Chapter 277: The Arrest Of A Big Star (1/2)

Dali and I returned to Nanjiang City in a special armored vehicle. On the way there, I scrolled through the internet, trying to obtain information about recent events. After all, we spent this entire month and a half in a little hick town away from all the hubbub.

The most sensational news during this period was the public love affair between the idol Yi Xi and an actress. Tens of millions of female fans were hit hard and the comments on the internet were filled with grief. Yi Xi lost millions of fans in just one day!

Many girls even threatened to jump off buildings and slit their wrists, while others bombarded the actress’ Weibo with insults, sparking vicious arguments with her fans.

Several professionals in showbiz criticized Yi Xi for trampling all over his fans' hearts by making his relationship public. After all, an idol was a profession that made money by selling fantasies. However, there were also opposing comments arguing for the rights of these idols who were only human and had their own lives. Should they remain single throughout their lives just because they were regarded as dream lovers by millions of people?

I never kept up with celebrity gossip and neither was I acquainted with the names of all the new celebrities, so I didn’t really have an opinion regarding the matter.

When the armored vehicle pulled into the public security bureau, I noticed the building was surrounded by a sea of people, mostly girls who were holding up signs that read: ”Yi Xi is innocent! Release Yi Xi! If Yi Xi is imprisoned, I’ll make him food! If Yi Xi is sentenced, I’ll kill myself in the name of love!” and other infatuated declarations that left my mouth agape.

At this moment, I received a call from Xiaotao. ”Song Yang, I see the vehicle,” she said. “Don't come in through the main entrance. Go round the building and enter through the back.”

I looked out of the window and saw her tiny figure waving at us from a third-floor window. ”What’s going on?” I asked.

”After we detained Yi Xi this morning, his fans blockaded the building and began causing trouble for us in the bureau!” she sighed. “If you bump into a reporter on your way in, don't say anything. Those guys are really crazy. They read into every single word you say!”

It took us a lot of trouble to get into the station where we personally experienced the might of the masses. A cacophony of rowdy fans shouting their slogans assaulted our ears, their discordant voices perhaps loud enough to shake off the roof tiles.

”These fans are terrifying...” gulped Dali.

”Sorry to have troubled you two,” said Xiaotao. “I know you’ve just completed your internship but as you can see, this is the situation we’re dealing with now. Any missteps and we’ll be condemned by society.”

”Let's talk about the case first!” I sighed.

The incident occurred last night. Yi Xi had originally come to Nanjiang City as part of his concert tour, which lasted from 8 to 10 pm last night. When Yi Xi left the venue, he was surrounded by a large group of persistent reporters who hounded him about his love affair, their relentless questioning agitating Yi Xi. Soon, the scene spun out of control and his bodyguards quickly got to work, desperately trying to maintain order. Meanwhile, Yi Xi quietly left through the safety exit, though his whereabouts were unknown.

Anxious about his disappearance, the agency and the organizer mobilized all forces to find Yi Xi. At about 11 pm, two reporters heading back to their office coincidentally found Yi Xi driving on the same road with an unfamiliar man sitting in the front passenger seat.

The reporters pursued Yi Xi, forcing the latter to speed up, and as a result, the car went off the rails and dived into an artificial lake beside the park.

At that point, the reporters shouted for help, attracting a few passers-by who jumped down to save the star. Yi Xi was safe but the man in the front passenger seat drowned to death. When the police arrived, they managed to salvage the car but unexpectedly discovered two bodies instead. Besides the stranger in the front passenger seat, there was another charred, unrecognizable male body in the trunk.

In the face of police inquiry, Yi Xi showed great defiance and reluctance to cooperate. Due to obstruction from the onlookers on scene, he wasn’t immediately detained by the police at the time.

Xiaotao visited Yi Xi's hotel room with a search warrant this morning. Although the scene had been cleaned, traces of blood and a fire was discovered after a detailed investigation of the room. Preliminary results revealed that the time of death of the body was around noon yesterday. During this period of time, Yi Xi had no witness to prove his whereabouts.

Additionally, a housekeeping staff stated that he saw a man wearing a face mask and sunglasses enter Yi Xi's room but no sign of him leaving. He was initially suspected to be the deceased so Xiaotao detained Yi Xi back at the station.

After narrating the sequence of events, Xiaotao asked, ”Do you want to see the body or the suspect first?”

”The living are usually dishonest,” I laughed. “I’d rather look at the dead that cannot lie!”