Miss Forensics – Chapter 20

Opponent

When Lin Yan finished smoking a cigarette, the car arrived. She opened the car door, got in, and caught a glimpse of a car not far behind starting its engine through the rearview mirror.

“Miss, where to?”

Lin Yan fastened her seatbelt. “I haven’t decided yet. Just drive around, driver.”

After circling the city for a few rounds, that car was still relentlessly tailing behind. The way they were following was clever; the distance was significant, yet they always managed to catch up just as she was about to disappear.

A faint smile curved at the corner of Lin Yan’s lips. How intriguing.

“Driver, take me to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.”

Even before dawn, a swarm of media reporters had gathered at the entrance of the municipal bureau. The moment she stepped out of the car, she was surrounded, various types of microphones and cameras thrust before her.

“Miss Lin, Miss Lin, we’ve heard that you conducted the analysis for this case.”

“Miss Lin, is the perpetrator the victim’s husband or someone else?”

“We’ve heard that the victim had a tumultuous personal life and was involved with the principal of Jiangcheng No.1 High School. Could this be a motive for the murder?”

She didn’t say a word, extending her hand to clear a path. Someone behind her continued to pursue, saying, “Miss Lin, Miss Lin, please share something about this case…”

When they reached the lobby, the pursuing person was blocked by arriving police officers. She had managed to successfully break free. Zhang Jinhai, who was hosting the individuals sent by the procuratorate¹, showed a trace of delight upon her return and greeted her warmly.

“Well, Forensic Doctor Lin is back. How’s the case progressing?”

Lin Yan responded indifferently, “Ah, I suppose it’s not looking promising.”

Zhang Jinhai slapped his thigh, stood up with a troubled expression, and sighed, “Ah, I knew it. This time it’s a mess. What kind of situation is this? Even if they find evidence, it might not necessarily…”

In front of the prosecutor, he swallowed the second half of his sentence. Seeing Lin Yan’s displeased expression, he quickly offered his deference, “It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back. Forensic Doctor Lin, you’ve worked hard this time. Go and rest.”

He had been waiting for this remark.

Lin Yan nodded slightly, “Alright, I’ll go take a nap. Let another forensic expert handle the case today.”

After she left, Zhang Jinhai sat down again and engaged in a conversation with several prosecutors, “This is Lin Yan, our newly recruited expert at the municipal bureau. Forensic Doctor Lin doesn’t seem as unsociable as the rumors suggest…”

Wearing wet clothes was uncomfortable. Lin Yan walked while taking off her coat, holding it in her hand. She cast a subtle glance behind her.

Her little tail that had been following her disappeared.

People were coming and going in the corridors of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

She pushed open the door of the duty room and walked in, flinging her coat onto the sofa. With a thud, she collapsed onto the iron-framed bed, beginning to recuperate.

As time passed by, people continued to enter and exit the duty room, fetching items. Lin Yan was sleeping deeply; she was truly tired. It had been quite a while since she had worked at such a high intensity.

It wasn’t until the first rays of dawn filtered through the curtain’s crevices and illuminated the bed that Lin Yan opened her eyes. Weariness dissipated, replaced by a refreshed demeanor.

“In the case of the murdered female teacher at Jiangcheng No.1 High School, Sun Xiangming, the deceased’s husband who was detained yesterday, has had his lawyer file an appeal. Due to insufficient evidence, he may be released this morning. Jiangcheng City Television is providing live coverage for you.”

The room lacked drawn curtains, and it remained entirely dark. The television was still on, and the female host’s voice carried on ceaselessly. The scene shifted, capturing Sun Xiangming walking out accompanied by his parents and lawyer. He bowed to the media reporters and the crowd of onlookers.

“Thank you all for your concern. I believe we should better understand and support the efforts of the police. After all, they are also working to solve the case and clear my wife’s name.”

As he reached this point, his eyes reddened once again. In full view of everyone, he wiped away his tears, his voice choking up. He couldn’t manage another word, so he simply waved to signal the media to cease filming.

Later on, he and his parents got into a taxi, disappearing from the public’s sight.

With a ‘bang,’ the remote control was hurled and struck the TV screen, abruptly halting the clamor of sounds, and restoring a silence to the world.

The person seated in front of the television gritted their teeth, clutching their own hair, and let out a roar from deep within their throat. The once delicately defined features gradually twisted into an ominous and distorted expression.

Early morning at the municipal bureau was the busiest time, with bustling personnel shuttling to and fro, the brisk footfalls of detectives, and ordinary citizens coming in for various errands.

Additionally, compounded by the Sun Xiangming incident, managing the media and responding to accountability from the prosecutor’s office had escalated into an even more demanding task.

Director Feng paced back and forth in the office, remarking, “We still need to assign a few people to monitor him. He must not be permitted to leave Jiangcheng City, not even for a moment. Public opinion is audaciously attempting to meddle with judicial justice. It’s ludicrous!”

When he uttered these words, it was inevitable for people to recall the legend that had circulated in the Jiangcheng City police circle for many years.

“Iron shoulders bear the weight of duty, heart forges the soul of a cop” – this was the motto Zhao Junfeng had gifted him when he took office as the director of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau.

Despite his current age and his physique showing signs of corpulence, and his agility not being what it used to be, in his youth, he had captured drug traffickers across provinces, confronted criminals at the border, carried out life-or-death hostage rescues, and had even taken a bullet during a battle that destroyed a drug production den, clutching tightly to the thigh of the drug lord until reinforcement forces arrived.

Feng Jianguo became famous through that particular battle, setting the stage for his subsequent steady rise in the ranks.

Over the years, he no longer engaged in frontline action, his temper had gradually mellowed, but the air of authority in his voice as he spoke these words was enough to send a shiver through the junior officers. They immediately stood at attention, saluted, and with unwavering determination, replied, “Yes, Chief. We pledge to complete the mission and ensure that Sun Xiangming doesn’t leave our sight for even a single step!”

He turned around to leave, yet Director Feng turned back again and inquired, “Where’s Song Yuhang?”

The young officer hesitated for a moment and responded, “She should be on her way back.”

Watching Director Feng’s expression, the young officer sympathetically closed the door for him, thinking to himself: “Team Leader Song is surely facing a tough situation this time. At the very least, she’s going to receive some form of reprimand.”

Lost in his thoughts, he inadvertently collided with a janitor working in the corridor, causing the broom to fall to the ground.

He bent down, picked it up, and handed it back, saying, “I’m sorry.”

The janitor wore a standardized hat and a mask, hunching over with age apparent on their face. Their voice sounded especially husky and hoarse.

“No problem.”

Having said that, they continued to sweep the dust from the tiled aisle.

The officer, clutching a folder, kept moving forward. All of a sudden, something seemed amiss. This janitor appeared unfamiliar. Could they be new here?

He turned around to look, but the corridor was utterly vacant. In an instant, he felt a chill run down his spine and cursed under his breath, “Damn it, seeing ghosts in broad daylight.”

Song Yuhang leaned against the car door, blood trickling down her fingertips. Her fingers were marred by the shards of discarded glass in the trash heap, resulting in a bloody mess. Fang Xin handed her a pack of tissues, intending to help cover her wounds.

Song Yuhang subtly evaded, “It’s alright, just a minor injury. Tell the guys, let’s call it a day.”

Though the rain had ceased, the sky remained overcast. Patches of clouds hung low, as though brewing a larger storm.

Having gone without sleep all night, Song Yuhang’s eyes were bloodshot, her hair disheveled, and her clothes carried the stench of rubbish. Others were in similar states. Upon entering the car, they slumped into their seats. No one exchanged words, and the atmosphere weighed heavily, somber. Before long, snores filled the air.

Duan Cheng yawned ceaselessly, striving to stay awake while driving. Song Yuhang leaned against the back of her seat, her tense lips gradually relaxing. Her complexion, pale from a night of vigilance, finally revealed signs of fatigue – after all, she wasn’t made of iron.

Everyone in the car was mentally and physically fatigued, and she was no exception. To the point that her typically lucid and smooth thoughts had grown somewhat distant.

At times, it was the face of the deceased, Ding Xue.

At times, it was Sun Xiangming, separated by iron bars, smiling at her in a spine-chilling manner.

The scene shifted – a landscape blanketed in white. It was as if she found herself amidst a thicket of reeds, her fingers delicately brushing over the rushes. The wind lifted skyward, and it descended upon her brow.

She heard someone saying in a leisurely manner, “He can’t afford a diamond ring, so I’ll gift one to you.”

Another familiar female voice chimed in, “No need. With Forensic Doctor Lin’s words, I wouldn’t even want a pull tab from a soda can.”

In her dreams, she furrowed her brow, following that voice, only to tumble into an icy swamp.

They locked gazes like wild beasts, seemingly ready to pounce and snap each other’s necks.

“Since heaven and earth are heartless, why can’t I take justice into my own hands?”

Taking justice into her own hands.

For whom, and in which direction does the path lead?

Song Yuhang pondered over these words, feeling like a sudden lightning bolt had shattered through the confusion. She abruptly sat up, her coat slipping off her shoulders, her expression shifting and uncertain.

“Duan Cheng, change the route. Don’t head back to the bureau. Go straight to Sun Xiangming’s house!”

Duan Cheng’s eyelids were currently in a battle, and her sudden outburst startled him so much that he seemed to have lost his wits. Stammering, he asked, “Wha… What’s wrong, Team Leader Song?”

“This case isn’t over yet. Hurry up! If we delay any longer, it will be too late!”

With haste, Song Yuhang fumbled her way into her pocket to retrieve her phone, beginning to call the undercover agents stationed near Sun Xiangming’s house.

In that moment of sudden realization, she grasped more pieces of the puzzle.

During her first visit to the school with Forensic Doctor Lin, when Li Shiping had relentlessly questioned Lin Yan about Ding Xue’s cause of death, it wasn’t merely curiosity that drove her. It stemmed from concern for another person.

She also recollected their visit to Li’s house, where numerous awards adorned the walls – all championship titles from teaching competitions.

Song Yuhang casually inquired, “Are you a chemistry teacher?”

Li Shiping took a sip of coffee. “Yes, I’ve been interested in this field since junior high,” she said. “I initially wanted to become a scientist, but fate had other plans, and I ended up becoming a teacher.”

Why would someone who teaches chemistry have so many English original works in their office?

The answer was self-evident.

There were also exceedingly clean photos in the display case.

And that ring – “S” could stand for both Song and Sun, of course, it could also be “Shi”!

Lin Yan might have noticed the same details she did. So, what exactly was obstructing her vision?

Was it the unwillingness to believe that such emotions could still exist in the world, or…

At the thought of this, she felt a hidden fear surging throughout her body.

Song Yuhang bit her lower lip, tasting blood along with a trace of rust on her tongue. She abruptly pushed her hair back, tucking all the loose strands away from her forehead, her eyes a fiery red.

“Duan Cheng, drive faster!”

It was too late.

“Hello, your takeout has arrived,” a knocking sound came from the door. Sun Xiangming had just finished showering and was drying his hair. He leaned over to the peephole to take a look.

It was the popular street food stall from downstairs, dressed in their uniform with their logo. The delivery person held a bag and took a step back, about to call him.

“Coming, coming,” he placed his towel by the entrance, cracked the door open slightly, and extended his arm to get the order.

However, the delivery person didn’t hand it over immediately. Instead, they said, “Sir, could you please give us a positive review? Just a brief comment on the taste of our dishes would be great. It’s a request from the owner. Can you help us out?”

In the middle of the scorching summer, the person in front of him was still clad in long-sleeved work clothes. They wore a cap with the store logo, and even a mask to maintain hygiene. Only a pair of eyes was visible, carrying a faint plea. A hint of sweat trickled from beneath the cap’s brim.

Impatiently, Sun Xiangming took the pen and paper handed to him. He wrote on the receipt while speaking, “The stir-fried clams I ordered last time tasted good, but they weren’t properly cleaned. I ended up consuming quite a bit of sand and grit. Make sure to convey this to your boss…”

Before he could finish speaking, the delivery person nodded and bowed, saying, “Yes, yes, I understand.”

A faint glint of chilliness seemed to escape from the loose sleeve cuff. Suddenly, Sun Xiangming felt that something was off. He raised his gaze to meet the person’s eyes, and they were still smiling at him.

For some inexplicable reason, he felt that he recognized the face, and a tingling sensation crept over his scalp.

Midway through writing, he refused to continue, stuffing the receipt and pen back into the delivery person’s hand. He took the takeout from the person’s hand and was about to close the door. In that split second, Li Shiping moved.

She didn’t know where she found the strength, but she grabbed his arm tightly, using the door to press and crush his arm with forceful impacts.

Sun Xiangming felt like his bones were being crushed. He let out a heart-wrenching scream from his throat.

A person in black leapt up from the courtyard on the fourth floor, entering the fire escape. The heavy iron door was pushed open, and the person instantly fell down limply.

Except for underwear, their clothes were stripped clean. Upon touching their neck’s pulse, there was still a faint breath.

There was a small needle hole on their neck; they likely had been drugged.

The newcomer didn’t delay and swiftly moved along the fire escape, ascending the emergency exit. As they were about to push open the iron door and reach the fifth floor, a tall man emerged from the adjacent restroom. He was dressed in plainclothes and had a tiny microphone earpiece.

An undercover agent! Reporter.

A slight sense of surprise flickered in the newcomer’s mind. Soon after, a determined glint abruptly appeared in their eyes.

The two individuals grappled and tumbled into the room, crashing into the entryway. The takeout spilled all over the floor. Sun Xiangming tried to yell, but the woman swiftly picked up a towel that had fallen to the ground, attempting to cover his mouth.

The gender-based difference in strength became apparent. Sun Xiangming regained his focus and grasped her neck, pushing her away, then counterattacked by pinning her to the ground, his grip firm on her throat.

The needle syringe from his sleeve dropped to the ground.

Li Shiping’s complexion gradually turned pale, and she struggled futilely, trying to break free of his grip on her throat. Her head tilted to the side, and as she caught sight of the fallen syringe, a surge of intense hatred suddenly ignited in her eyes.

It was this surge of determination that compelled her to act. She slowly opened her fingers and managed to retrieve the syringe, reminiscent of the first time she met Ding Xue.

She had known Ding Xue long before Sun Xiangming did.

At that time, she was a teacher, and Ding Xue was her student.

On that day, right after a fight with her husband, she arrived at the school to check her assigned duty.

“Good morning, Teacher Li.”

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

……

Students were gradually entering the school, and young girls with ponytails were skipping along the long street. At that time, the spring was in full bloom, willow catkins were dancing in the air, and the atmosphere was filled with fine dust particles.

Seeing that she was about to be late, she still took a moment to pluck a small flower or catch a floating willow fluff.

She furrowed her brows and then noticed her lingering at the small pancake stall near the school gate, “Hurry up! Don’t you know you’ll be late?!”

Ding Xue turned her head, reluctantly patting her stomach and putting money into the pancake vendor’s iron box, “Uncle, please keep it for me. I’ll come to get it tomorrow morning.”

The old man chuckled, “Alright, young lady, go quickly, don’t be late.”

She carried a large backpack and ran into the campus with the ringing bell. When she passed by, she suddenly stopped and handed the freshly picked rose to her.

The young girl’s eyes gleamed, and her tone was crisp, “Teacher, your eyes look really red. Don’t be unhappy. I promise I won’t be late tomorrow! I’m giving you this flower, so smile more~”

Who wouldn’t love such an innocent and bright young person?

Ding Xue entered her life in such a hasty manner, and she stayed there for decades.

“Do you know what’s the one thing I regret the most?” Li Shiping injected the last bit of liquid from the syringe into his veins.

She spoke calmly, yet her trembling couldn’t be restrained. When the syringe emptied, she knelt down, covering her face and sobbing.

“It’s me, it’s me who advised her to get married. It’s me, it’s me… I harmed her. If only I had been a bit braver back then, she wouldn’t have encountered scum like Sun Xiangming, and we wouldn’t be in the situation we are today.”

The black-clad figure standing in the shadows by the door moved their lips, but ultimately, they said nothing.

Sun Xiangming lay quietly on the floor, foaming at the mouth, devoid of vitality.

He was dead.

Ding Xue is dead.

Li Shiping followed suit in death.

In the darkness, she swallowed nervously, fully ingesting the pill hidden beneath her tongue. Then, she retrieved her phone from her pocket. The lock screen password was her birthday. She wished to catch another glimpse of her, but her vision started to blur. She thought it was tears, yet the spots on her phone were bloodstains.

She wiped the blood off her phone, revealing the warm smile of a young girl.

It was the year after Ding Xue graduated and returned to teach at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School. On a breezy summer night scented with lotus blossoms in Lianchi Park, she confessed her feelings to the person she had secretly admired for years.

She still remembered that refreshing evening when the cool breeze tousled her hair, her slightly flushed face, and the shy gaze. Despite being an adult, she was nervous to the point of being flustered.

When Li Shiping leaned in to kiss her, she didn’t resist. In reality, her fingers were so tense that they tightly clutched her own clothing corner.

Li Shiping was smiling when a cough interrupted her, and splatters of blood stained the screen. She anxiously wiped her phone against her clothes, using her bloodied lips to give it a final kiss. Placing the phone on her chest, she closed her eyes slowly.

“Li Shiping!” The person in black rushed forward, shaking her shoulders, but it was already too late.

Sirens sounded from below, and Song Yuhang jumped out of the car, loading a bullet into the chamber. “Team One, surround the building and don’t let a single fly escape. Team Two, breach the door and apprehend the suspect. If met with violent resistance, shoot without hesitation.”

As if already hearing the footsteps of the detectives’ tactical boots echoing in the corridor, they calmly laid Li Shiping flat on the ground. They took gloves from their pocket and put them on, taking a towel to wipe clean every spot they touched, including fingerprints, bloodstains, and footprints, even the doorknob.

Swift and precise in their cleaning, they even plucked two hairs from Li Shiping’s shoulder. Finally, with utmost caution, they retreated to the door, set the air conditioning to sixteen degrees, and gently closed it.

In that instant of turning around, Song Yuhang ascended the stairs, swiftly drawing her gun from the holster on her waist. “Stop! Police! Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!”

Separated by about a dozen meters, the person in black started to run, a bullet grazing their leg as it whizzed by, leaving two marks on the floor.

Song Yuhang darted out like a nimble leopard. She also didn’t forget to instruct her comrades from the other team, “Target spotted, target spotted. Guard the fire escape and don’t let them escape!”

Several detectives emerged from the fire escape passage in an instant, launching their punches and kicks directly toward the person in black. Not interested in prolonged combat, the person in black bent their body to evade the attacks. They were just about to reach the balcony’s edge.

As their hand grasped the railing, a sudden intense pain struck their lower back. They were kicked down, tumbling in a disheveled manner. Rolling on the ground, they narrowly avoided Song Yuhang’s oncoming kick. Swiftly regaining their footing, they delivered a fierce and cunning uppercut.

Their punches clashed, causing both sides to step back. Song Yuhang swung her arm to remove the person’s face mask, but her arm was twisted in response. They engaged in a tense struggle, each trying to gain an advantage. Out of the corner of her eye, Song Yuhang spotted an exposed water pipe on the wall behind them. She exerted force in her legs and, using the momentum, gripped the person’s shoulders tightly like a pair of pliers, pushing them against the wall.

With a resounding “bang,” the wall’s plaster crumbled and fell to the ground. Eardrums buzzed from the impact.

A regular person would likely have been knocked out cold by such a blow, but the person in black was skilled in combat just as much as Song Yuhang. Exerting their strength, they held onto the protruding parts of the water pipe on both ends, propelling themselves into the air with a forceful leap, and their feet struck forward fiercely.

Their legwork was exceptional, catching Song Yuhang off guard and hitting her right in the vulnerable abdomen. She lost her grip, and she was sent flying, crashing into the opposite wall and coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Seeing the two separate, the other detectives behind Song Yuhang quickly drew their guns. However, the person in black had no intention of continuing the fight. They propped themselves on the balcony railing and leaped down from the fifth-floor atrium.

Song Yuhang lunged forward, half of her body extending beyond the balcony. She managed to tear off a piece of Their clothing as they plummeted.

The person in black descended like a broken kite, their movements swift, precise, and fierce. With a loud clang, a black stick firmly caught onto the railing of the second floor, stabilizing their position mid-air. They executed a pull-up maneuver, flipping over the railing, and stumbled away into the corridor.

Frustration boiled in Song Yuhang as she fiercely struck the railing with her fist. “Damn it, let’s chase!”

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1. The Procuratorate acts as a public prosecutor for criminal cases, conducting both the relevant investigations and prosecutions of such cases, as is typical of inquisitorial systems used in civil law jurisdictions.