In the meeting room of the Public Security Bureau, a group of officers sat around the conference table. Zhang Xiaohua began, "Before we start the meeting, I have an announcement: Due to the successful resolution of the major Haizhou drug case, Comrade Lu Xiaofei has been awarded the title of Second-Class Hero."
Applause filled the room. Admiring glances turned to Lu Xiaofei, who stood and saluted, though her face showed little emotion.
Zhang Xiaohua continued, "The Criminal Police Unit of the Haizhou Public Security Bureau is also awarded a collective First-Class Merit." More applause ensued. Li Xinjian stood and saluted, joy evident on his face, "Thank you! Thank you, everyone!"
Once the applause subsided, Zhang Xiaohua grew serious, "Now, I'll ask Comrade Li Xinjian to brief us on the conclusion of the case, specifically the situation in Xiamen."
Li Xinjian opened his notebook and reported, "Xiamen's report states that the physical characteristics of the deceased in Gulang West align with those of Guo Xiaopeng. Preliminary conclusions suggest Guo Xiaopeng is dead. The exact cause of death is still under investigation. That is the current situation."
Zhang Xiaohua loosened his tie, "In Go terms, this is a complete victory. A clear win. Does anyone have anything to add?"
Lu Xiaofei, thoughtful, said, "From what I know of Guo Xiaopeng, he's not someone who would easily commit suicide. He has a strong physique, high intelligence, and a resilient will." Li Xinjian's brow furrowed, feeling a pang of bitterness. He did not want to hear any praise of Guo Xiaopeng, especially from Lu Xiaofei. He retorted, "He's human, too. Desperation can drive anyone to suicide."
Lu Xiaofei ignored him and continued, "The photos from Xiamen show that the major organs of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition. This might have been intentional. This is the first suspicious point. The second is Guo Xiaopeng's phone calls and letters to his family, which seem calculated. The third is his filial nature; he wouldn't easily choose suicide while his mother is still alive."
Li Xinjian was unconvinced by her analysis and wanted to argue but lacked strong evidence. Lu Xiaofei, undeterred by his dissatisfaction, seriously suggested to Zhang Xiaohua, "I recommend sending someone to Xiamen to recheck."
Zhang Xiaohua considered her points valid. Whether Guo Xiaopeng was dead or alive, thorough verification was necessary. He said, "Xiaofei and Xinjian, go to Xiamen. We must confirm everything."
Li Xinjian, still resentful, said, "I have new cases I can't leave."
"Then Qiang Min and Xiaofei will go," Zhang Xiaohua concluded, adjourning the meeting.
Lu Xiaofei and Qiang Min flew to Xiamen that afternoon and went straight to the Xiamen Public Security Bureau's Criminal Police Unit. The unit head assigned Captain Chen Tianlin, who was in charge of the Guo Xiaopeng case, to meet them. As they entered the office, Chen Tianlin and Investigator Xiao Li greeted them. Qiang Min introduced, "This is Comrade Lu Xiaofei, deputy head of the Haizhou drug case task force."
Chen Tianlin shook Lu Xiaofei's hand, "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
Lu Xiaofei smiled, "Perhaps I just have a common face."
Everyone laughed and sat down while Xiao Li prepared tea.
Chen Tianlin quickly got to the point, "We've faxed the main details to you. We've also re-examined the site at Gulang West and found a plastic bag in the toilet tank."
Xiao Li placed the plastic bag on the table.
Chen Tianlin unpacked the bag's contents: jewelry, a savings book, a handgun, and a delicate photo.
Lu Xiaofei examined the jewelry and handgun, concluding, "These are indeed Guo Xiaopeng's belongings." Chen Tianlin pointed to the savings book, "There's 1.8 million yuan here, plus another million found in his clothes and some loose cash, totaling about three million. Guo Xiaopeng was quite wealthy."
Qiang Min remarked, "Too bad he can't spend it."
As Lu Xiaofei was about to pick up the photo, Chen Tianlin said, "No wonder you looked familiar; this photo is of you."
Lu Xiaofei blushed slightly as she looked at the picture. Chen Tianlin, driven by professional curiosity, asked, "How did he get your photo?"
"Well..." Lu Xiaofei hesitated, unsure how to explain.
Qiang Min quickly intervened, "Comrade Lu Xiaofei infiltrated the drug cartel, like the Monkey King inside the Iron Fan Princess. She played a crucial role in cracking this case!"
Chen Tianlin nodded slowly, "Impressive! Truly impressive!" Lu Xiaofei shifted the topic, "Captain Chen, we have a theory we need your help to confirm."
Chen Tianlin readily agreed, "We are all one in law enforcement. Please, go ahead."
Lu Xiaofei paused, "We believe the deceased might not be Guo Xiaopeng."
Chen Tianlin looked surprised but said nothing.
"We need to re-examine the body to confirm its identity," Lu Xiaofei continued.
Chen Tianlin nodded, "You have more data, so you should recheck it. Xiao Li, you assist them."
Xiao Li replied, "Yes, sir."
Lu Xiaofei sincerely thanked Chen Tianlin for his support.
As Xiao Li unlocked the door, the landlord approached, asking when the investigation would end. Xiao Li reassured him, saying the case would close in due course. The landlord complained, "You keep dragging it out. I'm losing money because I can't rent the place."
Xiao Li, annoyed, retorted, "Then let the rats eat abalone!" and invited Lu Xiaofei and Qiang Min inside, shutting the door on the landlord. Inside, Lu Xiaofei surveyed the surroundings. Xiao Li remarked, "That old landlord owns half the building and still nags us to clear the site quickly."
Lu Xiaofei smiled and began her meticulous search. She found a pair of eyeglasses in the ashes, wiped them, and saw the white titanium frame beneath the soot. She recalled her first visit to Chen Ran's office when she had complimented his glasses, which he said were titanium, a high-tech marvel.
She placed the glasses in the evidence box and continued searching. A partly burned English "Chemical Dictionary" caught her attention, and she added it to the box. Moving to another room, she found a damaged high-end computer and carefully checked the model, finding some computer books as well. She handed one to Qiang Min, who flipped through it, puzzled, "What's this junk?"
Lu Xiaofei softly replied, "It's 'Access Control and Risk Management'." She removed her gloves, "Let's go. I think I know who the deceased is."
Qiang Min, shocked, asked, "Who?"
"Chen Ran," Lu Xiaofei calmly replied.
"The computer guy from Haizhou Pharmaceuticals?" Qiang Min blurted.
Lu Xiaofei nodded.
"You're not Sherlock Holmes. How can you be so sure?" Qiang Min was skeptical.
Lu Xiaofei pointed to the book in Qiang Min's hand, "Guo Xiaopeng's computer skills weren't advanced enough to read such specialized books. And that chemical dictionary isn't something Chen Ran would read. This means two people lived here, and one killed the other."
Qiang Min followed her logic, "Chen Ran had no reason to kill Guo Xiaopeng. Even if he did, he'd take the money, not set up a smokescreen for us." Lu Xiaofei continued, "Guo Xiaopeng chose Chen Ran because they look alike."
Qiang Min visualized the two men and conceded, "They do look quite similar, at least when burnt."
Lu Xiaofei turned to Xiao Li, "I'll download Chen Ran's photo. Notify the local stations to check his past residences."
"Sure," Xiao Li agreed immediately.
Qiang Min, puzzled, asked, "If we know it's him, why check further?"
Lu Xiaofei explained, "I need to see what name he used to rent the house."
Qiang Min, still confused, wore a perplexed expression.
Lu Xiaofei patiently added, "Guo Xiaopeng likely used Chen Ran's ID to fly out. He's bold and loves challenges."
In Room 406 of the Xiamen Public Security Bureau guest house, Lu Xiaofei leaned over a desk, staring at a note, muttering, "Nlll916251855. What does this mean?"
Qiang Min dozed on the sofa.
Just then, Xiao Li burst in, excitedly shouting, "We've found him! We've found Feng Yang!"
Qiang Min jolted awake, rubbing his eyes, "Found what?"
Xiao Li, breathless with excitement, said, "The property manager at Binlang Le recognized Chen Ran. He rented an apartment there over a month ago."
Lu Xiaofei clapped her hands in delight, "Perfect! Let's head to the airport!"