Chapter 21

Song Wen gave some instructions to the others, asking them to continue investigating at the school. Then, along with Lu Siyu and Fu Linjiang, he drove back to the city bureau in an Audi.

They had been busy all night, but for others, it was just an ordinary morning. Various shops were gradually opening, pedestrians and vehicles hurriedly moved along the streets, and the bustling daily life had just begun.

The Earth would keep turning without missing anyone, and everyone seemed focused on their own affairs. It seemed like no one noticed that two young girls had tragically died in the dormitory last night.

At the city bureau, just as it was starting working hours, the police station was still a bit noisy. Several girls from the household registration department, seeing Song Wen in formal attire, were somewhat amazed. After reacting, they greeted him one after another. Song Wen nodded in response and went straight into Commissioner Gu’s office.

Commissioner Gu was sitting at his desk, looking serious and not even bothering to make chrysanthemum tea. When he saw Song Wen entering, he first spoke with an official tone, “This case… has received significant attention from leaders at all levels. Since the incident last night, I’ve received four or five calls.”

Song Wen nodded and said, “I know, we are actively investigating, and we already have some leads.”

“You’re really active, even giving me such a surprise,” Commissioner Gu said as he showed several photos of Song Wen wearing floral pants. His gaze swept over Song Wen, and he continued, “Now you’re dressed like a street thug. Where were you before this? Two of the calls were complaints against you!”

Feeling a bit helpless, Song Wen keenly understood what it meant to do good deeds without anyone knowing and for bad deeds to spread far and wide. Wasn’t he sent there by this leader in the middle of the night? Looking at the photos, he said, “Why didn’t anyone take pictures after I changed my clothes? At least make a comparison.”

Commissioner Gu, hearing all this early in the morning, was almost exploding with anger. Seeing Song Wen’s attitude, he pointed at the photos with his finger and said, “Do you know how sensitive this case is? All kinds of media are waiting for updates, and you dare to go dressed like this? Have you seen what they’re saying online? Do you need to recite the requirements for attending a crime scene? You’ve been a seasoned detective for many years; why stir up this mess? You’ve tarnished the face of our police force!”

Song Wen admitted his mistake internally but maintained a tough attitude, saying, “Commissioner Gu, what they said is about our police station winning the MVP for two consecutive years.”

Commissioner Gu raised an eyebrow, “You brat, what’s with this attitude? Do you want to write a self-criticism?”

“I promise not to make the same mistake again, but what can we do now?” Song Wen sighed, jokingly pretending to be indifferent, “Should I resign to take responsibility and hand the case over to another team?”

“Not thinking about how to make up for your mistake, only thinking about stepping back?” Commissioner Gu, angered even more after hearing this, issued a warning, “How about a written reprimand? You’ve been a detective for so many years, and you still stir up trouble like this? You’ve disgraced our police force!”

Song Wen, realizing his error, dropped the jest and responded seriously, “The autopsy on Lao Lin’s side has been completed, determining the cause of death. One of them died from poisoning, and the other was suffocated with a quilt. The source of the poison hasn’t been found yet, but the suspect has been basically identified. The crime occurred inside the dormitory. We’ve already talked to relevant personnel to understand the case.”

Commissioner Gu was satisfied with the efficiency of this work and then told him, “Currently, the impact is limited to the campus network of Nancheng University. You must solve the case within a week and provide an explanation to the public.” Always favoring talent and protecting his subordinates, Commissioner Gu had made arrangements early on to shield Song Wen from various criticisms, which was why he called him back for accountability.

Song Wen took a deep breath and looked up at Commissioner Gu seriously, “Three days. I guarantee you, Commissioner, within three days, I’ll lay the results on your desk.”

Commissioner Gu appreciated Song Wen’s character and nodded, saying, “Alright, if you can solve the case in three days, I’ll let you shoot this year’s police department promotional video. If you can’t, I’ll enlarge this photo and put it up at the entrance of the police station.”

Leaving Commissioner Gu’s office and heading towards the work area, Song Wen saw Fu Linjiang smiling at him. Without asking, he knew that the Deputy Captain was now aware of last night’s incident. Feeling a bit annoyed, Song Wen was pulled over by Fu Linjiang, who tried to comfort him, “Captain Song, don’t mind what Commissioner Gu said. In my opinion, this is a good thing. In the past, you always had that meticulous attitude, with your whole being tense. Your painting skills are excellent, and you solve cases quickly. You are a decisive captain, and although people don’t dare to show anything on the surface, they fear you behind your back. But this time, you seem to have a touch of the human world, becoming more approachable.”

Listening to these words, Song Wen felt grateful for Fu Linjiang’s understanding and timely consolation. He turned and said, “It’s not a big deal. I didn’t take it to heart. Let’s have a meeting later. The most important thing now is to get this case organized.”

Fu Linjiang quickly made arrangements, gathering everyone in the conference room. Xu Yao just came to work, and she used a hair tie to gather her long hair. Xiao Cheng, who hadn’t slept half the night, was yawning and busily summarizing the various situations from yesterday. After seeing Xu Yao, Song Wen asked, “Where’s Lin Ge? Hasn’t he returned yet?”

Xu Yao said, “He came out from the funeral home and went directly to the hospital. He’s still there.”

Song Wen nodded. At this time, they also needed to gather more information from the hospital. “Thank you. How is the situation here?”

“Most of yesterday’s identification results are out. The fingerprints of the four people have been entered into the system. There are no signs of damage to the dormitory door lock, no signs of entry at various entrances, and no suspicious individuals entering or leaving the dormitory building in the external surveillance. We found poison in the residues of the chocolates, and we can be reasonably sure that the poison was placed in the chocolates. Also, we found Guo Hua’s fingerprints on the box.” Cheng Xiaobing, as the forensic officer who was at the scene last night, began to report the situation. She paused when she said this, looking up at Song Wen. “It can be said that her fingerprints are all over it. And… only her fingerprints are clear enough.”

“I found it here too. Before May Day, Guo Hua ordered a box of premium handmade chocolate hearts from an online store. Judging by the packaging, it should be this box.” Zhu Xiao said, opening the computer. The accounts and various information of several people were already accessible. Judging by the time, it was precisely the last time they had a conflict, as mentioned by Bai Xiaoxiao.

“This chocolate is a popular one online, with a crispy outer layer and chocolate sauce inside, thick and almost like lava. It’s also called lava chocolate because of this characteristic. Due to this unique trait, this chocolate is loved by sweet enthusiasts. Since it is handmade and not resistant to high temperatures, and inconvenient to transport, it is only available from September to May of the following year in limited quantities. This chocolate has always been in short supply, and judging by the time, Guo Hua probably ordered the last batch.”

“Ah, speaking of the chocolate sauce, it was everywhere in the dormitory—on the bed, on the floor, in the trash can, under the shoes, and even in the bathroom. We found some residues and sauce almost everywhere.” Cheng Xiaobing complained, and this was the reason they had been busy all night yesterday.

“Have the chocolate sauces been sent for testing?” Song Wen asked.

Xu Yao nodded, “They have all been collected, numbered, and sent for testing. But it will probably take some time to get the results.”

“Have their phones been decrypted?” Song Wen asked again.

“Only Lin Wanwan’s Android phone has been decrypted. Guo Hua, Dong Fang, and Ma Aijing all used iPhones.” iPhones have better security than other phones, and even if the police need to investigate, a cumbersome application process is required to crack them. Violent flashing of the phone would destroy the original data.

Song Wen nodded, “Apply according to the procedure first.”

“But we found something interesting,” Xu Yao said, creating a bit of suspense. She took out three phones from evidence bags and showed them to everyone. All three were the latest models of iPhones, just in different colors. “On Guo Hua’s phone, we discovered fresh fingerprints belonging to Lin Wanwan. The fingerprints also had some chocolate sauce on them. She used Guo Hua’s phone to make an emergency call. The scene was chaotic at the time, and all three phones had some chocolate on them. Some might be accidental, while others could be vomit, and we’ve extracted samples.”

Song Wen furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing this. “Wasn’t Guo Hua’s family struggling financially? Why would she use such an expensive phone?”

The iPhone is considered a high-end device, especially the latest models, and this price range is quite high for an ordinary college girl.

“That’s a good question,” Zhu Xiao flipped through her notes and said, “I had the same doubt. After checking, I found that Guo Hua bought that phone after receiving a scholarship from the school.”

This explanation made sense. After receiving a significant amount of discretionary scholarship money, it’s understandable for a girl to indulge in some impulsive spending. In this dormitory, all three girls used the same type of phone, but Lin Wanwan seemed somewhat special. Song Wen said, “Investigate Lin Wanwan’s phone.”

As they discussed the phones, Lao Jia became impatient, “Ah, aren’t we discussing the poisoning case? Don’t keep circling around the phones. In my opinion, this case is pretty clear. We can now confirm that the source of the poison is the chocolate, and all the fingerprints on the chocolate box belong to Guo Hua. The chocolates were also bought by her, and she probably wanted to retaliate against those two classmates who bullied her.”

Putting it together, it formed a complete line of thought.

Song Wen asked Lao Jia, “If Guo Hua poisoned them, why did she go out to call for help in the end?”

Lao Jia scratched his head, “Uh, maybe the pain after the poisoning was too much?”

Song Wen continued, “And what about the poison source?”

“Maybe it was obtained from that handsome guy in the chemistry department,” Lao Jia suggested, patting his head. Seeing no response, he admitted, “I’ll focus on the next steps. Captain Song, apart from Guo Hua, there’s only Lin Wanwan left. You don’t suspect her, do you? Although she was poisoned less severely, so far, there is no evidence. We’ve done a round of follow-ups, and this girl has the best reputation.” Up to this point, Lin Wanwan appeared innocent, like a bystander, without any motives or indications.

“It’s precisely because there’s no evidence that it’s suspicious,” Song Wen didn’t draw conclusions. This case, which seemed like a simple either-or scenario, had multiple possibilities. For example, it could be a collaborative effort.

Ignoring Lao Jia, Xu Yao passed by him, took Lin Wanwan’s phone and handed it to Song Wen, along with a form. “Fingerprint information has been archived. We’ve briefly checked and found nothing particularly valuable. Please sign, and you can take the phone.”

“Okay, let us know if there are any leads later,” Song Wen signed his name and held the phone. “Let’s get to work; I made a commitment with Commissioner Gu.”

Zhu Xiao asked, “How many days this time?”

Song Wen, with his character, often made commitments with Commissioner Gu. Although he was a bit arrogant and didn’t always follow the rules, he was genuinely capable, and his luck wasn’t bad. While others might boast, he truly lived up to the expectations. Since becoming the captain, he had never exceeded the time limit set by the commitment.

In response to Zhu Xiao’s question, Song Wen gestured with his hand, indicating three days. Until now, the first day was already more than halfway through. This case was a bit tricky, and they needed to make good use of their time.

Exiting the meeting room, Song Wen turned and handed the phone to Lu Siyu, who was standing behind him. “Take a look and see if there are any clues.”

Lu Siyu was initially taken aback, paused for a moment, then lowered his head to take the phone handed to him. He walked to his seat, opened the phone, a regular Android device from a few years ago, a common model with affordable pricing and comprehensive functionality, offering good value for money.

The phone looked a bit old, suggesting it hadn’t been replaced since the first year. However, it was well-preserved. Lu Siyu pressed the power button, and the screen displayed the simplest default settings, not even changing the wallpaper. The password had already been cracked, allowing direct access to commonly used apps.

Due to the phone’s age, it had limited memory, and there weren’t many apps installed, only a few essential ones.

Lu Siyu attempted to open WeChat and QQ but found them password-protected. Instead, he opened the text messages, where several spam messages were lying. He then checked the call log; there weren’t many calls, possibly deleted. There was one call after several days, mostly from food delivery, express delivery, or intermediaries. After scrolling a few pages, he finally found a call to her mother. Lu Siyu frowned, then opened the browser; it was in incognito mode, and past search history had been completely wiped.

Playing around with the phone, Lu Siyu tapped on every accessible area. The phone’s battery seemed to be running low, losing a significant amount of charge in a short time. He reached for the charger and, when he looked up, saw Song Wen staring blankly through the glass. Song Wen’s expression, usually rare to be so serious, had a slight tension in the jawline.

Lu Siyu couldn’t help but admit that the man looked handsome, especially dressed in that outfit, exuding a reliable feeling between a mature man and a youth. There was a likable quality about him; he appeared somewhat arrogant but carried a warm-blooded spirit. He had the courage to break rules and a hunter-like sharpness. When fully committed, he became even more charming. In these aspects, he was a born detective.

Song Wen was confident and passionate, different from him. Lu Siyu understood that despite his cold appearance, there was an underlying unease within him. He seemed like an alien walking among humans, using that cold exterior to hide and protect himself from those humans.

Realizing that Lu Siyu was looking at him, Song Wen raised his gaze, tilted his head, and asked, “What’s your take on Lin Wanwan?”

Lu Siyu stopped his wandering thoughts and organized his ideas before speaking slowly, “She’s a well-behaved, clean, and cautious person. Either she’s an extremely innocent bystander, or she’s a criminal who can disguise herself extremely well.”

From Lin Wanwan, he sensed the appearance of a good girl expected by adults. She stood in the crowd, looking warm, gentle, obedient, with an ordinary background, fair face, and a pitiful appearance. Yet, she was a bit different; others’ emotions seemed to stay on the surface for her. This girl, no matter how much they searched, obtained very little information. They could never touch her inner world.

At this moment, Song Wen’s phone rang. He glanced down, then spoke, “We have a chance to ask her in person. Dr. Lin sent a text, Lin Wanwan has finally regained consciousness.”