Chapter 90: Bizarre Reason for Murder

Chapter 90: The Bizarre Reason for Murder

"Hey, Xiao Shen! Xiao Shen!"

Early the next morning, just as Shen Qingye sat down, she heard Captain Yang's hearty laughter from outside the door. Wei Zhengyi and the others paused, exchanging surprised glances at the newcomer.

Captain Yang walked up with a smile: "Xiao Shen, why are you here so early? Did you rest well yesterday? Oh, did you eat breakfast? If not, I still have a few buns here. Want to grab something?"

Shen Qingye, seeing the usually stern Captain Yang with such a warm and kind smile, felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly replied, "I already ate, thanks, Captain Yang."

Captain Yang waved his hand: "Oh, don’t mention it! You’ve been a huge help!"

Seeing his relaxed expression, the worry gone from his face, Shen Qingye felt a stir in her heart: "Did he... confess?"

Captain Yang's smile grew even wider, and he simply said, "He sure did!"

After speaking, he glanced back, and Wei Zhengyi seemed to know what he wanted, immediately standing up and pushing a chair under him: "Captain Yang, please sit!"

Captain Yang gave him a satisfied look, and Wei Zhengyi, Luo Kaiyang, and others, also curious, gathered around.

This was the scene Yue Lingchuan walked into.

Captain Yang sat on the chair, narrating the case to them: "After we got back yesterday, we started interrogating him. The guy cracked under pressure and confessed right away."

"The killer’s name is Wu Xiaosong, a local from Pingjiang, just seventeen years old."

"Seventeen?!" Wei Zhengyi was stunned, and Shen Qingye also sat up straight: "Only seventeen?"

She knew he was young, but she never expected he wasn’t even an adult.

Yue Lingchuan also leaned over the table, listening as Captain Yang sighed: "Yep, just turned seventeen."

He detailed: "Wu Xiaosong’s parents split when he was little and later remarried. No one wanted him, so his grandparents took him in. But his grandparents were too old to keep him in line, and Wu Xiaosong gradually learned bad habits, dropping out of school before finishing elementary and running with a gang of troublemakers, acting like a little thug."

"After two years like this, his grandparents' health failed, and they passed away one after another. With no one to rein him in, he got even wilder, hanging out with a group of small-time thieves. Because the amounts involved were small and he was a minor, the local cops could only give him a talking-to or lock him up for a few days, but it didn’t help."

Zhou Qiming exclaimed: "He’s got a record, huh?"

Shen Qingye asked: "So why’d he go to Happy Community? His home shouldn't be near there, right?"

Captain Yang said: "His home is indeed not there; it’s a half-hour drive."

He looked at Shen Qingye and said, "The reason he went there was because he and his gang were wandering around the Huangning District all day. By chance, they found a red-light district."

Wei Zhengyi raised an eyebrow: "Red-light district?"

Shen Qingye's heart stirred slightly; she remembered that the deceased seemed to be in a special profession.

Sure enough, Captain Yang said: "Those kids were just a bunch of broke troublemakers. Even if they entered the red-light district, they didn’t have the capital to do anything. They hung around there a lot and eventually picked up on some rumors. They said that the most beautiful lady on the whole street was Ruan Hongling from the bathhouse."

"Hearing this often, those kids remembered it. And Wu Xiaosong was even bolder; he directly followed her and knocked on her door."

Shen Qingye slowly blinked, seemingly already knowing what would happen next.

—

"Knock, knock, knock." The sound echoed through the dim hallway.

At nine o'clock in the evening, in a dilapidated residential building, there was a knocking sound from outside.

The wife of Old Guo next door opened her eyes and clicked her tongue impatiently, "Here she goes again!"

Old Guo tucked the blanket for her and coaxed gently, "Oh, don't mind her, just go back to sleep."

His wife rolled her eyes, "Do you think I want to care about her? She's such a flirt, carrying on like that at home, it's disgusting just living next to her!"

"Every day it's either this man or that man coming to her door. Isn't she worried about catching something nasty?"

Old Guo patted his wife, "Alright, alright, it's getting late, we have to work tomorrow."

His wife snorted, still muttering, "I've always thought that woman was no good. Look at Old Wang upstairs, what a mess he's been in since she moved in..."

"I'm warning you, keep your distance from her from now on. If I see you getting close to her, you'll see what I'll do to you!"

Old Guo sighed helplessly, "What are you thinking? You know what kind of person I am! Alright, alright, go to sleep..."

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, yes, I promise to keep my distance, alright..."

...

The knocking continued for half a minute before a lazy voice finally responded from inside, "Coming, who's there?"

The old door creaked open, revealing a woman wearing a strappy nightgown. Her curvy figure leaned against the door frame. Her narrow, seductive fox-like eyes looked up and down at the young man outside, then she giggled, "Oh, handsome, who are you looking for?"

Wu Xiaosong stood outside the door, his gaze sweeping over the woman's half-exposed chest, then to her fair and delicate shoulders, finally resting on her charming face. He smiled, "Sister, I came to see you."

"For me?" Ruan Hongling raised an eyebrow, her slender fingers playing with her damp long hair, her smile deepening, "Kid, who told you I was here?"

"No one told me, I figured it out on my own," Wu Xiaosong replied shyly.

"Oh~" the woman drawled, her body leaning weakly against the wall, speaking slowly, "Then no one told you to let me know before dropping by?"

She tilted her head slightly, feigning difficulty, "You showing up like this puts me in a tough spot."

After saying this, her smile faded, and she raised her hand to close the door, "I'm not in the mood today, try again tomorrow."

As the door was about to close, Wu Xiaosong immediately stepped forward, his foot firmly wedged in the door crack. The woman squinted at him, "What do you need?"

Wu Xiaosong smiled at her, "Sister, I heard you're the prettiest woman on this street."

Ruan Hongling's expression softened slightly, humming noncommittally, "So?"

Wu Xiaosong smiled ingratiatingly, "Sister, I've had my eye on you for a while. It took me a lot of courage to come here. Sister, give me a chance."

The woman snorted, her posture haughty, "Give you a chance? What makes you think you deserve one?"

Wu Xiaosong didn't answer her question, just took two more steps forward, looking down at her infatuatedly, "Sister, I found out they were all wrong."

Ruan Hongling raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

Wu Xiaosong murmured, "You're not just the prettiest on this street, you're the most beautiful I've ever seen."

Ruan Hongling chuckled, "Kid, are you even old enough? How many women have you seen? And I'm the most beautiful?"

Wu Xiaosong said, "I haven't seen many women, but that doesn't change the fact that you're the most beautiful."

The woman snorted with laughter, turned and walked into the room, Wu Xiaosong's eyes lit up, he closed the door and followed closely behind.

"Sis..."

They entered a bedroom, Wu Xiaosong, with a look of infatuation, wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hands groping her curves, his head buried in her neck, licking and nuzzling aimlessly.

The room grew hotter. Ruan Hongling tilted her head back high, and when his hand began to explore under her clothes, she suddenly stopped him.

Wu Xiaosong looked up at her, somewhat puzzled: "Sis?"

Ruan Hongling casually ruffled his hair, her voice lazy and slightly hoarse: "Be a good boy, pay first, then we'll get down to business."

Wu Xiaosong's eyes flickered, and he nuzzled her neck again, his tone innocent: "Sis, I'm broke."

Ruan Hongling's expression paused slightly, then slowly opened her eyes: "No money?"

Her voice was icy as she turned and pushed him away, adjusting her shoulder strap, her fox-like eyes slanting at him: "No money, what are you doing here?"

Wu Xiaosong tried to step forward again, but Ruan Hongling directly pressed her hand against his chest, her expression mocking: "You came knocking on my door, don't tell me you don't know what I do. No money and you come here, what, looking for a freebie?"

Wu Xiaosong grabbed her hand: "Sis, I really like you, even though I'm broke..."

Ruan Hongling directly brushed off his hand, rolled her eyes and said: "Plenty of guys like me, who do you think you are?"

"I'm in this for the money, not running a charity, you know" she sneered: "Thought you were just young, didn't expect you to be broke too."

She waved her hand, impatiently: "Get out of here, you're wasting my time and keeping me from my sleep."

Wu Xiaosong's face didn't look good, but he still insisted: "Sis, cut me some slack..."

"Cut you some slack? What for? Why should I cut you some slack?" Ruan Hongling glanced at him: "Kid, you're not still a virgin, are you? What, coming to me to lose it?"

Wu Xiaosong blushed and said: "Sis, it's not my first time, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Oh, really?" Ruan Hongling raised an eyebrow, directly grabbed him, then her expression turned subtle, hooked his belt and looked inside, suddenly chuckled: "Kid, who gave you that confidence? Huh? With that little thing, you think you can satisfy me?"

Wu Xiaosong's face turned ugly in an instant.

She tugged at her bright red lips, reached up and patted his face: "I've seen my share of men, at least eighty if not a hundred, thought you had something special, but turns out you're just average."

Her face darkened: "Get lost!"

...

"So, Wu Xiaosong killed her?" Shen Qingye said thoughtfully.

Captain Yang, drinking the tea handed over by Luo Kaiyang, said: "That kid's been an orphan since he was young, his personality is a bit extreme, plus the deceased mocked him for being poor and insulted his male dignity, he snapped, grabbed a fruit knife and stabbed her to death."

Wei Zhengyi hissed lightly: "Then why did he cut off her head after killing her?"

Captain Yang's face showed an indescribable subtle expression, shook his head and said: "...He said, after he killed her, he thought she looked hideous in death, an eyesore. So he decided to cut off her head, out of sight, out of mind, found a plastic bag to put it in. After walking out for half an hour, he casually threw it into a sewer."

Zhou Qiming looked somewhat incredulous: "Just... thought she was ugly? So he cut off her head?"

Captain Yang nodded: "That's what he said."

Jiang Cheng frowned tightly: "This person... has an overly extreme temperament, a dangerous individual."

"Exactly," Captain Yang leaned back in his chair, drawled: "That kid was still yelling after his arrest, saying what if he killed someone, he's a minor, even if he killed someone it's nothing. And saying that a gold-digging bitch, dead is dead..."

He couldn't help but shake his head: "I've been a detective for so many years, thought I've seen it all, but this kind of thing, it's really rare."

Shen Qingye furrowed her brow: "But isn't he already seventeen? Shouldn’t he be held criminally responsible?"

Zhou Qiming nodded: "Exactly, once you reach the age of sixteen, you are criminally responsible. He committed intentional homicide and defiled the corpse, which is a heinous act. Although the criminal law stipulates that minors cannot be sentenced to death, he will inevitably spend more than a decade in prison."

Captain Yang said: "That kid didn't even finish elementary school, and somehow he heard that minors don't have to bear responsibility for crimes, so he thought he was invincible. He acted incredibly cocky during the interrogation."

He shook his head, his expression tinged with emotion.

Shen Qingye also didn't expect the case to unfold like this.

It was hard to imagine, and even harder to understand,

—Did he really think he could kill someone just because he believed he’d get away with it?

For a moment, no one knew what to say. It was Wei Zhengyi who waved his hand and said, "Hey, anyway, it's good that the case is cleared up. It’s a good thing someone like him was caught. If he’d been left out there, who knows what else he might’ve done!"

Captain Yang's expression also softened: "You're right!"

He looked at Shen Qingye with increasing satisfaction: "In the end, it’s all thanks to Xiao Shen. If it weren’t for your sharp instincts and quick thinking in spotting the suspect’s odd behavior, this case might have dragged on for who knows how long!"

The spot where the killer dumped the body was way out there, and in a place we’d never have guessed. If we’d had to rely on police dogs to comb through every inch, whether we could find it or not is one thing, but if it rained at some point and the sewer filled up, the plastic bag containing the head could be destroyed. Even if we’d found something later, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Thinking of this, Captain Yang felt extremely fortunate and looked at Shen Qingye with even more kindness.

He knew a new female detective had joined the third team. They had crossed paths during the Huang Wenqiang case, and her sharp skills had definitely caught his eye. After she officially joined the Major Case Division, he had heard Wei Zhengyi and the others gush about her, saying she was lucky and had a strong ability to solve cases, with a 100% solve rate. At the time, he thought it was somewhat exaggerated, but now it seems he had underestimated her.

What happened yesterday might’ve been a fluke, but without a keen eye and sharp instincts, an ordinary person might not have noticed someone lingering around the area. Her skills can’t just be chalked up to luck.

Shen Qingye didn't overly humble herself and smiled: "It was pure chance that he was hanging around there, and I happened to see him from upstairs. I thought that some murderers might return to the crime scene out of some peculiar psychology, so I called out to him. He took off running, which made him look guilty, and that's how I confirmed it."

Captain Yang shook his head: "You’ve got the skills, plain and simple. Not to mention, figuring out that he threw the head into the sewer was your ability."

Shen Qingye truly didn't dare to take credit for this; she had merely deduced it after knowing the answer.

She could only smile: "I just got lucky, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse."

"Hahaha! Good, good, with folks like you on the team, I can breathe easy!" Captain Yang patted her shoulder, his usually stern expression now filled with satisfaction, and he kept sighing: "Finally putting this whole thing to rest—it’s been on my mind for ages!"

Seeing this, Yue Lingchuan joked: "Xiao Shen’s done so much for you—how about treating her to lunch as a thank-you?"

Captain Yang glared at him: "You’ve got a big mouth—do I need you to tell me?"

Turning back to Shen Qingye, he immediately smiled: "Come on, let's have lunch, Uncle Yang is treating!"

Shen Qingye glanced at Yue Lingchuan and didn't refuse, smiling brightly: "Then I won’t hold back!"

Yue Lingchuan, standing by with his arms crossed, said: "You’re playing favorites—didn’t I help catch the killer too?"

Captain Yang sighed helplessly: "Eat, eat, I'll take you too, I didn't say I wouldn't."

He waved his hand: "Everyone, come along for lunch today!"

Wei Zhengyi immediately cheered: "Yay, Captain Yang’s treats don’t come around often, we’re lucky to have Xiao Shen this time!"

Captain Yang shook his head, his expression unusually indulgent. Shen Qingye, standing by, also smiled with relaxed brows.

·

At noon, having lunch with the members of the first group, Shen Qingye got to know these seasoned veterans, each with several third-class merits to their names. They were all fired up, and even though they couldn’t drink, they kept pushing Shen Qingye to have a few sodas.

Captain Yang even said, "Feel free to come over to our team whenever your group has free time. We’ve got some intriguing cases here, and getting more exposure could really help you in your future investigations."

Shen Qingye raised her glass in a toast, smiling, "That sounds great! I’ve been hoping to learn from you veterans and soak up some of your years of experience in criminal investigations. I’m glad I finally got the chance!"

Everyone burst into laughter, growing even fonder of this capable and articulate young woman.

"Come on, feel free to come! You’re always welcome!"

Wei Zhengyi and Luo Kaiyang exchanged glances, marveling at the sight of the usually tough-to-please Captain Yang being charmed into hearty laughter by Shen Qingye.

A sight they never thought they’d see in their lifetime.

...

The case of the headless female corpse was over for Shen Qingye, but it was clearly not over for Captain Yang.

With his recent issues resolved, he’d become a lot easier to talk to. Within just two days, everyone in the team knew about Shen Qingye’s role in the case. Colleagues, both familiar and unfamiliar, came by out of curiosity, complimenting Officer Shen on her skills and smarts. Even Ms. Yun from admin dropped by to ask about the case details.

Once, during lunch, she even ran into Detachment Leader Song, who cheerfully remarked, "Xiao Shen is impressive! Even that stubborn Yang Wanmin was charmed by her." Shen Qingye could only respond with an embarrassed smile.

She figured the buzz would die down in a few days, but one morning, Captain Ma from the second group came knocking, asking her to take a look at a case they were working on.

Captain Ma reached out to her based on his old friend Yang Wanmin’s recommendation. Though he was shocked that the usually hard-to-deal-with Yang had such high praise for a young woman, his initial skepticism about Shen Qingye lessened. Still, he hadn’t seen her in action himself and assumed that while she might be capable, luck likely played a significant role.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but wonder—their team had been stuck on the case for so long. They certainly weren’t lacking in skill, but perhaps they were missing a bit of luck?

So, with Yue Lingchuan giving him a teasing look, he shamelessly asked the young woman for help.

The case seemed simple: a truck driver was killed when his own truck rolled over him while he was unloading cargo. Initially, everyone thought it was an accident—perhaps the driver forgot to set the handbrake, and the slight incline of the parking spot caused the truck to roll. The driver, facing away while unloading, didn’t notice in time and couldn’t avoid the tragedy.

But when the police looked into it, they noticed something was off. The deceased had always been cautious, with no accidents in over a decade of driving. How could he forget to set the handbrake on such an obviously inclined stretch?

A closer look revealed that the truck’s handbrake was broken!

And the truck had just passed its annual inspection.

The case instantly turned into a murder investigation and was handed over to the criminal investigation team. Captain Ma and his team spent over a week looking into people who’d had run-ins with the victim but came up empty.

After Shen Qingye showed up, she checked out the scene and, thanks to a "safe travels" charm in the truck, zeroed in on a suspect.

Captain Ma was doubtful at first since this guy didn’t seem to have any beef with the victim, Nian Dayong. But Shen Qingye’s reasoning was sound, and with no other leads, he decided to follow up on her suggestion.

To their shock, this line of inquiry actually turned up some solid leads!

They hauled the suspect in for questioning, and after hours of grilling, he finally broke and confessed.

It turned out that the murderer, Lin Jifu, had once been on a delivery run with Nian Dayong. During a night drive, Lin narrowly avoided hitting a tricycle that suddenly appeared, swerving just in time to prevent a disaster. However, in the chaos, the truck veered off the road and hit a tree, though no one was hurt.

Nian Dayong brushed off the incident and casually brought it up with his coworkers as a heads-up to drive carefully at night. But Lin Jifu overheard and saw it as a dig at his driving, holding a grudge from then on.

The day before Nian’s death, Lin had asked him where he’d be unloading. Knowing the lay of the land, Lin came up with a plan and tampered with the handbrake that morning, setting the tragedy in motion.

"Everyone said he drove steadily and well, that he’d be promoted to team leader. But I’ve been with the company for over a decade too, and I was his biggest competitor for the promotion. He deliberately brought it up in front of everyone to tarnish my reputation. I couldn’t take it, so I killed him..."

As Lin Jifu confessed, everyone exchanged baffled looks, stunned by how ridiculous his reasoning was.

Shen Qingye had thought Wu Xiaosong’s motive for murder was already bizarre, but this one was even more unfathomable.

After a lot of head-scratching and disbelief, they finally wrapped up the case.

The next day after the case was closed, a familiar scene unfolded again in the office of the third team—

"Xiao Shen! Xiao Shen! Have you had breakfast yet? Uncle Ma here brought you some Chinese crullers; your aunt just whipped them up this morning! Let me tell you, your aunt’s crullers are absolutely the best—come and try them!"

Shen Qingye had already eaten breakfast, but she couldn’t refuse Captain Ma’s enthusiasm, so she took a small one and bit into it, immediately praising it profusely.

Captain Ma laughed heartily, enthusiastically urging her to eat more, while Wei Zhengyi and the others looked on in amazement, marveling:

Xiao Shen's abilities are truly remarkable.