Miss Forensics – Chapter 90.1

Unresolved Case

After a prolonged silence and gaze, Zhao Junfeng put down his chopsticks.

“Why did you suddenly ask about this?”

Song Yuhang kept her composure and said, “After all, it’s an unresolved case; I still want to solve it.”

Zhao Junfeng snorted coldly and filled his cup again: “It’s not an unresolved case; the court has already sentenced and closed the case.”

“But the crime suspect died in the detention center, didn’t he?” Song Yuhang countered, “Therefore, this case can’t be considered concluded.”

“What else do you want? To dig up the dead from beneath the ground and confront them face to face?” Zhao Junfeng’s grip on his wine glass tightened, causing ripples to form on the surface.

“You want merit, but this isn’t the way to seek quick success and instant benefits.”

Song Yuhang opened her mouth to speak but was abruptly silenced by a sharp look from Zhao Junfeng.

“Or is it that, for the sake of Lin Yan, you’re willing to cast aside even the laws and rules of the land? I’ve turned a blind eye to the mess you’ve made in Jiangcheng, not pursuing it doesn’t mean I will tolerate you acting recklessly without any boundaries.”

As the head of the Provincial Public Security Department, he naturally had his own sources of information and eyes everywhere; Song Yuhang had never intended to keep him in the dark.

“This matter has nothing to do with Lin Yan; it’s something I want to investigate on my own.”

Even for the sake of Li Bin, who met a tragic death, and Guo Xiaoguang, who must forever hide and cannot show his true face, she should continue the investigation.

Zhao Junfeng took a sip of his drink and let out a slight laugh.

Song Yuhang didn’t grasp his meaning, until his gaze met hers, and to her surprise, it contained a trace of sympathy.

“Yuhang.”

He called her by her pet name, just like back when they were still in school.

“You think too simply of Lin Yan, of the Lin family.”

“Lin Yan, what stature she holds—a Ph.D. who studied abroad, before she joined your Jiangcheng City Bureau, she worked at the country’s largest forensic institution. Even the cases marked by the Ministry of Public Security, many are commissioned to them every year. There are few young people who can achieve this level; looking back at the history of forensic medicine since the founding of New China, there probably haven’t been many such figures.”

Song Yuhang looked at him; in those turbid eyes of his was a reflection of herself. She picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and then set it down firmly.

“That’s the result of her own efforts. Other than eating and sleeping, she spends all her time in the dissection room. There are probably not many who can do it like her.”

With her passion for forensic work and the maxim “advocate for the living, speak for the dead” always held close to her heart.

Zhao Junfeng gave a faint smile and poured her a drink. “You’re wrong—these days, there are too many people trying to get ahead. Effort is merely the passing mark. You need money, connections, cunning, and skills. Most importantly, you’ve got to be ruthless.”

Truly a seasoned narcotics officer from public security, perhaps even Song Yuhang herself didn’t realize that, under the influence of alcohol, a question she initiated was subtly veered off course—led by the nose.

“Think about it carefully. Is everything Lin Yan does truly innocent? When you look in the mirror, the person in the reflection is also looking at you. But how can you be sure that the one in the mirror is indeed the person you live with day in, day out?”

“After all, one cannot see into a person’s heart; knowing a face does not mean you know what’s behind it.”

Zhao Junfeng touched his glass to hers lightly, then drained his in one go.

Song Yuhang watched the ripples in her glass on the table and smiled faintly: “True to your reputation, with your psychological guidance, I was almost led astray. However—”

She pushed the glass further away and said, “It’s the subject that tripped me up in the graduation exam, I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Caught off guard, Zhao Junfeng then burst into laughter.

“Not bad, you’ve made progress.”

Song Yuhang picked up some cold dishes with her chopsticks and placed them in his plate: “So now, can we talk about the details of the case, Teacher?”

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Lin Yan opened a computer at a nearby internet cafe and, after leaving surveillance footage at the front entrance, disappeared out the back door.

She went straight outside and hailed a taxi, heading to the place she had arranged to meet someone.

The man was still in his loose-fitting sportswear, busy swinging at golf balls.

The ball went into the hole, and the guest had arrived.

The man turned around, wiping sweat with a white towel: “You’re here, have a seat.”

Lin Yan took her seat across from him and got straight to the point: “I want Zhu Yong’s medical report from that year.”

The hand of the person opposite her, holding a teacup, hesitated: “That’s impossible, it’s a top-secret document, I can’t get my hands on it.”

Lin Yan looked at him with a cool gaze: “Name your price, how much?”

The man lifted the lid of his teacup to skim off the surface foam, and in the trails of the light blue smoke, her eyes and brow seemed as captivating as if they were immersed in an ink wash painting.

He set down the teacup, his gaze landing on her, a glint of interest in his eyes.

“The usual rules apply, since she’s not with you today, right?”

It’s a hint, an invitation, or perhaps a temptation.

It’s up to Lin Yan to choose.

Their eyes met, and he thought she would agree, but to his surprise, she just chuckled lightly and leaned back in her chair.

“There’s more than just you who’s short on cash. I could go to someone else, like, for instance, your competitor…”

The man’s face changed abruptly, with a hint of grinding his teeth: “No one else but me would be willing to help you with this.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Lin Yan took out a cigarette, and a server bent over to light it for her.

She exhaled a circular puff of smoke leisurely: “After all, you all have a common enemy. Cracking this case is only beneficial, with no drawbacks, whether it’s for you, for me, or for those who want him to step down.”

“The choice is yours to make.”

As her words fell, her pale, slender hand placed a bank card on the table.

With a mixture of threats and inducements, she truly has a thorough grasp of human nature.

The man laughed, looking at her face which was undeniably beautiful, yet it also brought a chill to his heart.

“I said if I can’t get it, I can’t get it, but I can tell you who the prison doctor was that did his physical examination back then.”

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Zhao Junfeng took a sip of his drink, his expression unchanged.

“This case really isn’t much to talk about. Fourteen years ago, you were still in school and Lin Yan had just turned eighteen; how could you possibly know whether the police didn’t make an effort for this matter at the time?”

“Yuhang, one must not be too narrow-minded in life, and in looking at issues, one cannot be too one-sided.”

“Of course, I’m aware, and I’ve heard things. Perhaps Lin Yan holds some biases against the police, but I don’t. I only believe in facts, and the fact is that Zhu Yong had no motive for the crime. We indeed apprehended the wrong person, or to put it another way, what kind of ‘irrefutable evidence’ could lead the police, the media, lawyers, and the public to blindly believe he was a murderer?”

Zhao Junfeng let out a sneer: “Modern criminal investigation prioritizes evidence over confessions. You say he didn’t commit the crime, that he had no motive. Would the police just take your word for it? Would you handle a case like that?”

A barrage of questions was hurled, and Song Yuhang firmly rebutted, “No, but if there are doubts, I will definitely investigate thoroughly to the end. I will procure evidence that convinces the criminal at heart, compelling a confession.”

With the conversation reaching this point, Zhao Junfeng truly had nothing more to say.

“Back then, I was in the Narcotics Division. Even though this case was marked by the Ministry of Public Security, it wasn’t our turn to handle it. You’ve got the wrong person.”

Song Yuhang looked at him; he had aged, with temples streaked with white, and the eyes that seemed bright and clear just a couple of years ago now looked clouded with a hint of cataract.

The alcohol turned his dark skin a flushed red, but he did not shy away from his student’s scrutinizing gaze.

Song Yuhang knew the answer now. She gently lifted her last cup of wine for the day, toasting her teacher.

“I’m going to investigate this case.”

She declared.

Zhao Junfeng clinked his own drink against hers, conceding, “If you wish to investigate, then investigate.”

“If the investigation unveils any connections, I will not be lenient or merciful.”

“Well, you’ve grown quite capable,” Zhao Junfeng remarked as he set his empty glass on the table.

His gaze was gentle and unaffected throughout, watching his beloved protégée with a softness.

“I’m getting old, about to retire. If you really can overturn this case, I will be at ease.”

Song Yuhang drained her drink, almost fleeing from such a gaze.

She hurriedly stood up, “Ma’am, no need to serve anymore, I’m full, and there’s still work at the office, so I must go back.”

“Eh—have a little more,” her teacher’s wife called out from the kitchen.

Song Yuhang shook her head, picked up her coat, and left.

Zhao Junfeng imparted one last piece of advice to her: “Always, always keep your guard up against the people around you; a lurking beast, once awakened, can also be a man-eater.”

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