Chapter 27.2: Paper and Ink
The officers who had been huddled around the contracts only moments before immediately straightened up, their expressions turning serious as they hurried after their captain.
In the blink of an eye, the Third Squad’s office was completely empty.
Once everyone had left, Trace Examiner Li spoke again.
“Jiang Xia, you’ve got both the eye and the mindset for forensic work. You’d be an excellent trace evidence examiner.”
Huh?
In the workplace, remarks like that could carry all sorts of hidden meanings. Jiang Xia didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she studied Trace Examiner Li carefully.
His tone was calm, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of probing or joking in his eyes. It was simply a sincere piece of advice.
That put her at ease.
“I studied trace evidence examination in school too. I just don’t know very much yet.”
She spoke modestly before adding,
“But my eyesight really is unusually good, so I can spot quite a few things that other people miss.”
“That’s why I say Heaven’s feeding you.”
Trace Examiner Li smiled.
“You’re still young. Don’t waste that advantage. Learn as much as you can while you’re still young. Once you get older, it becomes much harder to absorb new things. Take me, for example—even reading a book gives me a headache these days.”
As he spoke, he suddenly paused and sighed.
“I really don’t know how Old Sun manages to memorize things all day long.”
Maybe because he has so many past blunders to make up for?
At any rate, Jiang Xia’s impression of Forensic Examiner Sun’s spectacular misjudgments was still vivid.
Of course, she couldn’t possibly say that aloud.
She simply smiled and replied,
“Then I’ll definitely be coming to you for advice a lot in the future.”
“I’d be more than happy to.”
Trace Examiner Li smiled warmly and agreed without hesitation.
“As long as I have the time, I’ll answer whatever questions you have.”
Excellent.
I’m one step closer to convincing Trace Examiner Li to help me research lock-picking.
She had already finished mixing the colored inks, finalized the printing ink ratios, and helped solve the Third Squad’s contract case.
For the first time, Jiang Xia realized…
She really didn’t have anything left to do.
No wonder this is the Technical Division. It really is pretty relaxed.
There was still quite a while before quitting time.
What should I do now?
Trace Examiner Li was already heading back to his office. Jiang Xia followed absentmindedly, still lost in thought.
Suddenly, a shrill scream echoed through the corridor.
“What are you doing?! Let go of me! You backward savages! I’m an American citizen! You have no right to arrest me!”
Huh?
What’s with the foreign-worshipper—
…No, wait.
Why is there a fake foreigner downstairs?
Jiang Xia froze for a moment before immediately realizing what was going on.
No wonder they’d brought the original contracts here for examination.
Both the Daily Chemical Factory and the foreign-invested company must have come in person and were waiting downstairs for the results.
Her eyes lit up, and she stopped in her tracks.
I’ve got nothing to do this afternoon anyway.
Why not go watch the excitement?
Having made up her mind, she turned on her heel and headed downstairs.
The reception room doors were standing wide open. Several members of the Third Squad were gathered at the entrance, along with a group of workers from the chemical factory and a “foreigner.”
The man had an unmistakably East Asian face, but his hair was dyed blond. Dressed in a tailored suit with glasses perched on his nose, he arrogantly shoved at the officers trying to put handcuffs on him.
“I’m an American citizen! You have no authority to arrest me! I demand to contact the consulate!”
“Are you trying to cause a major diplomatic incident?!”
That accusation carried considerable weight. The officer attempting to handcuff him visibly hesitated.
Watching from the side, Jiang Xia grew anxious.
What diplomatic incident? He’s obviously bluffing.
A fake foreigner who scams his own countrymen like this—just cuff him already!
She took a step forward, half ready to do it herself.
Just then, someone darted out from the corner.
Snatching the handcuffs from the hesitant officer, he clicked them shut around the fake foreigner’s wrists with a sharp clack.
“Sir, this isn’t the Republic of China anymore. Even if you are an American citizen, you’re still required to obey the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Your refusal to cooperate now constitutes obstruction of official duties. In accordance with the law, the police are placing you under detention.”
With that, Lu Yixing twisted the man’s arm behind his back in one smooth motion and marched him straight into the interrogation room next door.
Wow.
Jiang Xia stopped where she was.
One eyebrow arched.
I have to admit… that was pretty cool.
“You can’t handcuff me! This is police brutality! I want a lawyer!”
The fake foreigner was still shouting inside the interrogation room. His handcuffs clanged noisily against the metal chair as he struggled.
Without saying another word, Lu Yixing turned and walked back out.
Standing at the door, Feng Zhengming glanced at the officers under his command. He didn’t criticize them, merely sighed helplessly before pulling himself together.
“Thanks, Xiao Lu.”
“It was nothing, Captain Feng.”
Lu Yixing’s expression remained unchanged.
“I still have work to do, so I’ll be on my way.”
Feng nodded.
“All right.”
Lu Yixing continued toward the building’s exit. Halfway there, he spotted Jiang Xia leaning casually against the wall, giving him a thumbs-up.
“Comrade Lu, nice job just now.”
Huh?!
Lu Yixing stiffened instinctively.
“Jiang Xia? What are you doing here?”
“I was the one who found the flaw in the forged contract.”
A hint of pride crept into Jiang Xia’s voice.
“So isn’t it only natural that I came downstairs to see how things turned out?”
She looked exactly like a lion cat holding its head high, waiting expectantly to be petted.
Lu Yixing instinctively shook his head.
She’s my colleague. Why would I think something like that?
Aloud, he said, “I only helped arrest someone. You’re the impressive one, Comrade Jiang. You found the key evidence that exposed the forged contract.”
…What kind of bizarre mutual compliment session is this?
Jiang Xia rubbed her forehead.
“Forget it. You’ve got work to do, so I won’t keep you.”
She waved him away, urging him to leave quickly so he wouldn’t get in the way of her watching the rest of the excitement.
Even more like one.
She uses you and then sends you off.
Lu Yixing closed his eyes briefly and forcibly shoved the thought out of his mind.
I must be exhausted after working nonstop these past few days. Once this robbery-murder case is over, I’m definitely taking all three of my accumulated days off.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xia had already slipped over to the reception room entrance.
Quite a few people from the Daily Chemical Factory had come, but most of them were ordinary workers.
Among the management, only two had shown up: the deputy factory director and the head of the finance department.
Now that the fake foreigner had been locked up, the deputy factory director visibly relaxed. As soon as Captain Feng walked back into the reception room, he rose to his feet with a smile and greeted him enthusiastically.
“Captain Feng, we really have you to thank for this. Otherwise, our factory would have lost millions!”
Feng Zhengming raised a hand, stopping him before he could continue. Instead of responding, he shifted his gaze to the head of the finance department.
“It’s not over yet.”
The deputy factory director froze, then instinctively turned to look as well, suspicion creeping into his expression.
“Captain Feng… what do you mean?”
The finance chief, who had remained seated the entire time, had already begun trembling.
“Our forensic examination confirmed that the forged contract page was written by the same person.”
Captain Feng’s voice was icy.
“Chief Yuan, you’ll have to come with us.”
The moment those words fell, the finance chief looked as though the bones had been pulled from his body. He collapsed limply back into his chair.
The deputy factory director had already harbored his suspicions. Now that they had been confirmed, he instinctively reached for something on the table to throw at him.
Unfortunately, the reception room table was completely bare.
Finding nothing to grab, he could only roar in fury.
“Yuan Maoshan! Are you even human?!”
Two officers hauled the finance chief to his feet and escorted him toward the interrogation room. Behind them, the deputy factory director continued shouting curses, while the workers who had accompanied him glared furiously.
Had they not been inside a police station, with so many officers present to keep order, they probably would have beaten him on the spot.
With the evidence overwhelming and the investigation taking place on home soil, there was little point in denying anything. Once the police focused their suspicions on him, the truth was easy enough to uncover.
Knowing his situation was hopeless, the finance chief offered almost no resistance.
Before long, he confessed everything—from how he had been bribed to every detail of the scheme.
Standing outside the interrogation room, Jiang Xia listened to the entire confession.
I’d thought there would be more insiders involved.
Turns out it really was just the finance chief?
Great! For once, the finance department doesn’t have to take the blame as a whole!
With the drama over, Jiang Xia felt thoroughly satisfied.
Seeing that it was nearly time to get off work, she headed back upstairs to collect her bag and get ready to call it a day.
Just as she turned around, Jiang Xia saw Liao Zhongsheng standing at the end of the hallway, a briefcase tucked under his arm.
Oh no…
What do you do when your boss catches you slacking off?
Answers needed ASAP!!!
Click.
The interrogation room door suddenly opened.
Feng Zhengming stepped out, still holding the written confession. He glanced at Jiang Xia standing outside the door, then looked toward Liao Zhongsheng by the staircase.
Instantly, he understood.
“Section Chief Liao, heading home already?”
Captain Feng greeted him first, then added with a grin,
“Jiang Xia just did me a huge favor. You know that contract from the Daily Chemical Factory? Even Old Li couldn’t figure it out, but she identified the forged page just by examining the ink and the paper fibers.”
“Oh?”
Section Chief Liao replied with a smiling question.
“Is that so?”
The Technical Division was right next door to the Third Squad’s office. Besides, Trace Examiner Li had already returned, so Section Chief Liao had known about the whole affair for quite some time.
The reason he had deliberately lingered until quitting time instead of leaving was simply because he wanted to come over and enjoy the good news.
After all, thanks to Old Sun, the Technical Division hadn’t exactly enjoyed the best reputation over the years.
Now, at long last, things were beginning to change.
Recruiting her was worth every bit of effort.
By then, Jiang Xia had already composed herself.
Right… this isn’t the local precinct.
The Technical Division is supposed to have a lighter workload. As long as I don’t blurt out that I was slacking off, nothing’s going to happen.
“You think I’d make something like that up?”
Now that the finance chief had confessed, the case was effectively airtight. Feng Zhengming was in an exceptionally good mood.
He laughed heartily.
“I’ll definitely be coming to your division again whenever I need help!”
The smile at the corners of Liao Zhongsheng’s mouth grew even wider.
Having unintentionally rescued Jiang Xia from an awkward situation, Captain Feng didn’t linger any longer. Carrying the confession, he headed upstairs.
“You did well.”
Section Chief Liao looked at Jiang Xia.
As expected, he said nothing about her wandering around downstairs.
Instead, he simply said, “It’s getting late. Head back upstairs, pack up your things, and call it a day.”
“Yes, Section Chief.”
Jiang Xia answered with a smile.
Solving cases and getting front-row seats to all the juicy drama…
Life in the Technical Division really isn’t bad at all.
…
Family Residential Compound
“The sun sets in the western hills, crimson clouds fill the sky…
The soldiers return to camp after target practice…”
Humming the tune, Section Chief Liao pushed open the front door and walked inside.
His wife, Liu Huizhen, was busy cooking in the kitchen. Hearing him singing, she raised an eyebrow.
“What happened today? You’re in such a good mood.”
“Didn’t our division just recruit someone? Jiang Xia.”
Section Chief Liao set his briefcase on the cabinet and replied with a smile,
“On her very first day, she helped the Third Squad crack a case—a major one involving foreign investment, no less.”
“Huh?”
Liu Huizhen looked puzzled.
“I thought you said Jiang Xia was a portrait artist. How did she end up solving a case for the Third Squad?”
“That girl’s a jack-of-all-trades. She even knows trace evidence examination. She identified writing done with different ink without even using a linen tester.”
At that, Section Chief Liao couldn’t help sighing in admiration.
“I honestly don’t know what kind of eyes she was born with. How can they be that sharp?”
“That’s just Heaven giving her a gift.”
Liu Huizhen chopped vegetables with loud thunk, thunk sounds, clearly venting some frustration.
“Just like I mastered mental arithmetic when I was six.”
“Unlike your son.”
“He failed another exam.”
“What?”
Liao Zhongsheng’s face immediately turned green.
There weren’t many things in life that gave him headaches.
His children’s education was definitely one of them.
He simply couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong. Both he and his wife were highly intelligent, yet every one of their children seemed equally dim-witted and equally fond of playing around.
“How badly did he do this time?”
“Forty-six in math. Forty-one in Chinese.”
Liu Huizhen continued,
“Not only is he refusing to study, he’s even started pulling girls’ braids at school. I’m busy cooking, so you go give him a good spanking—and then sit him down and go over his test papers.”
Liao Zhongsheng felt his blood pressure rising.
Taking a deep breath, he looked around the apartment. His son wasn’t home.
He opened the door, headed downstairs, and, sure enough, found him around the corner of the building, playing with three other boys.
One of them was even holding a paper pistol folded from paper, running around making rat-a-tat-tat noises as he “shot” at everything in sight.
The other two boys looked thoroughly impressed.
Only Liao Zhongsheng’s son wore a look of utter disdain.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he lifted his chin proudly and declared,
“What’s so great about a paper gun? My dad has a real gun! I’ll sneak it out and show you guys sometime!”
You little brat!
Why did you have to be my son?!
Liao Zhongsheng’s blood pressure shot through the roof.
With one swift motion, he yanked off the leather belt around his waist.
“LIAO! XIAO! FENG!”
The thunderous roar made Liao Xiaofeng shudder all over.
Sensing disaster, his three little friends abandoned him without the slightest loyalty and bolted.
Liao Xiaofeng slowly turned around, his body stiff as a board.
There stood his father, leather belt in hand.
Uh-oh… I’m dead.
“D-Dad, I was wrong!”
“Please don’t hit me!”
“I really know I messed up!”
…
After one vigorous round of “father-son exercise,” followed by homework tutoring, followed by another vigorous round of “father-son exercise,” Liao Zhongsheng collapsed onto his bed, utterly exhausted.
This is more tiring than fighting a war.
He let out a long sigh.
“That little rascal… I don’t expect him to be as outstanding as Jiang Xia. If he could just be half as capable as the young people at the bureau, I’d be satisfied.”
“That’s a nice dream. Keep dreaming.”
Liu Huizhen set her book aside.
Without homework to supervise tonight, she was in an exceptionally good mood. Casually offering a word of comfort, she reached over and switched off the bedside lamp.
“Get some sleep. You have work tomorrow.”
“…Sigh.”
Liao Zhongsheng sighed again.
He turned off his own light, adjusted the blanket, and tried to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, after helping with homework, his son’s exam papers were still occupying his thoughts.
The smell of black printing ink seemed to linger in his nose.
Then, somehow, it transformed into the image of Jiang Xia.
Followed by Chief Wu standing before her, looking unusually tense.
Wait… why had Director Wu been so nervous?
Printing ink… printing ink…
Jiang Xia sketching.
Her practiced handling of the mimeograph machine.
Her insistence on visiting the printing factory.
One memory after another surfaced in his mind.
She could draw.
She understood engraving.
She knew paper.
She could carve wax stencils.
She even knew how to mix colored printing inks…
Holy…!
Section Chief Liao’s eyes flew open, and he shot upright in bed.
She has all the skills needed to counterfeit banknotes!
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