After receiving the internship assignment list from all the units, Zhu Lin was surprised to see Hou Dali's name among them. The list was just a simple sheet with the students' universities listed, but it didn't include any resumes, so Zhu Lin couldn't confirm if this Hou Dali was the same one he remembered.
Now, seeing Hou Dali in his office, Zhu Lin finally confirmed that the intern standing before him was indeed Hou Guolong's son.
Hou Dali's internship placement was with the Jiangyang District Criminal Investigation Second Unit, which included the area around Shian Bridge. Zhu Lin immediately understood that Hou Dali had not given up on Yang Fan's case. At that moment, Zhu Lin's attitude toward this rich kid began to shift to one of appreciation. But admiration aside, a reality check was still in order.
"You're interning with the Jiangyang District Criminal Investigation Second Unit?"
"Yes."
"Why did you want to go to the Jiangyang District Criminal Investigation Second Unit?"
"I'm following the organization's assignment." Hou Dali had always kept the cold case of Yang Fan deeply buried in his heart, never mentioning it to his classmates in the Criminal Investigation Department. The police captain before him was one of the few who knew about it. Hou Dali wasn't sure where Zhu Lin stood, so he didn't reveal his true intentions.
"Six years ago, when Yang Fan fell into the water, you denied that it was an accident. Do you still hold that view?" Zhu Lin's gaze was as sharp as a knife, focusing intently on Hou Dali.
"Yes, I still hold that view. Both groups and individuals have path dependency; I'm borrowing this term from economics. Yang Fan was deeply influenced by her father, who was a doctor. She was meticulous and precise, almost to the point of being rigid. Without external force, she would never have easily changed her habits."
"Not all criminal cases can be solved. Some cases with significant social impact remain unresolved in the end."
"I cannot give up. If I do, no one else will take up the case."
"You're now an intern police officer, and an intern is still a police officer. You must conduct yourself by the law, based on facts. Allowing personal feelings to interfere with the investigation could lead to serious consequences. You're about to start your internship with the Criminal Investigation Second Unit, and as a leader of the Criminal Investigation Team, I must sternly remind you: if you can't separate personal feelings from duty, it's better not to wear this uniform." Zhu Lin didn't mince words, issuing a direct warning.
"I chose to study at Sannan Law because I wanted to follow legal procedures and resolve this within the framework of the law," Hou Dali responded calmly, neither avoiding Zhu Lin's gaze nor deliberately opposing it.
The tension in Zhu Lin's face slowly eased, and he asked a few simple questions about Hou Dali's studies at the law university. After Hou Dali left, Zhu Lin took out his contacts book, found the number of a professor from the Criminal Investigation Department, and called to inquire about Hou Dali.
"Hey, Old Xie, it's Zhu Lin."
"Zhu, long time no see! When are you coming to the school to give a lecture? You've solved so many big cases—you've got a lot to share!"
"I'm calling to ask about someone, a Criminal Investigation Department student interning with us. Hou Dali, do you know him?"
"How could I not? I was just talking to Old Fei about him. Hou Dali really got Old Fei worked up."
"What happened?"
"Old Fei wanted Hou Dali to become his graduate student. This guy, for some reason, refused and insisted on going straight to work."
"How are his grades?"
"Excellent. Based on his performance here, he's definitely cut out to be a detective."
After hanging up the phone, Zhu Lin fell into deep thought.
In the six years since Yang Fan's disappearance, Jiangzhou had accumulated eight unsolved murder cases. Three of these had identified suspects, but the suspects had fled and remained at large. The other five unsolved cases had yet to yield any breakthroughs. As time passed, these five cases became cold cases, stored away in archives, like daggers lodged in the hearts of the victims' immediate families.
In recent years, the Ministry of Public Security had set targets for "reducing the number of murder cases, reducing the number of fugitive murderers, and increasing the murder case resolution rate," with strict assessments in place. Jiangzhou had long been a leader in solving murder cases within the province, but just before and after the "two reductions and one increase" initiative, the number of unsolved murder cases had suddenly spiked, turning Jiangzhou from a leader to a laggard. This shift placed tremendous pressure on Zhu Lin, the head of the Criminal Investigation Team.
In addition to this pressure, there was also pressure from the victims' families and public opinion, the latter being particularly agonizing for a dedicated and honorable Criminal Investigation Team leader.
Zhu Lin had served as the head of the Criminal Investigation Team for many years. As he grew older, the possibility of further career advancement diminished, and it was only a matter of time before he retired. He wasn't attached to his position, but the five unsolved murder cases weighed heavily on him. These cases, the oldest of which dated back more than a decade, had been investigated by detectives who had since retired or transferred. Without a dedicated effort, these cold cases would eventually become "dead cases" buried in the archives. Every time he thought of this, Zhu Lin felt that the five unsolved murders were a mockery of and insult to his thirty years as a detective.
Even now, as he continued to serve as the head of the Criminal Investigation Team, Zhu Lin kept a close eye on these five cases, dispatching investigators whenever new leads surfaced. However, once he retired, fewer and fewer people would have any connection to these cases, and without the existing resources, solving them would become nearly impossible.
Today, a vague idea suddenly formed in Zhu Lin's mind: Hou Dali might be the right person to tackle these difficult cold cases.
To investigate these kinds of difficult cases, you need someone with a stubborn personality; otherwise, it's hard to stay focused on a single case. Hou Dali, a rich kid who went to law school just to solve Yang Fan's case, clearly had a tenacious nature—someone who wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal, regardless of what others thought. He was the very definition of a mule-headed person.
Besides personality, you also need the ability to solve cases. Hou Dali was a student at Sannan Law's Criminal Investigation Department and an outstanding one at that. Given the right practical experience, he should be capable of handling cold cases.
Finally, solving cold cases requires both determination and luck. You can't be overly ambitious or driven by personal gain. Hou Dali, with his unique background, didn't need to climb the ranks or make money, making him well-suited for this task.
After thinking it over for a while, Zhu Lin chuckled to himself. "Hou Dali is just an intern. What's the point of all these lofty thoughts?"
After receiving an on-the-job orientation from the head of the Criminal Investigation Team, Hou Dali finally reported to the Criminal Investigation Second Unit. After waiting for a while in the unit leader's office, he met the unit leader, Captain Ding Hao.
"I heard you can fight—that's great. We could use an extra hand when apprehending suspects. But take it easy on the petty criminals, gamblers, and prostitutes. If you're not careful, the unit might get in trouble and have to pay compensation. But when it comes to murderers, robbers, and drug dealers, you need to hit hard enough to stop them from resisting." Ding Hao, wearing a flashy pair of red sneakers and sporting dark circles under his eyes, looked almost comical, in stark contrast to the stern and serious Zhu Lin.
Hou Dali chuckled, "Who said I can fight?"
"Zhu Lin called me and said you're skilled in martial arts, particularly joint-lock techniques. He told me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't cause any trouble." Ding Hao grinned as he sized up Hou Dali. "It's rare for Zhu Lin to call about an intern. So, tell me, what's your background?"
Hou Dali was a native of Jiangzhou, and his father was the famous Hou Guolong. However, he spent his late elementary and middle school years in the provincial capital, and during high school, he studied behind closed doors. In college, he was completely immersed in the campus life of Sannan Law University. Although many people in Jiangzhou's business community knew that Hou Guolong had an only son, few had actually seen him. Ding Hao, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Second Unit, certainly didn't connect the intern Hou Dali with the son of the big boss, Hou Guolong.
Naturally, Hou Dali didn't want to easily reveal that he was the heir to the Guolong Group, so he responded vaguely.
At noon, Ding Hao organized a simple welcome lunch. Although it was called a banquet, it was really just the unit officers eating together with no alcohol involved. In the afternoon, while Hou Dali was flipping through the "Jiangzhou Public Security Bureau Case Handling Guide," the emergency phone rang. The duty officer, Li Da Zui, said, "The public has caught a thief. He has a baton and handcuffs. Let's head to the scene immediately."
Li Da Zui, who was dark-skinned, tossed the car keys to Hou Dali and yawned continuously from the passenger seat. On his first day of internship, Hou Dali was excited to encounter an incident, so he drove the police car at high speed, with sirens blaring and lights flashing.
"Turn off the sirens and lights for just catching a petty thief. It's too noisy," Li Da Zui muttered, looking at Hou Dali's excited expression. "Isn't it thrilling to have a case happen? After you've been in the unit for a year, you'll find that every time the phone rings, it will scare you out of your wits. Most of the team has psychological issues. No one is an exception. Being a detective for a long time will definitely drive you crazy, at the very least, give you a nervous breakdown."
All of the unit's colleagues called Li Chao by his nickname, Li Da Zui. It didn't take long for Hou Dali to understand the origin of the nickname. From the moment they got into the car, Li Chao's mouth hadn't stopped moving, living up to the moniker "Big Mouth."
Hou Dali turned off the siren and lights, continuing to listen to Li Da Zui's rambling.
"Why do we go crazy? It's simple. When I first started working, most of the criminals were petty or clumsy thieves. Nowadays, in the information age, criminals are like eggplants that sprout yellow flowers—they've changed. High-intelligence crimes, transient crimes, and professional crimes are noticeably more common than before. Their counter-investigation awareness is also much stronger. The difficulty of solving cases has increased, the time frames for cases have shortened, and the evaluations are stricter. It's hard to keep your blood pressure down. The office is full of young people, while the youngest in the police stations and responsibility areas are over thirty. Our unit's average age is thirty-six. You're here, so you've lowered the average age of the Criminal Investigation Second Unit."
"Hey, don't just sit there quietly. You've got to say something!"
"Do the detectives in our unit really have such poor psychological states?" In the Criminal Investigation Department, the teachers' passionate speeches often stirred up strong emotions among the students, and the intern officers were eager to prove themselves. Hearing Li Da Zui's comments made Hou Dali curious about the reality of the detective unit.
"When you first join the detective unit, you feel a strong sense of achievement and excitement, eager to work on cases. I'm sure you're in that state now. But after working for a few years, you'll taste all kinds of bitterness. The irregular hours for visits, arrests, and interrogations disrupt any sense of normalcy. Constant exposure to violent confrontations occasionally leads to situations where death seems imminent. Detectives are ordinary people too, and in this extreme environment, it's inevitable that they'll feel depressed, bored, irritable, restless, and exhausted. In severe cases, it leads to nervous breakdowns, headaches, dizziness, memory loss, insomnia, sensitivity to light and sound, and eventually the inability to work. Don't roll your eyes; this is the truth. The reason I can say this so smoothly is that I've experienced all of these symptoms. Everyone in our unit has some sort of ailment."
"Is the pay good?"
"Don't bring that up. If it was purely for the money, who would want to be a detective? Let me test you with some puns related to air conditioners, and you'll understand the salary situation for detectives. First question: What is getting a pay raise?"
"Getting a pay raise—an air conditioner." With Li Da Zui's hint, Hou Dali answered correctly.
"What about hearing that we're getting a pay raise again? Got it? Hearing about getting a pay raise again—it's a Midea air conditioner. The pay raise keeps getting smaller—it's a variable frequency (poverty) air conditioner."
After delivering a string of puns, Li Da Zui laughed heartily. "Did I scare you? Don't worry; being a detective still comes with a lot of job satisfaction. The moment I enjoy most is when I swoop down from above, tap a suspect on the shoulder, and say, 'I'm a Jiangzhou detective.' Most suspects turn pale with fear and surrender without a fight. The most terrified ones even wet their pants. That's when the sense of job satisfaction really kicks in. Also, when the whole team works together to solve a big case, it's quite fulfilling. But let me give you a heads-up: don't try to play the savior in front of victims, or you'll end up very disappointed."
The scene was close to the unit's station, and they arrived quickly as they talked.
A large woman was tightly holding onto a sleazy-looking middle-aged man, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. Because there were so many people around, the man didn't dare use any dirty tricks, and he didn't pull out a razor; he was simply wrestling with the woman with his bare hands. The woman, who looked fierce, was holding her ground against him. After several rounds of struggle, she managed to push the man to the ground and then sat on top of him.
"Are you crazy? I'm a thief! Let go of me, or I'll stab you!" The sleazy man threatened.
"You have a knife, do you?" The woman grabbed both of his hands and pinned him to the ground. She was strong, her entire body pressing down on him, leaving only his head sticking out as it wobbled from side to side.
"Let go! I can't breathe. What do you do for a living? You smell terrible!" The man, struggling to breathe, resorted to dirty tricks, twisting his hips and thrusting upward.
"You pervert!" The woman, worried that the thief might actually have a knife, didn't dare loosen her grip. But the man's continued sleazy behavior pushed her over the edge, and she headbutted him in the nose, causing blood to gush out.
"I haven't had s*x in a year. If you're not afraid of being ugly, let's do it right here!" The man, hardened by years of thievery, had developed a thick skin. Despite the woman's fishy smell, he decided to go all in, shamelessly entangling with her.
Just as the woman found herself in a difficult situation, the police finally arrived.
"Hou Dali, cuff him," ordered Li Da Zui, taking out his baton and standing on alert.
Thieves usually work in groups, with clearly defined roles. Typically, there are more thieves than victims, so when victims resist, it can quickly escalate into a bloody confrontation. While this particular thief seemed to be working alone, there was always the risk of an accomplice nearby. As an experienced detective, Li Da Zui remained cautious.
Hou Dali stepped forward and said, "Ma'am, let me take over."
"He stole my money! The wallet is still on him. I didn't let him get away," the woman said, giving the man a hard pinch before getting off him.
The man, in pain, s*ck*d in air through his teeth, his eyes darting around as he gasped and shouted, "I'm innocent!" Suddenly, he sprang up like a mouse, bending down and trying to squeeze through the crowd to escape.
But Hou Dali was quicker. He grabbed the man's middle finger and twisted it outward. The man screamed in pain and dropped to his knees. Hou Dali swiftly handcuffed the man and tossed him to the ground.
The onlookers, who hadn't seen such a nimble police officer in a long time, cheered loudly.
The thief and the woman were both placed in the police car and taken back to the station. The woman sat in the front passenger seat, while Hou Dali and Li Da Zui sandwiched the thief between them in the back. The man, still bleeding from his nose, looked pitiful as he cradled his injured finger and pleaded with Hou Dali, "Officer, you're going to break my finger! Isn't this a bit much for such a small matter? This hand is how I make a living!"
Li Da Zui chuckled, "You're quite bold, aren't you? Those hands should be used for honest work, not stealing."
The man retorted, "Stealing is work too!"
"Shut up!" Li Da Zui barked, giving the thief a smack on the head.
The middle-aged sleazy man reluctantly shut up. Seeing that the man had no shame, Hou Dali followed suit and gave the thief a playful slap on the head.
Li Da Zui said, "Dali, you're quite skilled, knowing how to apprehend someone bare-handed. We once had an intern who couldn't properly cuff someone even with a baton. The baton got snatched, and he ended up getting hit multiple times."
Hou Dali responded, "When holding a gun, don't arrest anyone; when arresting someone, don't hold a gun. Forgetting that rule would get you scorned by the instructor."
Li Da Zui gave Hou Dali a hard pat on the shoulder and said, "Once your internship ends, you should join the Second Unit full-time. We can work together—I'll handle the weaker suspects, and you'll take on the tough ones."
Hou Dali joked, "Boss, I'm just a rookie. Being tasked with handling the tough ones on my first day is a bit much."
Li Da Zui laughed heartily for a moment before saying, "Captain Ding told me that you're pretty ruthless. I like that! When dealing with suspects, you have to be as relentless as the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves—no mercy. But joking aside, I wasn't just standing idly by earlier. You always have to be on guard in case they have accomplices. Remember that."
Upon hearing that the officer who cuffed him was just an intern, the middle-aged sleazy man started mumbling to himself, "I just committed a minor offense. This is an internal conflict among the people, not a class enemy situation."
Li Da Zui smacked the back of the man's head again, "When we're talking, you better keep quiet!"
Back at the Second Unit, Li Da Zui and Hou Dali brought the sleazy man to the processing area. After a search, they found tweezers and a shiny razor blade on him.
Pointing to the razor blade, Li Da Zui sternly asked, "What's this for?"
The sleazy man replied, "For slashing bags."
"Have you ever slashed a person?"
The sleazy man rolled his eyes and said, "Am I stupid? Petty theft only gets you a few days in jail. Slashing someone brings a whole lot of trouble. I don't do dumb stuff like that. Hurry up with the paperwork; I haven't eaten yet. The sooner I'm in, the sooner I can eat."
The plump woman angrily retorted, "I hope you starve! The sooner you die, the sooner you can be reborn!"
The sleazy man, who had been playing dumb with the police, didn't hold back against the woman. "None of your business! Watch yourself next time. You're probably a fishmonger, right? You stink! What bad luck to run into you."
Dealing with someone this slippery, the detectives didn't have many options. Two officers took the woman's statement, while Li Da Zui and Hou Dali interrogated the sleazy man.
Before taking the statement, Li Da Zui half-sat on the edge of Hou Dali's desk and said, "You need to be as efficient as you were today—clean and decisive, no dragging things out. Today's thief was an old hand, which has its advantages. He knows the limits and usually won't pull a knife on us. But if you encounter a newbie, a transient criminal, or a gang member, being a bit slow could get you slashed with a razor blade, and that would be tragic."
The razor blade glinted ominously, and Hou Dali shuddered at the thought of blood spurting from a deep wound. He fully agreed with Li Da Zui. During his time at law school, he had intensely practiced joint locks to handle sudden situations like this. Today was his first real test, and his three years of hard work had paid off.
"As a graduate of the Criminal Investigation Department, you should have no problem taking statements, right? You ask the questions, and you record them," Li Da Zui said, yawning lazily, clearly lacking energy.
"I've never taken an official statement before."
"No worries. I'll be right here. If you go off track, I'll step in."
Hou Dali completed his first official statement on his first day on the job. The statement wasn't challenging, nor did it give him any sense of accomplishment. The sleazy man only admitted to the theft he had been caught for, confessing quickly and refusing to say anything more. Li Da Zui observed from the side without offering any advice.
After reviewing the statement, Li Da Zui, cigarette in hand, waved it off, "Not bad. Send it to the legal department."
After sending the statement to the legal department, Hou Dali took the sleazy man for a medical check-up and then transferred him to the detention center. A minor case kept them busy from noon until seven in the evening, but all procedures were finally completed.
After returning from the detention center, Hou Dali invited Ding Hao, Li Da Zui, and the off-duty officers to a roadside food stall for dinner. Once they changed into casual clothes, everyone relaxed and started joking around.
Ding Hao gave Hou Dali a hearty slap on the shoulder and said, "Kid, you're something else. Every year we get interns, most come and go without making a ripple. But today, you really showed us what you're made of."
Hou Dali modestly replied, "It was nothing, really."
Li Da Zui added, "Being a detective is like walking a tightrope every day. Any small matter could cause us to fall and break into pieces. When nothing goes wrong, it's a small matter. But when something does go wrong, it becomes a big deal. If that old thief had been a bit more unhinged, he might have slashed you with that razor. Hitting a vital spot would've turned it into a major incident."
Li Da Zui, who was usually a chatterbox, continued, "Being a detective is different from other police work. You need real skills and guts. Today was just a minor case, but you handled it well. Come on, let's have a drink."
Since it was Hou Dali's first day, he made sure to offer a toast to each of his senior colleagues.
Just as he finished toasting Li Da Zui, a singer in a bright red dress carrying a guitar approached their table, startling Hou Dali so much that he let out a loud "Wow!" and vomited on her dress.
The singer, stunned by the sudden vomiting, stared at Hou Dali in disbelief before letting out an exaggerated scream. After throwing up a few more times, Hou Dali, clearly irritated, said, "Don't wear a red dress in broad daylight—it's scary."
The singer snapped back to reality and angrily retorted, "What are you talking about? Why can't I wear a red dress? It's already dark out, so it's not even broad daylight!"
The food stall owner, recognizing Ding Hao, quickly intervened and guided the angry and embarrassed singer away, smoothing over the situation.
Ding Hao frowned and asked, "What's going on? You shouldn't be this bad with alcohol."
Ever since seeing that flash of red in the Jiangzhou River, Hou Dali had developed a problem—red dresses made him nauseous. He knew he couldn't stop others from wearing red dresses, so he tried to stay away from them to avoid upsetting his stomach. Today, he was caught off guard while drinking, and the sight of the bright red dress triggered his nausea. Knowing he couldn't explain the real reason, Hou Dali came up with a random excuse. He rinsed his mouth with bottled water, then poured himself another drink and initiated another toast.
Within just one day, Hou Dali successfully integrated himself into the Second Unit, gaining acceptance from Ding Hao, Li Da Zui, and the other seasoned detectives. Ding Hao even suggested that Hou Dali formally apprentice under Li Da Zui. Being a detective is a unique craft that requires passing down skills from one generation to the next. According to Jiangzhou's detective tradition, newcomers to the unit had to choose a mentor. The mentor would establish rules and pass on techniques that couldn't be learned from books, helping the new detective quickly adapt to the unique work environment. This mentor-mentee relationship didn't come with legal rights or obligations but carried significant moral responsibilities.
In the past, the Shian Factory had a similar mentor system, so Hou Dali didn't resist the idea. He stood up, offered a respectful toast to Li Da Zui, and called him "Master." Li Da Zui, however, said, "We're colleagues first, and only then are we master and apprentice. So, just keep the title 'Master' in your heart. It feels weird to hear it. Just call me Li Da Zui."
Over the next two days, the Second Unit handled a few petty theft cases. The detectives were busy every day. When they heard that the new intern was decent at taking statements, they often had Hou Dali do it. Hou Dali didn't mind and used the opportunity to compare the senior detectives' questioning techniques with his textbook knowledge, crafting statements that were concise and focused.
The head of the city's legal department called after a few days, casually asking who had been taking the statements lately. Upon learning it was the new intern, he simply said, "Oh," and hung up.
On the fourth day of his internship, as his shift was about to end, Hou Dali was munching on a fresh meat bun. Suddenly, the duty room phone rang. It was right before shift change, and Li Da Zui, who had also worked the night shift, hated getting calls at this time. A call now definitely meant they would have to respond to an incident, which would delay the shift change. With his hands on his hips, he cursed a few times before answering the phone.
After finishing the call, Li Da Zui immediately called his wife, his tone overly polite and deferential. "Sweetheart, there's only one hour left on my shift."
"Is it another call for an incident?" Li Da Zui's wife, Hu Xiu, spoke loudly enough that her voice carried through the phone, reaching Hou Dali's ears.
Although Li Da Zui was usually a talkative and expressive person, when speaking to his wife, his words became dry and lifeless. "Yes, I just received a call about an incident. I'll handle it and be back soon."
Hu Xiu replied, "Your daughter has a high fever. Li Chao, you can come back if you want, but if not, then don't bother. You're not earning much anyway, and every day you're busy as a bee."