Discovery

Song Jinchang stepped out of the house and rubbed his face with his hands.

“Mr. Song, may I have a word with you?” Han Bin took out a pack of Yuxi cigarettes and offered him one.

“You must think it’s ridiculous.”

“A man does not shed tears easily—unless his heart is truly broken.”

Song Jinchang took a deep drag on the cigarette. “I really didn’t take the money.”

“I believe you,” Han Bin said solemnly.

“Thank you.”

“You seem to be under a lot of pressure?”

“That two hundred thousand—more than half was borrowed. Do you know how many sales I have to make, how many good words I have to say, just to earn it?” Song Jinchang forced a smile.

There was not a hint of joy in his smile; it was more like resignation.

“I understand.”

“The police suspect me—I’m not angry. That’s your job, it means you’re responsible.” Song Jinchang took another drag, then continued, “But she suspects me too. After living together for over ten years, there’s not even the most basic trust. For whom have I been working so hard every day?”

Han Bin reached out and patted his shoulder. “I know you didn’t take the money, but you were the last to leave the scene. Your statement is important for us to understand what happened.”

“Whether the money can be found or not—it makes no difference to me,” Song Jinchang shook his head.

“At least it can prove your innocence.”

“Does that matter?”

“To your wife, it matters a great deal.”

Song Jinchang was silent for a long time, then took several deep drags on his cigarette. “All right, I’m willing to help with your investigation.”

Han Bin brought Song Jinchang back to the living room and personally took his statement.

…

After finishing the statement, Song Jinchang went out for lunch, and Xu Yan followed him.

Zheng Kaixuan and the others stayed in the living room, which made it easier to discuss the case.

“Every family has a scripture that’s hard to recite, especially us police officers. Choosing the right partner is important,” Zheng Kaixuan mused.

“Captain Zheng, your wife is great—beautiful and virtuous,” Li Hui said.

“All right, enough flattery,” Zheng Kaixuan waved his hand. “What do you think of Song Jinchang?”

“He’s emotionally unstable, his motive is clear, and he wouldn’t face legal consequences. He was the last to leave the scene. I think he’s highly suspicious,” Tian Li analyzed.

“If it’s really him, our work would be much easier,” Zhao Ming shrugged.

“Han Bin, you chatted with him for a while. What’s your impression?”

Han Bin organized his thoughts. “His motive is clear, but I didn’t detect any signs of lying. I don’t think he’s very suspicious.”

“Captain, why aren’t you asking my opinion?” Li Hui interjected.

“Where do you get all this nonsense? If you’ve got something to say, spit it out,” Zheng Kaixuan scolded, half-smiling.

“This case can be considered separately. If Song Jinchang really took the money, it’s an internal family dispute. The police have no authority to intervene; let Xu Yan handle it herself.” Li Hui paused, then continued, “We should dedicate more manpower to other aspects of the investigation. That’s the best division of labor.”

Zheng Kaixuan, experienced as he was, caught the underlying meaning in Li Hui’s words.

Ring, ring, ring…

A phone rang, and Zheng Kaixuan, Zhao Ming, and Han Bin all instinctively reached for their pockets, each thinking it was their own.

“It’s mine.” Zheng Kaixuan stood up and went to the balcony to answer the call.

“Hey,” Li Hui nudged Han Bin’s knee with his own. “The captain’s expression is getting more and more serious. What do you think he’s talking about?”

“You really want me to guess?”

“Guess!”

“Ahem…” Han Bin cleared his throat and imitated Zheng Kaixuan’s tone, “Yes, you’re right. Li Hui is lazy and has no ambition. He really should be transferred out of the detective squad, maybe put on gate duty.”

“Get lost, all you do is talk nonsense.” Li Hui’s face darkened.

“Haha…” Their laughter echoed through the room.

Moments later, Zheng Kaixuan strode over, his square face stern. “What’s so funny? Tell me.”

Seeing his serious expression, everyone fell silent and pretended not to notice.

“Come with me,” Zheng Kaixuan ordered.

“Captain Zheng, what’s going on?”

“We’ve been assigned another case. We’re going to the scene.”

Li Hui was confused. “There’s only a few of us, and we haven’t finished this case yet. How can we take on another one?”

“It’s another theft, right here on the 29th floor.”

“This building’s 29th floor?”

“Yes.” Zheng Kaixuan confirmed.

Tian Li looked surprised. “That’s quite a coincidence.”

“Could it be the same perpetrator?” Han Bin speculated.

“If it’s the same person, then it’s not an inside job. Song Jinchang would be cleared of suspicion,” Zhao Ming said.

“Enough guessing. Let’s go upstairs and take a look at the scene,” Zheng Kaixuan waved his hand and strode toward the door.

…

The group took the stairs straight up to the 29th floor.

Knock, knock… Li Hui rapped on the door of apartment 2903.

“Who is it?”

“Detective squad.”

“Who are you kidding? I just called the police, and now you’re here already.” A woman’s voice sounded from inside.

“Did your family report the crime?”

Creak… A man opened the door. “Are you really the police?”

“Here’s my badge.” Li Hui displayed his police ID.

“Comrade, how did you get here so quickly?”

“We were working nearby. As soon as we got the dispatch, we came right over.”

“I see. Please, come in, come in.” The man gestured them inside.

There was a woman and a child of about eight or nine inside the apartment.

Han Bin and his group put on shoe covers and entered.

“Who’s the one who reported the crime?” Tian Li asked.

“Me. I made the call.” The woman approached.

“Let’s go to the sofa. I’ll take your statement.”

“All right.”

“Name?”

“Zhang Qin.”

“Reason for reporting?”

“My household valuables have been stolen.”

“What exactly was lost?”

Zhang Qin counted on her fingers. “Over ten thousand in cash, a gold necklace, a gold ring, and my son’s little gold lock. Altogether, maybe twenty thousand.”

“When did the theft occur?”

“It’s summer vacation, so we took our child to my mother’s house. We were gone for three days. We just got back today and found this mess.” Zhang Qin patted the suitcase beside her.

“So you don’t know the exact time of the theft?”

“That’s right.”

…

Meanwhile, the rest of the second team members examined the apartment.

Han Bin walked to the front door and inspected it. The door and lock showed no obvious signs of prying, much like the situation downstairs.

He looked more closely, and a look of surprise crossed his face.

He found a strip of tape stuck to the lower part of the door, about four centimeters long and less than a centimeter wide. Because it was transparent, it was hard to notice.

Han Bin had noticed similar tape in apartment 2704. But there, the door had couplets attached with tape, so Han Bin thought it was just leftover and hadn’t paid much attention.

Now, finding similar tape in apartment 2903, he suspected there was more to it than met the eye…