Criminal Investigation Notes

The case gradually accumulated more clues, but they still knew nothing about Guo Chengfeng’s death.

Based on the stomach contents, autopsy results, and the information provided by Guo Jinqiu, Guo Chengfeng died twenty-eight days ago, after dinner, at around ten o’clock in the evening. Alcohol was detected in the food, and quite a lot of it.

According to Guo Jinqiu’s testimony, her brother went out in the afternoon and she didn’t know where he went.

So where was he when he was killed, and who did he meet?

Blood samples from the courtyard were analyzed and found to contain traces hidden in some artificial rock formations. It was indeed a small amount of blood left by both Guo Chengfeng and Wu Chenguang.

Guo Jinqiu had come to the Bureau and provided her statement.

As the only relative of Guo Chengfeng at present, she was not only an important witness in the case of Guo Chengfeng killing Wu Chenguang, but also one of the suspects in the case. She had not been able to clear herself of suspicion.

They questioned several staff members who had interacted with the mysterious woman. Everyone unanimously said that Miss Chen was very nice, beautiful, and understanding.

However, upon closer questioning, they realized that they were not familiar with this Chen Shanshan. The woman didn’t add them on WeChat or leave any other contact information. They didn’t know where she was from, where she lived, or what her occupation was. They just treated her as a prospective restaurant manager.

After the lunch break, the members of the major crime squad were all focused on searching for clues. They reviewed surveillance footage, looked for eyewitnesses, and wanted to confirm the identity of the woman and uncover Guo Chengfeng’s final whereabouts.

“During that time on that night, Guo Chengfeng’s car did go out.”

“Where did the car go later?”

“I don’t know. Guo Jinqiu also said she didn’t see the car again… We tracked some surveillance footage, but it entered a blind spot.”

“However, his car model seems to match what the villagers saw.”

“Could it be that he encountered the killer while driving and was killed, and then the killer drove his body to that livestock farm?”

At this point, Su Huining was feeling a bit helpless. He sat on the couch, his head lowered, staring at the photocopy of the reconstructed portrait.

Since the photo provided by Guo Jinqiu had low resolution and couldn’t be enlarged, the police had performed a facial composite to create an image of the woman.

The portrait was beautifully done, depicting a woman with long hair. Her eyes had an upward slant, giving off a gentle and alluring vibe, exuding a unique charm.

The door of the major crime squad was suddenly knocked. Qiao Ze looked up and saw Tao Lizhi standing at the entrance. Today, the female leader of the review team was wearing a dark-colored suit pants, a shirt, and a black waistcoat, looking very capable and exuding a strong presence.

Qiao Ze thought to himself, truly worthy of the goddess of the Bureau, Tao Lizhi. He quickly opened the door and asked, “Sister Tao, what’s up?”

Although they visited the review team every day, it was still rare for Tao Lizhi to come personally.

Tao Lizhi’s gaze passed through the glass grille. “Regarding the previous case, I have some questions to ask you, Consultant Su.”

“Oh, alright, let me call Professor Su for you.” Qiao Ze turned around and explained the situation to Su Huining, gesturing towards the door.

Su Huining raised his head and looked at Tao Lizhi, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He went outside, ready to greet her, but Tao Lizhi spoke before he could. “Consultant Su, it’s not convenient to talk here. Come with me.”

Su Hui took his cane and walked downstairs until they reached a secluded corner. Only then did Tao Lizhi turn around and lower her voice. “There’s nothing wrong with the case file. I just wanted to speak to you alone.”

Then she looked around and asked Su Hui, “Does Lu Junchi know about your past identity?”

Su Hui was momentarily stunned and shook his head.

The fact that he was a poet was known to only a few people in the entire municipal bureau, and Tao Lizhi happened to be one of them.

That was because she had also been a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, with the code name “Mockingbird.” She was the youngest among a few profiling experts and the only woman among them.

Su Hui still remembered the first time he met Tao Lizhi.

At that time, he was assigned to the foreign literature reading room. One day, a woman with long hair walked up to the entrance of the reading room and knocked on the door.

She appeared to be in her twenties, but her face had a youthful charm that made her look younger than her actual age, like a fresh-faced girl who had just graduated from school.

Su Hui was sitting in front of the computer and raised his head to ask, “Do you want to borrow a book?”

Not many people frequented the reading room, so it was clear that she had a specific purpose for coming here.

The young woman shook her head and said, “I’m not here to borrow books. I’m looking for someone.”

Su Hui asked, “Who are you looking for?”

She confidently replied, her voice slightly teasing, “Poet.”

Su Hui denied, “I don’t know him, I haven’t seen him.”

The young woman was convinced that she hadn’t found the wrong person and provocatively said, “I never expected Poet, who is regarded as a senior by so many people, to be so young…”

Her words were crisp and carried a sense of determination and pride, the traits of a typical young lady.

Seeing that Su Hui didn’t respond, she assumed he was shocked and reached out her hand to introduce herself, “Just kidding, don’t be nervous. I’m Mockingbird. Everyone has their own strengths, and although I may not be as good as you in profiling, I’ve never lost in unmasking disguises.”

She paused for a moment and smiled, “As a new colleague, I won’t tell anyone about your secret.”

Although there were many people in the bureau, there were always traces to follow. As behavioral analysts, they worked in a team, had numerous online exchanges, and could gather some relevant information about each other. If they were determined to investigate, it wouldn’t be too difficult.

In the past half month, they had already collaborated on work and discussed several cases. Although they called it a discussion, it was mostly Su Hui pointing out the shortcomings and omissions in her profiling.

Su Hui knew that although she outwardly accepted it humbly, she still felt a bit resentful. So he had taken the initiative to unmask her disguise.

They had already communicated online, but this was their first face-to-face meeting, somewhat resembling a meeting between internet friends.

Su Hui felt a bit helpless and could only close the case file in front of him, turn the pen in his hand, and keep her file hidden.

“Tao Lizhi, female, twenty-four years old, graduated from the Criminal Psychology Department of the Public Security University as a graduate student. What the file doesn’t mention is that your father is the director of the Third Division of the Huadu Municipal Bureau, and you hate it when people question your second-generation status. You have excellent grades, and in order to prove yourself, you participated in the selection of profiling experts before graduating from graduate school and were chosen by Yu Yan. Now, you’re officially an assistant to Deputy Director Wang, but in reality, you’re a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Your office is on the top floor of the building next door…”

The girl’s identity was exposed, and she was somewhat surprised. Her expression changed, and she widened her eyes, asking, “How do you know everything? Did Director Tan tell you?!”

Su Hui turned his head to look at the girl and calmly replied, “Unmasking disguises happens to be one of my strengths.”

Regarding Tao Lizhi’s identity, Su Hui hadn’t intentionally looked it up, but many pieces of information automatically connected in his mind. With a bit of reasoning, they formed a coherent picture, and now it had been confirmed.

The girl’s gaze towards him changed: “…”

That was over four years ago, their first meeting. It couldn’t be described as particularly pleasant, but it was memorable, and now so much time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Hui looked at the woman before him. Back then, she was just a young girl fresh out of school. But now, she had become a capable and serious policewoman, managing the entire Review Team.

Having been close to the darkness for a long time, she had transformed from her youthful self into a composed individual.

And his own circumstances had completely changed from back then.

Tao Lizhi said, “Su Hui, do you know about the recent incidents of bombs being placed in cars?”

Su Hui nodded, “I’ve heard about it.”

It wasn’t a secret within the municipal bureau. Many people had been discussing it lately, and Su Hui had come across some information as well.

Tao Lizhi continued, “The Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit analyzed the unexploded bomb, and the isolation layer inside was made of colored sand, the same kind as the sand used in the explosion case two years ago. The bomb’s construction was also similar, even more sophisticated.”

Su Hui understood the implication behind her words. This might not be a copycat crime but a reenactment of the sand case.

Su Hui’s expression finally turned serious. “Who was assigned this case by Director Tan?”

Tao Lizhi answered, “The case was assigned to Unit 5.”

Su Hui nodded, “Old Xing is a suitable choice.”

Tao Lizhi added, “Apart from Unit 5, someone has been looking into the records of the sand case recently.”

Su Hui was taken aback and looked up, “Who?”

Tao Lizhi replied, “Lu Junchi. I checked the surveillance footage. Although I couldn’t see exactly what he was reading, based on his location, it seemed to be related to the sand explosion case.”

Upon hearing this, Su Hui fell silent. Normally, Qiao Ze, the head of the Major Crimes Unit, would handle the case files. Yesterday, Lu Junchi had gone out under the pretext of investigating a case. Su Hui hadn’t expected that he would be looking into the sand explosion case recently.

Tao Lizhi made her point clear, “I suspect he’s investigating the events from back then, perhaps to confirm your identity.”

Even though Lu Junchi was the person selected by Director Tan and the team leader of the Major Crimes Unit, Tao Lizhi couldn’t completely trust him.

Lu Junchi was currently working alongside Su Hui, and if he had ulterior motives, it would undoubtedly be dangerous for Su Hui.

Su Hui outright denied it, “That’s not possible. Lu Junchi has no issues. He might be looking into something else.”

Tao Lizhi asked, “What if he discovers that you’re a poet?”

Su Hui’s head throbbed slightly, as if he remembered something, yet at the same time, he didn’t remember anything. He lowered his head for a moment and said softly, “Then let him find out. It’s not a shameful identity. I believe he should have discretion.”

Tao Lizhi lowered her head, still expressing her worries, “I’ll continue to pay attention to those matters.”

Su Hui whispered, “Hmm, more than these things, I’m worried about something else…” He could sense a dark wave sweeping through the entirety of Huadu City.

He couldn’t confirm what this darkness was or which of his “old acquaintances” it might be.

Tao Lizhi frowned, “What’s wrong?”

Su Hui hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell Tao Lizhi. But there was still too little evidence at the moment, and everything was unclear. Revealing it wouldn’t be of much help.

He shook his head, “It’s nothing.”

Tao Lizhi reminded him once again, “Be careful.”

Su Hui lowered his head and coughed a few times, sincerely saying, “Thank you.”

Their relationship had always been that of comrades fighting side by side. Now, Tao Lizhi was just offering a kind reminder, and he was very grateful to her.

Tao Lizhi looked at Su Hui, and even under the sunlight, his skin had a pale, cold hue.

“Do you remember those things from the past?” Tao Lizhi knew that Su Hui had lost some memories.

“Sometimes, I remember fragments,” Su Hui replied. He squinted his eyes, looking at the sunlight shining through the gaps in the leaves. “It will come back gradually. Slowly, I’ll remember.”

When he arrived home after work in the evening, it was already past six o’clock. Lu Junchi took the initiative to go into the kitchen while Su Hui changed his clothes and picked up the package on the table. He used a utility knife to open it, revealing the jigsaw puzzle he had bought before, a Jigsaw Puzzle.

The puzzle box turned out to be unexpectedly small. When he opened it, all he saw were blue transparent thin sheets, and the white baseboard was just slightly larger than his palm. Overall, it looked like a child’s toy.

Su Hui went through the twenty-nine puzzle pieces.

With typical puzzles, you would start by finding the four corners and four edges and then work from the outside in. The larger and more difficult the puzzle, the more it followed this pattern. But the puzzle in front of him was not so conventional.

Su Hui followed the usual approach and first identified all the right angles, furrowing his brow slightly.

Five corners appeared on the table…

This meant that there were some right-angle pieces not on the periphery but in the middle.

This was a highly unconventional solving method that Su Hui had never encountered before. He looked at the puzzle, furrowing his brow, and tried arranging a few pieces, feeling that something was off with his approach.

After a while of busyness, Lu Junchi had heated up the main course and brought it over, seeing Su Hui still studying the puzzle. He called out to him, “Come and eat first.”

With the case underway and time being tight, Lu Junchi didn’t have much time to cook a sophisticated meal. The dishes were simple and quick to make, consisting of three stir-fries and a soup, with a box of canned luncheon meat to make up the numbers.

Su Hui casually set the puzzle aside and walked over. From his perspective, dinner already looked quite plentiful.

Lu Junchi was skilled in cooking, and the food was much tastier than the takeout Su Hui had ordered before.

Lu Junchi casually asked, “What did Tao Lizhi want from you today?”

Su Hui had long anticipated that he might ask and had prepared an answer, “It was about the final statement in the An Yu Ci case.”

In that case, only Su Hui and An Yu Ci were present in the locked room.

Afterwards, they took Su Hui’s statement, but those unconventional conversations were difficult to reconstruct without being present. If there were doubts about the statement, An Yu Ci’s final act of suicide would be hard to explain.

Lu Junchi was worried about any issues arising from this, so he had Xia Mingxi help Su Hui double-check it twice to minimize any omissions.

But now Tao Lizhi was asking again? Lu Junchi felt a bit uneasy upon hearing this.

“Is it resolved?” he asked.

“Mhmm,” Su Hui responded.

Seeing that Su Hui seemed calm, Lu Junchi nodded and didn’t say much.

Su Hui lowered his head and ate his meal, but his mind was occupied with Tao Lizhi’s visit in the afternoon.

After finishing their meal, Lu Junchi cleaned up the dishes and came out to wash them. He noticed Su Hui sitting on the couch in a daze, his gaze falling on the partially completed puzzle nearby. “Is this your new puzzle?” he asked.

Su Hui replied, “Yes, I haven’t started working on it yet.”

It was a small puzzle, and he had casually placed it next to his notebook.

Lu Junchi also noticed something different and furrowed his brow, “Why are there five right angles in this puzzle?”

Su Hui said, “Yeah, it’s unconventional. I haven’t figured out how to approach it yet…”

Lu Junchi pondered for a moment and said, “I remember you saying that puzzles are like cases, a process of piecing together fragments. Either you gather clues one by one from the surroundings until you find the truth, or you find a core point and make a breakthrough from there.”

Su Hui murmured in agreement, shifting his gaze from the screen to the puzzle.

Lu Junchi stood by and added, “I don’t understand puzzles, but someone once taught me the approach to solving a case. Either collect clues one by one from the surroundings until you find the truth or find a core point and break through from there.”

Upon hearing his words, Su Hui’s fingers traced over the blue puzzle pieces, and then he noticed one particular piece.

It was a square-shaped puzzle piece, resembling a cheese. If it were placed in a different puzzle, this shape would be too ordinary. But among these 29 puzzle pieces, this one piece was different from the others in shape.

Lu Junchi also noticed, “This piece is different. All four sides connect with other puzzle pieces. Perhaps this is the core piece of the entire puzzle?”

Upon hearing his words, Su Hui shifted his approach and placed this piece in the center of the base, starting to assemble the puzzle around the core.

This approach proved to be correct, and the blue pieces quickly extended outward.

All twenty-nine puzzle pieces found their appropriate positions and seamlessly fit into the frame.

From the beginning to the end of the puzzle assembly, Su Hui spent only a few minutes. The advertised difficulty level of ten was indeed just a marketing gimmick. Once he found the right direction, the problem wasn’t as challenging as he had imagined.

Looking at the completed puzzle, Su Hui calmed down. Everything before his eyes was a manifestation, and there must be a reasonable explanation for it.

However, he hadn’t found the piece that belonged in the core.

The room was filled with warm light. Although he couldn’t see clearly, Su Hui could feel Ernest Hemingway curling up at his feet, and Aristotle was eating cat food. Lu Junchi stood not far away, and he could smell the pleasant fragrance emanating from him.

“Your approach was correct…” Su Hui neatly stored the completed puzzle in a drawer, “Who told you that?”

Lu Junchi looked at him and replied, “It was a poet.”

After mentioning the name, he stared into Su Hui’s eyes, trying to find some clues.

He made several attempts to probe. If Su Hui was the poet or had any connection to the poet, he couldn’t remain indifferent.

Upon hearing those words, Su Hui froze. He couldn’t recall when or in what context he had said such things to Lu Junchi.

Then he remembered Tao Lizhi’s words earlier today. Was Lu Junchi suspecting his identity?

It was another shallow and concealed probe, unclear and vague.

The two individuals were clearly within reach, but there seemed to be a layer of mist separating them.

Or perhaps, that mist was the passage of two years…

One person stood in the present, while the other remained stuck in the past.