Yi Jiayi developed a new beverage called “Milk Tea Ice Cream”, blending it with a slush and topped with ice cream, which piqued Yi Jiadong’s curiosity.
He took out his specially designed ice cubes that don’t melt easily, crushed them in a blender, and added them to his milk tea along with a layer of homemade vanilla ice cream from his ice cream maker.
After a sip, he couldn’t stop praising it, joyfully noting that it was the perfect season for it, as it was the hot period of late autumn, and the drink was not only delicious but also excellent for cooling down.
He quickly made a cardboard sign that read “New! Explosive Milk Tea Ice Cream” with the price listed, and hung it at the door, officially launching and promoting the new product.
Yi Jiayi also tried a cup and was thoroughly satisfied.
On the way home, Yi Jiadong thought about updating the recipe by freezing the milk tea into ice cubes, so the flavor wouldn’t dilute as it was drunk.
He wondered if using different flavored beverages to make the slush and mix with the milk tea might add different layers of texture and even look better.
Listening to him, Yi Jiayi quickly came up with several new variations in just a short time, enthusiastically stating that she wanted to be the first to try her brother’s latest creations.
Yi Jiadong tousled her hair, lost in the new hope brought by the new product, spending the whole morning happily daydreaming.
At the company, Yi Jiayi was lucky to run into the suspect of Team B’s new case being summoned for interrogation.
As the suspect entered the interrogation room to give a statement, she learned his name from Gary, and when the rest of Team B was out of the office, she boldly went in and circled the suspect’s name in red again.
This time she was smarter, having developed a good level of counter-surveillance awareness. Before taking the pen, she wrapped it with tissue paper to avoid leaving fingerprints, then ran back upstairs to her small office to deliver the organized files to the archive room. On the way, she coincidentally met with Sir Fang, making him see her busy outside the Team B office, thus providing an alibi that would prevent him from suspecting her.
It wasn’t until Sir Fang finished his other tasks and returned to the office to sort out new statements and information that Yi Jiayi came in to change the water for the flowers and brought new fruits, snacks, and chilled sugarcane juice, leaving Sergeant Fang with the impression that it was her first time in that office that day.
Thus, when Sir Fang noticed the red circle, he seriously questioned everyone, including Liu Jiaming, but overlooked her.
This time, Sergeant Fang’s glance did not linger on her at all, dominated by the prior assumption that she had an alibi, instinctively ruling out the possibility of her involvement.
Yi Jiayi sat at the back of the office, her left hand resting on her increasingly substantial notes, secretly thrilled and giving herself a big thumbs up.
Yi Jiayi, you’ve got it, you’re indeed a grown-up girl capable of mischief now!
…
Following a previous case where the actual culprits were an elderly couple surnamed Huang who had also been marked with a red circle, everyone naturally focused on the newly circled suspect this time, not overlooking any detail and tirelessly digging, until two days later, they finally caught the criminal’s trail.
After the crime occurred, there actually exists a critical window for solving the case. Simply put, this is the few days right after the crime is committed when the murderer is most panicked, most eager to conceal their suspicion and traces of murder, and most likely to overcomplicate matters.
During this time, the murderer, having a weak psychological constitution and fearing capture, is most likely to emotionally collapse under interrogation and pressure, leading to an experienced detective extracting crucial confessions.
However, as time passes, the murderer gradually becomes desensitized and starts acting more naturally;
Moreover, traces of the murder are gradually erased over time;
Memories of key witnesses fade, and the information they initially noticed that might have been useful for solving the case silently disappears.
Fang Zhenyue and others’ intensive investigation kept the murderer in a constant state of tension, always feeling that they must have slipped up and been caught, yet never quite sure whether they had or had not. Thus, they were constantly on edge, nearly breaking down. Even at the most torturous moments at midnight, they were almost ready to rush into the police station and simply surrender to end the mental torment.
Under such circumstances, there were subtle discrepancies between the murderer’s new and old statements. After being caught by Fang Zhenyue, a fierce onslaught ensued, and the murderer quickly caved in, the holes in their story growing larger until they completely collapsed and dejectedly confessed.
When taking the murderer to identify the scene, Lin Wangjiu kept clutching his cigarette but continually forgot to smoke it.
Liu Jiaming came over to ask if he had forgotten his lighter, and Lin Wangjiu, scratching his chin and somewhat concerned, whispered, “Was it really not you?”
“What wasn’t me?” Liu Jiaming asked, puzzled.
“Shh, the one with the red circle?” Lin Wangjiu asked through gritted teeth.
“Of course not. If I had the ability to point out who the murderer is like that, why would I hide it?” Liu Jiaming laughed as if he’d heard a joke, “Then I would definitely make it known to the whole world—oil sesame Detective Liu Jiaming. From now on, everyone would have to address me respectfully.”
“…” Lin Wangjiu shook his head in disgust, put the cigarette to his lips, then took it away again, frowning and clicking his tongue, “Then who is it?”
“Maybe it’s Sir Fang entering a state of oblivion, drawing a circle on the murderer’s name himself and then forgetting about it. You know, he always stands in front of the whiteboard for an hour, it’s hard to say.” Liu Jiaming shrugged nonchalantly.
Whoever it is, helping them solve the case is no bad thing.
Lin Wangjiu shook his head, “Sir Fang is still very lucid, not lost to that extent. I mean… that red circle, was it drawn viciously? Like… with a lot of force… as if… as if it was drawn in anger.”
“What do you mean?” Liu Jiaming stopped and turned his head, sensing something profound in Uncle Jiu’s words.
“Just… a vengeful spirit claiming lives.” Lin Wangjiu felt a chill down his spine. Today, when he saw that red circle again, he always felt uneasy, and the office felt colder than usual.
Not the usual kind of cold, but colder than ever before, as if… a chilling wind was constantly blowing against his backbone.
“…” Liu Jiaming turned around with a look of disbelief towards Lin Wangjiu, seemingly at a loss for words or perhaps even frightened himself. He smacked his lips, his expression indescribably strange.
“Should we go burn some incense?” Lin Wangjiu rubbed his hands together, watching Gary escort the criminal onto the police car. He fumbled with the cigarette between his fingers, agitated and unsure whether to smoke it or not.
…
In the Yau Ma Tei Police Station office, Sister Yin was cracking sunflower seeds when she suddenly received a call from the finance department. She quickly spit out the seeds and answered seriously.
“Sister Yin, why has the budget for next month increased so much?” The finance officer looked at the administrative budget Sister Yin had submitted and skillfully recited the figures for the next two months.
“It’s the electricity bill. We’ve been revisiting old cases lately; everyone’s working overtime. The air conditioning, the lights—they’re on day and night, and it all costs money. Moreover, the autumn tiger weather is here; it’s humid and hot, and our station is full of vigorous young men. Several detectives have called to complain about it being too hot and stuffy, so we’ve cranked up the air conditioning several degrees,” Sister Yin explained in detail.
“Oh, the air conditioning has been turned down even lower, has it? No wonder it’s been so chilly lately,” the finance officer replied, engaging in some polite small talk with Sister Yin before hanging up.
Sister Yin laughed as she hung up the phone, then took a sip of hot tea to warm herself up and wrapped herself tighter in her air conditioning blanket.
She was shivering with cold, while the detectives in the station complained about the heat—men and women truly are two entirely different creatures.
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Thanks for the chapters!