Chapter 20

Lin Xiuran just had a phone call with the hospital and informed Song Wen of the situation. Both poisoned individuals were brought to the hospital in the early morning. Guo Hua was still unconscious and in critical condition, while Lin Wanwan had her stomach pumped, and her condition had not stabilized yet. Directly interrogating the individuals was currently not possible, so they had to continue investigating other leads.

“Murder outside the dormitory has been ruled out. Who could be responsible for poisoning them?” Fu Linjiang considered various possibilities.

Song Wen shook his head. “It’s too early to conclude anything now.”

Fu Linjiang suddenly remembered something and said, “This case won’t end up self-produced self-sold in the end, right?”

The case seemed clear, with the suspect gradually being identified, and it appeared that the perpetrator was among the two individuals. However, there were still many unanswered questions.

“Self produce, self sell” in their line of work was a colloquial term meaning that the perpetrator committed suicide, making it impossible to bring them to justice. Solving a case where the perpetrator had taken their own life was more challenging, as there were no living individuals to provide direct statements from victims or suspects. Investigators had to rely on various pieces of evidence for deductions, making it harder to determine the motive or actions of the perpetrator. For example, if it turned out that either Ma Aijing or Dong Fang had poisoned themselves, the case would become even more difficult to crack.

After contemplating for a moment, Song Wen massaged his forehead with his fingers. “In any case, it’s not that simple.” He thought for a moment before adding, “If it’s a case of campus violence, why endure it until the fourth year, almost at the end of graduation, before deciding not to endure it anymore?”

In many cases in China, instances of campus violence eventually escalating to murder were not uncommon, especially within dormitories. The accumulated daily grievances felt like soft knives, leaving small wounds each time, and over time, these wounds could be enough to make someone desperate. The desire for relief could lead to a sudden impulse to escape, resulting in a tragedy.

“Most campus cases are crimes of passion. Even if there is premeditation, it’s not usually this carefully planned. If someone wanted to poison, there are various methods such as using a water cup, water dispenser, or food. Why specifically buy chocolate online?” After saying this, Song Wen instinctively turned his head to look at Lu Siyu. Lu Siyu seemed somewhat absent-minded, playing with the expensive Rolex watch on his wrist. Judging by his actions and expression, Song Wen seemed to read his mind, turning to others and saying, “Let’s continue our discussion later. It’s already past six. We’ve been busy all night. Let’s grab some breakfast.”

Regardless of Lu Siyu’s previous eagerness and obedience, whenever he felt hungry, he resembled a doll without batteries. To prevent him from appearing too demanding of his subordinates, the strategy was to pre-emptively inform him before he felt hungry.

Song Wen had always been a workaholic when it came to cases. He wouldn’t let anyone go until hunger struck. Missing meal times or working late into the night was a common occurrence for him. The team was perplexed as to why their captain suddenly showed mercy. Each of them wore an expression of disbelief, sitting there motionless. Song Wen had to call their attention again, “Let’s go, have a meal, and then we’ll continue the investigation.”

Only then did they snap out of their stupor. Fu Linjiang went to ask the school’s accompanying staff about the location and opening hours of the cafeteria. The person in charge, surnamed Yan, was quite clever at this moment and suggested, “Comrades from the criminal investigation, you’ve worked hard. This breakfast should be our treat. Or I can ask a few students to bring the food to you…”

Seeing through the school’s intention, Song Wen directly addressed it, “Teacher Yan, we need to inspect the campus environment as part of the investigation. So please just tell us where the cafeteria is. We appreciate the offer for breakfast, but we have our regulations. Leave us your WeChat, and if we need anything, we’ll contact you after we finish eating and continue our campus exploration.”

Teacher Yan didn’t dare to insist further and agreed, “Comrades, it’s just an early meal. If you have regulations, forget it. Let me know if you need anything.”

Fu Linjiang added, “Rest assured, we know the rules.”

With the location of the school cafeteria obtained, Song Wen gestured towards Lu Siyu, who was standing nearby, using his fingers to signal, “Are you skipping breakfast today?”

Song Wen knew that today was Sunday, and pulling someone out of bed in the middle of the night, especially on a regular workday, would leave little time for preparing breakfast. If it weren’t for today being a day off, he wouldn’t have neglected to wear pants.

Lu Siyu looked up at him, his eyes still calm, peacefully like a rabbit. “I just don’t like outside food; it’s not that I can’t eat it. However, I have a car refrigerator in the trunk with a few buns. I’ve already arranged with Teacher Yan, and he can help heat them up for me.”

Song Wen originally wanted to say, “Then let me treat you to breakfast,” but with Lu Siyu’s response, he could only wave his hand and say, “Alright then. Third cafeteria. Come find us after you’re done.”

The morning sunlight streamed in, bringing the entire school to life. There was a unique vibrancy and energy that only young people possessed. On a Sunday morning, there were no main classes, but some elective courses were still in session. Just past seven o’clock, busy students with books in hand could be seen, and the competition for basketball court spaces had already begun.

Several school cafeterias had already opened, and Song Wen and the others went to the third cafeteria, the closest to the female dormitory. The cafeteria had two floors, with the first floor serving main meals and the second floor specializing in stir-fried dishes. Song Wen was a bit overwhelmed upon entering. It had been many years since he experienced this communal lifestyle, and he felt a slight longing.

Nancheng University was known for its affordable and diverse breakfast options. From Beijing’s roasted cakes to Tianjin’s buns, Shanxi’s knife-cut noodles, Guangzhou’s rice noodle rolls, to Yunnan’s crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, there was a wide variety of choices. As long as one didn’t demand authenticity, they could enjoy a satisfying meal at the lowest cost.

Song Wen bought a bowl of mixed dumpling noodles and a side of soy milk. The auntie making dumplings smiled at him and even added a fried egg. Carrying his items, Song Wen headed back and saw Fu Linjiang and the others had occupied a small table with four seats.

Not wanting to eat alone, Song Wen looked around for a chair he could pull over.

The on-duty detective Xiao Wang chuckled, “Captain Song, with your well-dressed and talented appearance, you don’t need to squeeze in at our table.”

Song Wen, for once, joined in the banter, “What, are you afraid my looks will steal the attention of pretty girls?”””

Fu Linjiang laughed, “Cut it out. The most beautiful girls’ breakfasts have already been delivered downstairs by kites. Do you expect them to wake up early and come here to eat?”

Turning his head to look, Lu Siyu passed by with a lunchbox in hand. His usual avoidance of strangers disappeared, making him look clean and eye-catching in this noisy university cafeteria. He decisively ignored Fu Linjiang and the others, brushing past them. Picking up the tray from the table, he briskly caught up.

Lu Siyu chose a clean table in the corner and sat down. As soon as he put his things down, Song Wen naturally took a seat across from him.

Lu Siyu didn’t mind, and he opened the lunchbox, magically producing a box of warm milk. Then he picked up a bun and started eating it bite by bite. As soon as he bit into the bun, a tempting aroma filled the air. In the bustling cafeteria, the fragrance contrasted with other scents, standing out like rouge and powder.

After Song Wen ate a few dumplings, he was drawn by the aroma of the buns and asked Lu Siyu, “Did you make the buns yourself?”

Lu Siyu responded with a simple “Hmm” and handed him one without hesitation.

Song Wen wasn’t shy either. He took a bite, and the freshness almost made him bite his tongue off. He felt that everything he had eaten before in his life didn’t qualify as buns; they were more like steamed buns with fillings. Curious, he asked, “What’s the filling?”

Lu Siyu replied, “Pork and shrimp, with a bit of salted egg yolk for extra flavor.” Ordinary buns with only lean meat would be too dry, and adding fat might make them greasy. Combining lean pork with plump shrimp provided a balanced mixture. Traditionally, crab roe is added for flavor, but Lu Siyu modified it by using salted egg yolk to avoid a fishy taste.

Song Wen couldn’t say anything else. He quickly finished the bun, making the dumplings in front of him seem like plain water. He didn’t feel like asking Lu Siyu for more, so he ate the fried egg and drank the soy milk.

As time passed, the cafeteria became more crowded and noisy. More students were coming and going, and although they sat in the corner, many students were glancing over, especially the female students, sneaking looks in their direction.

Song Wen initially thought it was because he was unfamiliar, but when he looked at Fu Linjiang’s table, it didn’t attract any attention. The only explanation was that he and Lu Siyu were relatively eye-catching.

Lu Siyu, facing away from the restaurant, was focused on eating with a bit of indifference, seemingly oblivious to the changes behind him.

As the meal was almost finished, Song Wen finally felt something was off. He frowned slightly, realizing that with the cafeteria getting busier, these gazes were unusual. Turning to Lu Siyu, he asked, “Is there something on my face?”

“En, nothing,” Lu Siyu said, handing his phone to Song Wen. “But I probably know what they’re gossiping about.”

Taking the phone, Lu Siyu opened the campus BBS of Nancheng University, which could only be accessed on the campus network. After a few deaths, this incident became the focus of everyone’s discussions, and everyone spoke as if they were on the scene, presenting several versions of the story, ranging from love-turned-hatred to revenge killings. It seemed like if they didn’t discuss it a few times, this hot topic would be left behind.

Then his gaze fell on one of the posts. “Is this guy who came a policeman? Can it be more unreliable?” Below was a picture of Song Wen, dressed in a “fashionable” manner, standing in front of a luxury car and opening the door.

Song Wen wanted to read the comments more carefully, but his phone was suddenly snatched away by Lu Siyu. “I’m done here. Let’s get ready to work.”

Song Wen could guess that the comments probably weren’t pleasant. Looking at Lu Siyu, his feelings towards this person became more complicated. This guy seemed harmless on the surface, but there was a dark side underneath. Lu Siyu had known what those people were looking at, deliberately enjoyed breakfast, and only now informed him.

On this side, Lu Siyu packed up the lunchbox, and Song Wen didn’t want to stay in the cafeteria any longer. Just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly received a message.

After checking his phone, Song Wen’s expression became serious. “Let’s go back to the city bureau. Commissioner Gu wants to ask some questions.”