Chapter 31

The next morning.

The surroundings were grey and dreary. The first ray of sunlight filtered through the residential buildings, illuminating the bumpy stone road. Puddles of water left behind by the previous night's storm decorated the road like mirrored pools under the sunlight.

"Liu Wanqiu denied ever buying a red Toyota Camry with the plate number JA9U766. Furthermore, she has proof that she was elsewhere between two to four A.M. yesterday." Qin Chuan's tired voice came from the other end of the phone, his voice extremely hoarse from the reversal of his body clock due to his past few consecutive night shifts. "I went down personally with my team to verify her alibi. There didn't seem to be any flaws."

Yan Xie gripped the phone in his hand and walked out of the narrow passageway with his head lowered.

A crowd had gathered beyond the police barricade. All the uncles and aunties were out in full force, munching on their breakfast wraps and soy milk fritters while they enjoyed the show, punctuating the air with their colourful descriptions and exclamations from time to time.

"I heard someone died inside! There was already a smell! A few body bags were dragged out last night!"

"The wife caught her husband cheating red-handedly! She took a knife and stabbed her husband, mother-in-law, and mistress to death!"

"Damn, how ruthless!…"

Five minutes ago, the story still revolved around "a burglar broke in and killed a family of five". In just a toilet break's worth of time, the crowd's vivid imagination had already advanced the plot to a whirlwind of love and revenge between a spoiled city girl, a hardworking country boy, and a shameless mistress. It was evident what type of entertainment the aunties and uncles enjoyed in this day and age.

Yan Xie exited the corridor and made his way towards the police car. The moment he appeared in the light, a new wave of discussion was ignited.

"Look, police, police!"

"Why isn't he wearing a uniform? Where's the gun, where's the gun?"

"Yo, this young man is unexpectedly handsome! Is he married yet?"

This crowd of aunties really like to pick at someone's soft spot, Yan Xie grumbled in his heart, ignoring their babble. As the focus of the crowd's attention, Yan Xie boarded the car sullenly. Looking at his phone, he asked, "Where did you get the proof that she wasn't at the scene from two A.M. to four A.M.? Let me say this first: her husband's account can't be counted, alright?"

"Liu Wanqiu doesn't have a husband but she has a boyfriend. She called up a bunch of people to KTV through the night to celebrate her birthday last night, and everyone who was there can testify that she only left after four A.M.. I've already looked through the KTV surveillance. Unless we were mistaken about the time of the crime, Liu Wanqiu couldn't have had enough time to slip away from the gathering and sneak into the crime scene over ten kilometres away."

Yan Xie's expression turned grave. "Then what's with the car?"

"Liu Wanqiu claimed that she has never bought a car before. We have already contacted the Traffic Security Bureau for further investigation."

The phone buzzed. It was a message from Qin Chuan containing the interrogation results and relevant voice recordings.

Yan Xie plugged in his earphones. Glancing at the screen, an indescribable expression appeared on his face.

"Although it's wrong to judge someone based on their looks, this young lady's appearance… Are you sure she was able to beguile Hu Weisheng to the point where he would rather die than give her up?"

Qin Chuan chided him seriously, "That's where you're wrong, lao Yan. Firstly, in my eyes, there's no woman who's not beautiful in this world. Secondly, even though Liu Wanqiu looks a little average, her bachelors and masters are all from top universities. Do you know that the more pronounced a person's emotional deficiency in school is, like Hu Weisheng, the earlier they will end up entering society, and the more easily they will develop a blind fascination with a good girl who is outstanding and obedient in the traditional sense?"

"…My friend, you've been watching too many television shows."

An officer walked over from afar. He stopped by the open car door as though he had something to say.

Yan Xie motioned for him to wait a moment as he listened to Qin Chuan's question. "How are things? Did you find anything at Chi Rui's house?"

"Nada," Yan Xie answered gruffly. He reached for a cigarette out of habit, but the box was already empty. "Fuck!" He hurled the empty box violently against the car's windshield.

"Yo, what are you doing! Has Chi Rui already made a dash for it?"

"Not only has he dashed, he made a clean dash. We didn't even find a single clue in his house. I've already dispatched nine investigation teams to make some inquiries around the area. As of now, we've narrowed the places he might be hiding to a few locations, including mahjong houses, his sister's place, the hardware factory… But everything drew a blank. Oh, you already have eyes on the Ding family, right?"

Qin Chuan replied, "Do you think I would overlook that? Liu Wanqiu's dad, mum, boyfriend, the Ding couple and their daughter, they're all on my name list. I've already sent people out, so just wait for my news."

Yan Xie nodded. Suddenly, he noticed the officer blinking at him repeatedly.

"What?" Yan Xie raised his head and shot him a strange look.

Cupping his mouth with one hand, the officer whispered, "Someone with the surname Lu alighted from a cab outside the police tape. He said he's a friend of yours, and has already waited for a long time…"

A loud screech rang in Yan Xie's mind that was sluggish from the all-nighter he just pulled and he gave a start, like a rusty machine suddenly set into motion.

"Oh no!" He cut the call, nearly shooting to his feet from the passenger seat directly. "Hurry up and let him through!"

Jiang Ting had his cap and mask on, with Yan Xie's windbreaker draped over one arm and his work laptop on the other. Under the pointing and gesticulating from the surrounding aunties, he ducked under the police cordon and approached the police car.

For some reason, as Yan Xie watched Jiang Ting walk on the flagstone path, taking in the way he stepped over the water puddles, his upright posture, his long slender legs, his handsome visage in spite of the all-nighter, with not even a strand of hair on his head out of place, he can't help but recall Qin Chuan's words from earlier.

"Do you know, the more pronounced a person's emotional deficiency in school is, the earlier they will end up entering society, and the more easily they will develop a blind fascination with a good girl who is outstanding and obedient in the traditional sense…"

If Jiang Ting was a girl, would he be considered outstanding, aloof, proud, and extremely self-disciplined in the traditional sense?

Then that made him…

Yan Xie shuddered abruptly. It had definitely been way, way too long since his last date with his right hand due to the recent stress, he thought to himself. Once he caught those drug-manufacturing cum kidnapping bastards, he must visit the bathroom to rub a good one out.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Ting stood by the ajar car door, casually tossing the windbreaker to Yan Xie. "Feeling cold? Wear this."

Yan Xie righted his opinion of Jiang Ting instantly.

What kind of good girl doesn't drape the clothes across her husband's shoulders tenderly? What's with that cold and casual toss of a hand? He doesn't feel cared for at all!

"Didn't I tell you not to wander about unless you have to, and to wait for me to send someone to get you?" Yan Xie threw the windbreaker to the backseat, his tone dissatisfied. "Do you know how dangerous it is to hire a cab?"

"It's fine, things aren't that sensitive yet."

"What do you mean by 'aren't that sensitive yet'?"

Jiang Ting was reluctant to say more, but Yan Xie held on like a wolf with its prey, refusing to let go. Jiang Ting had no choice but to give a simple explanation helplessly, "Fan Si died in such an exposed manner on the highway, so those who share the same motive as him would have to lay low for a while. Did Chi Rui run?"

Yan Xie sighed. "Why do you choose to ask things that shouldn't be asked too?"

Yan Xie gave a brief recount of the situation, including Liu Wanqiu's alibi and the surveillance they had already placed on the Ding family. Jiang Ting took a look at Liu Wanqiu's ID photo, quietly contemplating about something. Yan Xie picked back up the cigarette box he threw away in a rage, raising it to his nose for a sniff. He glanced at Jiang Ting out of the corner of his eyes and asked in a low and muffled voice, "Well, what do you think?"

"No communication records between Hu Weisheng and Liu Wanqiu were found? Including their social media accounts, WeChat side accounts or any monetary transactions?"

"None." Yan Xie pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Her alibi is watertight?"

"Mmhm."

"Her household register, driver's licence, or driving record book has never been borrowed by any relatives of hers?"

"We put surveillance on the Ding family just to verify this."

Jiang Ting rubbed his chin and nodded slightly. Suddenly, he heard Yan Xie ask in a seemingly casual way, "What do you think about this woman's appearance?"

"?"

Jiang Ting scanned the photo with a professional gaze for a moment, musing aloud, "Clean features, light hair colour, pearly white teeth, no obvious signs of cosmetic surgery, possibility of a slight temporomandibular joint disorder… What?"

Yan Xie eyed Jiang Ting with a disdainful look. Word by word, he asked slowly, "Is, she, pretty?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Jiang Ting paused for half a beat before he gave an affirmative answer. "I think she's passable."

The air froze.

In the residential building above their heads, police officers were busy entering and leaving Chu Rui's home as they collected evidence and scoured the place for clues. Outside of the police cordon, the neighbourhood police officers had their voices raised as they tried to disperse the ever increasing crowd of aunties and uncles with nothing better to do. In the distance, the first rays of dawn grew clearer. The chirping of birds among the trees and the sound of cars on the road drifted over from afar, converging into a busy and noisy morning, bursting with energy.

Jiang Ting finally sensed that something about the atmosphere was amiss. "…Is there anything wrong?"

Yan Xie slowly gathered up the photographs. "You are really way too much," he said icily.

"???"

"Back when you wanted to peep at me, you duplicitously ordered a takeout for me, acting all gentle and understanding, telling me nicely to 'remember to eat'. Look at you now, coming to the crime scene early in the morning with empty hands, without even a cup of soy milk! As it is, you don't even bother putting on an act any longer! This is your true nature! Even spending one dollar and fifty cents for a meatbun is too…"

Jiang Ting's expression went blank; the psychological damage caused by the phrase 'gentle and understanding' instantly KO-ed 'your hand's quite pretty'.

"Wait, wait." Jiang Ting hurriedly interrupted his lament and reached into his laptop bag, bringing out a thermos cup from within. He stuffed it in Yan Xie's hand without further ado. "This is for you."

"What?"

It was Yan Xie's turn to be stunned. When he opened the thermos flask, the rich fragrance of black tea greeted him.

"…Isn't this…"

"I thought, since it had already been opened, I can't possibly not let the proper owner have a taste of it, so I prepared it specially for you," Jiang Ting said sincerely. "Steady it and drink it while it's warm, don't spill it onto the laptop. I'm going to the restroom."

Jiang Ting turned and left immediately. Yan Xie was left stunned for a few seconds before he raged furiously, "Do you take me for a fool! You shear me of my wool and then say it's to knit a woollen sweater for me! Take it back right now, I don't need this!"

Chi Rui, 35 years old, hailing from a county on the outskirts of Jianning, a man with a criminal record.

Nobody knew what kind of courage that kidnapped, top Chemistry student possessed. When he was being shoved into the car, he suddenly pushed the armed kidnapper away in a burst of strength, knocking the latter into the bushes while thinking of ways to get the kidnapper to leave blood stains behind.

The hostage might suffer a terrible punishment as a result of his actions, but the quick-thinking and courage he exhibited in that moment left an extremely valuable clue for the police.

The investigative team did not let this clue go to waste. Before 10 A.M. that morning, the traces of Chi Rui's life thus far, including his daily communication records, transport records, cash transactions, social interactions… Just like a body beneath a scalpel's blade, every blood vessel, every nerve, every muscle, lay exposed under the investigators' x-ray vision.

"Chi Rui has no wife or kids. He's close to a prostitute in Xiyu City, but she has since been cleared of suspicion. We got his parents and older sister to attempt to contact him, but there has been no response as of now. He was last seen the day before last at half past nine in the morning on a surveillance camera, driving a Nissan pickup past an oil station near Wuhai district. His whereabouts subsequently are unknown."

"After further analysis by the police, Chu Rui's hiding place might just be the underground drug manufacturing factory run by the criminal group. The branch office as well as the few neighbourhood police posts in Wuhai district are already on the move, ready to tighten the net."

Yan Xie was seated in the driver's seat of the Grand Cherokee. The voice reporting the preliminary investigator's report in his Bluetooth earpiece was so loud that it could be heard even from the back.

Yan Xie bit into his steaming hot meatbun—Jiang Ting had ultimately surrendered and, with the company of Han Xiaomei, bought four buns and offered them to Vice-Captain Yan, finally putting an end to the incessant laments. While he chewed, he raised his head and glanced towards the backseat. Jiang Ting was listening attentively, holding a long cooled thermos cup in his hands, body tilted slightly forward. Jiang Ting was looking at him too, and at that moment, their gazes collided.

Jiang Ting mouthed, "Wuhai's new district?"

Yan Xie nodded, indicating that he understood. He swallowed the mouthful of bun and deliberately raised his volume, "Wuhai is a new industrial district built in the past two years. It's not developed yet, and it's located a distance away from Jianning's downtown area, in the southeast direction. It's too difficult to search through such a huge and sparsely populated area. Are there any other clues that can be used to lock onto Chi Rui's hiding place fast? Is his phone being monitored?"

Jiang Ting received the map of Jianning that Yan Xie handed over, flipping it open quickly. He scanned half the map rapidly, then used a red pen to draw a circle around "Wuhai industrial district".

The investigator replied, "Chi Rui's using an unregistered number so we are unable to triangulate his position, but we've already obtained the surveillance videos from the main factory, business district, residential area, and the nearby train stations. The moment we spot anyone suspicious, we will notify the team to head down to the local station at once!"

"Alright," Yan Xie said. He ended the call, a deep furrow between his brows.

"The synthesis of methamphetamine produces a significant amount of harmful substances and a pungent ammonia stench. If it's not done perfectly, it will be easy to arouse his neighbour's suspicion. But in order to execute a perfect synthesis, specialised vacuum pumps, cement storage tanks, and an industrial air filtration system are all required. It would be very hard to accomplish this in a residential district." Jiang Ting paused for a moment, tapping the map lightly with a pen. His voice was solemn as he said, "Narrow the scope of the investigation to only include the factories around Wuhai district that have yet to start work or have been abandoned. Ignore those that are state-owned or owned by foreign companies; focus on those factories owned by private enterprises, hardware factories, and mould processing companies."

Yan Xie noted it down quickly as he listened and sent a text to Ma Xiang.

"This criminal group is quite well-organised. Currently, there are at least four identities confirmed: Diao Yong, the security guard, who is responsible for guarding and stealing chemical substances; Chu Rui, the gun manufacturer, who is responsible for brute force and weapon supply; Hu Weisheng, the drug dealer, who possesses the downlines for the distribution channels. Apart from them, there is also a female whose profession is unclear but is related to the Ding family, and her purpose is probably to keep Hu Weisheng hooked. Both Ding Dang, who was unable to produce an alibi, and Liu Wanqiu, the owner of the car, are greatly suspicious."

Jiang Ting's voice whenever he analysed clues was always steady. No matter how dangerous or urgent a case might be, the words that fell from his lips would sound strangely steady, without any traces of anger.

This was a stark contrast with his handsome and young appearance—the previous person whom Yan Xie knew with this sort of old-timer aura was the head of Jianning's municipal Public Security Bureau, Chief Lu.

"Other than that, judging from the tracks at the crime scene last night, there should be at least two other kidnappers beside Chi Rui. One of them is a driver who is extremely familiar with the chemical factory's surveillance system." Jiang Ting paused, narrowing his eyes slightly at the screen of the work laptop that was placed on the passenger seat.

It currently had the previous morning's security footage from the chemical factory on replay—that red Camry completely avoided all the security cameras in the lit areas. The driver wore a mask, gloves, and a sun hat, leaving only an indistinct silhouette for the police as they disappeared into the veil of the night.

Yan Xie's gaze alighted on the surveillance footage as well, and he sucked in a breath with a low hiss.

"Yet all those who had the possibility of coming in contact with the surveillance system—from ordinary security guards to the IT department to the deputy general manager, to even the external company that helped to install the cameras in the chemical factory back then—everyone who has the potential to pinpoint every security camera has already been thoroughly rounded up by the bureau."

Leaning back into his seat, Jiang Ting frowned deeply. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he subconsciously rubbed at his nape with one hand.

This was a habit he had while he was thinking. However, when Jiang Ting raised his chin, the lines that delineated his jawline, down to his throat, to his collarbone, and subsequently disappearing into his collar, made his neck look especially slender. Just by looking at the subtle movement of his fingers massaging his neck, one could sense the warmth and softness of his skin.

Yan Xie's Adam's apple suddenly bobbed and he averted his gaze in a hurry.

"If no traces of a woman's footprints were lifted from the crime scene last night, that means that the female kidnapper wasn't present at the scene last night. So why were they driving her car?" Jiang Ting murmured to himself. "Could it be that the driver doesn't own a car? Or the car he owns is of a unique model and he doesn't dare to drive it carelessly?"

Giving a couple of perfunctory grunts, Yan Xie pretended to be fully focused on the screen, tapping on the pause button intermittently.

"Or is it right to say," Jiang Ting mused to himself, "the moment the driver's own car appears on the security cameras within the chemical factory's compound, it would be instantly recognised?"

The implication behind his words was like a needle that flowed through Yan Xie's nerves to his brain, lightly pricking his most sensitive detective senses—at the same time, the key on the keyboard clattered, freezing the screen. Yan Xie fixed his gaze at a certain point in the image.

"…Jiang Ting, look at the driver's gloves." Yan Xie's voice wavered at the end of his sentence.

Jiang Ting leaned forward slightly. A certain frame of the footage had been magnified eight times to reveal a blurry image of the driver's seat—this was taken during a sharp turn, so the driver's hand was positioned at the top of the steering wheel. Light from the streetlamp shone in from the side, lending a clearer outline to the glove.

The glove's colour was rather unique. The fingers of it were black while the back of the glove was grey, decorated with a vague, bright red logo. The opening of the glove was unusually wide.

"What do you think this looks like?" Yan Xie asked.

Jiang Ting shook his head doubtfully.

"In-su-la-tor gloves," Yan Xie said, syllable by syllable. "By surveying the power system, they were able to grasp the direction of the monitoring circuits and thus pinpoint the locations of the security cameras! An electrical repair truck would be too conspicuous, so they could only drive the female kidnapper's car— Ma Xiang!"

Yan Xie snatched up his walkie-talkie and ordered sharply, "Return immediately to the chemical plant's robbed warehouse and repeat the search once more! Try looking for traces of talc powder left behind from a pair of insulator gloves. The second kidnapper is probably an electrician from the plant!"

Static buzzed from the walkie-talkie. A few seconds later, Ma Xiang's urgent voice came through it.

"This is bad, Yan-ge. The bureau just sent news. That brat, Ding Dang, used the excuse of changing her clothes in the restroom to shake off her surveillance officers at the shopping mall…"

"Ding Jiawang's daughter has escaped!"