Chapter 9: Uniforms

~You were born to eat this kind of food!~

Xu Songling nodded to Zhao Xiangwan. “It’s good that you’re thinking broadly. We considered the possibility of a female suspect but didn’t find any female suspects in our investigation.”

He turned to Zhu Feipeng. “Habitual thinking is the most dangerous in criminal investigation! Don’t forget the March 24 case two years ago. Wasn’t the murderer a woman?”

Zhu Feipeng shrank back, embarrassed. “Yes! Captain Xu.”

As they continued, Xu Songling spoke while Zhao Xiangwan listened, and the case began to take shape in her mind.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, karaoke halls were extremely popular in cities across China. Young people flocked to them, especially in the cultural climate of the time. Singing along with MTV music videos on a TV screen, lights flashing and people dancing, made it a highly sought-after activity.

One of the most luxurious karaoke halls in Xing City was owned by Wang Qiankun. He had three Yanyang karaoke halls located near schools and factories, areas where young people gathered.

The halls featured a large dance floor, flashing lights, and a band that played songs at any time.

Wei Lili and Gu Xiaoling were regulars at Yanyang Dance Hall. Both girls, at the height of their youth, were talented singers and attractive. Wei Lili was tall and striking, while Gu Xiaoling was gentle and pure-looking. They became well-known in Yanyang and soon befriended the owner, Wang Qiankun. The two girls could sing, drink tea, and order free snacks, even getting a share of the profits when customers sent them flowers.

To entertain guests who came to listen to music, the karaoke bar offered cheap plastic flowers tied into bunches. A bunch of flowers could be sent to the stage for ten yuan, allowing customers to show their appreciation for the singers.

Initially, Wei Lili and Gu Xiaoling visited the karaoke bar simply for the love of singing. Over time, they became enchanted by the flowers, praises, and attention they received. When they discovered they could earn money by performing without any cost, they became hooked and spent nearly 300 nights a year there.

Wei Lili particularly enjoyed Wang Qiankun’s pursuit of her. Although he was in his forties, married with children, and wealthy, his admiration for her fed her vanity. After a brief romance, however, Wang Qiankun shifted his attention to Gu Xiaoling, which upset Wei Lili. This love triangle dragged on for six months until Wu Shengli entered the scene, changing everything.

Wu Shengli was a singer invited by Wang Qiankun to perform. He resembled the pop star Fei Xiang^[1]a Taiwanese singer and actor.. With his curly hair, tall frame, fair skin, and deep-set eyes, Wu Shengli quickly became a hit with the guests, including Wei Lili and Gu Xiaoling, who were both drawn to him.

Wu Shengli, who was fortunate with women, readily accepted the attention of both girls. He married both of them one after the other. Despite his sweet talk, none of these relationships turned out as promised.

For six months, the two girls and Wu Shengli, along with Wang Qiankun, remained entangled in this dramatic situation until the two girls mysteriously disappeared, ending the farce.

At this point, Xu Songling, who was not used to such romantic complications, sneered: “The two girls disappeared for half a month, yet neither Wu Shengli nor Wang Qiankun looked for them. I wouldn’t believe it if neither of them had killed them!”

Zhu Feipeng added: “Maybe it was a conspiracy between the two of them.”

Zhao Xiangwan, puzzled, asked: “But why would they kill them? Wu Shengli was surrounded by women, and Wang Qiankun was paying for their affection. Everyone was willing, so how could they have killed them?”

Xu Songling had not expected 18-year-old Zhao Xiangwan to say such a thing and felt guilty, fearing Zhou Qiaoxiu would scold him for corrupting students. He coughed, clenching his right fist. “Well, you’re still young and don’t understand. Love easily turns into hate, especially in deformed love triangles like this one.”

Xu Songling thought for a moment, then took the opportunity to lecture: “Girls should keep themselves pure and avoid being too vain.”

Zhao Xiangwan understood his intentions and nodded. She quickly shifted the topic to the murder case: “Have you investigated Wang Qiankun’s family?”

Xu Songling explained: “Wang Qiankun was born in 1950 in Maoye Township, Yuezhou County. He and his wife, Cao Caiyan, are from the same place. They have two daughters and a son. The eldest daughter is 18, the second daughter is 16, and the son is 10. We’ve met his wife, who is chubby and always smiling, just an honest rural woman.”

Zhu Feipeng spat: “Three children at home, yet he’s out there having fun. Wang Qiankun is no good!”

Xu Songling added: “A nouveau riche with no sense of morality. He came from the countryside, worked hard, and in less than ten years, established himself in Xing City, opening three karaoke bars. His business dealings are definitely shady.”

Zhu Feipeng responded: “Even if he didn’t kill anyone, I will dig into his background thoroughly!”

“Bang!”

Xu Songling slapped Zhu Feipeng on the back of his head and scolded: “Who are you pretending to be?”

Zhu Feipeng, shrinking back, begged for mercy: “Captain Xu, I was wrong.”

Ignoring their playful exchange, Zhao Xiangwan pressed on: “What about Wu Shengli’s family?”

Xu Songling answered: “Wu Shengli’s parents are from rural Hunan. He has six siblings, but none of them care about him. In 1983, he was recruited to work as a mechanic at Xingshi Railway Station. He later quit to pursue singing.”

Zhao Xiangwan asked: “What conflicts did the two deceased have with Wu Shengli and Wang Qiankun?”

Xu Songling and Zhu Feipeng exchanged a glance. Xu Songling hesitated, unsure how to explain the situation. Fearing he might shock Zhao Xiangwan, he avoided certain details.

Zhao Xiangwan, however, had grown up in the countryside and was mature for her age, capable of understanding complicated matters. She calmly interrupted, “Officer Xu, I am a criminal investigation student.”

Realizing she understood more than he expected, Xu Songling gave a wry smile and explained.

The details were as follows: Gu Xiaoling had lived with Wu Shengli and got pregnant. If the school found out, she would be expelled. There were rumors that Gu Xiaoling and Wu Shengli had frequent arguments before her death, likely over money for an abortion, which Wu Shengli refused to provide. He had also begun an affair with Wei Lili, angering Gu Xiaoling, who threatened to kill them. It wasn’t ruled out that Wu Shengli took the initiative in the conflict.

As for Wang Qiankun, he had given Gu Xiaoling a thousand yuan for an abortion and took advantage of the situation to sleep with her. The relationships between the four were complex: they loved each other one moment, and plotted murder the next.

Zhao Xiangwan, contemplating, said: “If only one victim, Gu Xiaoling or Wei Lili, had died, then Wu Shengli or Wang Qiankun might have had a motive. But to kill both women simultaneously doesn’t make sense.”

Zhu Feipeng remarked, “Maybe he initially only intended to kill one person, but after being exposed, he had no choice but to kill the other.”

Zhao Xiangwan shook her head, unconvinced. If it were a crime of passion, why would it involve beheading? Such acts of beheading and dumping corpses typically stemmed from either deep hatred or extreme cruelty, and were rarely associated with relationships between men and women.

However, she wisely chose not to voice her thoughts. The two men in front of her were experienced criminal investigators. They wouldn’t have come to her, a rookie, unless they had no other options. Once she met the suspects and listened to their reasoning, she would know what happened.

The police car arrived at the Xing City Public Security Bureau.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, accompanied by curious chatter.

“Are they here? Did they pick them up?”

“Is Zhao Xiangwan, the one Captain Xu always praises, here?”

“Here she comes! Wow, she really does have bright eyes! First time seeing her in person!”

A crowd of over a dozen people had gathered in the Public Security Bureau, making Zhao Xiangwan feel uneasy. She pursed her lips, kept her hands behind her back, and lowered her gaze, standing still as everyone’s eyes swept over her.

The olive green uniforms, the golden shields, and the national emblem… the solemn and respectful environment of the Public Security Bureau helped Zhao Xiangwan feel more at ease. If everything went well, she would also become a part of this place. There was no reason to be nervous.

Xu Songling waved his hand, his face stern. “Move along, move along, don’t crowd together.”

He then turned his gaze to a young, slender police officer and pointed her out: “He Mingyu, take Zhao Xiangwan to change into a uniform and then start interrogating Wang Qiankun.”

He Mingyu smiled and reached out to Zhao Xiangwan. “Come on, junior sister, I’ll show you to the changing room.”

After putting on a neat police uniform, Zhao Xiangwan carefully adjusted her collar, cuffs, and trousers. He Mingyu circled around her, praising her. “Zhao Xiangwan, you were made for this! You look so impressive in this uniform.”

Zhao Xiangwan, tall and with a slim waist and flat shoulders, appeared fragile in casual clothes. But once she donned the straight olive-green uniform, her whole presence became striking. Tall, strong, and graceful, she looked like a pine tree standing strong against the wind and snow.

Even among a group of police officers in the same uniform, Zhao Xiangwan stood out as the most striking.

Zhao Xiangwan adjusted her braid on top of her head, wore the wide-brimmed hat, and glanced at Senior Officer He Mingyu, who was five years older than her. She took a deep breath. “Senior, take me to see the suspect.”

He Mingyu led her and asked quietly, “Junior sister, Captain Xu speaks so highly of you. He says you taught yourself behavioral theory from experts in Country M when you were a freshman, and developed a theory of micro-expression behavior. You even use it to tell if someone is lying. Is that true?”

Zhao Xiangwan hadn’t expected Xu Songling to give her such praise. “I was just thinking about it; it’s not as impressive as Officer Xu says.”

He Mingyu waved dismissively. “Don’t be modest. We criminal officers deal with criminals daily. Isn’t it our job to uncover lies and find the truth? Our country’s criminal investigation techniques are still developing. If you truly create a theory on micro-expression behavior, you will make a significant contribution!”

Zhao Xiangwan felt a spark of inspiration within her heart.

Micro-expression behavior? What had once been a vague idea now began to take clearer shape in her mind.

In the cold interrogation room, Wang Qiankun sat across from Xu Songling and Zhu Feipeng.

He leaned back in his chair, arms folded, and appeared relaxed. When he saw the two policewomen enter, he whistled and looked at Zhao Xiangwan with a flirtatious grin. “Oh, I haven’t seen this little policewoman before. Is she new?”

Zhu Feipeng quickly stood up and slapped Wang Qiankun on the shoulder. “Behave yourself!”

Wang Qiankun grimaced in pain, but his gaze lingered on Zhao Xiangwan. He was a frequent visitor to the Public Security Bureau and paid attention to new faces.

Xu Songling subtly shielded Zhao Xiangwan with his body, handing her a notebook and pen. He motioned for her to sit aside and take notes.

Zhao Xiangwan said nothing, quietly sitting and observing Wang Qiankun.

Her first impression of him: fat and greasy. He wasn’t tall, but had a large beer belly and thick layers of fat that distorted his facial features. He wore a gold necklace and rings, and when he grinned, two big gold teeth were exposed, giving off a nouveau riche (someone newly wealthy) vibe.

His eyes were dull and gray, and his breathing was heavy. He looked drained from excessive alcohol and indulgence.

Zhao Xiangwan moved her eyes away from his face and focused on the transcript.

The interrogation had just begun, with basic questions like name, gender, and age asked, but no useful information had yet come to light.

Xu Songling, used to this kind of behavior, leaned back in his chair, thinking about how to get Wang Qiankun to crack. Wang Qiankun, the karaoke bar owner, had been summoned to cooperate with investigations three times before, but each time had led nowhere. He had a tendency to steer conversations toward irrelevant topics and avoid addressing key details. While appearing carefree, he was slippery and ruthless.

Zhu Feipeng stood behind Wang Qiankun, his gaze fixed on Zhao Xiangwan’s trembling eyelashes. When he first saw her, he thought she was average, but now he realized she looked stunning in her uniform.

The silence in the room stretched for several minutes.

White walls, gray floors, high windows with cold iron bars… The tension in the interrogation room was palpable.

Wang Qiankun, not accustomed to the silence, broke it with a forced smile. “Comrade police, I admit to having affairs with Wei Lili and Gu Xiaoling. I’ve been promiscuous, with both men and women. I’m guilty of that. But I really didn’t kill anyone!”

Xu Songling, experienced with people like him, leaned back in his chair.

“Think carefully before you answer.”

Zhu Feipeng put one hand on Wang Qiankun’s shoulder and applied some pressure.

Half of Wang Qiankun’s body went numb and pained from the pressure, but he didn’t dare cry out in pain. He could only beg for mercy: “Comrade police, I swear I didn’t kill anyone. Go ask Wu Shengli, he must be the one who did it. Gu Xiaoling was pregnant with his child, but he refused to acknowledge it and didn’t even give me the money for the abortion…”

Seeing Wang Qiankun trying to implicate Wu Shengli, Xu Songling shouted, “Answer whatever I ask you!”

Wang Qiankun shrank his neck, smiled awkwardly, and fell silent.

Xu Songling and Zhu Feipeng continued their usual questioning about Wang Qiankun’s relationships, his whereabouts before and after the murder, and his disputes with the two victims. Wang Qiankun had already memorized these questions from prior interrogations and answered without revealing any flaws, though he complained as he spoke.

However, the repeated questioning started to irritate Wang Qiankun, and a crack finally appeared in his composure, revealing his hostile side.

[Damn it, Wu Shengli is such a bastard. He made me pay for an abortion, and now he’s killed someone and sent me to jail. I robbed the Shanxi coal boss Huang Jiarong, and now the police are holding onto me. What bad luck!]

When Zhao Xiangwan read this, she quickly wrote two lines and sent them to Xu Songling.

Xu Songling glanced at the message and his eyes narrowed. It read: Ask in detail about his history of making a fortune.

Xu Songling stood up from the presiding judge’s position and said to Zhao Xiangwan, “You ask the questions.” He figured it would be better to let Zhao Xiangwan take the lead. He also wanted to see her skill in action.

Zhu Feipeng opened his mouth but remained silent. He Mingyu looked at Zhao Xiangwan eagerly and pushed her excitedly: “Captain Xu asked you to go, so go!”