At midday, the traffic on the road was relatively light.
Brother Huang was driving and leading the way, lost in thought. While waiting at a red light, he raised his right hand to scratch his eyebrow absently glancing out the window, his furrowed brow was full of worry.
Xu Yu checked the documents and sighed, "A floating corpse in the river?"
A "floating corpse" refers to a body found in the water, one of the hardest types of cases to solve. Just hearing the term is enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Xu Yu turned a page, sighed again, and slumped dejectedly, "The weather is still hot."
"Think positively," Brother Huang comforted her. "The body hasn't decomposed yet, so we don't have to go into the river to retrieve it. Besides, city management is strict now, and the river might have been cleaned up, so pollution might not be a serious issue."
Shao Zhixin murmured thoughtfully, "Who could have killed Han Songshan?"
Brother Huang suddenly praised, "That's a good question."
Shao Zhixin looked puzzled, "Huh?"
Brother Huang laughed, "Are you asking heaven or earth?"
Shao Zhixin was speechless. He was just lamenting how coincidental the timing of Han Songshan's death was.
Brother Huang found a parking spot by the roadside and slowly parked the car. As he unfastened his seatbelt, he turned and joked, "I wonder why all the deaths happen in our southern district. It's not like this place is feng shui treasure. I beg them to stop dying here."
The group quickly got out of the car.
A crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the police tape. The police officers maintaining order pointed them in the right direction. As they walked in, they soon saw the body, which had been pulled from the river and laid flat on the ground.
They put on protective clothing, and the police briefly introduced the situation at the scene.
This open area had been leveled two or three years ago for development, but the project never started, and it gradually turned into a wasteland with overgrown weeds.
The river where the floating corpse was found was on the east side of the wasteland.
It was more like a ditch by the time it reached this area, narrow and deep, with dense weeds on both sides.
A young police officer, familiar with the area, pointed out various directions and explained the surrounding road conditions.
There were no shops near this wasteland. To the north was the highway leading out of town, and to the west, the terrain was hilly. About a kilometer up a slope was a driving school, with another road leading there. Therefore, few people usually passed through here.
"The residential area is to the south, the part you saw on your way here."
Due to its suburban location, many cheap rental houses had been built near the bus station, attracting a large population of outsiders, making it difficult to manage. Although the city had demolished some illegal buildings in recent years, the problem remained severe.
This morning, after the rain stopped, some local residents came here to pick wild vegetables. They noticed a foul smell in the air, followed it, and found a hand hidden by tall weeds by the riverbank, immediately calling the police in fright.
The residents, brave enough, had pushed the body out a bit with nearby sticks before the police arrived. The police confirmed it was a human body and quickly contacted the sub-bureau, handing the case over to the criminal investigation team.
The young officer shared all this to inform Brother Huang of one key fact.
"There are no surveillance cameras around here."
Having surveillance footage can be painful to review, but having none is even more frustrating.
Xu Yu patted her chest, feeling very uneasy.
It had rained last night, bringing temporary coolness but also clearing the overcast sky. By noon, the sun was bright, the temperature quickly rose, and the air was humid and muggy.
The police handed a bag of evidence to Brother Huang, "We found an ID card in the wallet in the deceased's pants pocket, but we didn't find his phone."
Brother Huang flipped to the front of the ID card. Han Songshan's rough, square face reflected in his eyes.
The face was slightly fat, with sagging flesh on both sides of the cheeks following the wrinkles, slanting downwards with the curve of the lips. The eyes were short and small, with heavy, droopy eyelids. There were black moles between the brows and on the right side of the nose.
The body had been in the water for some time, causing the skin to swell and wrinkle, making it look different from the ID photo. They still needed to wait for the genetic comparison results.
The forensic team had arrived, standing by and waiting for the tech team to complete preliminary evidence collection. The two forensics experts huddled together, gesturing in the air about the condition of the body and whispering.
The young officer continued, "The body was likely dumped not far from here..."
He pointed in a direction just as a colleague from the criminal investigation team ran over to report to Brother Huang, "Besides the wallet, the deceased had only a watch on his wrist. The wallet contained two bank cards, some cash, a family photo, and an ID card."
He habitually glanced at the young officer, who quickly explained, "We didn't touch anything. When we arrived, the people who reported the body had almost pushed it out of the water, and the wallet was halfway out of the pocket. We had to move the body ashore and then called you. We found nothing else on the deceased."
He paused and added, "The people who reported the body stayed nearby and didn't approach it. Our colleagues only walked a short distance around to determine the perimeter and didn't disturb the scene."
"That's not what we meant, thank you for your hard work," Brother Huang smiled, "We're just wondering why the deceased came to such a remote place, whether he had nothing with him, or if the murderer took it, or if it fell into the river while drifting."
Many traces at the scene had been washed away by the continuous rain. Given the high population turnover in the area and the lack of surveillance equipment, the investigation pressure was high.
Shao Zhixin estimated in his mind but didn't dare say it. Brother Huang was busy directing the scene, still smiling and looking calm.
The tech team struggled to move around. Due to stress over the past few years, they had gained weight, and their fat had ruined their previously strong bodies. Now, with sore waists and legs, they sighed as they carried their heavy investigation kits.
One of them made a "finished" gesture, and Brother Huang signaled the two forensic doctors to proceed with the autopsy.
Due to the rough handling by the people who reported the body, there were some unnecessary injuries on the side of the corpse.
Rigor mortis had begun to resolve. Based on the water temperature in the ditch and the condition of the body, they estimated that the time of death was between 30 to 40 hours ago, roughly between 8 PM on the 16th and 6 AM the next morning.
The deceased had two stab wounds, one in the left abdomen and one in the chest. The likely cause of death was massive blood loss due to a ruptured aorta. Specific details would need to wait for the autopsy results.
The forensic doctors examined the body, packed it up, and prepared to transport it to the funeral home's autopsy center for further examination.
The group followed the flow of the river upstream.
The bottom of the ditch was flat, with a slow current. Some sections were blocked by accumulated silt and overgrown branches from the roadside, which trapped Han Songshan's body, preventing it from drifting far.
After walking about 200 meters, the leading police officer stopped and pointed to a patch of weeds with obvious indentations, saying, "We searched around and preliminarily judged that the body was dumped in this area. The killer probably killed him here and dragged the body into the water. Because the grass is thick and few people come here, the traces are quite clear."
The weeds in this open area had grown to about 20 centimeters. During winter, a large part had withered, and yellow grass clumped together, with gaps filled with various litter like bottle caps, cigarette butts, and plastic bags, making it hard to determine how long they had been there.
Over the past few days, there has been a lot of rain, and the surrounding area is muddy. The footprints might have been washed away, and the blood might not have coagulated, making it difficult to collect substantial evidence.
Colleagues from the photography and surveying team took photos along the way, while the technical team attempted to gather evidence.
Standing at a distance, Brother Huang observed the terrain from all directions. He scrutinized the sunken shape in the middle of the grassy area, analyzing why the perpetrator might have chosen this location to commit the crime.
"Before you arrived, our colleagues dispersed to ask the nearby residents about Han Songshan. None of them had seen him before. He probably didn't live around here," said the police officer, also finding it puzzling. "I wonder why he came here, there's nothing around."
Brother Huang replied, "Han Songshan was wealthy. He wouldn't have stayed in a place like this unless there was a special reason that brought him here, resulting in his murder."
Xu Yu looked around, finding the scenery increasingly familiar. She unconsciously turned her head towards a dark and deep path not far away.
A few years ago, they had thoroughly investigated this area because a female corpse was found in the river.
The case was straightforward; the body was discovered within five hours of death, and the scene was well preserved. After investigation, no second set of footprints was found. Based on surveillance footage and various testimonies, the police concluded it was not a criminal case.
However, the victim's family was persistent, prompting further private investigations, which yielded no new findings.
Xu Yu shivered and said softly, "I have a bad feeling."
Brother Huang quickly interrupted, "Shut up! Don't say that!"
Shao Zhixin was confused, "What do you mean?"
Xu Yu hushed him, "Shh—"
Brother Huang hastily changed the subject, "Get to work, get to work, there's a lot to do."
By evening, Shao Zhixin’s confusion was cleared up when a colleague, who was canvassing the residential area, called.
"Brother Huang, we seem to have found a witness," the colleague said seriously, "an old acquaintance."
Brother Huang, who was reviewing surveillance footage in the parking lot, felt a mix of emotions and asked, "Jiang Pingxin?"
"Yes, it's her!"
Brother Huang, knowing such speculation was unfit, couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure she's not making it up?"
The colleague answered, "She accurately described Han Songshan’s appearance from a photo. White short-sleeved shirt, black pants, and dark brown shoes. They all match."
"When did she see him?" Brother Huang asked.
"She said she'll only tell you in person."
Brother Huang rubbed his face, pressed his sore neck, and said, "Alright, I’ll head over. Is she at home?"
After receiving a positive response, Brother Huang hung up, scratched his head, and lightly nudged Xu Yu, who was pretending to study the surveillance footage, "This is all because of your nagging."
Xu Yu shrugged innocently, "It's reasonable for Jiang Pingxin to have seen Han Songshan since she often patrols that area."
Shao Zhixin asked curiously, "Who is this person?"
Brother Huang replied, "If you had joined a few years earlier, you might have seen a girl protesting outside our precinct, claiming her sister was murdered and demanding we investigate."
Shao Zhixin hesitated, "Isn't that obstructing official duties? Shouldn't she be detained or warned?"
Brother Huang waved his hand, "Ah, she was a minor. Let it go. Everyone has a hard time."
He asked Xu Yu to continue reviewing the surveillance and took Shao Zhixin with him to Jiang Pingxin's house. Midway, he turned back to remind Xu Yu, "You're close to her age, see if you can connect with her, but watch what you say."
Jiang Pingxin, turning 18 at the end of the year, was a high school senior living in an old apartment building over thirty years old.
The interior was almost unchanged since Brother Huang's last visit. However, the surfaces were covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating Jiang Pingxin wasn't very good at housekeeping.
She sat quietly in a corner of the room, wearing her school uniform. When the two entered, she stood up, nodded, and pointed to two plastic stools opposite her. She seemed quite familiar with such scenes, almost in control.
Shao Zhixin observed her carefully, finding nothing rebellious about her, contrary to what his colleagues had described. She even seemed a bit well-behaved.
Brother Huang pulled a stool closer and showed her a photo of Han Songshan on his phone, "You saw this person?"
Jiang Pingxin nodded, "Yes, the night before last, on the 16th. I got home late."
Brother Huang scrutinized the photo, zooming in on the facial features. He glanced at her suspiciously, "How do you remember him so well? His face and outfit are pretty ordinary, right?"
Jiang Pingxin, with an introverted yet sharp tone, replied, "If you saw a figure wandering in the wilderness late at night, wouldn't it leave an impression?"
Brother Huang thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "But how did you see the color of his shoes at night? How do you remember his outfit so clearly?"
Jiang Pingxin calmly said, "I shone my flashlight on him. I carry two flashlights, one around my neck and one in my hand."
Brother Huang teased, "What’s the range of your flashlight? You saw a tall, suspicious figure in the middle of nowhere at night, and you approached him to shine your light on him? Did you have a chat too?"
Shao Zhixin took meticulous notes, observing her reaction.
Jiang Pingxin's eyes briefly flashed with unease. She shifted slightly but quickly composed herself, retorting, "Why are you questioning me? I'm a witness this time!"
Brother Huang leaned back, watching her closely, and said, "Jiang Pingxin, something's off with you."
Just as she opened her mouth, Brother Huang interrupted, "If you agree to reopen your sister's case, I’ll tell you everything."
His imitation was so spot-on that Shao Zhixin was impressed by Brother Huang's mimicry talent.
Brother Huang's demeanor suddenly changed, and he clapped his hands, "I know what you're going to say!"
Jiang Pingxin, unfazed, said, "Then do it."
Brother Huang leaned closer, trying to persuade her, "Little sister, it's been four years. You’ve grown up, right? You're almost 18, about to take your college entrance exams, practically an adult. You should know that we police follow procedures. Understand us, okay?"
Jiang Pingxin insisted, "My sister didn't commit suicide!"
"This has nothing to do with today's case!" Brother Huang said firmly, with a hint of warning, "This is a matter of life and death! At least show some respect for that. Or are you saying you didn't see anything else crucial except for Han Songshan?"
Jiang Pingxin held her breath and, stubbornly but quietly, said, "I have. I saw the murderer."
Brother Huang asked, "Who is it?"
Jiang Pingxin lowered her head, her fingers fidgeting with her pant seams. Hesitantly, she said, "He was there when my sister died."
Even someone as experienced as Brother Huang felt a bit frustrated by this young girl. He could feel a surge of anger that wouldn't quite come out.
He put on a stern face and said sharply, "Jiang Pingxin, Little Jiang, do you know that giving false testimony is against the law?"
Jiang Pingxin didn't say another word. She lifted her eyelids, her eyes darting around, and then asked, "Where's your team leader?"
"Our Captain He is not taking any requests today," Brother Huang pointed at Shao Zhixin and said coldly, "It's just him and me, pick one."
Jiang Pingxin glanced at Shao Zhixin, then quickly looked away. After a moment of thought, she said, "Isn't there a sister?"
Brother Huang took a deep breath and took out his phone, sending a voice message to Xu Yu: "Xu Yu! Come here immediately, your sister wants to see you!"
Xu Yu responded with enthusiasm, "Got it~"
The parking lot wasn't far from Jiang Pingxin's home, and Xu Yu jogged over, pushing the door open ten minutes later.
"What's up?" She was slightly sweaty on her forehead but smiling, "Little Jiang missed me that much?"
Brother Huang gave up his seat to Xu Yu, and Shao Zhixin, seeing the situation, stood up to offer her his seat as well.
With only two chairs in the room, he had to stand behind Brother Huang.
The three of them, like gatekeepers and their follower, stared intently at Jiang Pingxin.
Jiang Pingxin said dumbfoundedly, "Wasn't I supposed to pick just one person?"
Brother Huang said, "You pick one to ask you questions, we two will listen. You've made your decision, no more changes."
Xu Yu held Jiang Pingxin's hand and found it sweaty and cold. She took out a tissue from her bag and squatted next to Jiang Pingxin, wiping her hands and gently persuading, "Little Jiang, tell me the truth, okay? You know we're all working hard, please understand. I know you're sensible and wouldn't joke about this. Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."
The term "sister" instinctively touched Jiang Pingxin. Just as she was about to say something, Brother Huang's phone rang again.
He quickly pressed the answer button, gestured, and walked to the door.
Once he was sure no one could hear, Brother Huang said, "Go ahead."
The person on the other end spoke quickly: "Brother Huang, we checked Han Songshan's spending records and confirmed that he had been staying at the River View Hotel since coming to City A. We asked the hotel front desk, and they said his room was booked until May, but he never returned after going out at noon on the 16th. Someone visited him at the hotel before he left, staying for about half an hour. I've sent the surveillance screenshot to your WeChat."
An alert popped up. Brother Huang opened the large image, quickly closed it after recognizing the face, rubbed his eyes, and reopened it.
Miraculously, it was still the same person.
Brother Huang was silent for a full four or five seconds before saying, "You sent the wrong picture, right?"
"No, Brother Huang!" The person on the other end sounded as if they'd seen a ghost, "It's him, Zhou Tuoxing is the last person we can trace who saw Han Songshan!"
Brother Huang took a deep breath and yelled, "Is he some sort of magnet? How is it him again?"