CASE 7: MASTER’S MURDER BANQUET

Chapter 130

The National Day holiday has finally arrived. The streets are decorated with lights and festoons, adorned with red banners, creating a sea of red throughout the country.

This year’s National Day celebration in Nancheng has long been announced, with a fireworks display scheduled for nine o’clock in the evening along the Lunjiang River.

The fireworks display, designed by internationally renowned fireworks designers, is an event that the people of Nancheng can definitely look forward to.

Set against the backdrop of the high-rise buildings along the Lunjiang River and the nearby Nancheng Tower, against the black night sky, hundreds of colorful fireworks will be ignited one after another, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

At six forty-eight in the evening, with the night breeze blowing gently, the streets near the Lunjiang River have already begun to fill up with people. Several pedestrian streets nearby have been closed off, and only pedestrians are allowed through.

At the Lotus Moon Tower on Hongfang Street, it is dinner time, and with the National Day festivities, the entire building is brightly lit. Guests are still dining, and the staff are busy bustling about. Laughter and chatter fill the air, mingling with the aroma of food.

Some friends and relatives have arranged to meet here, planning to finish dinner and then watch the fireworks display nearby.

Suddenly, people hear a loud bang, as something falls to the ground outside the restaurant.

The Lotus Moon Tower is located at the corner of a crossroads, with two main streets outside. Due to the celebration today, the roads were closed off at six o’clock, and the heavy object fell by the pedestrian path at the entrance.

The bustling restaurant suddenly fell silent.

People could see clearly…

What fell from upstairs was a person!

After a moment of shock, pedestrians on the street screamed, and the guests in the restaurant looked out the window. From their positions, they could tell that the person had fallen from the rooftop of the Lotus Moon Tower.

Now lying on the street was a woman, wearing a dark blue professional suit. After the fall, blood gushed from her mouth and nose, quickly spreading silently beneath her. She convulsed twice all over before becoming motionless.

A fall from over twenty meters high was enough to turn a living person into a puddle of mud…

A smell of blood quickly permeated the air outside. Some brave souls peeked out from the windows of the Lotus Moon Tower to look, while some shocked pedestrians approached and stood at the entrance of the Lotus Moon Tower, discussing in whispers.

The staff and the boss in the restaurant were witnessing a death for the first time, and they were momentarily stunned.

At that moment, two female guests rushed downstairs from upstairs. They were both young women in their twenties, with the one in front wearing a red windbreaker, resembling a vibrant rose. The woman behind her was slim and delicate, with a demure appearance. As she ran, her sky-blue long skirt fluttered, almost tripping her up.

Soon, the two of them arrived downstairs almost simultaneously.

“Teacher!” The woman in the sky-blue dress called out. She covered her mouth in disbelief, terrified by the horrific scene before her. She took a step back, unable to say anything more than a low sob.

“Teacher Zhang!” The woman in the red coat bravely rushed to the middle-aged woman’s side. She gently shook her, but there was no response. Trembling, she reached out to feel for a breath from the woman’s nose—there was none. She was already a corpse, still warm but undeniably lifeless.

The woman in the blue dress was so frightened that she began to cry. Faced with such a situation, she was at a loss. In a trembling voice, she pleaded with the staff who came out to check, “Please, call 120 for us!” Then she added, “Can you also ask the guests from Lotus Moon to come down?”

“It’s too late…” The woman in the red coat, still kneeling beside the corpse, turned back and said to the girl, “Teacher is already dead.”

People around them started talking among themselves.

“She’s probably beyond saving, right? With the roads closed, 120 can’t even get in.”

“What bad luck on a holiday… Hey, kids, don’t look, you’ll have nightmares.”

“We should call 110, right? How could someone just fall from the building?”

Before long, a crowd had gathered on the street, blocking the way. Those at the front were looking on, while more people continued to push forward from behind.

The incident quickly alerted all the guests at the Lotus Moon Tower. Soon, several young people came downstairs. They stood aside, watching the corpse with varied expressions.

The middle-aged woman lying on the ground had her eyes half-open. A living person’s life had just ended.

On October 1st, Song Wen and Lu Siyu avoided the peak travel times and stayed home. By the afternoon, after walking his dog Xiao Liang, Song Wen was feeling a bit restless. Not wanting to waste the holiday, he sidled up to Lu Siyu and said, “I heard there’s a good movie out recently. How about we eat dinner early and go see it tonight?”

Lu Siyu was preparing dinner and hadn’t been to a movie in a while. However, he wasn’t too hopeful about Song Wen’s spur-of-the-moment idea. “Let’s see if we can even get tickets first.”

Song Wen, confident, said, “Don’t worry, it’s a 3D IMAX movie. Just come with me. The theater is on the pedestrian street, so we’ll have to park the car and walk a bit.”

Trusting him, Lu Siyu agreed. They had an early dinner and headed to a luxurious cinema in the city. At the entrance, Song Wen pulled out a platinum VIP card. The staff unlocked two seats in the IMAX theater for him, gave him complimentary drinks and popcorn, and provided the best 3D glasses. They entered the theater five minutes before the movie started, taking the two central sofa seats, drawing the attention of those around them.

Once inside the theater, Song Wen sank into the soft seat and said smugly, “How about this? I wasn’t lying, was I?”

Lu Siyu felt himself sink into the sofa. The seat was a bit too soft, but it was quite comfortable. He whispered, “I wouldn’t have expected this. It’s not like your usual style.”

Song Wen replied, “Actually, I saved the daughter of this theater’s owner during a previous operation. They gave me a lifetime free platinum card as a thank-you.”

Lu Siyu asked, “You mean you took a bullet for their daughter?” He had heard bits and pieces about Song Wen’s heroic act from some of the older police officers.

“Why do you sound so sarcastic?” Song Wen whispered in his ear, “From now on, I’ll only take bullets for you.”

Lu Siyu’s ears turned red. The lights dimmed, and the movie started. He quickly put on his 3D glasses and stopped talking.

Song Wen watched him put on the 3D glasses, which were the high-end kind that covered his eyes completely. They made his nose look even more prominent and his face smaller.

Lu Siyu noticed from the reflection that Song Wen was looking at him and turned his head, puzzled. “What are you looking at?”

Song Wen replied, “Looking at you.”

Lu Siyu asked, “What’s so interesting to look at?”

Song Wen grinned, “You’re more interesting to watch than the movie.”

Only then did Lu Siyu realize Song Wen was flirting with him. He sighed softly and said, “Captain Song, it seems your skin is getting thicker…”

As they spoke, the movie began. Song Wen put on his glasses and finally quieted down.

Lu Siyu turned his attention to the movie, focusing intently.

Song Wen’s gaze, however, dimmed a little.

Back when he was recovering in the hospital, Song Wen was in the surgical department but kept visiting Lu Siyu in internal medicine.

After all, they had already kissed, and their relationship had grown closer.

As for the person beside him, as long as they didn’t touch on real issues, he seemed not to mind these things. But whenever sensitive topics were brought up, Lu Siyu would start to avoid them. With just this thin barrier left, Song Wen didn’t know how to break through it. All he could do was persistently try.

The movie was a sci-fi film set in a futuristic world, with a hint of suspense, starting off with a visual explosion of special effects.

Song Wen sat beside Lu Siyu, eating popcorn and sipping cola. After twenty minutes, Song Wen seemed to think it was a waste not to do something in this dark environment. A sneaky hand reached over, seemingly unintentionally, and placed itself on Lu Siyu’s hand next to him.

Lu Siyu’s hand was cold and withdrew when touched. He then slapped Song Wen’s hand.

Song Wen, feeling hurt, whispered pitifully, “Why did you hit me…”

Lu Siyu didn’t spare him any face, “Your hand is sticky, wash it first!”

Song Wen replied, “You should have said so earlier. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have eaten.” As he spoke, he reached over and stuffed a piece of popcorn into Lu Siyu’s mouth.

The movie was at a critical point. Lu Siyu kept his eyes on the screen but still opened his mouth to eat the popcorn. The caramel they used was nice, crispy, and sweet. Indeed, watching a movie with popcorn was more enjoyable.

In no time, the movie was halfway through, and the popcorn was nearly finished. Then, both of their phones buzzed simultaneously.

Song Wen had a bad feeling but was somewhat relieved it wasn’t a call. Calls usually came from dispatch after being routed through the operator. Group messages were typically for notifications.

They took out their phones. It was just a few minutes before seven, and someone had asked in the group, “Is anyone near Hongfang Street?”

Hongfang Street was not far from them, a five-minute walk away, and closer to the Lunjiang River, where there would be a fireworks display that evening.

Song Wen had an uneasy feeling. Knowing they wouldn’t finish the movie, he replied, “I’m nearby.”

A few others responded shortly after. Lu Siyu, seeing a few had already replied, followed with, “I’m here too.”

Soon, Captain Cheng Mo of the third team chimed in, “I’m not far away; I can get there.”

The few of them were then pulled into a separate group chat. Commissioner Gu directly messaged, “Received a report five minutes ago. There was a fall at the Lianhua Mingyue Building restaurant on Hongfang Street. The fallen person is a middle-aged woman who died on the spot. There’s a large crowd there now, and the police cars can’t get through. You all nearby, go check the scene. Special circumstances require special handling, cross-team operations, and everything will be directed by Song Wen.”

This was the first case Song Wen had encountered since being promoted to division chief. Despite it being a holiday, he was still needed to take charge.

Commissioner Gu added in the smaller group, “Given tonight’s special circumstances, first determine if it’s an accident, suicide, or homicide. If there’s a suspect, detain them at the restaurant for questioning and investigation. After ten o’clock, when the activities die down, transfer them. Be mindful of the impact.”

He then sent a message to the larger group: “Due to the special time, everyone else stay on standby!”

Song Wen rubbed his forehead. Ever since the notifications started, his and Lu Siyu’s phones hadn’t stopped buzzing. He stood up and called to Lu Siyu, “Let’s go. We’ll catch the second half of the movie another time.”

Lu Siyu had no objections and simply responded with a hum. The two of them crouched down and slipped out of the cinema.