Chapter 100 02

Chapter 100: 02

In the mountain forest, beside the female corpse.

Fang Jue was startled: "Huh, why? How can you tell? The body clearly died from falling—was she pushed?"

"You can't just look at the surface; you have to consider the deeper process of death," He Lin said seriously, reasoning. "Wu Yuening ran out of the charcoal-burning tent, already suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at that point. After that, she sustained additional abrasions, all of which occurred while she was alive. She was likely running and falling on the mountain, as if being chased by something or someone."

At this point, He Lin knelt again and, with a gloved hand, pointed to the female corpse's hands, carefully examining them: "These wounds on her hands couldn't have been made all at once. There are even lacerations on her palms, and injuries to her nails. These wounds bled, indicating they also occurred while she was alive. She must have been grasping at rough tree trunks with great force, likely struggling for some time. At the very least, while dangling from the cliff, she probably didn’t want to die, or at least not in that way."

After hearing He Lin’s explanation, Fang Jue suddenly understood: "Right, all these injuries plus the poisoning—it’s really unusual to find on one body."

As He Lin analyzed, if this were a suicide, it would be far too "complicated."

He Lin continued: "Also, the behavioral patterns and psychological motives don’t line up. Although the deceased had depression, she had never exhibited any concrete suicidal behavior before. Wu Yuening was a homebody and freelancer who hardly ever went out. She hadn’t traveled in a long time. Suddenly going to the mountains, setting up a tent, and lighting charcoal—these actions aren't like her and don’t match her behavioral logic."

Hearing this, Fang Jue also realized: "Captain He, you’re right. This isn’t some suicide spot; it seems like only hikers come here. And… I don't even know how to light charcoal."

He Lin analyzed calmly: "There are more doubts. Cheng Xiaoyi found that Wu Yuening withdrew 10,000 yuan at noon five days ago and transferred a large amount via mobile banking. Now, where's her phone? She lit the charcoal, so normally, she would have put the lighter back in her pocket, but we haven’t found the lighter either."

He Lin broke it down into three aspects: the information from the corpse, the psychological state of the deceased, and the remaining doubts.

Fang Jue had initially thought it was definitely a suicide, but after hearing He Lin’s analysis, he realized there were so many doubts. He struggled to keep up with He Lin’s line of thinking: "Could someone have killed her for money? Taking Wu Yuening’s phone and lighter…" He was fully convinced by He Lin’s reasoning. "So, this is murder?"

He Lin stated cautiously: "We’ll need to wait for the autopsy results and further investigation to confirm. She ventured so deep into the mountains and set up a tent—she couldn’t have carried all that alone. She must have come with someone else. The two people who accompanied her are strong suspects."

Fang Jue looked up, surprised: "There were two people with her? How did you figure that out?"

He Lin patted Fang Jue, who was struggling to keep up, and felt Li Shang's absence even more acutely: "The footprints near the tent—although the scene had been disturbed earlier, the area around the tent was relatively intact. The overlapping footprints, though similar in pattern, differed in size and shape. The people with her were likely a man and a woman."

At the tent site, Fang Jue had been assisting. He only saw He Lin taking photos and examining the ground, completely unaware that he was measuring these details.

As they analyzed, Yin Xiangrong came over to examine the corpse. When he rolled Wu Yuening’s body over, He Lin suddenly frowned and held out a hand to stop him: "Wait… be careful."

Yin Xiangrong paused: "What? Did you find something?"

He Lin pointed to the ground exposed beneath the corpse, which looked like marks left by her fingers while she was still alive after the fall. If he hadn’t spoken up, the officer assisting might have stepped on it.

Amid the chaotic marks on the ground, two shapes were barely visible.

One looked like a heart shape smeared with blood, and the other resembled the character 'door', pressed beneath the deceased’s palm.

The first was a relatively clear shape, while the second seemed like an unfinished character. Was she trying to leave a message?

But the shapes were too vague, overlapping with some scratch marks, making it hard to confirm whether they were clues left by the deceased before death or just marks from her clawing at the ground in agony.

Forensic technicians immediately stepped forward to take photos, and Fang Jue also took a few shots.

He Lin stared at the ground, studying it carefully for a while, then took out his phone to photograph the marks as well.

The external examination was quickly completed, and Yin Xiangrong prepared to transport the body back for an autopsy.

The female corpse was placed into a black body bag, and the smell in the air finally dissipated somewhat.

He Lin turned to Fang Jue beside him: "First, jot down the key points that need confirmation. We’ll discuss them in detail tomorrow at the meeting."

Fang Jue hurriedly said: "Captain He, please proceed."

He Lin crossed one arm over his chest and gently stroked his chin with the other hand, methodically outlining the directions for the investigation: "First, what was she doing during the two days she was missing? Where was she staying? We need to find more eyewitnesses."

"Second, who were the people with her? Were they friends or strangers? How did she meet them?"

"Third, where did she buy the charcoal basin, tent, and clothing? Later, check all the brands and trace the purchase channels."

"Fourth, what do the heart and door shapes represent?"

Fang Jue’s writing speed was much slower than Li Shang’s. He was both taking notes and recording, sweating profusely in his rush: "Captain He, speak slower. Don’t treat me like Brother Li."

He Lin glanced at him: "I’m not treating you like him. Li Shang wouldn’t have so much nonsense to say; he’d only offer constructive suggestions."

Fang Jue puffed out his chest proudly: "Although I’m not an excellent detective yet, I’m an excellent straight man. I might not provide ideas, but I can provide emotional support…"

He Lin: "…"

Indeed, when Li Shang was around, if He Lin said "1, 2, 3," Li Shang would follow up with one doubt, two directions, and three possibilities.

With Fang Jue, if He Lin said "1, 2, 3," the response would be: "Captain He, your counting is so on point, really authentic!"

"Enough chatter. Hurry up and take notes," He Lin concluded. "We now know the time and place Wu Yuening left home and the endpoint of her death. Let’s work on filling in the timeline in between and see if we can find any clues."

He then lowered his head and fell silent. Fang Jue, spared from further questioning, finally finished writing a few minutes later and breathed a sigh of relief.

He missed Brother Li so much.

Five days ago, when Fang Jue came to work, He Lin told them that Li Shang was being temporarily assigned elsewhere, and he was completely stunned.

The entire department was in an uproar. Unbeknownst to anyone, Li Shang had become an indispensable member of the team, even a pillar of stability, his importance nearly matching He Lin’s.

But now, half the sky had collapsed.

The last time Li Shang was away was when he went undercover. At that time, Fang Jue was with him and didn’t feel it as much, but this time, it was more palpable.

Although Li Shang wasn’t here, the case had to be handled.

Even though they had found the missing person, Wu Yuening’s death had left them with more questions. The killer hadn’t been found, and the case couldn’t be closed anytime soon.

Thinking about the investigation records he’d have to write, followed by the subsequent reports and the final case summary, Fang Jue took a sharp breath.

He cautiously asked He Lin: "Captain He, can you coax Brother Li back…"

He Lin finally looked up, raising an eyebrow and seeing right through Fang Jue: "It’s an official assignment. What do you mean, 'coax'? And why coax him back? To do your work for you?"

Fang Jue, still unwilling to give up, rephrased his question: "Captain He, how much longer until Brother Li comes back?"

"Don’t know," He Lin said expressionlessly, turning away. "Probably a few more days."

His voice was low and muffled, and even the slow-witted Fang Jue could sense He Lin’s unhappiness.

Great. Not only was there more work without Brother Li, but the boss was also in a bad mood. Being an employee was really tough.

But as he looked at He Lin’s retreating figure, Fang Jue belatedly realized that Captain He probably missed Brother Li even more than he did.

He had touched a sore spot.

Realizing this, Fang Jue felt like slapping himself and decided not to say another word on the way back.

They were in the mountains, and the car couldn’t drive in. On the return trip, several people had to carry the corpse down the mountain, with He Lin taking the lead.

After finally making it down, everyone was panting heavily, their clothes soaked with sweat.

He Lin checked the time; it was long past the end of the workday.

Driving home from the mountainside would probably take over an hour.

He told Fang Jue to follow the forensics van back.

He Lin wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he took out his phone in the car.

It had already been five days since Li Shang left for the base. Although this absence was quite long, at least they could still stay in touch by phone.

Li Shang was probably very busy. Most of his messages went unanswered, and he only occasionally replied at night.

Though usually just a few short replies, it was enough for He Lin. As long as the other person responded, he could keep sending messages.

Thinking back to what happened a week ago, He Lin couldn’t help but feel that Li Shang’s departure to the base might have been partly to avoid facing the embarrassment from when he got too drunk last time.

But He Lin was on the verge of understanding his own feelings toward Li Shang. He urgently needed Li Shang to return so they could talk things through face to face—he couldn’t let him run away or brush it off with any excuse.

Sitting in the car, He Lin steeled himself and sent several messages in a row: "We finally found the missing girl’s body today, but there are very few clues."

"My mind is a complete mess right now. I have no solid leads in this case. I have a strong feeling this case is very strange and will be extremely difficult to solve."

"Wish you were here, we could discuss how to proceed with the investigation."

After setting the stage, he asked, "When are you coming back?"

Li Shang was probably busy. Despite He Lin sending so many messages, there was radio silence on the other end—no reply at all.

He Lin sighed, finally fastened his seatbelt, and started driving.

Just as he was nearing home, his phone suddenly buzzed with a new message: "Soon."

A long string of questions, answered with just two words—by any normal logic, it would seem like a clear brush-off.

Yet, seeing those two words, He Lin’s heart leapt, and he pulled over.

If Li Shang said "soon," it really must be soon.

He Lin stared at the two-word reply, reading it over and over again. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Though it was only two words, it spoke volumes about Li Shang’s attitude. He was willing to return; he and He Lin were thinking the same way.

Estimating that he had about half an hour until he got home, He Lin opened a takeout app and placed an order, adding five grilled skewers for himself.

.

Tianning Base.

The office at night was so quiet that every keystroke could be heard clearly.

The phone screen lit up with a soft buzz. Li Shang opened it and scanned through He Lin’s messages—yet another long, one-sided ramble.

Li Shang didn’t rush to reply. He continued focusing on his work, and only after finishing a segment did he pick up his phone again. After picking his words, he responded with a brief message.

A few days ago, he had received a call from the base and left immediately. Given where they left things, he felt both he and He Lin needed some time to cool off. Being apart for a while would allow them to think things through clearly.

But from the very first day Li Shang arrived at the base, He Lin’s messages had been a constant stream.

He Lin’s personality hadn’t changed one bit. Despite his outstanding abilities and his ability to handle cases well on his own, he still acted as though he couldn’t function without Li Shang.

Hadn’t He Lin solved cases just fine during the two years Li Shang was previously away?

When He Lin first used this tactic on him, he would feel a bit nervous, worried that he couldn't handle it. But after it happened multiple times and he figured out the other's pattern, he became much calmer.

Just as Rong Qing was thinking this, Detachment Commander Shi walked into the office. Seeing him still sitting in front of the computer without moving, he asked, "Working overtime again tonight?"

Rong Qing looked up at the sound and murmured in agreement, "Just for a while. I want to make faster progress."

Shi Ren was the Detachment Commander overseeing several special ops teams at Tianning Base and also the former captain of Dragon Flame. Eight years older than Rong Qing, he always cared for him deeply and had had his back many times.

To Rong Qing, Shi Ren was like an older brother.

This time, the base needed to draft a full-scale drill plan, as well as develop exam questions and criteria for the new round of training and selection. Most of this work was done by newcomers who were learning from his previous documents—essentially following the template but failing to consider the actual current conditions. Especially the exercise outline, which referenced last year's global sudden terrorist attacks, but the details and preparations were inadequate. Rong Qing adjusted and revised them one by one.

Additionally, the base needed to plan for the next three years, including future direction, combat readiness personnel, and resource allocation. The higher-ups also asked him to submit a proposal.

Shi Ren had only called Rong Qing back when it was absolutely necessary, hoping to get everything done at once without having to drag him back and forth.

But with so much work piled on, how could it be completed in a short time? Even after working overtime for five days, Rong Qing had only gotten through about 70% of it.

Detachment Commander Shi looked at Rong Qing's eyes red from exhaustion and said with concern, "I see you've been working overtime these past few days. You really need to take care of your health. If it's too much, just take a few extra days—don't burn yourself out."

Rong Qing shook his head, his tone firm. "I'm good. Almost finished."

Seeing his determination, Detachment Commander Shi didn't say anything more. The two exchanged a few more words about work.

Suddenly, Rong Qing's phone pinged.

He picked it up to check—another message from He Lin. He had snapped a picture of his takeout and then asked, "Have you eaten dinner? Did you eat properly?"

Rong Qing didn't reply and put the phone aside again.

Shi Ren's eyes crinkled as he teased, "Why aren't you replying?"

Rong Qing remained calm, as if he didn't notice the meaningful smile on Shi Ren's face, and casually replied, "It's junk text."

Shi Ren laughed heartily, not holding back. "You clearly checked your phone the moment you received it, and you couldn't even suppress a smile when you saw it—you just didn't reply. If you weren't in a hurry, why work overtime every day? You totally eat this up, don't you?"

Rong Qing lowered his head and faked a cough.

Shi Ren waved his hand. "Alright, I won't bother you anymore. Don't overdo it. If you get sick here, no one will take care of you."

Rong Qing hummed in acknowledgment and turned his gaze back to the screen.

But as soon as Shi Ren left, he couldn't help but glance at his phone again, biting his lip.

Well, Detachment Commander Shi was right—he had bought into He Lin's tricks from the very beginning.

Seeing He Lin complain about the difficulty of the case, Rong Qing knew that even without him around, He Lin would still work hard to solve it. His absence wouldn't cause any delays in solving the case.

But even though he knew this rationally, he couldn't help but want to return to He Lin's side—to analyze the case together, offer strategies, and tackle every challenge in the investigation hand in hand.

So when He Lin asked when he would return, he jammed his schedule just to go back earlier.

Besides, there were some topics where he knew the other was just fishing for attention, essentially making conversation for no reason, so he didn't want to reply.

But when he saw He Lin mention a headache, he would still feel a faint worry, afraid that something might be wrong with his health again.

Yet, because He Lin had sent him a message, he felt a sweet warmth in his heart. This feeling of being needed and remembered always made Rong Qing's heart feel full.

Rather than He Lin needing him, it was more accurate to say that he needed He Lin even more.

If He Lin ignored him for even a day, he would feel restless.

If ignored for two days... well, that probably wouldn’t happen.

Once, Rong Qing thought it was because that person knew he liked him and felt secure enough to act fearlessly.

But now, Rong Qing no longer thinks that way. Perhaps it's more because of He Lin's sincere, unwavering devotion to him, no matter the circumstances, that enables him to keep moving forward bravely.

Following every trace, digging through memories, even to their deepest parts, just to find you and bring you back.

In the evening, Rong Qing returned to his former apartment.

Everything in the apartment remained exactly as it was before—the familiar furniture, the familiar layout, as if time had never passed.

Only the refrigerator looked different.

He tore off all the fridge magnets from it. Without the magnets as decoration, the refrigerator door, sun-bleached in patches, became mottled, like a tragicomic mask.

Rong Qing sat alone on the sofa for a while, then got up and went into the kitchen, dug around until he found a box of instant noodles that hadn't expired yet.

He boiled water and prepared the noodles.

Then he picked up his phone and replied to He Lin's message: "Ate."

.

Early in the morning at the Missing Persons Investigation Unit, Cheng Xiaoyi posted the scene photos from the day before on the whiteboard.

He Lin drew a map tracing the victim's route based on the crime scene investigation records.

Then they continued tracking her whereabouts according to the questions raised the previous day.

Cheng Xiaoyi's review of the surveillance footage soon turned up something.

Wu Yuening had left home alone. Whatever happened in those two days, by the time she reached the mountain gate, surveillance footage showed three people appearing together.

These three were dressed uniformly, like they were part of a hiking group.

Aside from Wu Yuening, the other two were, as He Lin had predicted, a man and a woman.

He Lin frowned slightly and asked, "Are there any clear screenshots?"

Cheng Xiaoyi replied, "They were wearing hats and masks, seemed to be deliberately avoiding the cameras."

His expression turned serious as he carefully examined the blurry surveillance footage. He pointed to the other woman: "Her hair is quite distinctive."

In the footage, the woman had long hair, thick, with soft waves. Even while walking, such hair would be very distinctive, making it easy to identify her at a glance.

Witnesses would likely remember this feature during questioning.

He Lin opened a map: "These three entered the mountain on foot, so their accommodation should be within..."

He circled an area on the map: "There are 23 active guesthouses in this area. Let's call each one to see if any of them hosted this group of guests."

Cheng Xiaoyi quickly made a list, and the three of them split up the list, to make the calls.

The group of three guests consisted of one man and two women, one of whom had long hair that reached her waist—a distinctive feature.

While they were still making calls, the forensics department uploaded the autopsy report to the system.

He Lin opened it and saw that, as he had speculated, the victim had first suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, then run some distance in the woods, resulting in abrasions on her body, knees, and toes. Finally, at the cliff edge, she had grabbed a branch, causing scratches and lacerations on her hands before falling off the cliff.

An additional clue was that the forensic examiner found some semen stains in the victim's body, indicating she had engaged in sexual activity shortly before death. The samples had been sent for testing to extract the male suspect's DNA.

Upon seeing this, He Lin filed a request for DNA comparison to cross-check with the existing criminal database at the Yuncheng Public Security Bureau, to determine if the suspect was a repeat offender.

After making calls for a while, Fang Jue got a hit: "I found something. They used the IDs of the two women to book two rooms. They stayed for one night."

The management of such homestays is generally not as regulated as hotels, so it was already good that they hadn't only kept Wu Yuening's information. Fang Jue recorded the details and asked the inn to provide surveillance footage of the three checking in.

The other two wore hats in public areas and never removed their masks. The footage was too blurry to make out their appearances or identities.

Fortunately, based on the ID number, Cheng Xiaoyi found information on the other woman: "The long-haired woman is named Chen Xiao, age 26."

The ID photo on the screen showed an attractive woman, likely taken a few years ago, so she looked younger than she’d look now.

They had identified one suspect, but what was the relationship between the male suspect and her? Accomplices? Siblings? Or lovers?

Following Chen Xiao's ID information, Cheng Xiaoyi searched for more details. She murmured in surprise: "Chen Xiao isn't from Yuncheng; she lives in Ningcheng."

"Ningcheng..." He Lin sighed softly.

Ningcheng and Yuncheng are in the same province, with Ningcheng much closer to Tianning Base—almost right next to it.

In fact, the "Ning" in Tianning Base is named for this reason.

He Lin paused for a moment, then said to Cheng Xiaoyi, "Contact the Ningcheng Public Security Bureau. We'll go there to investigate this case."

In the past, for field investigations, Wu Yunsheng would usually take Fang Jue along. But He Lin felt this case was somewhat special and decided it would be better to go himself. He then said to Fang Jue, "Start the paperwork for the trip. You're coming with me to Ningcheng."

He Lin had another plan in mind.

If the investigation progressed smoothly, he might be able to use this opportunity to bring someone back.