Fang Zhenyue stepped out of Qiu Sushan’s office and stood at the door for a while, filtering through all the recent events that had occurred in Team B’s office.
He also recalled every detail that Yi Jiayi had displayed before his eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting light on half of his face, bathing that half in sunshine while the other half remained hidden in the shadows.
One eye took on a shallow amber hue due to the light, the other dark and inky like ink.
…
Back in the office, Fang Zhenyue found Lin Wangjiu lighting incense.
Turning his head, he saw that indeed a new red circle had appeared on the whiteboard.
Today’s whiteboard recorded a mind map of notes on the King’s Park Murder Case, including the name of a female classmate who might have been jealous of the murderer due to inferior academic performance, the name of the victim’s father’s lover, and others who had minor conflicts or potential disputes and competitive relationships with the victim.
The red circle was not around these names, but rather drawn in a blank space—what did this mean? Was the murderer not among these people?
In the short time it took, Lin Wangjiu had lit the incense and started praying in the four corners of the office, muttering to himself.
After finishing his prayers, he placed the incense in a burner prepared in advance, behind which sat a small statue of Guan Gong.
Sighing, Lin Wangjiu turned and declared earnestly:
“Let’s all go to the temple this weekend. Our office’s Feng Shui must be quite significant. You see, every time the circle is drawn with great force, it feels very angry, like a vengeful spirit claiming lives.”
“And, the last case was many years ago, and the body was long claimed by the family, cremated, and placed in a public cemetery, the grudge slowly fading away, hence no red circles.”
“This time, the Murder Case was said to be about the bodies being claimed in the next few days. By reopening this case, the forensic official extended the body’s preservation period, and now the vengeful spirit has appeared.”
Uncle Jiu’s words were coherent and logical.
This matter, no matter how one thought about it, was undoubtedly about ghosts.
“Then shall we invite someone to exorcise the ghosts?” Gary didn’t really believe in such things but still held some reverence.
“Why exorcise ghosts? Isn’t it good that they help us with the case?”
Fang Zhenyue waved his hand and glanced at the little policewoman who had been sitting quietly in the back of the office:
“Finished with your tasks?”
“I’ve completed today’s work diligently. There are still many documents to organize, too many, slowly getting through them. Brother Jiaming said they were discussing the King’s Park Murder Case, so I came over to listen in.” Jiayi answered earnestly, with a well-behaved look.
Liu Jiaming was sitting backward on a chair, oblivious to the conversation between Fang Zhenyue and Yi Jiayi, staring at Lin Wangjiu and once again expressing his doubts: “Where in the world are there ghosts? If there really were ghosts, they would directly go after the murderer themselves. Why would they need us police? Uncle Jiu, are you playing us?”
“How could it be me? I think it’s you,” Lin Wangjiu replied, turning to glance at the burning incense. Seeing it burn steadily without suddenly speeding up or going out reassured him.
“It’s definitely not me.” Liu Jiaming’s gaze then shifted to Gary, “Tell me, are you causing trouble?”
“It’s not me.” Gary waved his hand, then looked towards the old bachelor Sanfu, “Brother Sanfu, are you being naughty?”
“In our Team B, the one who can deduce the murderer first is only Brother Yue, right?” Sanfu quickly shifted the focus to Fang Zhenyue.
After the remote control disappeared, there was no trace of soft-heartedness left between people.
Lin Wangjiu also deduced that the red circle drawn in a blank space meant that the murderer’s name was not on the whiteboard.
He pulled out all the documents and sat down to read them carefully, with an unprecedented level of seriousness in his work.
While reviewing the files for clues, he would occasionally look up at the sky, clasp his hands together, and mutter with a pained expression:
“Gods and spirits, please help us find crucial clues and solve the case soon. Bless us~”
Fang Zhenyue walked up to the whiteboard, picked up the eraser, and began erasing many useless clues. Suddenly, he heard Lin Wangjiu’s words and his gaze unconsciously fell on Yi Jiayi, who was sitting in the back row and focusing like a well-behaved student.
The young policewoman looked so innocently sweet.
Suddenly, he thought of something, his lips curled up, and he quickly turned back to the whiteboard, coughing lightly to suppress his laughter.
But for some reason, he couldn’t suppress his laughter and walked a few steps to the window, turning his back to everyone, and started laughing inexplicably.
“?”
“?”
“???”
The entire room filled with detectives, including Yi Jiayi, all looked at Fang Zhenyue with puzzled faces.
Did Sir Fang find some money?
…
…
Fang Zhenyue tilted his head and looked at the crooked tree by the back door of the police station outside the window. Wires wrapped around the tree from front to back, completely entangling it. It grew that way and could not escape.
True to a police station, even a tree must be ensnared.
His thoughts wandered off, and the inexplicable urge to laugh faded. He then turned around and seriously walked back to the whiteboard.
He erased a few more pieces of information he deemed useless, then turned and said:
“Let’s go through this case from the beginning.”
“In the park forest behind the lake where the victim’s body was found—a secluded area seldom visited except by cleaners who consistently walked through each morning to remove trash from the lake—forensic examination deduced that this was the scene of the murder.”
“Not far from the body, her backpack and a textbook scattered beside a tree were also discovered.”
“According to the forensic officer’s report, the victim was beaten to death.”
“With the information available, let us reconstruct the crime.”
“On the day of the incident, it was the victim’s school cleaning day, and many students took the opportunity to skip class and go out. The victim was among them. However, she didn’t go shopping with friends or visit anyone’s house, but went to King’s Park to read a book,” Fang Zhenyue paused to give everyone a moment to capture inspiration.
“After reviewing the case files, I suspect that the points raised by Team A detectives have been thoroughly investigated; no one close to the victim has a solid murder motive, and all have alibis,” Lin Wangjiu frowned with concern.
“We have also questioned the homeless who frequent the area. They all claim they don’t know such a well-behaved schoolgirl, or they say they didn’t go to King’s Park that day at all. We tried to get them to report others and contacted informants, but there are no leads,” Sanfu stretched his sore shoulders.
Yi Jiayi rubbed the pen in her hands, noting down the available clues on the paper in front of her.
All clues indicate that the victim did not have a boyfriend at the time of the murder, but in the heart-flow imagery she saw, there clearly was a male body lying nearby.
If the murderer mentioned making them a pair of mandarin ducks at the bottom of the lake, they were most likely boyfriend and girlfriend.
But why do neither her friends nor relatives seem to know about this boyfriend?
Could such a secret romance really be hidden so deeply?
Yi Jiayi recalled her own teenage years—not only did she talk endlessly about any boy she took a fancy to, but she would also share with her friends countless times.
Girls of that age love to share, valuing friendship highly; friends gathered together, always chatting about their own matters, others’ matters, even trivial things…
Moreover, in school where there was no other entertainment than studying, chatting a bit more with someone immediately sparked jealousy—dating was simply impossible to hide.
Or perhaps…it wasn’t a school romance?
And there was a particularly compelling reason why the victim couldn’t share this special relationship with those around her?
A forbidden love?
Yi Jiayi felt she might be getting off track, her wild thoughts nearly as fanciful as writing fiction.
She refocused her attention as they continued discussing safety with Sir Fang.
Then suddenly Liu Jiaming spoke up; footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the next moment, a few men stood at the office doorway, the leader peering inside with an unfriendly gaze.
Yi Jiayi immediately recognized them as detectives from the Major Case Team A, led by You Zhaohua.
“You Zhaohua,” Fang Zhenyue held a marker, turning his head to nod faintly in greeting.
He was naturally endowed with a heroic and imposing face, needing no disdainful or arrogant expression to exude an intimidating aura.
Thus, even though he was merely greeting him in a normal manner, You Zhaohua felt as though Fang Zhenyue was looking down on him with unwelcome.
“Fang Zhenyue, are you messing with me?” You Zhaohua glanced at the whiteboard, which clearly pertained to the King’s Park murder case with just a few words and phrases.
This case had particularly shamed him back then; the perpetrator had grossly disrespected the police, leaving the victim on a grassy slope and causing a citywide uproar. Many people were afraid to visit that park, amusement park businesses plummeted, and everywhere, the police were blamed for their poor handling of the case and the poor public security in the port.
Under immense pressure, he had investigated day and night, leading his team all over in search of clues, wearing himself and his team thin over months without going home, only to end up with the case unsolved.
Now, Fang Zhenyue arrogantly dug up this case again, truly ignorant of his limits.
“It’s not me who barges into others’ offices uninvited. What’s unsuitable between us?” Fang Zhenyue leaned against the whiteboard, effectively blocking the doorway, clearly not intending to let You Zhaohua enter.
“What? You think you can solve the case that our A team can’t solve? You Zhaohua’s gaze disdainfully swept over everyone in the office, scoffing:
“Recently solved a few cases, and now you don’t know your own weight, thinking there’s no case you can’t crack? It’s clear as day in the newspapers, just lucky, Mr. Fang.”
“Be careful, or the King’s Park case might blow up in your face, and you’ll lose face.”
“You sir, scared now? What if we solve the case, you won’t be able to get by, right?” Liu Jiaming suddenly chuckled, teasing You Zhaohua with a tilt of his chin before Fang Zhenyue could respond.
He still sat casually backwards in his chair, eyes curved as if joking intimately, but his words were a direct jab to the gut.
“When Fang Zhenyue and I are talking, it’s not your turn to butt in.” It would be one thing if it was Fang Zhenyue arguing, but even a junior detective from Team B daring to be so casual enraged You Zhaohua even more.
“What eye should I butt in with? Left or right? Or maybe…” Liu Jiaming paused, then suddenly burst into laughter. His words hardly sounded like those of a detective, more like those of a major villain drawing hatred.
You Zhaohua, infuriated, his eyebrows standing on end, stepped forward into the room, about to show Liu Jiaming a thing or two.
Fang Zhenyue finally moved, extending his arm to rest it on You Zhaohua’s shoulder, “You Zhaohua, is it necessary? This case isn’t your family’s.”
You Zhaohua felt like a heavy iron weight had landed on his shoulder, Fang Zhenyue’s grip clearly unwelcoming him further into the office.
Clenching his teeth, he took a few deep breaths, turning back to glare furiously at Fang Zhenyue, choking with anger:
“I had investigated this case half a year ago. Our whole team camped out in the office, and we questioned everyone related to the victim countless times to the point where people were annoyed just by seeing us. We conducted a thorough search of that grassy slope not less than three times. It was unsolvable, simply unsolvable. Digging it up again would just be a waste of police resources!”
“Sergeant Fang, just because you can’t solve it doesn’t mean I can’t,” Fang Zhenyue raised an eyebrow.
“And what if you can’t solve it?” You Zhaohua questioned, stepping back to free himself from Fang Zhenyue’s grasp, leaning one hand against the wall with a stern expression staring at Fang Zhenyue.
“Sir You, these are all cases from our station, and everyone is working their hardest hoping to solve them. There’s no intention to put you down or to show off—it’s just work. You’re overthinking it. Everyone’s under a lot of pressure lately, and with the weather being so hot, why not have some herbal tea to cool down, and take a few days off?” Lin Wangjiu stepped forward, gesturing with his hands for the other to cool down.
However, You Zhaohua was not buying it, giving Uncle Jiu only a brief glance before glaring aggressively back at Fang Zhenyue.
“I’ll host a banquet and offer you tea as an apology,” Fang Zhenyue said casually, with an arrogant air as if he truly believed he could not fail to solve the case.
You Zhaohua, who detested Fang Zhenyue’s attitude of disregarding everything, had always found it irksome and looked for a chance to deflate his arrogance.
Now, unable to swallow his pride, and unwilling to miss this opportunity to suppress Fang Zhenyue, he loudly responded:
“Alright, Sir Fang, remember what you said today.”
“And what if I do solve it?” Fang Zhenyue raised an eyebrow again.
“You say.” Yu Sha responded boldly.
Fang Zhenyue turned his head to look over his subordinates sitting in the office—
Liu Jiaming, unwilling to accept defeat, was holding his head high, grinding his teeth slightly in a gesture that showed he was eager to have another go at You Zhaohua.
Lin Wangjiu, usually wearing a face as if he were about to complain about everything, was uncharacteristically serious.
Gary and Sanfu, one with arms crossed and a cold frown, the other clenching his fists and staring at You Zhaohua as if ready to pounce.
Men inherently possess a nature of aggression, and as detectives, their hostility was even more pronounced, restrained only by their uniforms, allowing them only to vent through the high-stakes, dangerous work.
Being provoked like this by You Zhaohua, any man of spirit would find it hard to endure.
As his gaze shifted away, he caught a glimpse of Yi Jiayi, even this non-B team young female officer looked defiant, holding her pen, frowning, and pouting like a sulky kitten.
What, had she already developed a sense of belonging to the Major Crime Team B so quickly?
Or was it because the King’s Park murder case was her way of sneaking in under false pretenses, and now she felt guilty about it?
Just then, Yi Jiayi suddenly stood up, seemingly having made up her mind to say something.
Seeing her almost martyr-like expression, he knew she was about to confess.
Fang Zhenyue curled his lips, not giving the young girl a chance to speak, and turned to face You Zhaohua with a cheeky grin, not at all angry, and teasingly asked:
“Sir You, if the case is solved, how about you kowtow to me?”
You Zhaohua’s eyes widened, unable to hold back any longer, and he threw a punch directly at Fang Zhenyue.
Fortunately, the detectives from Team A behind him reacted quickly, rushing forward to pull You Zhaohua back and stopping their colleague’s overly explosive behavior.
Even though the scuffle was quickly broken up, when two experienced detectives clashed, even a brief exchange left a mark.
Fang Zhenyue was quick to cross his arms and blocked You Zhaohua, but the punch still grazed his jaw.
In the moment he blocked, he grabbed You Zhaohua’s wrist with one hand and pressed down with his elbow with the other, although because others intervened, he didn’t manage to bring You Zhaohua’s lower body down and counter with an elbow strike to You Zhaohua’s chest.
But after they separated, You Zhaohua’s arm hung unnaturally at his side, clearly not having gained any advantage.
Team B also rushed forward at this point, standing behind Fang Zhenyue to back him up, ready to jump in at any moment if a fight broke out.
The atmosphere was tense on both sides, both parties looking quite indignant.
Liu Jiaming, who had been with Brother Yue for a long time, knew Fang Zhenyue was not someone who would trivialize major issues.
It was always Brother Yue who made others so angry they could shoot him, yet he never let anyone disrespect him without retaliating.
But nobody expected Fang Zhenyue to escalate the taunting this much.
At that moment, the door of the opposite office opened, and Qiu Sushan came out, pushing You Zhaohua away while scolding.
She glared at everyone, her mouth filled with curses starting with ‘men,’ and seeing You Zhaohua still flushed with anger, she held back all her inflammatory remarks.
After sending Team A away, Qiu Sushan sternly stated she would hold Team A and Inspector Zhang accountable, then rubbed her forehead and returned.
Seeing everyone disperse, Liu Jiaming couldn’t help but turn back and ask Fang Zhenyue, with little confidence:
“Brother Yue, are you sure about this?”
When charging into battle with everyone else, Detective Liu was not to be outdone, acting most confident.
But as soon as he turned around, his insecurity was evident.
Qiu Sushan, filled with anger and helplessness, walked back to the Team B office door, seeing Fang Zhenyue already acting as if nothing had happened, ready with his team to continue discussing the case.
After several moments of hesitating to speak, finally letting out a long sigh, Qiu Sushan pulled up a chair and silently sat down in the office.
Stimulated by You Zhaohua, every member of Team B was filled with fighting spirit, rallied by Fang Zhenyue, embodying the spirit, “If this case isn’t solved, I, Liu Jiaming/Lin Wangjiu/Gary/Sanfu, live in vain.”
Standing at the back, Yi Jiayi had long wanted to admit that she was the one who brought this troublesome case to Team B, and she wanted to apologize to everyone. Biting her lower lip and looking at everyone, her heart was filled with complex emotions, but also brimming with fighting spirit.
Fang Zhenyue’s gaze fell on her, and he suddenly spoke with a meaningful tone: “Since we are brothers who have gone through life and death together and pursued criminals together, we should solve problems together.”
“Be it troubles or merits, we shoulder them side by side.”
“It makes no sense that we keep solving cases smoothly, happily accepting good fortune and credit.”
“But when we encounter difficulties and troubles, we lack the courage to share them.”
Bitter melon stir-fried with sugar, sharing both the sweet and the bitter!
Yi Jiayi and Fang Zhenyue looked at each other, watching his previously annoying, now confidently smiling face, feeling a mix of sourness and sweetness in her chest, her emotions surging.
“Sir Fang, I have an idea about this case.” Yi Jiayi said, finally standing up straight with clenched fists and speaking openly.
“Go ahead.” Fang Zhenyue replied, relaxed, as if he had anticipated that she had spotted some blind spots in the case.
He leaned slightly against the wall, with a snap, he took off the cap of his marker pen, encouragingly gesturing towards her with a nod, his eyebrows raised, his eyes twinkling.
Looking at him, Yi Jiayi felt that in this moment, Officer Fang was the most handsome man in the world.
Even though the spot on his jaw where You Zhaohua had hit him was starting to bruise and looked somewhat pitiful, it did not diminish the slightest bit of his dashing handsomeness.