chen Shu.
If he could think of “Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows,” how could I not?
Or rather, how could the third Chen Shu not think of it?
Suddenly, Chen Shu remembered the conversation between Lu Fan and the others when they discovered the clues earlier.
Lu Fan stroked his chin and pondered, “So, two people in black went to the Nanling Street apartment?”
“Yes, there were indeed two people.”
“Is it possible that both of them were Chen Shu?”
“If both were Chen Shu, then why did the other Chen Shu come here?”
“So that’s how it is.”
Chen Shu muttered in a low voice.
Lu Fan saw Chen Shu’s bewildered and dazed expression, and immediately frowned, slapping his palm on the table a few times.
“Chen Shu, what else do you have to argue about!”
Hearing Lu Fan’s words, Chen Shu raised his head, his eyes clear, looking at the “Chen Shu” standing nearby and the others.
He felt that this “Chen Shu” seemed strange, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
If he wasn’t the real Chen Shu from the future, then who was he?
How could he look exactly like me?
Chen Shu asked suspiciously, “Are you sure you’re Chen Shu? Not an imposter?”
“Bullshit, I am Chen Shu!”
“Chen Shu” shouted angrily.
“Why are you so agitated? Don’t forget, you just lied!”
Chen Shu’s words stunned Han Xue, Lu Fan, Lin Ying, and the others.
Han Xue looked at the Chen Shu before her, her brows furrowed, unsure what he was thinking.
Lin Ying stared at Chen Shu.
“Please explain how the knife found on you came to be there?”
But Chen Shu put on a dazed expression.
“Knife? What knife?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Fan immediately stood up, walked over to him, and shouted sternly.
“Chen Shu, what the hell are you playing at? If you keep this up, I’ll arrest both of you together!”
Lu Fan once again shot a sour look at “Chen Shu” standing to the side.
Chen Shu smiled, stood up, and patted Lu Fan’s shoulder with his cuffed hands.
“Brother Lu, don’t be so hot-tempered! Officer Han said the case will be investigated slowly, and the truth will come out eventually.”
“Get lost!” Lu Fan shook off Chen Shu’s hand.
Chen Shu continued, “Brother Lu, the knife was found on me, but I have no idea where it came from.
Maybe it was him-maybe he slipped it to me while I was unconscious. I’m not hiding the murder weapon; my knife is at home!”
Chen Shu raised his eyebrows teasingly and glanced at “Chen Shu” standing nearby.
“Chen Shu” heard Chen Shu’s words and let out a cold snort.
“Your knife is at home?”
Seeing this, Chen Shu’s lips curled up in a triumphant smile.
“That’s right. If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to my house. It should be in the kitchen cabinet. You can go and check.”
Upon hearing this, “Chen Shu”‘s face turned sour.
“Fine! Since you say your knife is at home, I’ll make a call and check.”
Han Xue took out her phone and glanced at the time-unconsciously, the interrogation had already lasted over two hours. It was already 11:30.
Han Xue dialed the Police Officer still patrolling the crime scene.
She told the Police Officer to go to Chen Shu’s kitchen and look for a knife, briefly describing it before hanging up.
Ten minutes later.
Han Xue’s phone rang.
She answered, spoke a few words, and hung up.
Han Xue turned to look at Chen Shu.
Lu Fan, seeing this, looked at Han Xue with curiosity and urgency.
“What did they say?”
“His knife is indeed at home.”
Upon hearing this, “Chen Shu”‘s face fell, as if something he’d been hoping for had slipped away.
“How could he have a knife!”
“Wasn’t his knife switched…?”
“Chen Shu” seemed a bit flustered, subconsciously touching his own face.
Seeing his reaction, a bold idea began to rise in Chen Shu’s mind.
I’m a doctor. If my future criminal self is skilled enough… could his face be fake?
The man in front of me-if Chen Shu’s guess was right-was a “Chen Shu” who had killed another future “Chen Shu” and swapped faces!
He wasn’t the real culprit at all!
With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, Chen Shu couldn’t help but probe, “Is your face real?”
The sudden question made “Chen Shu” freeze, his expression tense as if a secret had been exposed, his eyes flickering. But in an instant, he regained composure and retorted calmly.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Of course my face is real!”
His voice carried a barely noticeable hint of nervousness.
Seeing the change in “Chen Shu”‘s expression, Chen Shu was now completely certain of his own judgment.
His gaze swept sharply across “Chen Shu”‘s face, searching for any possible flaw.
Staring at “Chen Shu” opposite him, Chen Shu felt a strange sense of doubt rise within.
That face-the one he’d seen countless times before-at first, the “Chen Shu” he met looked exactly like himself.
There was an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
But the “Chen Shu” before him now felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Chen Shu” froze, his gaze at Chen Shu revealing a trace of nervousness and surprise.