Chapter 92: The Informant

After forty minutes, a young man arrived at Golden Sand Beach. He wore a tight T-shirt, a gold chain around his neck, a toothpick in his mouth, and a pair of sunglasses.

Han Bin glanced at him and gave a wry smile. "Chen San, what on earth are you wearing?"

"Do I look cool, Brother Bin?" Chen San struck a pose.

"Tacky."

"Come on."

"I mean it. Really tacky." Han Bin walked over and tugged at the chain. "What decade do you think this is? Who still wears this kind of thing?"

"Brother Bin, easy on it. It's gold-plated. If the coating rubs off, I won't be able to wear it anymore."

"Take off the sunglasses. It's the middle of the night, for heaven's sake." Han Bin was almost speechless.

Chen San's real name was Chen Defu. He had once been caught stealing electric bicycle batteries, and this fellow never learned his lesson. He had been arrested more than once, the sort of person who never committed a major crime but was always making small trouble.

When Han Bin had been a patrol officer at the police station, he had taken part in a program to educate and assist people released after serving their sentences, helping them with the difficulties and problems they encountered in life, work, and study, so they could reintegrate smoothly into society.

Chen San had been one of Han Bin's cases. After they had been in contact for a long time, Han Bin finally understood why Chen San kept offending. The immediate cause was poverty; the deeper reason was that he found life too dull and was always looking for a thrill. Otherwise, he felt uncomfortable all over.

To keep him from seeking excitement through crime, Han Bin had developed him into an informant. He got his thrill, avoided crime, and even made a little money on the side. It was, in a sense, killing three birds with one stone.

How could Chen San possibly be unhappy about that?

Han Bin tossed him a bottle of beer, greeted Jiang Anyang, and headed toward the shore.

Chen San bit open the cap and took a gulp. "Brother Bin, I heard a woman drowned around here. Supposedly she was really pretty, and wasn't even wearing any clothes. Is that true?"

"Where are you hearing this garbage?" Han Bin asked, exasperated.

"Heard it from people playing mahjong this afternoon."

Chen San took another drink, and the bottle was nearly empty. "This beer's pretty good, just not enough of it."

"Another day I'll take you somewhere and buy you all you can drink," Han Bin said.

"Heh." Chen San grinned. "Brother Bin, what's the mission you called me here for today?"

"That female corpse case you mentioned."

"Damn, you're handling that case?"

"Yes."

"So did the corpse actually have clothes on or not?" Chen San asked with bright curiosity.

Han Bin was silent.

"Just kidding. I only didn't expect it to be such a coincidence."

"It's late. Let's get to business." By then the two had reached the seashore, where the area was empty, with not a soul in sight, so there was no need to worry about eavesdropping.

...

The next morning.

Yuhua Branch Canteen.

At a long table by the window, Han Bin, Zeng Ping, Li Hui, and Tian Li were eating breakfast together. It was not that the four had arranged to meet; rather, the timing of work and meals had simply lined up.

There were plenty of people eating in the canteen every day, and breakfast was abundant. Han Bin ordered a bowl of mutton soup and a stone-baked flatbread.

The soup was generous, with rice noodles underneath and several slices of mutton on top. The flatbread was stuffed with hot peppers, egg, tofu skin, and ham. Those two breakfast items were filling and hearty.

They were running a case today, and without eating enough, no one would have the stamina for it.

"Captain Zeng, why are your eyes so red?" Tian Li was observant and noticed something was off with Zeng Ping.

"Stayed up late, that's all." As he spoke, Zeng Ping yawned.

"Weren't you saying last night that there was no assignment?" Tian Li asked.

"You all had no assignment, but Captain Zheng and I were busy until midnight. After grabbing a bite and getting home, it was already past one."

"What happened?" Han Bin asked, puzzled.

"The victim's family came to identify the body, four of them at once: her parents, her older brother, and her younger sister. They were crying so terribly that Captain Zheng and I were trying to comfort one person after another. I suppose half the branch heard them." Zeng Ping sighed.

"At that hour, there probably weren't many people left in the branch anyway," Li Hui said.

"You punk, stop acting like it's funny. Next time there's a family identification, you'll be the one handling it."

"I agree." Tian Li raised both hands.

"So do I," Han Bin said with a smile.

"Come on, Captain Zeng, I couldn't handle that either. Please, don't hold it against me," Li Hui begged.

Zeng Ping could not be bothered with him and continued, "The family talked with Captain Zheng and me for a long time. They were certain that the girl would never have committed suicide and begged us to make sure we caught the murderer."

"I've got a soft heart; I can't stand scenes like that," Li Hui said.

Tian Li immediately got annoyed. Most of the body-identification work had been hers. "What do you mean by that? So you're saying I'm the hard-hearted one in Team Two?"

"Sister Tian, that's not what I meant. I mean you're a heroine among women; how could I possibly compare?" Li Hui said with an awkward grin.

"Captain Zeng, did you take any statements last night?" Han Bin asked.

Zeng Ping shook his head. "That scene made it impossible. The victim's parents were too emotional and actually knelt down to us. They regretted it deeply and were heartbroken, and it made me feel awful too."

"What were they regretting?"

"Regretting that, because of the bride price, they had not allowed the victim to marry Mao Yiran. They said if she hadn't come to Harbor City, she wouldn't have died." Zeng Ping let out a long sigh. "I remember it clearly. Her father grabbed my hand and said he had killed his own daughter. Her mother sat on the floor and slapped herself across the face."

For a moment, the atmosphere at the table fell silent.

After breakfast, Zeng Ping stood up and left them with one sentence: "Everyone put in extra effort today. Find enough evidence of homicide to open the case, and give the victim's parents an explanation first."

After seeing Zeng Ping off, Li Hui spread his hands. "There are no obvious fatal injuries on the victim, and no eyewitnesses or surveillance footage. Finding evidence strong enough to open a case is easier said than done."

"If there are no direct clues, we can look for indirect evidence to prove it," Han Bin said.

"What indirect evidence?"

Han Bin thought for a moment before finally squeezing out one word.

"Wait."

"Wait for what?"

Han Bin stood up. "Wait until you've finished eating, then help me clear the dishes."

Li Hui: "..."

Ding-ling-ling...

As soon as Han Bin stepped out of the canteen, his phone rang.

When he saw that it was Chen San calling, he answered at once. "Hello."

"Brother Bin, where are you?"

"At the bureau," Han Bin replied. Not seeing anyone nearby, he went on, "Any movement from those two last night?"

"No movement last night, but now something's happening. Are you coming over?"

"What kind of movement?"

"They've left the hotel together."

"Follow them and see what they're up to."

"Brother Bin, I've been watching all night. I'm dying of sleep."

"Don't fall apart at the critical moment. Follow them."

"What if they take a taxi?"

"Then you take a taxi too," Han Bin said.

Chen San laughed. "Will the fare be reimbursed?"

Han Bin smiled, fully aware of what he was after. "Not only will the fare be reimbursed, but if the evidence you provide is useful, I'll report it to the leadership and apply for a bonus for you."

Chen San thumped his chest with a bang. "All right, leave it to me. Just wait and see."