Miss Forensics – Chapter 41

Martial Arts Competition

Lin Yan’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, a true-blue Brazilian with a lineage tracing back to the founding father of jiu-jitsu, Gracie, was a fierce opponent. Neither of them held back in their moves; Lin Yan may have lacked in sheer strength, but she excelled in agility and tactical thinking.

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there are no fixed training routines; it’s all about real combat. In the arena, it’s either victory or defeat, encountering an opponent means life or death.

She poured every ounce of her energy into the fight, seizing the opportunity when he threw a punch. She forcefully twisted his wrist, simultaneously elbowing his knee, successfully taking him down. Right after that, she swiftly locked in a lightning-fast rear-naked choke, her arm gripping his neck tightly, forcing him to surrender.

But for some reason, there was a hint of new greenery on the windowsill, a solitary rose swaying in the breeze, clearly absent just a few days ago.

Lin Yan caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye. In that split second of distraction, her coach delivered a heavy elbow strike to her abdomen. Lin Yan winced in pain, and before she knew it, she was flipped over. The match concluded with a classic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu move, the cross-collar choke.

Lin Yan was locked in tightly, unable to move, so she had no choice but to pat the ground with her hand, signaling her surrender.

The coach released her and stood up, saying, “Lin, you weren’t focused.”

Lin Yan smiled, rubbed her sore shoulders, and got up. The butler on the side handed her a white towel to wipe off her sweat. “Miss, the appraisal results are out.”

Lin Yan tossed the mineral water she had received from him to her coach. “Thanks, let’s call it a day today. We’ll practice again another time.”

* * *

She changed into a different outfit and appeared in the laboratory. The staff immediately stood up and vacated the computer for her. “Miss, we’ve compared the mud and water samples from the deceased’s nails and confirmed that they match the same body of water.”

“What about diatoms?”

The researcher clicked a few times, displaying the image for her. Just as she had identified the killer and the method of murder in the Ding Xue case in the same manner, Lin Yan was not only a forensic expert but also an expert in forensic botany. She could almost instantly understand. She realized that the riverbank near “Vulture” was the first crime scene, and “Vulture” was not the killer.

This was truly perplexing.

Lin Yan pondered for a moment. “Prepare the car; I need to go out for a while.”

* * *

After more than two months had passed, the riverbank had long since had its caution tape removed, and a sign reading “Deep Water, No Swimming or Fishing” had been erected.

Lin Yan carefully stepped on the slippery moss as she descended. She walked back and forth at the spot where the body was found but found nothing. Searching was not her strong suit. If it were Song Yuhang here…

Thinking of that name, she lightly bit her lip and decided to let it go. After all, Song Yuhang was now deeply involved with Lin Ge, and they probably had no time for these matters.

Back when she had suggested that Song Yuhang seek Lin Ge’s help, she had naturally informed Lin Ge about it. Who would have thought that the two of them would end up in a real relationship!

When Lin Yan saw the photo, her chest felt heavy. She didn’t even know whom she was angry with. Was she angry that Lin Ge and the person she disliked were passionately involved, or was she angry at Song Yuhang for getting together with her cousin and ignoring her? After tossing and turning in bed for most of the night, Lin Yan finally came to a conclusion: Screw it, she wouldn’t have anything to do with these two people ever again!!!

The butler watched her squatting by the water, unmoving, and grew somewhat concerned. He walked over and draped a coat over her, saying, “Miss, it’s getting colder. We should head back.”

Lin Yan stood up. Despite her anger, she deeply understood one thing: To catch a tiger, one must enter its lair.

She wanted to see who this “ghost” behind the scenes truly was.

“Let’s go, back to Jiangcheng.”

The butler took a couple of steps after her. “Miss, the doctor said there are still two more sessions of treatment…”

Lin Yan turned to look at him, not saying a word, her gaze slightly cold. She had always been a person of few words.

The butler lowered his head slightly and complied, saying, “Yes, Miss, I’ll arrange it.”

* * *

The original plan for a vacation to visit Lin Yan in the provincial capital had once again fallen through, as there were several cases of home burglaries in her jurisdiction, keeping Song Yuhang incredibly busy.

Before she knew it, September was coming to an end. What followed was the annual Jiangcheng City Public Security System Martial Arts Competition. As the head of the Criminal Investigation Division and representing female officers, she was expected to participate.

Feng Jianguo had high hopes for her and looked forward to her bringing back several trophies. She could only smile wryly, “You know I’m not good at the 50-meter pistol rapid-fire moving target…”

“That’s not my concern. We’re competing for the overall score, not individual events. We’re the organizers, and if we lose to those sub-bureaus below us, where can I hide my face?”

She felt a headache coming on as she saluted and prepared to leave, but she was stopped by someone once again.

“How long has it been since all of that? Have you seen a psychologist?”

Song Yuhang, in silence, lowered her gaze and glanced at her right hand. The mark from the glass had already healed, and the bite mark Lin Yan had left had disappeared. Surface wounds on the body would heal, but the pain remained in her heart.

“I did, but it didn’t help.”

* * *

The day of the finals arrived quickly. In the morning, there were martial arts competitions, and in the afternoon, there was shooting. The martial arts competition followed a ring system, where one side defended the ring, and the other side attacked it. Whoever remained standing in the end would be the champion.

The relatively small training facility was packed to capacity. Song Yuhang had already defeated three opponents in a row, and this was the final match. Her opponent was an older detective from one of the sub-bureaus. He had a strong build, broad shoulders, and had previously achieved third place in the national public security system martial arts competition. Judging by his height and weight, he appeared to be stronger than her. He was also one of the top contenders for the championship this time.

Duan Cheng’s voice was almost hoarse from shouting, “Hey, isn’t the difference in strength too great? Do you think Team Leader Song can win?”

The gymnasium had no air conditioning, and Fang Xin fanned herself with a fan. “It’s a tough one. I heard this guy has been working in another city for the past few years and only recently returned. Otherwise, they would have crossed paths long ago.”

Zheng Chengrui, being a bit overweight, couldn’t bear the heat and sat on the ground, panting like an exhausted dog. He spoke in broken sentences, “It’s… not necessarily… Team Leader Song is a skilled… mixed martial artist… recognized nationwide… even the armed police… want to recruit her… but Director Feng… hasn’t allowed it.”

Duan Cheng looked at him and laughed, “Hey, I’m saying with your height and build, you could easily crush your opponents. Why didn’t you sign up?”

Zheng Chengrui rolled his eyes and couldn’t be bothered to respond. Fang Xin chimed in casually, “When has our Technical Investigation Division ever won awards? We’re not great at fighting, not great at shooting. Maybe one day when the Ministry of Public Security holds a competition in forensic work, autopsy, or cybersecurity, we might have a chance.”

This statement was a mix of reality and a touch of bitterness, and it brought laughter from the colleagues sitting around her.

“That’s true; we’re the ‘unsung heroes’!”

As they spoke, the atmosphere in the gymnasium was heating up. The competition had entered a fierce phase. The competition followed an unrestricted combat format, with no consideration for effective strikes. Victory was only declared when the opponent lost the ability to resist or voluntarily surrendered.

“Captain Song, Captain Song, go for it!!!” A group of men and women from the Criminal Investigation Division cheered loudly. They watched as Song Yuhang was hoisted high and slammed forcefully onto the ground.

Song Yuhang grabbed onto her opponent’s clothing and didn’t let go. In that split second when she hit the ground, she clung to her opponent’s waist and delivered a powerful knee strike to his lower leg. Her opponent’s knees buckled, and seizing the opportunity, Song Yuhang kicked him in the abdomen, leaping into the air. She used the momentum to flip over and grabbed his arm from the side. She then wrapped her legs around his neck, applying pressure to force him to surrender.

Wasn’t this the same move Lin Yan used to control her, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu finishing move, the Cross Collar Choke?

The onlookers exchanged puzzled glances. When did Captain Song start training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

However, that’s how unrestricted combat competitions worked. Whoever lost the ability to resist had to admit defeat. After struggling fiercely for a while, her opponent reluctantly tapped the floor.

The whole arena erupted in cheers.

The referee reached out to help both competitors up and held onto Song Yuhang’s arm, asking, “Is there anyone else who wants to come up and challenge?”

Despite the cheering and whistling from the crowd, no one dared to step up for another match.

A new detective, looking at Song Yuhang with admiration, asked, “That was amazing. Can female officers reach this level too?”

One of the senior colleagues beside her tapped her on the shoulder. “Do you think criminals will show mercy based on whether you’re male or female? Once you’re in this team, we all share one common name – police!”

The referee scanned the surroundings, seeing no one stepping up for another challenge. He was about to announce, “The winner of this martial arts competition is—”

Before he could finish, a mocking laugh pierced the silence, sounding particularly harsh.

All eyes turned toward the entrance of the gymnasium. There stood Lin Yan, dressed in her police uniform, leaning against the door, arms crossed, and a subtle raise of her chin as she looked at her.

“Lin Yan, from the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau’s Technical Investigation Division, the forensic expert, has come to take on the challenge.”

“Foresic Doctor Lin, it’s her!”

“Foresic Doctor Lin, Foresic Doctor Lin is back!”

“I heard she’s not…”

“Shh… keep your voice down, don’t want to get slapped by her again.”

“Can a technical investigator beat a detective? Seems like she’s asking for trouble.”

Whispers and sarcastic comments circulated among the crowd.

How harsh these words sounded in the ears of the technical investigators! It wasn’t clear who started it, but someone shouted, “Forensic Doctor Lin, go for it!”

The crowd grew agitated, and spit flew so close to the other person’s face that it seemed like a fight was about to break out. In the blink of an eye, what was just a harmonious gathering at the Jiangcheng City Bureau had turned into internal strife. Although they hadn’t started fighting yet, those below couldn’t contain themselves any longer. It seemed like there had been long-standing grievances.

Lin Yan shrugged. “It looks like Captain Song and I are destined for this showdown.”

A hint of amusement played at the corner of Captain Song’s lips as she declared, “Alright, I accept the challenge. But Forensic Doctor Lin, are you fully healed? Do you need me to go easy on you?”

She meant it in good spirits, but to Lin Yan’s ears, it sounded quite different. The elegant and graceful image she had painstakingly maintained as a young lady almost crumbled in a split second.

She had to swallow back the phrase “screw your mother,” clenching her teeth. “I hope you can say the same later.”

Ten minutes later, Lin Yan changed into her attire and stepped onto the platform. Song Yuhang had also taken a brief break. One in red, the other in white, the two figures stood on opposite sides of the platform, under the referee’s command, ready to fight.

Song Yuhang lowered her voice. “Is your injury healed?”

Lin Yan was reluctant even to give her a glance. She signaled to the referee, indicating they could begin.

The whistle blew, and Song Yuhang had no choice but to step back. The match had officially begun.

Song Yuhang abandoned her previous offensive tactics and began retreating under Lin Yan’s relentless pressure. On one hand, grappling with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete in close combat wasn’t to her advantage, and on the other hand, she was concerned about Lin Yan’s incomplete recovery and didn’t want to hurt her.

There was a chorus of disapproving murmurs from the audience, and even Duan Cheng could see that Captain Song was holding back. Lin Yan threw a punch, which Captain Song caught, but she didn’t retaliate. Instead, she spun around and pressed Lin Yan against the railing.

“What… what are they doing? Are they flirting instead of fighting?”

Duan Cheng stammered, while Fang Xin smacked his lips a couple of times and said, “It’s over, Captain Song is done for.”

As expected.