CH 14

With the bed number, finding the person became easy.

Lin Chen sat at the bedside of an elder wearing an oxygen mask. They looked frail like their life hung by a thread.

Fu Hao stood behind him, slightly hunched over, and questioned.

“Brother, how did you know Yu Yan Qing found a man here?”

“Other than family and friends, only love can change a person. Love can make people crazy.”

Xing Cong Lian happened to catch the question as he entered.

He stepped up to the bedside, “What man?”

“Brother’s found someone suspicious. Yu Yan Qing might have gotten herself a boyfriend.”

Fu Hao replied with caution. Cong Lian’s eyebrows raised, “But there’s no mention of a boyfriend in her information.”

Xing Cong Lian was somewhat agitated.

The information came from a police investigation, after all. The fact they missed such a vital piece of information indicated there were deficiencies in their work.

“Their interactions were secretive, and they probably used a special method of communication,” Lin Chen said as if relieved.

“So, what now?”

“Find her man.”

A vigilant feminine voice came from the ward’s door, “Are you the patient’s family members? Why haven’t I seen you before?”

A young nurse stood in the doorway, holding a white tray.

Xing Cong Lian showed his police badge, and the nurse’s face tensed.

The captain made way for the nurse by the bedside.

Lin Chen looked at her and asked, “Something happened on this bed recently, didn’t it?”

The nurse’s expression worsened, and she stepped away to leave but bumped into Cong Lian’s broad chest.

“The hospital won’t let you talk?” Lin Chen set his hand on the back of the elder’s hand and continued, “We will always find out, you know. We hope that with your help, we’ll shorten the time it takes.”

He was honest because honesty made it impossible for people to refuse.

“The previous patient jumped out of the building on August 10th and died,” the nurse said with hesitation.

“What was the patient’s name?”

“Feng Xue Juan.”

Xing Cong Lian quickly pulled out his phone.

Wang Chao, who had just stepped into the police station with one leg, turned around and rushed to the hospital once he received the call.

The matter was settled by the time the Chief of Security arrived.

The Chief’s expression grew sad when he heard the police wanted to view the video of Feng Xue Juan on August 10th.

The patients at the hospital had already decreased dramatically because of the cases with the corpses. If the serial killer was related to the hospital, their reputation was ruined.

However, Xing Cong Lian’s tough attitude left him no choice but to lead them to the surveillance room.

———

Want Chao arrived not long after.

The security guards were still pulling up the video. The young technician sat in a swivel chair, pulled up his cap, then slid over and pushed them out of the way.

He looked at the video format, searched for the correct file, and dragged along the timer bit by bit. The footage of Feng Xue Juan jumping appeared onscreen.

A thin woman in a hospital gown dropped. Her figure was like a kite with a broken string, plummeting to the ground.

Because of the sun’s reflection, the hospital’s windows were too bright to see the actual situation.

Fu Hao sighed regretfully.

Xing Cong Lian clicked his tongue. He moved over to the window and looked outside.

The hospital’s surveillance system was quite complete, covering most of the public areas. Looking around, his gaze fell on the camera on a courtyard wall.

“Which is that monitor?”

The policeman pointed at the rotating surveillance camera.

The Chief of Security looked in the direction he pointed then quickly shuffled over to a filing cabinet to retrieve the information.

Wang Chao looked up from the monitor and searched for the camera number.

He tapped away on the keyboard, and the screen went dark then lit up again soon after.

The black and white pixels squeezed together, and the dead, old man from Chun Shui Street sat on a bench downstairs, basking in the sun.

“That man!” Fu Hao pointed at a young man on the screen.

Wang Chao quickly zoomed in on the footage and slowed the video down again. The young man’s face gradually became clearer. It was the young man who died in the park!

Ten seconds later, Yu Yan Qing also appeared. She stood under a tree not far from Feng Xue Juan’s still twitching body.

The surveillance room went silent.

Everyone felt cold as if plunged into ice water.

All of a sudden, the sound of a piano filled the room.

The melody was disorderly, and it shook everyone out of their stupor.

Cong Lian connected the call, and the chief of the police station barked.

“Higher-ups are here, get back quickly!”

Xing Cong Lian knew the old director well.

The old man liked to talk a lot, but there were few things that made him anxious.

Recently, the only thing that bothered the old man was the man standing in front of the monitor before him.

He unconsciously glanced at Lin Chen, and Lin Chen returned the look as if he already knew.

———

Someone stood outside the police station.

Instead of waiting in the warm office, this man stood under the eaves. The rain had long soaked his shoulders, and the three silver stars on flashed all the brighter for it.

Xing Cong Lian watched the man from his position in the car. He stopped Lin Chen’s hand from unfastening the seatbelt.

Lin Chen’s fingers were cold, and he decisively tugged his hand free.

“It’s an acquaintance, don’t worry.”

He pushed open the door and went out without an umbrella. Within a few steps, he reached the eaves.

After three years, the man seemed to have lost weight. His temperament had also sharpened like a sword about to be unsheathed.

A rare smile graced Lin Chen’s face, “I haven’t seen in a long time, Inspector Huang. How are you?”

“I heard you were restless, so I came to see.”

The same words said by different people had different meanings.

Instead of being passive, Lin Chen looked up at him and said, “You’re really idle, Huang Ze.”

Xing Cong Lian happened to hear Lin Chen’s response as he came over after locking his car.

The investigation only started three days ago, and there were already a lot of people coming over to find trouble. Lin Chen’s responses were also growing more interesting.

His jaw dropped, and he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. The silver stars on the man’s insignia meant he was two and a half ranks above him.

Working in the same force, of course, Cong Lian had heard the name Inspector Huang Ze. Reporters tended to describe him as “the star of the police” and “the messenger of justice.” He was from a wealthy family and, because of that, he didn’t need to accept bribes. It was a given that he was clean and honest. His connections ran deep, and he was also unpredictable and mysterious. Most importantly, Huang Ze was good-looking, and no one could compare to his promotion speed.

He went over and saluted Huang Ze. Before he could speak, the man returned the salutation and said, “Captain Xing, right? I’m ordered to oversee your handling of this case.”

Well, no wonder the old director was so angry. Turns out, he was watched by Huang Ze’s eyes.

However, Huang Ze’s respectful words and modest manners made it impossible for anyone to find fault with his conduct. Even if what he meant was “I’ll be watching, you best behave,” when such a person said it so matter-of-factly, no one could make a fuss.

“We just found an important clue. If Inspector Huang wouldn’t mind, can you give us some advice?” Cong Lian asked with humor.

Xing Cong Lian was, of course, polite, but Huang Ze wasn’t.

He directly led the way into the station, and Xing Cong Lian and Lin Chen followed after him.

A policewoman, Zhang Xiao Long, nervously placed a teacup on the table for the Big Man who suddenly came down to the station. She held a teapot in her other hand and poured in hot water.

She turned when she heard someone coming in and almost got scalded.

Lin Chen found a chain to one corner and sat. Surprisingly, Huang Ze ignored the seat that was obviously vacated for him and sat next to Lin Chen. He held good posture and took out a palm-sized leather notebook without pause. He tapped the ballpoint in his hand twice, ready to listen and take notes.

Xing Cong Lian stood at the table and looked at the two. For some reason, the atmosphere between them felt strange.

He clicked his tongue, and Fu Hao entered the room, followed by Wang Chao. Fu Hao couldn’t help rubbing his eyes and taking a double-take when he saw who sat next to Lin Chen.

He desperately winked at Lin Chen, but the latter pretended he was blind.

Due to someone’s arrival, the typically noisy office instantly became quiet.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair and watched as everyone took their seats one after the other. The chairs were arranged in a circle, and Lin Chen felt dizzy, the voices in his ears growing fuzzy. He didn’t even pay any mind to Huang Ze beside him.

Xing Cong Lian picked his seat and sat. The commissioner cleared his throat, “There’s a breakthrough in the 9. 10 homicide case. Captain Xing of the Criminal Department will explain.” He approached the topic with a clear-cut, businesslike manner, aiming to present everything clearly to the supervising officer.

“According to Mr. Lin’s analysis, we traced Mrs. Feng Xua Juan’s son. We suspect he committed a major crime…”

Cong Lian was interrupted by the political commissar before he could finish. “Lao Xing, didn’t I already tell you? You’re too capricious. We only use evidence when handling cases!” He tapped the table none-too-gently. “Just because his mother committed suicide, you think Feng Pei Lin was the murderer? What about Yu Yan Qing then? Judging from the evidence, it’s more likely she’s the one who committed the crime. You cannot make judgments so arbitrarily just because of unrelated personnel.”

Lin Chen opened his eyes. Everyone had already taken their seats. The secretary took the meeting minutes while everyone else’s eyes focused on him over their files.

The air conditioner filled the room with cool air, and the temperature plummeted.

Lin Chen raised his gaze but didn’t get angry at the man’s harsh words. He knew very well inferences based on psychological analysis couldn’t be used as evidence.

“We need experts.” The political commissar knocked on the table again. “Not everyone can be called an expert.”

This was a loaded statement, and Cong Lian was about to refute when Lin Chen spoke first, “What do you need?”

His voice was hoarse. He sported dark circles under his eyes, and he looked very tired.

“Can you prove Yu Yan Qing knew Feng Pei Lin?” Huang Ze suddenly spoke.

“You two are a couple.”

Instead of answering Huang Ze, Lin Chen stared at the political commissar.

“What did you say?”

“You and that girl,” Lin Chen pointed at the secretary, “are lovers, though no one in the office knows. You often meet secretly after work.”

The room filled with whispers and the secretary lowered her head. The political commissar’s face darkened, and he sported an embarrassed expression.

“Find footage where Yu Yan Qing and Feng Pei Lin appear together.” Lin Chen told Wang Chao, inadvertently placing his elbow on his armrest to support his head.

Wang Chao pulled out the footage and turned the computer around. Yu Yan Qing held a mop, bent over, and she stole looks at Feng Pei Lin as the man stepped aside.

“There.”

Lin Chen looked at the secretary. Her head hung, but she couldn’t conceal the shy admiration and sweetness in her gaze toward her lover.

The women’s expressions were almost identical.

“Lao Jiang, you didn’t tell even me this!” Xing Cong Lian slapped the table with a smile. This was the first time he’d ever seen the political commissar wear such a withered expression. It was worth as much as a winning lottery ticket.

“Okay, okay. Don’t make fun of Xiao Chen.” The man waved his hand quickly, “Discuss the case… Discuss the case!”

The sound of heels came from outside the room, and Zhang Xiao Long entered with a stack of files.

She looked pale, glancing left and right, appearing shaken.

“What’s the matter, Xiao Long?” Cong Lian asked.

“You told me to check up on Feng Pei Lin and Yu Yan Qing. They didn’t just know each other; they were quite familiar.”

“What makes you say so?”

Zhang Xiao Long looked at Lin Chen and bit her lips. “Feng Pei Lin was Yu Yan Qing’s Chinese teacher.”

Lin Chen felt like he was struck by thunder. He felt cold and numb like he had lost the ability to think.

“Due to her family’s circumstances, she went to work after finishing middle school. At the time, Feng Pei Lin was her Chinese teacher…”