Miss Forensics – Chapter 3

Former Dust

Lin Yan changed into a new outfit and appeared in a certain upscale club in the city center. It was just after nightfall, and the place wasn’t too crowded. The dim lighting created a subdued atmosphere, and inside the restaurant, some young men were dressed in tuxedos, playing the violin, producing a melodious and pleasant sound.

She followed the waiter, turning several corners, her high heels making no sound on the soft carpet.

Finally, they stopped in front of a door, and the waiter bowed, saying, “Miss Lin, please.”

Lin Yan pushed the door open and entered. A man was swinging a golf club, trying to putt the ball into the hole. Upon hearing some movement, he turned around and saw her. A natural smile appeared on his face.

Neither overly enthusiastic nor distant.

“You’re here.”

He wiped his sweat with a towel and gestured for her to sit.

The waiter led her in through the door and quietly left. It was a small indoor golf course, and Lin Yan didn’t hold back. There were ready-made refreshments on the table, as if he knew she would come.

She picked up a sweet preserve with her fingertips and put it in her mouth, but her eyebrows lightly furrowed—it was too sweet.

She took a tissue to wipe her hands and remained motionless.

The man, in his forties with an average build and a fair complexion, was dressed in an unremarkable plain T-shirt. After finishing a round of golf, he was slightly out of breath as he sat down across from her.

“How was it? Was the court session smooth today?”

Lin Yan had always been someone who didn’t sit like everyone else; she leaned back in the chair. Her two fair and slender legs were gently crossed together, and the thin straps of her red high heels hung from her snow-white ankles.

She was dressed a bit more seductively than during the day, wearing a well-tailored black sleeveless dress with a deep V-neck, revealing her collarbone and other curvaceous features.

The color and style were quite alluring, but when she put it on, it didn’t have a flashy or ostentatious feel. It was just the right amount of charm.

Hanging from her earlobes were two large earrings, and her wavy curls were styled up, leaving a few stray strands around her cheeks and forehead. Her skin was fair, yet she loved to wear dark-colored lipstick, which gave her a touch of cold allure.

A woman like this is an exceptional beauty, and for men, she is prey.

Lin Yan smiled and replied, “Mmm, it went smoothly.”

As if in response to her words, the phone placed on the table lit up, showing a remittance notification from a bank with a substantial amount of money. The sender was the New Industry Company.

The man raised his glass, saying, “Congratulations, Miss Lin, on another successful venture into fortune.”

“Not at all, not at all. I must thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

Their highball glasses lightly clinked together, and both exchanged a knowing smile.

As he set down his glass, Lin Yan’s lips softened, “So, according to our agreement…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already had my people check the information you entrusted me to find within the police internal network…”

Lin Yan’s pupils slightly contracted, “And? What did you find?”

The man shook his head and took another sip of champagne. “It’s difficult. The case from years ago is too old, and there are only fragments of information on the internal network. I copied what I could find, but I don’t think it will be of much help to you.”

The woman sitting across from him had her lips tremble for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. “For such a major case, the Public Security Bureau should have kept physical files.”

The man nodded candidly, “Yes, they should have, but it’s strange. Last month, when we moved the archives, a batch of old case files all got soaked and ruined. Nothing was left, not even ashes.”

A fire in the archives was no small matter, and several officers were investigated for dereliction of duty. However, it involved only closed and long-forgotten cases, so no one delved too deep into the matter, and it was left unresolved.

“There’s still one place where there might be records.”

“The Prosecution Office.”

As a standard procedure for the supervisory department of the Public Security Bureau, all evidence is presented to the Prosecution Office before being transferred to the court, so there should be backups.

However, it has always been the Prosecution Office that requests case files from the Public Security Bureau. It’s unheard of for the Public Security Bureau to seek files from the Prosecution Office; it would be like indirectly admitting dereliction of duty.

Moreover, this is a clandestine matter that cannot follow the regular process.

Lin Yan understood the stakes very well. Though she didn’t say a word, she tightened her grip on the slender neck of the highball glass. Her finger joints turned as pale as jade, and she applied so much force that it seemed they could break at any moment.

The man shook his head, “No, the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, being the place where the case occurred, must have backups. If not…”

He looked up, and there was a glimmer of obscure and unclear light in his eyes. “Lin Yan, you can’t continue investigating this case.”

*****

The coastal province of Binhai is located in the southwest, near the seashore, where typhoons and heavy rain are common in the summer.

The strong wind swayed the tree branches, and rainwater, along with the window curtains, rushed inside.

The woman stood barefoot on the ground.

“You can’t continue investigating this case.”

Just chewing on these words, she shattered her heart full of resentment. She raised her hand and fiercely plunged a knife into the wall.

A lightning bolt streaked across the sky, briefly illuminating the room. The walls were covered in red paint, with various sizes of “X” marks, and their long tails trailed down like drying bloodstains.

Above the bloodstains, several yellowed photographs and newspaper clippings were pinned with thumbtacks. The room was not large, but it was filled with these items, covering almost half of one wall.

The images of what appeared to be human bones and flesh remained unfaded and still emitted a faint, musty odor despite the passage of time and space.

The girl was embraced in the center of the photos, smiling silently. Her once delicate features now appeared somewhat eerie against this backdrop.

Another lightning flash tore through the sky, illuminating the woman’s somewhat sinister countenance.

Her throat moved slightly, and she finished the liquid in the highball glass in one gulp.

As her arm dropped, the remaining drops of liquid from the glass splashed onto the floor, resembling bloodstains scattered at her feet.

*****

Just as the news was showing the segment where Lin Yan was being chased and surrounded by reporters, Song Yuhang was holding a teacup and completely engrossed in watching. Unexpectedly, the office door was pushed open by someone.

She quickly put down the teacup and stood up, saying, “Director Zhao, hello.”

Almost instinctively, she raised her hand in salute. The woman was dressed in standard attire for spring and autumn, wearing a light blue formal shirt with a meticulously tied tie. Her other hand rested gracefully along the seam of her pants, and her cap was quietly placed on the left side of the desk, following the regulations.

Seeing her so formal, Director Zhao smiled, “There’s no need for so many formalities here, please sit.”

“Alright.”

Song Yuhang then sat down again, maintaining her formal posture with a straight back.

“How have you been lately?”

“Not bad, just some high blood pressure, an old problem. But I’ve been taking medication daily as advised by my wife to keep it under control. It’s not a big deal.”

Director Zhao was in his fifties, slightly plump, with some gray hair at his temples. However, he seemed physically robust and mentally sharp.

Back when she was studying at the Public Security University, he, as a senior police inspector in the Criminal Investigation Department of the Binhai Provincial Public Security Bureau, often gave lectures. He could be considered half of Song Yuhang’s teacher. After she graduated, when she wanted to work at the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, he mediated and maneuvered various aspects for her.

She was grateful for all of these things and took advantage of the time when she had to go to the Provincial Hall for a meeting to visit her former mentor.

Unexpectedly, both of them were bogged down with various matters, and they could only find time to meet in the office.

But even this much was enough; Zhao Junfeng was one of the few people who treated her exceptionally well.

“Please take care of your health, remember to take your medication on time, and don’t let your wife keep reminding you… Here are some health supplements for you.”

She was never one to talk much, and whatever else she wanted to say remained trapped in her heart, unable to be spoken.

He saw the colorful gift boxes piled by her feet, including some popular TV show “Golden Partner” merchandise and dairy products like bird’s nest.

He seemed somewhat amused and exasperated at the same time. “Ha, you really are something. You just arrived, why did you buy all this stuff? If my wife sees this, she’ll scold you again. Besides, carrying these things in and out of the police station, what will people think!”

Although he said that, it was evident that he was genuinely happy.

Song Yuhang’s lips curved slightly, and she didn’t say anything more.

As Zhao Junfeng dealt with the documents at hand, he casually chatted. He had even planned to have a couple of drinks with his apprentice after work today. Unexpectedly, an internal phone call came in, and the former chief’s brow furrowed lightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Journalists are conducting interviews.”

Having worked in criminal investigation for his entire career, Zhao Junfeng had walked a path with one step at a time, facing life and death countless times, and tasted blood on the blade. What he feared the most were not the heinous criminals but the intellectuals who loved to criticize and write.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Junfeng seemed a bit helpless. “As you know, the 4.18 case has been reopened. The Prosecution Office keeps sending people over to supervise us, and the court is urging us to provide new evidence. The online debates are getting intense, with some accusing us of using torture to extract confessions. Our team members have been working tirelessly for days, but it’s not easy to catch the suspects.”

Binhai Province is a populous province, with over a third of the population being migrant workers from other regions. The mix of people makes the investigation quite challenging.

Song Yuhang pondered for a moment. “I have a general understanding of that case. My suggestion is to focus the investigation on people who had close contact with the deceased. After all, there aren’t many people who knew about the victim’s heart condition, especially those who had direct contact with him at the KTV on the night of the incident. It’s crucial to prioritize the investigation in that direction.”

“The deceased worked at a KTV, and the interpersonal relationships there are complicated,” he said while taking a sip from his teacup, his brows furrowing with concern.

Because the team members had been working continuously for several nights, although Zhao Junfeng, as a leader, didn’t need to personally visit each household and conduct door-to-door investigations, the burden on his shoulders was not light. He hadn’t had a peaceful sleep for several days.

While contemplating the problem, Song Yuhang absentmindedly rubbed her index finger with her thumb.

Despite this, her face showed little emotional fluctuations.

“Simultaneously, investigate Jin Weixin and find out the source of the drugs. That will bring us closer to the truth.”

“Have you seen the autopsy report?” Zhao Junfeng didn’t hold back and placed the file on the table.

“I’ve seen it. Since the perpetrator could poison the victim without any defense, it indicates a close relationship between them. According to the autopsy report, the victim was stabbed in the chest with a fruit knife shortly after death, causing massive bleeding. Focus the surveillance on that specific time frame and check who entered and exited the private room.”

Zhao Junfeng held the teacup, and the steam misted up his reading glasses, which he gently rubbed against the cup’s surface. His expression appeared somewhat inscrutable.

“Why would someone stab the victim again after they were already dead?”

“To distract the attention of the police, or… to shift blame onto someone else.”

She lightly pursed her lips, “Or perhaps it was simply out of fear that the victim hadn’t died and they wanted to finish the job.”

Scientific criminal profiling is built upon crime analysis, victim information, and logical evidence, rather than relying on mystical or ambiguous methods like fortune-telling.

As a result, without conducting an on-site investigation or personally examining the body, she could only provide suggestions.

“The perpetrator had intimate contact with both the victim and Jin Weixin, and may have had conflicts with one of them.”

“They might have been present at the KTV on the night of the incident.”

“We shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a female perpetrator.”

The information was too scarce, and her conclusions were only these.

After she finished speaking, Zhao Junfeng smiled lightly, as if he had anticipated her thoughts, yet also as if he had expected her response.

The time was now dusk, and the evening sun’s rays streamed through the blinds, casting a patch of light onto his office desk.

A breeze blew, lifting a corner of the autopsy report, revealing the name of the chief forensic examiner: Lin Yan.

At this moment, Song Yuhang still didn’t understand the meaning behind his smile. Later, she found out that her words had been mentioned to him several days ago.

Is it a case of great minds thinking alike or destined to be arch-enemies?

At that time, Song Yuhang had already passed the age of thirty and believed that she had completed one-third of her life’s journey. Due to her profession and the expertise she had acquired, she understood the ways of the world and the human heart. However, she remained unaware that fate is an intricate and chaotic web of thousands of threads.

She and Lin Yan were merely two insignificant stars in the vast tide of this era.

*****

“Miss, the meal is ready.” The butler gently knocked on the door of the study.

Lin Yan placed the folded origami crane into a transparent glass bottle, sealed it with a lid, and locked it in the display cabinet.

“Please bring it in.”

*****

“Come on, Little Song, it’s not easy for you to visit. Eat more.”

In the evening, Song Yuhang’s mentor’s wife prepared a home-cooked feast with a table full of hot dishes, including fish, shrimp, crab, and various other delicacies.

Seeing that her rice bowl had already piled up like a small mountain, Song Yuhang could do nothing but keep stuffing food into her mouth while trying to resist with her hand.

“That’s enough, Auntie. There’s still food in my bowl, you should eat too.”

“Ah, okay, you both sit down. I still have soup stewing in the pot.”

With that, her mentor’s wife hurried back into the kitchen to bring the soup.

Zhao Junfeng opened a bottle of Wuliangye¹, poured a full glass for himself, and filled hers with a small half glass.

The two plastic wine glasses clinked together, and Song Yuhang took a sip, her face turning red from the alcohol.

Zhao Junfeng burst into laughter, “You still can’t handle alcohol like this.”

“Cough…,” she put down the wine glass just as her mentor’s wife returned with the soup and served her a small bowl.

“You’re being too modest.”

“Oh, why are you encouraging her to drink? If Little Song can’t handle it, she doesn’t need to drink. Don’t listen to him. Come, have some soup.”

Song Yuhang quickly stood up to receive the bowl, saying, “Thank you, Auntie.”

“Why are you thanking me, child? We haven’t had anyone visit in the past ten days or so. Your visit has made Auntie very happy.”

Zhao Junfeng started as a junior police officer and eventually became the Deputy Director in charge of criminal investigation at the Public Security Department in Binhai Province. He had experienced many trials and tribulations throughout his career, but even in his old age, he had no children of his own. His only son had been killed years ago due to retaliation by criminals.

If he had grown up safely, he should have reached the age to start a family and establish himself by now.

Even if the case is solved, the elderly couple still carries scars in their hearts.

After their only son’s tragic death, they never had another child, leaving the Zhao family always feeling empty and lonely.

Zhao Junfeng poured himself another drink, saying, “Let’s not talk about that. I heard you’re dating someone? What’s their age, family background, occupation? What’s their personality like? Do they have a history of domestic violence?”

As a criminal investigator, these are the first questions that come to mind.

Song Yuhang smiled wryly, “Nothing can escape your notice. I haven’t actually started dating yet. It’s just that my mom suggested I go on a blind date.”

Zhao Junfeng understood her well; if things weren’t promising, she wouldn’t have mentioned it.

“After a few encounters, that’s good enough. If he’s in his thirties, unmarried, with no bad habits like smoking or drinking, and has a medical Ph.D., that sounds like a good catch.”

Her mentor’s wife chimed in, also finding the conditions favorable, but with some concern, “At such an age and still unmarried, I hope there are no hidden issues. Keep your eyes open and observe him closely.”

Song Yuhang nodded, “Yes, you’re right. We’ve only met a few times and had a couple of meals together. For now, we’re just friends, and I’m not thinking too deeply about it.”

“Exactly, that’s the point. Marriage is a significant matter and shouldn’t be rushed. With Song Yuhang’s qualifications, she won’t have any trouble finding a good partner.”

Zhao Junfeng looked at her with frustration, “You don’t understand. It’s already difficult for detectives to find suitable partners, and it’s even rarer for women in this profession! She should find someone she likes while she’s still young. The older she gets, the more difficult it will be, and even if she’s choosing, others might not choose her!”

This statement echoed exactly what her mother had told her.

Song Yuhang rubbed her forehead, feeling a little exasperated, “Chief Zhao…”

Her mentor’s wife playfully argued with Zhao Junfeng again over this matter, saying, “Then you should be grateful that I picked you! You’ve accumulated good fortune for eight lifetimes!”

“Old lady, the older you get, the more you become unkind with your words…”

Zhao Junfeng complained, but the twinkle in his eyes remained, and everyone in the room burst into laughter.

City lights gradually lit up, cars flowed on the overpass, and the aroma of the meal filled the room. For many people, this was just an ordinary weekend.

But for Song Yuhang, even after many years, she still remembered the reddish glow on her mentor’s face from the alcohol, the playful and scolding expressions of her mentor’s wife, and the table full of dishes that she loved to eat.

Those were the good times that could never be returned to.

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1. Wuliangye is a Chinese baijiu liquor made from proso millet, maize, glutinous rice, long-grain rice and wheat.