Chapter 3: The First Crime Scene

Chapter 3

"You! You little traffic cop, you..." Lin Hui was so furious at Fang Wenxuan that words failed him. In all his years enforcing the law outside, he'd never met a colleague so utterly unwilling to show even a shred of courtesy.

"What? Not convinced? Want to fight?" Seeing Lin Hui's smoke-filled expression, Fang Wenxuan laughed smugly. "Let me tell you, if you park wherever you want, I'll write you a ticket. And you parked right in front of the traffic police headquarters. You're an officer yourself, breaking the law knowingly—defying the very law you uphold."

"You little traffic cop, have you said enough?" Lin Hui gritted his teeth, glaring at Fang Wenxuan. Lin Hui had been a criminal detective for years, the best in the police academy, and no one had ever scolded him like this. Not even Captain Cheng Fei, whom he respected deeply, had ever spoken to him this way. Yet this little traffic cop dared...

"Hui!" Just as Lin Hui, burning with anger, stepped in front of Fang Wenxuan, Cheng Fei happened to come out, his voice booming. The captain of the traffic division came out with him.

"Wenxuan, what are you two arguing about? Don't you know to mind your behavior?" The traffic division captain walked up to Fang Wenxuan and looked at him sternly.

"Captain, he parked illegally. I just gave him a ticket," Fang Wenxuan replied.

"He’s here on official business, following the captain to gather evidence—emergency circumstances. There aren't any parking spaces nearby," said Captain Li of the traffic division, glancing at Fang Wenxuan.

"Sigh, Captain Li, don't blame him. He’s just doing his job. Hui here is always parking where he shouldn’t—he deserves the ticket," Cheng Fei said, walking over and quietly pulling Captain Li aside. Glancing at Fang Wenxuan, then at Captain Li, he asked, "Captain Li, is this kid the son of the martyr Fang Boyi?"

Captain Li was surprised. "Captain Cheng, you haven't seen this child for years, and you recognized him at a glance? No wonder you're head of the detective squad..."

"This kid looks just like his father—handsome, stubborn, always sticking to the rules no matter what. Just like his dad," Cheng Fei said with a smile.

"You’re right. He is Fang Boyi’s son," Captain Li confirmed.

"How's his potential?" Cheng Fei asked.

"Captain Cheng, you’re not trying to poach him, are you? Wenxuan is very capable—I’d rather not lose him..." Captain Li laughed.

Caught off guard, Cheng Fei’s face grew a little awkward.

"Haha..." Captain Li couldn’t help but laugh at Cheng Fei’s expression. "Just joking, Captain Cheng. Wenxuan has already applied to join the criminal police—he’s just waiting on the notice. He’s got excellent physical ability and professional knowledge. He’ll definitely pass. But as for which squad he’ll be assigned to, that’s hard to say."

"Well, it’s got to be our team," Cheng Fei grinned, then walked over to where Lin Hui and Fang Wenxuan were still glaring at each other. He clapped Lin Hui on the shoulder. "Hui, don’t hold a grudge. We’re all colleagues here—makes it easier for everyone in the future. We need to get back to headquarters for a meeting; let’s go."

Out of respect for his captain, Lin Hui suppressed his anger and got into the car.

"Young man, work hard. See you tomorrow," Cheng Fei patted Fang Wenxuan’s shoulder, then quickly got in the car.

Fang Wenxuan watched the Honda drive away, puzzled, mulling over Captain Cheng’s words. What did "see you tomorrow" mean?

"Captain Li, what were you two talking about?" Fang Wenxuan walked over to ask.

"Wenxuan, you’ll have your answer about joining the criminal police soon," Captain Li said.

"How do you know?" Fang Wenxuan asked, a bad feeling growing in his chest. Remembering how Captain Li and Captain Cheng had been talking for so long, he stared at Captain Li in shock. "It can’t be..."

"What, are you nervous? Lin Hui is a top officer in the city’s detective squad—he’s been there three years and worked with Cheng Fei on several big cases," Captain Li said.

"I’m not nervous. Just… thinking that working with that big oaf might be interesting," Fang Wenxuan smiled.

"Interesting?" Captain Li looked at him sternly. "Wenxuan, when you get there, don’t get cocky. They’re veterans—learn from them. Don’t embarrass our traffic division."

"We’ll see..." Fang Wenxuan muttered. Not all old drivers are necessarily skilled.

"Wenxuan—"

"Beep, beep, beep..." Captain Li’s phone rang before he could finish. He answered, nodding repeatedly. "Yes, yes, thank you, Chief. I’ll let him know."

After hanging up, Captain Li waved his phone at Fang Wenxuan. "That old fox Cheng Fei works fast—the chief just called. You passed your criminal police exam ages ago. They were still deciding which unit to assign you to, but Cheng Fei called and asked for you directly. The chief agreed to do him the favor. Wenxuan, go home and rest this afternoon. Tomorrow, report straight to the city detective squad."

Lin Hui drove Cheng Fei back to the squad, where a meeting was immediately called.

Cheng Fei switched on the video projector. "This is surveillance from the intersection near the Enchanted Night Bar, from a month ago. We can see in the footage that Mei Yanqin was helped into a taxi by a man. A minute later, Wang Minmin came out, hailed another taxi, and followed," Cheng Fei explained, pointing to the man on the screen. "It’s dark, and we only get a view of his back. But the taxi’s plate number is clear. He Xiaopeng, you’re in charge of finding the driver. Qin Lian, do we have the time and cause of death?"

"Before she died, Mei Yanqin was injected with a large dose of anesthetic, then died from massive blood loss. Wang Minmin had a unique indentation on her skull, caused by a heavy blow that shattered the cranial bones—bone fragments pierced the central nervous system, causing death. Both died about a month ago," Qin Lian reported.

"Forensic Qin, what about the glass shard?" Lin Hui asked.

"The blood on it belonged to Mei Yanqin," Qin Lian said.

"I also checked the glass material. It’s not ordinary glassware. It’s a temperature-controlled container, usually used in biological labs to preserve animal organs," said Zheng Qiaoshan from forensics.

"Qiaoshan, could such a container hold human organs?" Cheng Fei asked.

"It could. It would keep the organ perfectly intact," Zheng Qiaoshan replied.

Cheng Fei frowned in thought.

"Captain, could this be an organ trafficking ring? Two months ago, we had a report—a man met an internet friend, was drugged, and woke up missing all his valuables and one kidney. We never caught the perpetrator. And when we recovered the bodies this time, not a single organ was found," Lin Hui said to the captain.

"Xiaopeng, Hui, you two find those drivers. I’ll report to the chief. Meeting adjourned," Cheng Fei said.

Within half an hour, He Xiaopeng and Lin Hui had tracked down both taxi drivers—they worked at the same cab company. The two detectives headed over at once.

They showed the drivers a photo—both recognized the girls and confirmed they’d dropped them at an apartment building.

With the address in hand, Lin Hui and He Xiaopeng made their way to the building.

It was an old apartment block, the entrance plastered with rental and roommate ads.

"Are you here to rent a place?" Suddenly, a middle-aged woman approached Lin Hui and He Xiaopeng.

"Auntie, we're looking for someone. Have you seen these two girls?" Lin Hui showed her photos of Mei Yanqin and Wang Minmin.

The woman took the pictures. "Yes, they're my tenants... Paid their rent, but I haven't seen them in ages."

"Could you take us to their room?" Lin Hui asked.

"Who are you?" the woman demanded.

"We're police officers," Lin Hui said, showing his badge.

"Oh... Did they get into some kind of trouble? No wonder they paid the rent and then disappeared..."

"Auntie, could you please take us up?" Lin Hui urged impatiently.

"Alright." The woman led them to the second floor. "Here it is."

"You don’t have a key?" Lin Hui asked, seeing the door securely locked.

"No. Mei Yanqin’s boyfriend said he lost something and insisted on changing the lock. He brought in a locksmith himself and gave me the old lock, saying they’d switch back when they moved out. She was a thoughtful girl," the woman explained.

"Do you remember what her boyfriend looked like?" He Xiaopeng asked.

"I never saw him—he always came late, after midnight, when I was already asleep. Gone before six in the morning," the woman said.

Lin Hui examined the lock—it was a simple one. He picked up a piece of wire, inserted it into the keyhole, twisted it a few times, and with a click, the lock opened.

As the door swung open, Lin Hui immediately sensed a cold, dusty wind tinged with the metallic scent of blood.

The room inside was pitch dark. Lin Hui turned on his phone’s flashlight but didn’t enter.

"Don’t go in yet—preserve the scene. I smell blood. This could be the primary crime scene," Lin Hui said, grabbing He Xiaopeng, who was about to step inside.

He Xiaopeng halted, glancing at the clean, beige floor illuminated by Lin Hui’s light, then at Lin Hui. "Hui, are you part bloodhound? You can always smell blood?"

"Even a dog’s nose isn’t as sharp as mine," Lin Hui replied. After calling Cheng Fei to report, he put on shoe covers and handed a pair to He Xiaopeng.