Chapter 18
Silencing

Three rookies working together to solve a major serial murder case involving seven deaths caused quite a stir at the city bureau.

On Monday, Xie Qing received a hero’s welcome at work. Not only were Huang Zhenyi, Fu Da, and others enthusiastic, but even Director Yan looked favorably upon her, Li Ke, and Li Ji. This made her feel uncomfortable, so she returned to the dormitory at noon, and Li Ke brought her lunch.

Xie Qing divided the rice into two portions, poured minced meat and eggplant over one portion, and mixed it.

Li Ke sat across from her, “Qing Qing, don’t you think Fan Xiaoshan managed to stay untainted despite his circumstances?”

Xie Qing replied, “I don’t think so.”

Li Ke was a bit surprised, “Why?”

Xie Qing explained, “On one hand, he comfortably drove the taxi his mother bought with her earnings from prostitution. On the other hand, he tried to distance himself from her by killing so-called bad people. I think he had more filth in his heart than anyone else. He had psychological issues.”

“That’s true,” Li Ke picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks, “Ji Ge asked Fan Xiaoshan. He admitted that he was triggered when he killed Gu Daqiang, which is why he switched to using a brick later. Qing Qing, you almost guessed everything right. We’re the same age, and I studied criminal investigation, so why am I so far behind?”

Her tone was filled with admiration, and if you listened closely, there might be a hint of jealousy.

This is human nature.

Xie Qing liked this straightforward and honest girl, so she said, “I grew up in the countryside with my grandparents. My grandfather was a university professor and very strict with me. I played less and read more, so I understood human nature better and could make more guesses about people’s behavior.”

Of course, this was a lie. She did read a lot, but it was more about learning and experience.

“Is reading really useful?” Li Ke frowned, “I don’t like reading.”

Xie Qing said, “It depends on the person. I think you’re better suited to gradually accumulate experience. After all, we’re still young and have time.”

Li Ke chuckled, “I like hearing that. Alright, let’s eat!”

After lunch, the two of them took dish soap to the washroom to clean their lunchboxes.

Li Ke dumped the scallions and ginger into the trash can, “The dormitory hygiene is much better. The second-floor restroom is just awful.”

Xie Qing said, “There are more men on the second floor. You should come to the third floor; the hygiene is better.”

Li Ke rinsed the lunchbox, “Hmm, I’ll start going up a floor. The smell gives me a headache.”

“Ah!” A light bulb went off in Xie Qing’s mind. Could Shen Yi have gone to the second or first-floor restroom before leaving?

Shen Yi, Xie Yun, and others left the third-floor private room at 1:02 AM. So, what time did they exit the Golden Cabinet’s main entrance?

If there’s a time gap, it means Shen Yi might have gone to the second-floor restroom, and Xie Yun and others waited for him there.

Li Ke asked, “What’s up? Did you think of something?”

“You just reminded me of some details in Shen Yi’s case,” Xie Qing said as she scrubbed the lunchbox and rinsed it under the tap.

“Really?” Li Ke asked.

“Of course. Do you want to come to the meeting room with me later?” Xie Qing asked.

“No, his case is sensitive. My dad told me not to pry,” Li Ke replied.

Xie Qing nodded, “Your dad is right.”

…

Xie Qing rested in the dormitory for forty minutes and arrived at the office at 1:30 PM.

Cao Haisheng and Chen Qian were already there, drinking tea face-to-face.

Chen Qian smiled and said, “I didn’t expect Xiao Xie to be so capable. She’s been with us for less than a month, right?”

“Just lucky,” Cao Haisheng said modestly, “Xiao Xie, don’t get complacent.”

“Haha,” Chen Qian laughed, “Xiao Cao, you’re too cautious. This kid is more low-key than I am.”

Cao Haisheng also laughed, “Seems so. My apprentice is really worry-free.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Master,” Xie Qing said.

Chen Qian stood up and pointed at Cao Haisheng with his index finger, “Getting a compliment from him isn’t easy.”

He said this as he opened the door and left.

Xie Qing said, “Master, I found a lead, but it hasn’t been verified yet…”

She explained the situation.

Cao Haisheng smiled and shook his head, “I just don’t want you to get complacent, not to avoid taking credit. Show your capabilities when needed. Don’t be afraid. Go, get the facts straight first, then talk about other things.”

Xie Qing said, “Master, it’s not our job. Won’t it cause resentment?”

Cao Haisheng shook his head again, “You’re a forensic doctor under my supervision. Don’t worry about that. Go, watch the tapes, and quietly report to Captain Huang afterward.”

Cao Haisheng, as the head of the forensic department and Xie Qing’s direct supervisor, had the authority and confidence to say this.

Xie Qing took the tapes to the second team. She first went to the meeting room to confirm the times when Shen Yi left the third floor and exited the Golden Cabinet’s main entrance.

The two timestamps were 1:02 and 1:07.

A full five-minute gap.

Xie Qing found the corresponding footage for the first and second floors and quickly spotted Shen Yi on the second floor. He hurried to the restroom and had brief physical contact with a young man in a Golden Cabinet uniform.

The young man said something with a smile, but Shen Yi had already entered, so it was unclear if he responded.

The young man didn’t leave immediately but looked into the restroom.

The camera was positioned to his right, making it hard to see his expression or determine if he interacted with Shen Yi.

Seven or eight seconds later, the young man muttered something and left.

When he reached the camera’s optimal angle, Xie Qing saw his face clearly—a delicate face with single eyelids, well-shaped eyebrows, and thin lips.

Next, she checked the footage at the Golden Cabinet’s main entrance.

When Shen Yi disappeared from the camera’s view, the young man appeared, staring intently in the direction of the parking lot.

Could it be him?

Xie Qing turned off the projector and took the tapes to find Huang Zhenyi.

“Knock, knock.” She tapped on the open door.

Huang Zhenyi looked up and smiled, “Xiao Xie, what’s up?”

Xie Qing walked over and placed the tapes on the desk, “Captain Huang, I found footage of Shen Yi interacting with a young man on the second floor of the Golden Cabinet.”

“The second floor?” Huang Zhenyi put down his pen, “Let’s go to the meeting room.”

“Alright.” Xie Qing glanced at the papers on his desk, noticing the title “Handover Matters.”

Her heart sank, wondering if Tan Yi was really coming.

…

In the meeting room.

Xie Qing played the second-floor footage.

“Wow, there’s definitely something here!” Captain Huang grabbed the tapes and strode out of the meeting room, “Second team, whoever’s here, come with me to the Golden Cabinet.”

…

About two hours later, Cao Haisheng received a call from Huang Zhenyi, “Old Cao, bring the funeral home’s car to Liu Village in the development zone, fourth alley. The police car is outside; you’ll see it as soon as you arrive.”

Cao Haisheng put down the autopsy report and said to Xie Qing, “You were right, but the person has been silenced. The case is getting more complicated.”

Xie Qing grabbed the investigation kit and got into the police car with Cao Haisheng. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Liu Village.

The deceased was the young man from the video, 24-year-old Mao Jiayi, who had worked at the Golden Cabinet for seven months. He lay neatly on the kang, legs together, arms at his sides, as if asleep.

Xie Qing examined him and found the same signs of death as Shen Yi, suggesting he also died from a morphine overdose.

Cao Haisheng straightened up, “The corneas are opaque, highly cloudy, and rigor mortis has subsided. The deceased has been dead for at least 48 hours. Only one needle mark was found on the left arm, not typical of a drug user. It’s likely he was silenced by an accomplice.”

Huang Zhenyi said, “It’s definitely a case of silencing. The manager at the Golden Cabinet said Mao Jiayi was from Shangzhou, cheerful, and liked to joke around. He had a strong sense of self-respect and was a bit stubborn, but otherwise, he was sweet-talking and hardworking, with no bad habits.”

“I asked the landlord, and Mao Jiayi was the one who rented the house. Neighbors said there were at least five people living there, both men and women, who rarely went out, so no one really saw them. Mao Jiayi explained that they were his uncles and aunts, all unemployed and dependent on him. But after Mao Jiayi’s death, these people vanished without a trace.”

Cao Haisheng said, “Two days is enough time for suspects to disappear completely.”

“Exactly,” Huang Zhenyi said with a bitter smile, “The killer is skilled, and the scene is clean. I suspect this is a major case, possibly involving firearms.”

Cao Haisheng asked, “No fingerprints?”

Huang Zhenyi nodded towards the forensic team, “It’s been half an hour, and they haven’t found anything.”

Cao Haisheng sighed, “We’ve encountered a tough one.”

Xie Qing covered the body with a white cloth.

The funeral home’s car hadn’t arrived, so the body couldn’t be moved. Xie Qing took her camera and looked around.

The yard wasn’t very big, with three main rooms and two side rooms.

Mao Jiayi died in the east side room. The east side room was cold in winter and hot in summer, with a dirt stove connected to the bedroom, making it extremely hot when cooking in the summer. The poor living conditions indicated his low status within the group.

The room was simply furnished with a kang bed, a cabinet, a small round table with a broken leg, two wooden stools, and a small standing fan. Dirty clothes were piled on the kang, including outerwear, underwear, and socks. The cabinet was slightly messy, indicating it had been searched.

Xie Qing recorded everything with her camera. Just as she was about to leave the room, she noticed something under the broken table leg.

She went back.

Cao Haisheng asked, “What did you find?”

Xie Qing pulled out a brown paper package from under the broken table leg and opened it, revealing a stack of RMB bills, both new and old, totaling at least 10,000 yuan.

Huang Zhenyi’s eyebrows relaxed, and he called over the forensic team, instructing them to take it back for a thorough examination.

Cao Haisheng said, “If we find Shen Yi’s fingerprints on the bills, the city bureau will have an explanation for Deputy Mayor Shen.”

“Sigh…” Huang Zhenyi sighed, “Looks like we’ll have to leave a mess for the new colleague.”

Cao Haisheng teased, “What, now that you’re a deputy team leader, you’re abandoning the second team?”

Huang Zhenyi said, “Of course not.”

Xie Qing listened carefully and thought: Tan Yi’s transfer has nothing to do with Shen Yi’s case. What I feared has come true; I’ll have to face the second male lead. Will he make things difficult for me because of Xie Yun?