Miss Forensics – Chapter 107

Volume Two: Second Scroll

Cigarette Burn

Sister likes you, just leaving a mark for you is all.

The two people came out from the back door of the residence, and Kuba helped the man into the car.

“I don’t understand. If you knew he would become so despondent, why didn’t you stop him back then?”

The old man got in, placed his cane properly, and straightened his overcoat.

“Despondent is good, despondent is good. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers¹. If he became successful, wouldn’t I be in danger?”

Kuba went to drive the car, glancing back at him.

“Then why did you still give him the sample?”

“He helped me solve the big problem of Song Yuhang, so there has to be some kind of reward, right? Just getting the sample is useless without the formula.”

Enlightened by the old man, Kuba had a sudden realization.

“That cop² Song was our biggest obstacle at the Municipal Bureau. Without her, shipping goods in the future should be much easier.”

The old man opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.

“That’s not necessarily true. After all, not all of them are our people. The shipment in half a month is very important. We can start making arrangements now.”

Kuba nodded. “Yes.”

---

Lin Residence.

The Lin family’s butler gently shook Lin Youyuan awake.

“Old Master, Young Master has come to see you.”

Lin Ge stood by the bed carrying two boxes of gifts. Seeing him slowly wake up, he quickly put the things down and took a step forward.

“Uncle Lin…”

A trace of gratification appeared in Lin Youyuan’s cloudy eyes.

“You’ve come.”

As he spoke, a patch of fog formed on his oxygen mask. The butler stepped forward and gently removed it for him.

Lin Youyuan coughed a few more times and gestured for the butler to raise the bed.

Lin Ge proactively stepped forward to do it, and also took a pillow from the side to place behind his back.

“Uncle Lin, are you feeling better?”

Lin Youyuan coughed while covering his lips with a handkerchief. After a long while, the coughing stopped, and he said, gasping for breath.

“It’s an old ailment. Is there something you came for?”

“It’s nothing, I just came to see you,” Lin Ge said, pulling the quilt up for him.

“Did the factories under you give you trouble again?” Lin Youyuan coughed twice and continued.

Lin Ge wore his usual humble and gentle smile.

“No, I’m new here. It’s common for employees to be insubordinate.”

With Lin Youyuan gravely ill, the company’s affairs had been successively handed over to him and several senior executives. These executives were all veterans of Jingtai with deep roots in the company. In particular, several people in the Customs Affairs Department controlled the import and export channels of the factories under Jingtai. Without Lin Youyuan’s signature, the medicine could not be mass-produced, let alone shipped out and sold overseas.

When he said this, his brows were lowered and his eyes were downcast, appearing extremely respectful.

Lin Youyuan covered his lips and coughed a few times, then gestured for the butler to bring over a document.

The hand with the IV drip trembled as it uncapped the pen. Lin Youyuan held down the paper and crookedly wrote his name.

“You’re helping me with my affairs, I can’t treat you unfairly… cough cough…” He handed the signed document to him.

“Take this to the company. Starting tomorrow, you will be the group’s vice president.”

Lin Ge declined, “This… isn’t appropriate, is it, Uncle Lin? What’s fair or unfair about helping one’s own family? Yanyan is gone, it’s what I should do to help you.”

The flash of joy in Lin Ge’s eyes did not escape Lin Youyuan’s notice. Similarly, the grief that surfaced on Lin Youyuan’s face when Lin Yan was mentioned did not escape his observation.

The two intelligent men were clashing silently.

Lin Youyuan began to cough and wheeze violently. Lin Ge got up to pat his back. As he leaned over, he saw the sparse, graying hair on top of his head, and a hard-to-describe emotion rose in his heart.

Lin Ge looked like his father, with the same sword-like brows and star-like eyes, handsome and extraordinary, and he had the exact same gentle temperament—if it weren’t for the things that happened later.

Lin Youyuan suddenly felt a bit emotional.

“You said it yourself, we’re family. No need to be so polite.”

Lin Ge stared at his graying hair. “Uncle, why are you so good to me?”

Ever since he could remember, Lin Ge had never seen his father. The people by his side were only his mother and this nominal uncle.

His mother wanted him to be well-behaved, to be sensible, to be obedient, and not to be noisy. Only Lin Youyuan would buy him toy guns, airplanes, tanks, cannons, and a whole series of things that boys liked. When he wasn’t busy with work, he would also play with him, even willingly getting on all fours to be a horse for him to ride.

The young Lin Ge’s golf skills were personally taught by him.

If he hadn’t personally witnessed those filthy and sordid things, he and Lin Youyuan would not have reached this point today.

Hearing his question, the old man smiled, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

“Your father passed away early. It’s my duty to take care of you and your mother. By the way, how is your mother’s health recently?”

At the mention of his mother, the faint trace of reluctance in Lin Ge’s heart completely vanished.

He lowered the hospital bed and tucked the quilt in for him.

“Much better. Once she can get out of bed and walk, we’ll come to see you together. Don’t you worry, taking care of your own health is what matters.”

Visiting hours were almost over. He picked up the document and stood up to take his leave. “Then I’ll go back to my work first. I’ll come visit you another day.”

Lin Youyuan nodded, and the butler put the oxygen mask back on for him.

After he walked out into the hallway, Jin Xia was walking over with a few people, holding a lunchbox.

“Young Master.”

Several servants bowed slightly as they passed him.

Jin Xia paused her steps slightly and also nodded to him in acknowledgment.

“Young Master Lin has come to see Old Master again. How filial of you.”

Lin Ge had a respectful smile on his lips as he slipped the test tube from his sleeve into her palm.

“It’s what I should do. Auntie who truly works hard, cooking and delivering meals for Uncle every day. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back to work.”

Jin Xia nodded, and the two went their separate ways.

Upon reaching the corner, Jin Xia instructed the maids, “You all may leave. Old Master likes peace and quiet. I’ll deliver it myself.”

“Yes.” The servants left with lowered brows and downcast eyes.

Jin Xia opened the lunchbox, stood in the blind spot of the surveillance camera, and took out the blue test tube. Gritting her teeth, she ruthlessly pulled out the stopper, poured the entire contents into the congee, and stirred it evenly with a spoon. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the hospital room door with a radiant smile.

“Old Master, I’ve come to bring you your meal.”

---

Every day after work, Song Yuhang would stake out the area near the Huange Nightclub.

In the time it took her to finish a pack of cigarettes, the person she was waiting for came out.

She stamped out the cigarette butt, got up to meet him, and bumped into the man’s shoulder.

“Sorry, sorry…”

The pot-bellied man was drunk and pointed at her nose, cursing, “Be… be more careful for this master³!”

Song Yuhang nodded and bowed with an apologetic smile. After the man walked away, she felt the membership card in her pocket, and a smile appeared on her lips.

She returned to the roadside where Zheng Chengrui and the others were already waiting in the car.

She handed the card over. “How is it? Can you copy it?”

Zheng Chengrui took it and examined the material. Seeing the barcode on it, he flicked it lightly and opened his computer.

“I’ll give it a try.”

While he was copying the magnetic card’s content, Duan Cheng leaned over the back of the front seat.

“Captain Song, what are we doing at a place like this? It couldn’t be that we’re also…”

Even though she no longer worked at the Municipal Bureau, Duan Cheng was still used to addressing her this way.

Before the words “looking for pleasure” could leave his mouth, Fang Xin yanked him back.

“Use your pig brain for a second. It’s obviously to investigate a case.”

Song Yuhang’s fingertips tapped on the steering wheel. Watching them bicker, the smile on her lips was somewhat bitter.

“That’s right, but as for what we’re investigating, you all shouldn’t ask. It’s for your own good.”

Duan Cheng muttered, “You say that, and Lin-jie says that too…”

Before he could finish, he was slapped again by Fang Xin, who shot him a look.

Song Yuhang closed her mouth and said no more, her smile vanishing as well.

While the group was in an awkward state, Zheng Chengrui handed the original card back to her. “Captain Song, I’ve copied the barcode, but it will take time to print it out. How about this, I’ll take it home and rush it tonight. We’ll meet here again tomorrow, and I’ll give it to you then.”

Song Yuhang thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll have to trouble you.”

“No trouble, it’s what I should do.” Zheng Chengrui closed his computer and prepared to get out of the car, but Duan Cheng was still staring at the flashing neon lights outside the window.

“It’s so lively…”

The entrance of the Huange Nightclub was bustling with people coming and going; it was indeed lively.

Song Yuhang looked at the card in her hand, then at them.

“Since we’re already here, why not go in and have a look?”

The eyes of the several men lit up, and they all nodded in agreement.

The group of three walked straight to the entrance, with Fang Xin waiting in the car. Zheng Chengrui put on a hat, pretending to be the pot-bellied man, and was supported by Song Yuhang and Duan Cheng as they staggered inside.

“Hello, please show your membership card.”

Song Yuhang handed the card over. The other party swiped it on the machine, and the verification passed, but the attendant still looked at them suspiciously.

Zheng Chengrui’s height and build were very similar to the man who had just left; the only variable was his face.

The other party stepped forward, seemingly wanting to get a clear look at his face.

“Why has Mr. Li returned?”

Duan Cheng shoved the man away. “What are you looking at, what are you looking at? Is it any of your business that our boss wants to come have some fun?! Or are you saying you don’t welcome returning customers? Fine, we’ll just leave. Boss—”

Song Yuhang also supported one of Zheng Chengrui’s arms.

“Boss, let’s go.”

Seeing the situation was not good, another attendant in a black suit at the entrance hurried over to stop them.

“Boss Li is a regular customer here. How could we not welcome you? Please, come in, come in.”

“That’s more like it.”

Zheng Chengrui pretended to be drunk the entire time, supported by the two as they walked inside. Duan Cheng deliberately chose a dimly lit, semi-enclosed booth and placed the man on the sofa.

Song Yuhang observed the interior of the Huange Nightclub and discovered it was a world of its own.

The building wasn’t tall, with only two floors, but such a long corridor had only one spiral staircase. One had to pass through it to go up or down.

She looked up and realized that by standing on the second floor, one could have an unobstructed view of the entire hall.

The hall was carpeted with soft rugs, with a dance floor in the center where elegant music played, and men and women in fine clothes moved about.

Not far from the entrance was a bar. When she had just passed by, she glanced inside and saw that there was a business license hanging on the wall.

Feng Jianguo said that Pei Jinhong was the proprietress of this entertainment club, and Pei herself was a broker who traveled between China and Myanmar. So who issued this business license?

A big question mark formed in Song Yuhang’s mind.

As soon as they sat down, a waiter immediately handed them a menu. “Hello sir, what would you like to drink?”

The moment Duan Cheng saw the prices on the menu, his legs went weak with fright. The cheapest glass of lemonade was one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.

It was Song Yuhang who remained unfazed. “Not for now. Our boss is drunk. Just a glass of plain boiled water.”

A trace of surprise flashed in the waiter’s eyes, but he still went to follow the order.

Song Yuhang glanced at the singer’s seat set up in the middle of the dance floor and called the man back.

“Who is singing later?”

The attendant said respectfully, “It will be Miss Fangfang later. If you like, sir, you can spend twenty-eight thousand to choose a song you like.”

…

My goodness, this is truly an outrageously high price.

Duan Cheng secretly clicked his tongue.

The corner of Song Yuhang’s mouth also twitched. “…No need. Then… that, that ‘Auntie Hong’… will she come out?”

The attendant gave her a rather strange look. Song Yuhang said calmly, “Our boss came here in admiration of her. No matter how much it costs, we must see her.”

Only then did the attendant relax and shake his head.

“I’m sorry, sir. ‘Auntie Hong’ does not see guests.”

Quite mysterious. It seems that ordinary channels won’t allow one to see this person.

Song Yuhang nodded. Not long after the attendant left, the singer named “Fangfang” came down from upstairs.

Song Yuhang stared for a while, then put down her glass and stood up. “I’m going to the restroom. You stay with Old Zheng and be careful. If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, you two leave.”

Duan Cheng nodded and synchronized his watch with hers. Song Yuhang then left alone.

The first floor had the dance floor and booths, with open tables next to the bar. There were many waiters, about one every three to five steps. Each was dressed in a suit and tie, refined and courteous, with an earpiece and a walkie-talkie on their hip.

As Song Yuhang walked, everyone she met was warm and polite. The place looked magnificent, and all its business activities seemed normal, but for some reason, she felt a strange, indescribable sense of oddness.

Perhaps it’s because it’s too normal.

She looked up. The CCTV on the corridor blinked with a red light. And also, weren’t these surveillance cameras a bit too dense? There was even one at the entrance to the restroom.

From this, it could be seen that the boss behind the scenes must be a cautious and suspicious person.

While Song Yuhang was surveying the interior of the Huange Nightclub, a room on the second floor emitted ambiguous, low moans as two people tumbled on the bed.

Lin Yan propped herself up on the other person’s shoulders, her face a little pale, biting her lip slightly. “Wang-ge, I still have injuries on my body…”

To make it easier to change the dressings, she had been wearing a nightgown these past few days. Wang Qiang untied the belt of the nightgown and leaned down.

“It’s fine, I’ll be careful. You looking so weak right now really makes it impossible for me to resist…”

He made a move to kiss her. Lin Yan, as if overcome with shyness, buried her head in the crook of his neck, her voice soft. “Wang-ge…”

But in her hand, she clutched a tiny steel needle and gently inserted it into the back of his neck.

The drug quickly took effect. Lin Yan kicked the man away with one foot and sat up, pulling her nightgown together.

“Fuck, what a piece of trash. Disgusting this old master⁴ to death.”

As she spoke, she got off the bed and pondered what to do. Not letting Wang Qiang get close would eventually arouse suspicion. It would be better to…

Lin Yan picked up the phone by the bed, dialed out, and after giving instructions, she took out two injections from the bedside table, lifted Wang Qiang’s sleeve, and gently pierced his vein.

Watching the blue liquid slowly being pushed into his body, Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief, clapped her hands, stood up, pulled the needle from his neck, and leisurely went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Downstairs, the singer Chen Fang had not finished her song before she was stopped.

“The boss wants you to go up.”

Chen Fang was obviously hesitant. Although she liked Wang Qiang, out of respect for Pei Jinhong, she mostly avoided him. To be so blatant was a bit too…

The attendant added in a low voice, “Auntie Hong is not here.”

A look of eagerness filled Chen Fang’s eyes. She put down the microphone, bowed to the audience, and followed the attendant upstairs.

The room was very large, at the level of an executive suite. Lin Yan was showering on one side, and while the sound of water couldn’t be heard outside, she could clearly hear the commotion inside.

At first, Chen Fang’s voice was one of feigned resistance. “Wang-ge, don’t…”

Later, all that was left were the sounds of mutual consent.

After about ten minutes, before she had even finished her shower, the commotion stopped.

Fuck, that was way too fast. He’s probably impotent.

Lin Yan rolled her eyes, took a bathrobe from the wall, put it on, and pushed the door open to enter.

Chen Fang was contentedly getting off him, her clothes not yet on, when a gun was pressed against the back of her head.

Lin Yan leaned over slightly, her hair still damp.

“I was just taking a shower, and you couldn’t wait?”

Her gaze casually swept over. The man lying on the bed hadn’t even zipped up his pants. Due to the drug injection and physical exertion, he was fast asleep and hadn’t woken up.

Chen Fang hadn’t expected her to appear so suddenly. Didn’t the person who brought her up say she wasn’t here?

Her heart tightened, and she trembled with fear, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Hong-jie, no… I didn’t… listen to my explanation, it was Wang-ge, he… he…”

Before she could finish, Lin Yan slapped her hard across the face.

“Fuck your mother, have you no shame? How did this old master promote you, and this is how you repay me?” she said, a sinister ruthlessness suddenly filling her eyes.

“Keeping something that repays kindness with enmity is a disaster. It would be better to…”

Lin Yan slightly squeezed the trigger. Chen Fang immediately threw herself forward and hugged her leg, her face streaked with tears and snot.

“Don’t, don’t, Hong-jie, Hong-jie, I was wrong! I was wrong! Fangfang knows she was wrong! Please let me go! I beg you, I’ll serve you tea and water, I’ll be your beast of burden! As long as you don’t kill me, even kicking me out is fine. I don’t want anything anymore, I beg you…”

Chen Fang had, after all, been around the block and knew that even if she waited for Wang Qiang to wake up and beg him, it would be useless.

Firstly, the two of them had a deep relationship, incomparable to a fleeting affair like hers.

Secondly, Wang Qiang only cared about business matters. Pei Jinhong managed all the affairs of the nightclub. Begging him was not as good as properly begging Hong-jie. Perhaps she would spare her life for old times’ sake.

Chen Fang’s calculations were sharp. She cried a river of tears, looking so pitiful even I would feel for her⁵.

If Lin Yan weren’t an undercover agent, she would have been moved.

Seeing that she remained silent, Chen Fang kowtowed⁶ and apologized, her forehead quickly scraping against the ground until the skin broke, her body swaying precariously.

Lin Yan walked to the mahogany sofa and sat down, placed the gun on the table, reached out to light a cigar, held it between two fingers, took a light puff, and leisurely blew out smoke rings, gesturing for her to come over.

Chen Fang crawled over on her knees.

Lin Yan pressed the cigarette butt onto her exposed shoulder.

Chen Fang wanted to scream, but upon meeting her cold gaze, she swallowed it back down.

The sound of the scorching hot cigarette butt making contact with the skin emitted a “zizi” sound, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

Lin Yan watched with satisfaction as cold sweat beaded on her forehead, her face deathly pale, her lips bitten hard, her whole body trembling, yet she didn’t make a single sound.

Only when the cigarette butt was completely extinguished did she let go.

Chen Fang completely lost her strength and collapsed onto the floor, a large, bloody burn on her shoulder.

Lin Yan leaned over and lit another cigar, placing it in her mouth.

“Here, have a taste. A gift from your Wang-ge.”

Tears swirled in Chen Fang’s eyes. Her jaw was forced open, and she held the cigar, not daring to speak.

Lin Yan’s fingers brushed over her shoulder, pinching hard on the bloody area.

Chen Fang could no longer bear it and burst into tears. “Hong-jie, Hong-jie, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I’ll never dare to do it again…”

Lin Yan pulled her clothes together for her. “Wrong about what? You did nothing wrong. Sister likes you, just leaving a mark for you is all.”

“Come, get up,” Lin Yan said, personally helping her to her feet.

Chen Fang, draped in her clothes, trembled all over, no longer daring to look at her.

Lin Yan patted her shoulder. “Go back and take care of your injury. I won’t tell anyone about what happened today. As for Wang-ge, you can explain it to him yourself.”

Chen Fang sobbed. She knew that compared to the last singer who betrayed them—whom Pei Jinhong had her fingernails pulled out, her tongue cut, and was injected with high-purity drugs before being sold to Southeast Asia—her fate of merely getting a cigarette burn was already the best possible outcome.

“Yes, Fangfang understands. Fangfang will never dare to have improper thoughts again. From now on, I will only listen to Hong-jie. I will do whatever Hong-jie tells me to do. Hong-jie is my own sister.”

Lin Yan’s bright red nails caressed her face as she giggled.

“Good girl. You also know that as long as Sister says the word, what does it matter if you leave Huange? You’ll still end up on the streets with no one wanting you. Follow Sister obediently, and there will be benefits for you.”

As she spoke, she cast a meaningful glance at Wang Qiang.

Chen Fang, however, did not dare to look again. She hurriedly bowed to her and stumbled away.

After the person left, Lin Yan sat down again and listlessly lit a cigarette.

“Come in.”

Liu Zhi pushed the door open and entered, his face indignant. “Saozi, why didn’t you finish her off?”

Lin Yan smoked languidly, the swirling smoke making her face appear even more profound and gorgeous.

Liu Zhi always felt that she had been somewhat different since returning from Northern Myanmar. Her voice was the same, and her personality and mannerisms were similar, but he didn’t know if it was because she had lost more weight or something else. Her features had become more exquisite and captivating, and she had gained an intoxicating charm.

Although he couldn’t pinpoint the change, there was no doubt that she was increasingly attracting his gaze, making it impossible for him to look away.

Liu Zhi’s gaze was glued to the fingers holding the cigarette. The bones of her fingers were long and distinct, her wrist fair and slender.

He swallowed, then heard Lin Yan say.

“She is, after all, a woman your brother likes. Killing her would only displease him again.”

Liu Zhi glanced at the man on the bed sleeping like a dead pig, the dissatisfaction in his eyes growing more apparent.

Lin Yan stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, let out a long sigh, and leaned back on the sofa.

Liu Zhi walked over and began to massage her shoulders.

Lin Yan sighed with emotion, “You’re still the most considerate.”

Seeing the gauze still wrapped around her arm, Liu Zhi’s touch became even lighter. “It’s what I should do. Is Saozi feeling better?”

“Much better, thanks to you.” Lin Yan turned her head to look at him, her black hair falling softly on her shoulders. Without any makeup, her natural beauty was even more apparent.

“By the way, today I saw…” She didn’t know the name of the man in camouflage she had seen in the wooden cabin that day, so she spoke vaguely.

“Someone came to see Wang-ge. They seemed to be discussing something.”

Liu Zhi gave a faint “en,” feeling there was no need to hide anything from her, so he told her everything.

“They said a batch of goods will be delivered to us in three days, and a big shot from above will also come over.”

“Is that so…” Lin Yan pondered, wondering who this big shot could be.

Looks like I need to file a report back to the organization.

“Alright, it’s getting late. You should go back and rest early too. I’ll attend to Wang-ge and go to sleep as well.”

Liu Zhi reluctantly withdrew. Lin Yan’s lips curved into a seductive smile, and she threw him a flirtatious glance.

And the top of her foot gently brushed against his trouser leg.

“Your skill is not bad. In the future, when Wang-ge is not around, you can come by often to give me a massage and loosen up my muscles.”

Liu Zhi was, after all, young and full of vigor. Her teasing made his blood rush, and his face turned red, unable to speak coherently.

“O-Okay, since Saozi says so, I will definitely come often.”

Lin Yan waved her hand, signaling for him to leave. Liu Zhi gently closed the door for her. His last glimpse was of her kneeling on the bed, wiping sweat from Wang Qiang’s brow with a towel.

For the first time, he felt resentment towards his big brother, and it was so intense.

On what grounds? On what grounds? A woman as good as Saozi, who treats him with her whole heart, and Wang Qiang still doesn’t know how to cherish her?

The young man clenched his fists, a fierce glint suddenly flashing in his eyes.

---

LP: ​Re-translated on July 25, 2025

---

---