Chapter 48.2: New Case + Business Trip
Chen Yongyi retrieved his forensic examination kit.
He had started out as a trace evidence specialist, and his greatest strength was finding clues hidden among the smallest details at a crime scene.
He put on shoe covers and gloves, then began examining the scene methodically, piece by piece.
He first switched on the oblique-angle light and scanned the entire room for footprints.
The Quzhou trace-evidence team had done a good job in this regard, and Chen Yongyi found no new clues.
He wasn’t discouraged. He continued searching for other traces.
The master bedroom was in an unusually disordered state. There were even faint traces of blood on the bed. Judging by the position of the pillow, this was where the head of the household, Duan Xiaodong, had been lying. The criminals had stabbed him there.
Chen Yongyi carefully searched the surrounding area and discovered two slightly curled short hairs. They were completely different from the straight hair found on Duan Xiaodong’s pillow.
There was a very good chance they belonged to one of the criminals.
His spirits lifted somewhat, and he continued searching.
He examined the impressions left on the female homeowner’s side of the bed. Then, on the wall about half a meter away, he discovered another footprint mark, roughly one-third of which had been dragged across the surface.
It seemed his good luck ended there.
Chen Yongyi searched the entire bedside table, the elder daughter’s bedroom, the study, and even the living room, but found no more footprints or fingerprints.
“These criminals probably knew that the police would be looking for fingerprints.”
Xu Changsong stood outside the door, watching Chen Yongyi work helplessly.
“They most likely wore gloves throughout the entire crime. They didn’t leave anything behind.”
This case was genuinely difficult.
Chen Yongyi went through all three rooms and the adjoining living room once more. Finally, he stopped, put his hands on his hips, and took a breather. His brow furrowed even more deeply.
“At least one of these people is definitely an experienced hand.”
After catching his breath, Chen Yongyi headed toward the kitchen, which he hadn’t examined yet. Raising his voice slightly, he asked,
“Have you checked people with criminal records?”
“We’re working on it.”
Xu Changsong replied, “There are quite a lot of them. There’s no way we can screen them all in a short period of time.”
The kitchen looked as though no one had entered it at all. The floor was spotless. Two kitchen knives and a fruit knife sat on the rack, while half a bunch of green onions that hadn’t been cut yet still rested on the chopping board.
Still nothing.
Chen Yongyi stepped out of the kitchen and turned toward the bathroom.
This apartment building used the latest design. Unlike older buildings, where the kitchen and toilet were built outside and shared by several households on the same floor, each apartment here had its own kitchen and bathroom.
The bathroom had even been deliberately made somewhat larger and fitted with drainage, specifically to accommodate solar water heaters.
Duan Xiaodong’s family had one installed. There was a showerhead in the bathroom, allowing them to bathe at home during the summer. The bathroom also had a flush toilet, and beside it sat a plastic bucket half-filled with water, with a red plastic dipper floating on top.
Chen Yongyi looked around but still found no clues. He was about to leave when he lowered his head and suddenly noticed that the water remaining in the bottom of the toilet was yellow.
Wait. If he remembered correctly, wasn’t the water supposed to be clear after the toilet was flushed?
It was obvious that someone had used the toilet without flushing afterward.
Hmm…
Even if a seven-year-old girl were severely dehydrated or had a urinary issue, there was no way the amount of urine in her bladder would make the water left in the toilet turn that color. And judging from the rest of the household, they clearly had the habit of flushing the toilet.
Then there was a high probability that this had been left behind by one of the criminals.
Using the toilet… It wouldn’t be very convenient to do that while wearing gloves, would it?
If this person had taken off his gloves, what places would his bare hands most likely have touched?
Chen Yongyi thought it over, then quickly fetched some fingerprint powder. He applied it in succession to the door handle, the storage rack, and the section of wall beside the toilet on the right.
Very quickly, three clear fingerprints appeared on the tiled wall.
They belonged to the index, middle, and ring fingers, along with half of the side of a thumb.
It was obvious that someone had braced himself against the wall with his hand. And judging by their size, they belonged to an adult man!
Chen Yongyi’s spirits soared. He shouted,
“Captain Xu, did you bring Duan Xiaodong’s fingerprint samples? I’ve found some new fingerprints!”
“What? Yes, yes, I brought them!”
The moment he heard that, Xu Changsong perked up as well. He hurried downstairs, retrieved Duan Xiaodong’s fingerprint samples from the car, put on shoe covers, and squeezed into the bathroom.
“Take a look. Are they different?”
Both sets of fingerprints were exceptionally clear. Chen Yongyi only needed two glances to confirm that they didn’t belong to the same person. One was an arch pattern, while the other was a loop pattern. They were completely different.
“These aren’t Duan Xiaodong’s fingerprints.”
“The toilet wasn’t flushed. The amount of urine left behind clearly came from an adult male, and judging by the color, he was probably dealing with some urinary irritation as well.”
Chen Yongyi pointed at the toilet and continued,
“Since this is a flush toilet inside the house, leaving it unflushed for too long would create a strong smell. This family had the habit of keeping water on hand to flush the toilet, so Duan Mingyue should have flushed after using it. That means this was most likely left behind by one of the criminals.”
“The man was wearing gloves, which would have made undoing his belt inconvenient. He probably took his gloves off before using the toilet. Since it was dark and he couldn’t see clearly, he instinctively reached out to steady himself against the wall, leaving his fingerprints behind.”
“So there’s a very good chance these are the criminal’s fingerprints?!”
The worry that had clouded Xu Changsong’s face was replaced by excitement.
“This is fantastic!”
With fingerprints, they could conduct a comparison. Although it would still be like searching for a needle in a haystack, it was at least far better than having absolutely no direction.
As expected of a specially appointed provincial expert. He had barely arrived and had already opened up a breakthrough in the case!
“The technical team was focused on checking the bedrooms and living room. We didn’t find any fingerprints on the bathroom door, so we didn’t search any further.”
The criminal investigator who had been driving poked his head inside as well, looking incredulous.
“Who would’ve thought there’d be fingerprints on the wall?”
Xu Changsong said,
“You didn’t even notice that the criminal took a leak!”
Chen Yongyi took out some transparent adhesive tape and carefully lifted the fingerprints intact.
“We can head back.”
“However, I don’t think this alone is enough.”
At present, fingerprint comparisons could only be done manually, and the fingerprint database had not yet been fully established. Even if the fingerprint they had lifted—presumably belonging to one of the suspects—was sufficiently clear, having only this single fingerprint meant the comparison pool was still far too large.
Even if they narrowed it down to people with previous criminal records, matching it against all of them could take months.
And if the suspect had no prior record, it would be even worse.
That would be a nightmare.
Xu Changsong’s brow furrowed slightly.
The joy brought by their breakthrough faded, replaced by another problem. He had to admit that catching the killers was still as difficult as reaching the heavens.
“The neighborhood canvass hasn’t turned up anything useful, and the tools these people used were all completely ordinary. There’s simply no way to narrow down the suspects.”
Xu Changsong said helplessly, “If we rely on the fingerprints alone, our chances of solving the case really are slim.”
He paused for a moment, then looked at Chen Yongyi expectantly.
“Specialist Chen, do you have any other ideas?”
Chen Yongyi fell into thought.
He remembered Xu Changsong mentioning that an elderly man had seen the face of a suspicious young man. Then he thought of the portraits he’d seen in Zhanshui earlier.
Gradually, an idea took shape.
“I actually do have an idea, but I’m not sure whether it’ll work. You’ll have to ask around and see.”
This was a major case. The entire city was watching it. If even Chen Yongyi was under pressure, the bureau chief was under even more.
If there was a possible solution, they had to try it.
Xu Changsong immediately listened attentively.
“Please, tell me what you’re thinking.”
On the way back to the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Chen Yongyi recounted everything that had happened during his journey there.
……
*
Changning City, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Technical Division.
“Achoo—!”
Jiang Xia suddenly sneezed.
She rubbed her nose and said strangely,
“Why do I feel like someone is talking about me?”
“With your drawing skills, it’d be stranger if nobody was talking about you.”
Photographer Zhao had already recovered and returned to normal.
Ever since that afternoon, everyone in the office had tacitly avoided mentioning beef.
He lowered the newspaper in his hands and looked up.
“The day before yesterday, I went upstairs to develop some photos, and I overheard someone calling Captain Duan and asking about you. I’d say it’s only a matter of time before you’re sent out on another assignment.”
Developing photographs required a dedicated darkroom. The darkroom was on the third floor, right next to Captain Duan’s office, so Photographer Zhao always had fairly good access to information.
“That really is possible.”
Ever since Jiang Xia had sent the wanted-person portraits over from the train, she’d known that sooner or later, she wouldn’t be able to avoid going on assignments.
After all, the police force was desperately short on skilled personnel, and there were so many cases. Whenever they heard about a useful new technique, they’d naturally want to bring the person in to give it a try.
She just hadn’t expected anyone to start asking about her this late.
“Captain Duan was actually trying to keep you under wraps for a little longer.”
Photographer Zhao continued,
“But it looks like he can’t keep you hidden much longer.”
Ah.
That made sense.
Jiang Xia understood. She said, “Looks like I need to prepare myself for long-term assignments.”
“One or two trips are fine, but doing it long-term? That’s a real hardship.”
Photographer Zhao had some experience in this regard. He shook his head slightly, but he didn’t try to dissuade her as someone who had been through it himself.
It was obvious that Jiang Xia was ambitious. And she had the ability to back it up. Someone like her really could rise through the ranks.
Who was he to discourage her from going just because the work was hard?
That wouldn’t be kindness.
That would be making an enemy.
After a pause, he changed tack.
“Still, you’re young enough to handle it. If you work hard and push yourself, it’ll be worth it.”
Most of the time, business trips weren’t exactly comfortable for ordinary people. Even after high-speed rail was eventually built, workers would still joke that being willing to travel anywhere in the country was a competitive advantage. And now, in the era of the old green-skinned trains, a single trip could practically exhaust a person. Long-term travel was even more draining on one’s health.
Physical stamina wasn’t much of a concern for Jiang Xia. She could solve that by investing more points into her attributes.
What worried her most was safety.
In this era, going out really could mean never making it home.
If she was going to be sent out, she’d have to make sure she maxed out her ability to protect herself.
“That’s not really up to me. I’ll just follow whatever orders my superiors give me.”
Although she said that, Jiang Xia had already started thinking about which colleague would be suitable to accompany her on an assignment.
Just as she was thinking about it, someone knocked on the office door.
The door was pushed open, and a young officer from the Second Squad poked his head inside.
“Jiang Xia, Captain Duan wants you to go over.”
Well, speak of the devil.
Looks like she really was going on a business trip this time.
Jiang Xia stood up.
“Okay. I’ll be right there.”
*
Twenty minutes earlier.
Inside the division commander’s office, Captain Duan spread his hands helplessly as he spoke to Liao Zhongsheng.
“There’s nothing I can do about this. The recommendation came from the provincial department’s Specialist Chen, and the director of the Quzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau personally called. It’s a family mass*cre, for heaven’s sake. I can’t exactly keep her hidden from them anymore, can I?”
“Ugh!”
Hearing this, Liao Zhongsheng let out a long, miserable sigh, his face looking as though the world had come to an end.
“I knew we wouldn’t be able to keep someone this talented hidden for long. She hasn’t even been at the Municipal Bureau for four months! And already one of our provincial department’s experts knows about her. Captain Duan, think about it carefully. Once we send her over there, do you really think she’ll come back?”
“Uh… Jiang Xia’s family is here. She’ll definitely come back, right?”
Captain Duan sounded anything but confident as he said it.
It was the provincial department, after all!
The pay, benefits, and career prospects were who-knew-how-much better than what they could offer here. And on top of that, there was Specialist Chen, a trace-evidence expert himself, whose expertise aligned perfectly with the field Jiang Xia wanted to pursue.
If he decided to take her on as an apprentice, then…
In short, the same way they had snatched Jiang Xia away from Zhouying Police Station several months ago, the provincial department could now snatch her away from them just as easily.
The boomerang had come flying right back and stabbed them!
Captain Duan was helpless too.
“Otherwise, what do you suggest we do? We can’t hide this from her and stop her from going, can we? The family that was wiped out is practically watching us!”
Liao Zhongsheng was at a loss for words as well.
He sighed again.
“Ah, we can’t keep her.”
“Let her go.”
They would have to give in sooner or later. There was no point agonizing over it.
Liao Zhongsheng decisively said the words, but his heart still felt as though it were bleeding.
It was like finally getting your hands on an extremely accurate assault rifle, using it to take down a few heinous criminals, only to be told that you’d only be allowed to fire it a few more times before your superiors came to take it away~
He forced down his pain and composed himself as he began considering the arrangements for the trip.
“Things are still pretty chaotic out there. And this time she’s even leaving the province. We can’t have Comrade Jiang Xia traveling such a long distance alone. Ideally, she should have someone strong and experienced accompanying her.”
This was actually the sort of treatment normally reserved for senior officials. Strictly speaking, Jiang Xia wouldn’t ordinarily qualify for it, but Captain Duan felt it was necessary.
She was a highly valuable talent.
If something happened to her out there—
Bah, bah, bah! Can’t think like that!
“That’s true.”
Captain Duan asked, “Who do you think would be suitable?”
“The Technical Division doesn’t really have anyone suitable. We’ve got old hands and rookies, but neither is ideal. Since this is still crime-solving, a criminal investigator would be better. Jiang Xia is quite familiar with the people in First Squad. How about we pick someone from their team?”
Thinking about it, Liao Zhongsheng suddenly had another idea.
“I heard… Xiao Lu is pretty good in a fight?”
“I thought you’d recommend Chen Dong or Old Qin. Both of them have plenty of experience.”
Captain Duan frowned slightly.
“Why are you recommending Lu Yixing?”
“He’s young, and he’s not married. He can go on assignments anytime.”
Liao Zhongsheng said this with a completely straight face.
“If Chen Dong and the others don’t take some time off to go home, their kids won’t even recognize their own fathers anymore. Better not send them.”
As if anyone would believe that.
Captain Duan certainly didn’t.
“You old fox. Just keep acting!”
Both Jiang Xia and Lu Yixing were unmarried young people. After spending all that time traveling together, there was always a chance they might develop some feelings for each other. And if they really started dating, perhaps Jiang Xia would stay behind because of him.
Of course, this plan would probably come to nothing.
After all, their organization had another move that could sweep away all objections in one go.
What, the family didn’t want to leave?
Ah, no problem.
As long as you were talented enough, they could even arrange a job for your family members.
Still, Captain Duan agreed.
After all, compared with the other members of First Squad, who had already entered middle age and developed the sort of well-fed, prosperous-looking faces that came with it, the young Lu Yixing was much more intimidating. And if they had to do some physical work while out on assignment, he was unlikely to throw his back out.
“Then it’s settled.”
Captain Duan said, “Go get the two of them.”
So when Jiang Xia knocked on the door and entered, she saw Captain Duan, Section Chief Liao, and Lu Yixing all turn to look at her in unison.
“Jiang Xia, you’re here.”
Captain Duan briefly explained the situation, then said, “We need you to go to Quzhou City on assignment and draw a portrait for them. I’m planning to have Xiao Lu go with you and be responsible for your safety. Do you have any objections?”
They had already taken her safety into consideration. What could she possibly object to?
Without having to worry about it herself, Jiang Xia immediately replied, “I’ll follow the arrangements. I have no objections.”
Captain Duan nodded.
“Good. The bureau will cover your travel expenses, and they’ll reimburse anything you spend once you get there. Someone has already been sent to buy the train tickets. I’ll give you the letter of introduction in a little while. Go home later and get ready. Bring a change of clothes and whatever else you need. You can set off tomorrow morning.”
Jiang Xia agreed.
As expected, her mother was none too pleased that she was going away on another assignment. She nagged her about it for a while, but the moment Jiang Xia mentioned that it was a family mass*cre case, her mother fell silent for a moment and didn’t say another word. Instead, she took the initiative to prepare food and medicine for the trip.
…
The next day, at the train station.
Lu Yixing was already waiting at the entrance.
He took Jiang Xia’s suitcase from her and said, “Captain Duan bought hard-sleeper tickets. He specifically got you an upper berth. We’re in the same carriage, and I’m in the lower berth directly opposite yours, so we can look after each other.”
“I checked. This train is expected to take fifty-two hours just for the journey itself, so I bought some peanuts and sunflower seeds earlier. You can snack on them if you get bored.”
“Oh, right. Do you get motion sickness? If you do, I’ve got some motion-sickness medicine.”
Damn, he was thoughtful.
No wonder he was so broad-minded. He was practically a male mom!
Jiang Xia had a feeling this trip was going to be very comfortable.
She smiled.
“Thanks. I don’t get motion sickness, so I don’t need the medicine.”
“Okay.”
Lu Yixing glanced at his watch.
“Looks like we’re almost at departure time. The train should be here after we wait a little longer.”
That “little longer” ultimately turned into more than an hour.
Ah, the familiar experience of a delayed train.
Jiang Xia squeezed her way onto the train and found her assigned seat according to her ticket.
Fortunately, no one had taken her upper berth.
Lu Yixing deftly stowed both of their pieces of luggage underneath the seats.
Since it was still broad daylight, Jiang Xia didn’t feel like climbing into the sleeper berth just yet. Instead, she simply sat down on Lu Yixing’s lower berth.
She pulled a book on Mechanics of Materials from her backpack and was just about to use it to pass the time when she heard the familiar sound of the system beside her.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on gaining recognition from your archrival! Prestige +1!]
[Congratulations, Host! Your prestige has reached the maximum level!]
[Beginning skill reward draw for Host…]
[BOOM—!]
After a grand salvo of celebratory cannon fire, the system cheerfully announced:
[Congratulations, Host! You have drawn a double reward!]
[LV2 Food Forgery Skill!]
[LV3 “Lamb” Hunting and Cooking~]
…
…
Wow.
Who would’ve thought? A double reward this time?
Jiang Xia was delighted for exactly one second before she immediately sensed danger.
Wait.
Food forgery, she could understand. But what the hell was this “Lamb” thing?
Before Jiang Xia could react, all sorts of food-forgery techniques, mixed with the experience of Hannibals from overseas, came rushing into her mind at lightning speed.
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