Jiang Anyang

There was no definitive conclusion regarding He Shirui’s cause of death, so a case could not be filed.

After finishing his statement, Mao Yiran left the precinct.

Zheng Kaixuan lit a cigarette, holding it between his fingers, and asked, “Do you think Mao Yiran is a suspect?”

“According to the WeChat messages, Mao Yiran did go to Golden Sands Beach last night. Comparing the chat logs with his phone records, we can see that after arriving, he called He Shirui, but the call didn’t go through. His explanation makes sense,” Han Bin analyzed.

“It’s also possible he’d already controlled the victim and was faking evidence by making that call,” Li Hui speculated.

“All we have are guesses right now, with no actual evidence. We can’t even prove the death was a homicide. We’re at a disadvantage,” Zeng Ping remarked.

“If we suppose the victim was murdered, and the suspect wasn’t Mao Yiran, then who could it be?” Tian Li wondered aloud.

“I think we should take a statement from Tang Yu’s boyfriend, to find out who paid for He Shirui’s hotel room,” Han Bin suggested.

“What about Mao Yiran? He might be the last person to have seen the victim. If he’s the killer and runs, what then?” Zhao Ming reminded them.

“Without evidence of homicide, we can’t open a case. The police have no grounds to detain Mao Yiran,” Zheng Kaixuan pondered for a moment, then said meaningfully,

“Zeng, I’ll leave this matter to you.”

“Understood.”

The shrill ring of a phone interrupted the conversation. Tian Li pulled out her phone and stepped aside to answer it.

A moment later, she returned, her expression serious. “It’s the victim’s father. They’re almost at Qindao and want to come to the precinct to identify the body.”

Another phone rang—Han Bin’s. He answered, “Hello.”

“Is this Officer Han?”

“Who is this?”

“I’m Jiang Anyang, the bartender at Golden Sands Beach Bar. I heard you were looking for me.”

“We have a case we'd like you to assist with.”

“Is it the case of the woman found dead by the sea?” Jiang Anyang asked.

“Yes. Where are you now?”

“I’m at the bar.”

Han Bin glanced at his watch. “All right, we’re coming over now.”

“Han Bin, did you get a lead?” Zheng Kaixuan asked.

“The bartender called. He might have served He Shirui last night—possibly the last person to see her alive. I want to question him,” Han Bin replied.

“Go ahead,” Zheng Kaixuan nodded, then pointed at Tian Li and Li Hui,

“You two go to Qianhao Hotel, take a statement from Tang Yu’s boyfriend, and ask Tang Yu who paid for He Shirui’s room.”

“What about the victim’s family coming to identify the body?” Tian Li asked.

“Zeng and I will handle it. Go on,” Zheng Kaixuan waved them off.

“Yes, sir.”

…

Forty minutes later, the four officers drove to Golden Sands Beach.

Han Bin and Li Hui headed for the bar, while Tian Li and Zhao Ming went to Qianhao Hotel.

It was already seven in the evening; only a few lonely figures wandered the beach.

Han Bin and Li Hui, familiar with the place, entered the bar. Behind the counter stood a young man with a distinctive hairstyle—a small braid and shaved temples.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Are you Jiang Anyang?”

“And you are?”

“We’re from the criminal investigation team. We spoke by phone just now.”

“I recognized your voice—you’re Officer Han,” Jiang Anyang said.

“Didn’t you say there are usually two people here before nine? Why is it just you today?” Li Hui asked.

“There’s hardly anyone tonight. Since my shift started, you two are the first customers. After hearing about the drowning, people are uneasy—everyone left before it got dark.” Jiang Anyang sighed.

Han Bin took out a photo of He Shirui. “Did you see this woman yesterday?”

“This is the woman who drowned last night?” Jiang Anyang stepped back.

“It’s an old photo—nothing to be afraid of. Look carefully,” Han Bin said.

“There were a lot of customers last night. I served dozens. I can’t remember just like that,” Jiang Anyang shook his head.

Han Bin handed over another photo. “This is from last night’s surveillance. The victim wore a round floral hat and a blue sleeveless dress.”

“I recall that outfit and hat. I wondered why someone would wear a sun hat at night…” Jiang Anyang recalled.

Since the surveillance didn’t capture her face, Han Bin pointed at the portrait. “Is it the same person?”

Jiang Anyang thought for a moment, frowning. “I only saw her briefly, and it was dark. She wore the hat, so I can’t be sure it’s the same person.”

“Try to remember—her appearance, accent, jewelry, payment method,” Han Bin prompted.

“I think she paid with WeChat.” Jiang Anyang lightly tapped his forehead. “Right, I remember—she had nail polish.”

“Are you certain?”

“I can’t recall other details about customers, but I always notice who takes their drinks from the bar,” Jiang Anyang explained.

“What color was the nail polish?”

“Pink? Yellow? Not exactly… I can’t say precisely—it was somewhere between pink and yellow, not very bright.”

Han Bin turned and quietly said to Li Hui, “Call Zeng, ask him to contact the network company and check if He Shirui used WeChat Pay last night.”

Li Hui nodded and stepped aside to make the call.

“When she took her drink, was she wearing a ring?” Han Bin continued.

“I don’t remember.”

“Did she have a bracelet on her wrist?”

“Officer Han, I really wasn’t paying attention. I have to serve and pour drinks for people. The counter might be small, but it’s a mess with all sorts of things going on,” Jiang Anyang spread his hands.

“Think carefully. If you recall any clues, contact me,” Han Bin instructed.

“No worries, I saved your number. I hope this case gets solved soon—business will improve once it’s over.”

“Thank you,” Han Bin stood and left the bar.

“Any news from Zeng?”

“Not yet. I told him; he’s probably contacting the network company,” Li Hui shrugged.

“Bin, do you think the woman at the bar last night was really He Shirui?”

“Jiang Anyang said the woman wore light-colored nail polish, but when we examined He Shirui’s body, I didn’t see any nail polish,” Han Bin replied.

“Could it have been washed off after being in the sea so long?” Li Hui speculated.

“That’s possible, but there should be some residue on the nails. Even if it’s not visible to the eye, it can be detected chemically,” Han Bin said.

The phone rang again. Li Hui glanced down, “It’s Zeng calling.”