Miss Forensics – Chapter 19
by Little PandaPart One
Confrontation
Good and evil are but a single thought apart.
Another clap of thunder boomed on the horizon, the flash of lightning briefly illuminating the room. In the operations room, everyone went about their duties with hurried steps and solemn expressions. No one spoke. Amidst the swirling haze of cigarette smoke, there were only occasional coughs and the rapid clattering of keyboards.
Song Yuhang pressed her hand to her temples. She had not slept properly in a week, and anxiety had broken out into several blood blisters inside her mouth. She pressed her tongue against them, using the sharp stabs of pain to fend off her exhaustion.
The telephone on the desk rang urgently. Someone snatched it up, then spun around to call out to her, “Captain Song, we have a new lead!”
Song Yuhang lunged forward, her voice slightly unsteady. “Hello?!”
Fang Xin was holding the phone up for her. Lin Yan lay flat on the floor, measuring the marks on the ground with a tape measure. Her usually loud, abrasive voice sounded remarkably comforting at this moment.
“150 by 70 by 60! I’ve got it! It’s a fish tank! A fish tank! I couldn’t figure out where Ding Xue drowned before, and we found absolutely nothing even after searching the entire place, until I discovered this!”
Lin Yan shook the small aquarium in her hand. “This must be the goldfish tank he bought for his daughter to play with. They’re well-cared for. Goldfish are delicate—in the hands of a novice, they’d die in a day. He’s highly experienced.”
“Also, we found that the living room only contains a sofa and a dining table. A bookshelf stands abruptly where a partition should’ve separated the living room and the foyer. After moving the shelf, we found a faint white scratch on the floor. It measures exactly 150 by 70 by 60, which matches the dimensions of a standard saltwater fish tank sold on the market.”
She looked out the window as she spoke. Outside, the rain poured in torrents, a flash of lightning illuminating the cold curve of her brow.
Lin Yan’s voice sank. “This is the primary crime scene. I’ve confirmed that the victim, Ding Xue, died of delayed drowning.”
A relieved smile finally touched the corners of Song Yuhang’s lips. “Thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to me.”
Entering the interrogation room once again, Song Yuhang was only there to bid him farewell. The next time they met would be either in court or at the execution ground.
“You drowned her in the fish tank, didn’t you?” She stood at the door, staring coldly at him.
Sun Xiangming suddenly clenched his jaw. The man, who had been lying on the bench to rest, sat up abruptly to glare at her, his teeth gritted in suppressed rage.
“Don’t bother asking me how I know. If you do not want others to know, do not do it1.”
After she spoke, Sun Xiangming looked at the calm, resolute face of the officer before him and laughed again, his expression a mix of mockery and dismissive contempt.
“So what if you know? You won’t find it. If you can’t find it, you can’t convict me. Once day breaks, I’m still getting out of here.”
Song Yuhang looked at him, her eyes now filled with unconcealed disgust. “Actually, I’d really like to know what was going through your mind when you grabbed her by the back of the neck and shoved her into the water. Was it relief, or regret?”
If it really had been relief, Ding Xue would have died at home right then. She wouldn’t have lived for those few extra hours.
Everyone said the phone call from the school had saved her, but little did they know, good and evil are but a single thought apart.
With that, she turned and strode away. She did not look back, even as Sun Xiangming lunged forward and slammed against the iron gate, weeping, screaming, and cursing until his voice went hoarse.
“All field units, move out! With the Sun residence as the center, sweep every landfill, scrap yard, secondhand market, used goods trading center, and shop selling fishing gear within a ten-kilometer radius. Dig three feet into the earth if you have to, but find it! Am I clear?!”
Rainwater ran down her temples, quickly soaking half of her uniform. Before her, the young detectives answered in unison, their eyes sharp: “Yes, ma’am!”
“Move out!”
The car doors locked, and the police cruisers once again sped out of the municipal bureau, plunging into the torrential rain.
“Lin-jie, Captain Song and the others are on their way over. What about us?” Fang Xin asked, holding her phone.
Lin Yan pulled off her gloves and slipped them into an evidence bag. “Do whatever you want; suit yourselves. My job is done anyway.”
The phone in her pocket vibrated once. Her expression unchanged, she waved a hand and walked away. “Keep at it, I’m going to the restroom.”
Guiding the group behind the building with a flashlight, the property manager said, “Our neighborhood’s trash heap is right here.”
The rain fell hard and fast, and wastewater pooled into small streams in the low-lying areas. And washed by the rain, the stench grew even more foul.
Song Yuhang wore a raincoat. She was tall, so even pants that fit her well were slightly short, leaving a small portion of her ankles exposed. She waded through the water, sweeping her flashlight around.
“Did anyone come to throw away trash a few days ago? Something very large.”
If he wanted to dispose of a fish tank that size, his options were limited to selling it as scrap, reselling it, or gritting his teeth and smashing it to pieces before throwing it out. None of those options could go unnoticed.
The property manager suddenly slapped his forehead. “Yes, yes! A few days ago, the owner of 504 carried down a huge cardboard box. Said it was renovation waste. It was incredibly heavy, and I even lent him a hand.”
“Where is it?” The trash heap was small, offering a clear view of everything.
“It was hauled away long ago. I say, Officer, what on earth are you looking for in the trash in the middle of the night?” The property manager yawned repeatedly, clearly displeased at being dragged out of his warm bed at this hour.
“Where was it taken?”
“The North City Garbage Landfill.”
Without another word, Song Yuhang spun on her heel and left. The property manager chased after her for a couple of steps. “Hey, hey! You probably won’t find anything if you go now. According to municipal regulations, all trash is destroyed and processed on the same day—either buried or incinerated.”
Just as she reached the building entrance, the trace evidence and technical team came down as well. Lin Yan shielded her face from the rain with her hand, looking up at the gray-black canopy of the sky. Her wristwatch cast a faint, fluorescent glow in the dark.
There were less than six hours left until dawn. Time was running out.
Song Yuhang walked past her, bringing a gust of damp wind.
Lin Yan raised her eyes slightly. “I expect you know that even if you find the fish tank, any remaining fingerprints on it may have been completely washed away by the heavy rain.”
Song Yuhang’s footsteps paused slightly. She turned sideways to look at her.
Lin Yan stared into those brown eyes. “Even in the best-case scenario, even if his fingerprints are left on it by some stroke of luck, what of it? He won’t get the death penalty.”
As she spoke, a mocking smile curled her lips. “The cause of death was delayed drowning. From a subjective standpoint, he didn’t kill her immediately. On top of that, there’s a three-year-old child to consider. In the cases I’ve evaluated, a suspect stabbed someone over thirty times due to a relationship dispute. Was it cruel? Was it horrifying? Was it depraved?”
“But because the killer was the one who called emergency services, and the victim died on the way to the hospital, he was ultimately sentenced to death with a reprieve. And even now, he still hasn’t died.”
“Song Yuhang, give up. Sun Xiangming has known all along that he won’t be executed. He has nothing to fear. Your search is no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Song Yuhang could taste a sliver of icy hatred beneath that mocking smile.
The four-pointed stars on her shoulders shone brightly, washed clean by the rain, making her eyes look even sharper. The two of them stared coldly at each other through the curtain of rain.
“So what? I admit that our current laws may have gaps. But is Forensic Examiner Lin going to cross the boundaries of morality and the law, turning herself into a murderous blade to repay grievance with grievance?”
An icy laugh escaped Lin Yan’s lips, and she gritted her teeth. “If the law cannot give criminals the punishment they deserve, what’s wrong with me enforcing justice on behalf of Heaven2?”
Song Yuhang took a step forward. She was tall, and her posture completely blocked out the last remaining sliver of light from the dim streetlamp.
Lin Yan, shrouded in her shadow, tilted her head back. Rainwater ran down her sharp chin.
“I won’t give you that chance. If that day ever comes, even if you are a legendary sword unsheathed, I won’t hesitate to personally break the halberd and bury it in the sand3 to eclipse your edge.”
Song Yuhang looked down at her. There was still no emotion in her light brown eyes, but Lin Yan believed she was a woman of her word.
At the thought of becoming rivals with such a person in the future, Lin Yan smirked. The blood in her veins boiled, giving rise to a thrill of having finally met her match.
She raised her eyes and took a gentle step forward, rising onto her tiptoes. Her hand, soft and seemingly boneless, rested on Song Yuhang’s shoulder. To an outsider, it would have looked like two highly intimate people whispering secrets.
Lin Yan put an arm around her shoulder, her breath like sweet orchids against her ear. “Really? I look forward to that day.”
Song Yuhang stayed calm and collected. She tilted her head slightly, pressing her own ear close to Lin Yan’s. She couldn’t back away; backing away would mean admitting defeat.
“It will come. You won’t have to wait long.”
Lin Yan’s hand slid down from her shoulder, tracing wherever the rain trickled. Just like Song Yuhang, she was highly adept at reading people—in fact, her intuition in certain areas was clever to a fault.
Song Yuhang hadn’t flinched or moved, and had even responded head-on, but her tense body had long since betrayed her.
Lin Yan smiled slightly and leaned in closer, as if leaning in for an intimate cheek kiss. Her ear lightly brushed past Song Yuhang’s lips. The cool yet soft touch made Song Yuhang shudder almost instantly—this was a physical instinct, completely unrelated to affection.
“Captain Song—” someone called out.
Song Yuhang stepped back imperceptibly. She looked up at her again. True to her reputation as someone who remained unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before her eyes, she regained her composure in a matter of moments.
“But before that, I have other things to do. How the law sentences someone is the court’s business. Solving cases, collecting evidence, and seeking the truth is my duty. I look up to the heavens and down to the earth with a clear conscience. I am worthy of this uniform, and I am worthy of my conscience.”
She was exceptionally calm when she spoke, showing no sign of dramatic vows or a heat-of-the-moment impulse.
She had long since passed that age.
Her hot blood had settled into professional ethics that had to be remembered at all times. The endless, tedious days of criminal investigation had not worn away her passion; instead, it had transformed into a steadily flowing river. The calmer it appeared on the surface, the more turbulent its undercurrents.
A jolt ran through Lin Yan. She bit her lower lip and stared at her, but Song Yuhang had already turned to lead her team into the vehicle.
With a single command, the entire team set off for the North City Garbage Landfill.
The Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau had deployed in full force—even those on rest days, those on leave, and any available auxiliary police officers had joined the ranks.
Feng Jianguo stood by the window. Outside, the rain had not let up for a second. The tea in his hand had already gone cold, but he didn’t care to change it, simply taking a sip before putting it down.
An officer knocked and entered, looking troubled. “Bureau Chief Feng, Sun Xiangming’s lawyer is here demanding we release him.”
“Go tell them the time isn’t up yet. We can’t release him.” He put his teacup on the desk, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced irritably. “Get someone to contact Song Yuhang. It’s been so long, yet we haven’t heard a single thing. What are they even good for?!”
The officer hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something more.
Bureau Chief Feng stopped pacing and looked at him. “What is it now?”
“The reporters have arrived too, and the Procuratorate has sent people over to look into the situation. Captain Zhang is hosting them. Would you like to go over and…”
Before he could finish saying “take a look,” Feng Jianguo’s eyebrows shot up as he cursed, “Those fucking reporters must have dog noses! They smell meat buns and swarm over immediately, terrified that if they’re a step too slow, they won’t even get a bite of a hot pile of shit!”
The officer wanted to laugh but held it in with all his might. He quickly stood at attention, keeping his eyes forward.
“Go tell them we’re not accepting interviews. There’s nothing to say about this case. Everything must wait for the official announcement.”
“Captain Song, here, wipe off.” Sitting in the car, Fang Xin saw she was soaked to the bone and pulled some tissues from her pocket to hand over.
“Thank you.” Song Yuhang, sitting in the front seat, turned back to take them and wiped the water droplets from her forehead. But the person in the back seat spoke up again.
“Captain Song, are you alright? Your ears are so red—you aren’t running a fever, are you? After all, you’ve been busy for days without any rest…”
It would have been fine if she hadn’t mentioned it, but the moment she did, the spot Lin Yan had touched began to burn like wildfire.
Although she was clearly not in the car, that faint, elusive floral scent continued to cling to her surroundings, refusing to dissipate.
Song Yuhang rolled down the window, letting the cool night breeze blow in with a few stray raindrops.
“I’m fine. It’s bound to be muggy during a typhoon.”
As the largest waste management center in Jiangcheng, tens of thousands of tons of garbage were transported from the city center every day to be buried here.
Over the years, the garbage had piled up into hills of trash, and a foul stench hit their noses before the car had even driven inside.
Song Yuhang put on her mask and jumped out of the car. Filthy water immediately rose over her feet. Everyone followed behind her, trudging unevenly through the muck.
The staff member leading the way was nearly suffocated by the stench. He waved his hand, stopped, and gasped, “The trash hauled in a few days ago was all dumped over there.”
Looking in the direction of his pointing finger, they saw a dark, massive expanse piled up like a small hill.
Duan Cheng’s face was ashen. “How… how are we supposed to find it in this?”
Song Yuhang did not look back. She ordered her detectives to put on gloves, don rubber boots, and take protective measures, then took the lead in wading into the trash heap.
Actions spoke louder than words.
Since their leader was doing it, the others pinched their noses and followed suit.
Most of the time, there were no shortcuts to solving a case. There was only day after day of steady, down-to-earth effort and hard work.
And that was the real shortcut to stopping evil.
Song Yuhang had lost count of how many times she had dug through garbage piles or searched cesspools. Sweat seeped from her temples, but before she could feel any warmth, it was instantly doused by the icy rain.
Droplets trickled down her chin, and she couldn’t tell if they were rain or sweat. The sky was dark, and the rain showed no signs of letting up; anyone standing more than three to five meters away was lost to sight.
Blinking the rainwater from her eyes, her vision grew blurry. She pulled back her hood, wiped her face against a dry patch on her shoulder, and checked her wristwatch again.
3:30 AM.
Anxiety burning in her heart was the truest reflection of her state of mind right now.
“Sss—ah, that hurts!” Not knowing if they had touched some metal scrap or an iron hook, one of the criminal investigators got his hand pricked and immediately tore off his glove, crying out in pain.
A colleague beside him, who was buried in the garbage with a flashlight, grumbled with resentment, “We’ve been digging through trash here, and who knows how many times our hands have been pricked. It’s just our cheap lives. Meanwhile, some people don’t even show up. Forget trash, they haven’t even felt a drop of rain.”
Song Yuhang looked back, her lips pressed into a tight, straight line.
She walked to the side, pulled off her gloves, and fished her phone out from the inner pocket of her raincoat. She wiped the water droplets off, but the screen was instantly soaked by the rain again; it took her several tries before she successfully powered it on.
She dialed a number with no caller ID location, and the call was quickly picked up.
“Hello? Help me keep an eye on someone.”
Lightning flashed and thunder roared as the gale whipped up currents of air, howling across the open field.
Her voice was low and hoarse, sounding inexplicably chilling.
The author has something to say:
Thank you for reading.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone.
I actually quite like these two bickering. It’s got so much chemistry.
Footnotes
- A classic Chinese proverb meaning that secrets cannot be kept forever and any misdeed will eventually be exposed.
- A classic idiom meaning to act as a vigilante or execute justice on behalf of a higher power when the formal legal system fails.
- An idiom derived from Tang Dynasty poetry meaning to suffer a crushing defeat, here used to describe breaking and neutralizing a weapon.
Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for the chapter.