Forensic Expert Tian Tian
After hanging up the phone, Li Da Zui cursed a few times before calling Hou Dali to join him as they prepared to head to the scene of the report.
Hou Dali quickly finished off his fresh meat bun and said, "This case might require collecting evidence. I'll grab some evidence collection bags."
"You go get the bags; I've got to take a dump," Li Da Zui replied, holding his stomach as he headed to the restroom. When he came out, he had regained his composure. Seeing that Hou Dali had brought along his police gear, Li Da Zui mocked him a bit before tossing him the car keys.
The report had come from Yongfa Appliance Store, where the boss, a man nicknamed Fatty Sun, was furiously cursing, spitting out words like "pigs" and "dogs" in quick succession. Several women in store uniforms stood by, heads lowered, not daring to respond. The delivery driver from the factory stood nearby, looking disgruntled.
Fatty Sun handed a cigarette to Li Da Zui and said, "Officer Li, these women are as dumb as dirt. They got played big time."
Li Da Zui had been grumbling when he took the call, but now that he was on the scene, he decided to put his personal matters aside. After taking a deep drag on his cigarette, he composed himself and said, "Fatty Sun, yelling won't solve anything. What's going on here? Who can explain?"
The servicewoman, who had been scolded into a daze, began recounting the incident in a disjointed manner. It took a while before Li Da Zui and Hou Dali finally understood what had happened.
Since coming to intern at the second squad, Hou Dali had only encountered dull, minor cases. But today's case was different—it had a level of cunning to it. That morning, Yongfa Appliance Store had received a shipment of goods, including freezers, refrigerators, and air conditioners. While the delivery workers were unloading the goods into the warehouse, a man drove up in a truck labeled with "Yongfa Appliance Store." He claimed the store was conducting random product checks and needed to take one item of each type. The delivery workers, not suspecting any foul play, willingly loaded one freezer, one refrigerator, and one air conditioner into the truck. It wasn't until the final inspection that they realized they had been duped.
Li Da Zui found it odd and asked, "There were people from the store at the scene. How could an outsider pretending to check the goods slip by unnoticed?"
The servicewoman defended herself, saying, "At the time, the other warehouse manager and I were inside the warehouse and didn't notice anything happening outside."
Li Da Zui then turned to the factory delivery driver and asked, "You let someone walk off with the goods without checking anything?"
The delivery driver also felt wronged and said, "The guy was wearing a work uniform, the truck had 'Yongfa Appliance' written on it, and he was right outside the warehouse. Who would've thought he was a scammer?"
After getting the basic details, Li Da Zui asked, "Hou Dali, you're the top student from the criminal investigation program—what's your take?"
Standing at the warehouse door, Hou Dali surveyed the scene, observing every detail. He said, "First, there are plenty of surveillance cameras around the mall. Since he drove a truck, he'll definitely be on video somewhere. He's either a fool or came well-prepared. Second, there are a lot of people around the warehouse, so there should be witnesses. We need to start interviews quickly and pull the surveillance footage. The two of us can't handle this alone; we'll need backup from the team. Third, the truck probably left tire marks, which can be documented as evidence. He was smoking, so there should be cigarette butts with fingerprints and saliva on them. If this guy is a repeat offender, there's a good chance his fingerprints or DNA are already in the system."
To him, the case seemed straightforward, and solving it shouldn't be difficult.
"Hold on, hold on. The first two points are fine, and we can collect fingerprints, but forget about the DNA. This is a small-time case; there's no need to make a big deal out of it. Don't think being a cop is all high-tech; that's for the major cases. Our second squad still relies on the old methods and the people's support. It may seem low-tech, but it works," Li Da Zui replied.
He stepped aside to call and report the case to Ding Hao.
Less than ten minutes later, another pair of officers, Ma Bing and He Xiaoyong, arrived at the scene. The second squad only had twelve investigators, four of whom were out of town on cases. With two others attending a meeting, Ma Bing and He Xiaoyong were the only ones available to assist.
After a brief discussion, the four of them divided the tasks: Ma Bing and He Xiaoyong would interview nearby residents and businesses. The warehouse was near a bank and a karaoke bar, both of which had surveillance cameras. Li Da Zui, who had spent years in security and knew these businesses well, took Hou Dali along to retrieve the footage.
Using tweezers, Hou Dali collected thirteen cigarette butts from where the truck had been parked and placed them into evidence bags he had prepared in advance.
Li Da Zui didn't think much of the cigarette butt collection but didn't stop Hou Dali either.
Their first stop was the Red Moon Karaoke Bar, located at a key intersection between the warehouse and the main road. The security camera at the entrance should have a good view of the street corner. The staff recognized Li Da Zui, called him Brother Li, and served him tea and cigarettes.
Li Da Zui leisurely enjoyed his smoke and drink while chatting with the attractive female manager. Meanwhile, Hou Dali reviewed the surveillance footage on his own. The footage clearly showed a truck leaving the warehouse area, with "Yongfa Appliance" written on the side and the license plate visible. However, the driver's face was obscured by a hat, showing only a blurry side profile.
It didn't take long to confirm that the truck was using fake plates.
It was almost certain that this was the truck used by the scammer.
After the meeting, Li Dazui was prepared for the disappointing results and accompanied Hou Dali to check the surveillance footage from two more karaoke bars. Based on the footage from all three locations, they determined that the truck headed west.
By the time they finished reviewing the videos, it was already midday. Both Li Dazui and Hou Dali were starving, so they found a nearby eatery and ordered Beijing-style shredded pork, twice-cooked pork, stir-fried loofah, and a three-flavor soup, along with two large bowls of rice. They devoured the meal with the enthusiasm of people who hadn't eaten in days.
After the meal, Li Dazui suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh no, I forgot to call!" He hurriedly dialed his wife's number, only to find her phone turned off. Remembering that his daughter was running a high fever, he began to panic.
With over two hours left before the afternoon meeting, Li Dazui rushed home.
At 2 p.m., Ding Hao gathered the investigators, including Li Dazui, Ma Bing, He Xiaoyong, and Hou Dali, in the meeting room to analyze the case. Li Dazui had a fresh scratch on his face, which he claimed was from a tree branch. The other investigators in the second squad knew that Li Dazui was henpecked at home, and since every family has its issues, no one made fun of his injury.
Hou Dali projected the truck images onto the wall and drew the truck's route on the blackboard.
Ma Bing reported on the on-site investigation: "At the time of the incident, several warehouses nearby were at their busiest, with many trucks coming and going. No one particularly noticed a truck making a brief stop."
After the investigators finished presenting their findings, Ding Hao cleared his throat and said, "The situation is clear. The suspect acted alone, is familiar with the scene, and made meticulous preparations in advance. Both the vehicle and his appearance were disguised. Let me pose a question: Why would someone go through all this trouble to steal a fridge, a freezer, and an air conditioner, items worth at most 7,000 to 8,000 yuan, under 10,000 yuan in total? Is this person crazy? The motive is crucial here."
Hou Dali had several photos of the truck in front of him. When he closed his eyes, the truck's image, including its external details, vividly appeared in his mind.
Li Dazui said, "Let me sketch out this scammer: He's an old-timer—bold, cunning, greedy, and foolish. Maybe he's even served time in prison, not very educated, and a bit out of touch with the times. That last part is just a hunch, no concrete basis."
Ding Hao asked, "Hou Dali, what's your take? Be specific."
Most of the investigators in the squad were graduates of the Southern Police Academy or Qin Yang Public Security School, with a few being veterans. It was rare for a criminal investigation student from the Southern Law and Politics University to work at the grassroots level, so the detectives were eager to see how these students solved cases.
Hou Dali didn't shy away and said, "I agree with my mentor's assessment; this is indeed a foolish old-timer. He stole these three items because he needed them at home. It's likely that he happened to be short of exactly these three things, so he grabbed them on the spur of the moment. This old-timer isn't savvy with high-tech methods; at the spot where the truck was parked, there were thirteen cigarette butts, all of which I collected. The cigarette butts contain fingerprints and saliva, which can be compared in the provincial fingerprint database. If this guy is a repeat offender, we might crack the case. The saliva contains epithelial cells with DNA, and this old-timer might have left traces in the provincial DNA database as well."
Ding Hao slowly said, "The cigarette butts that Hou Dali collected are likely from the suspect, but most of them probably aren't. The suspect wasn't there for long, so he wouldn't have left so many cigarette butts. Ma Bing, did the delivery worker mention whether the old-timer smoked?"
Ma Bing shook his head, saying, "I asked if the old-timer smoked, but the delivery worker didn't notice."
Hou Dali explained, "The cigarette butts were found where the truck was parked, and three of them are very fresh. I've prioritized these three in the evidence submission."
Ding Hao waved his hand dismissively, "The division is under a lot of pressure right now with that young girl's murder case that remains unsolved. The tech department is swamped, and this minor case will likely be delayed. Let's use the old methods first, and if they don't work, we'll submit the evidence within three days as required. Here's the plan: Li Dazui and Hou Dali, you two will handle two things: first, coordinate with traffic police to trace the vehicle's final destination; second, continue reviewing the surveillance footage tomorrow to see if anyone scouted the location. I'm sure there was a scouting operation; the suspect wouldn't have known the situation so well without it. Ma Bing and He Xiaoyong, you two will handle two other tasks: continue the on-site investigation to see if anything was missed, and check the recently released ex-convicts. I agree with Li Dazui and Hou Dali's assessment—this guy probably has a record and was just released from prison recently."
After the meeting, Li Dazui grumbled, "I hate these small-time cases. If we solve it, there's no glory. If we don't, the bosses will think we're just sitting around doing nothing. And these kinds of cases? We're on our own; the tech department has no interest or capacity to help."
Complaints aside, solving cases is a detective's job, so Li Dazui immediately returned to reviewing the surveillance footage with Hou Dali.
Reviewing surveillance footage is tedious work, requiring patience. Unlike movies, there's no music, no acting, no plot—just endless streams of cars and people. After half a day, Li Dazui and Hou Dali's eyes ached, their chests felt tight, and they hadn't found anything.
Ma Bing's team didn't have any breakthroughs either.
A minor case had stumped the experienced detectives of the second squad.
But this was a common occurrence in the criminal investigation squad, so Ding Hao made a decision: "We have more important things to do; you can't all get stuck on one case. Let's set it aside for now; we have a new task."
Hou Dali was a bit surprised, "The case isn't solved yet; how can we just let it go? I suggest checking those cigarette butts; it might lead to something."
Ding Hao patted Hou Dali on the shoulder and said, "The total value is under 10,000 yuan, so it's a small case. Checking the fingerprints and DNA on those cigarette butts might help if the suspect's information is in the database, but it might not be. And even if we check, there's no guarantee we'll find the suspect. Think about how much manpower and resources it would take. As the squad leader, I have to consider efficiency and cost. Small cases like this often go unsolved, and we're not miracle workers. You need to accept that reality. We have a bigger operation tonight that requires the full attention of the squad. Once we wrap up this operation, you can continue working on the fraud case."
While DNA technology is fairly advanced, it's rarely used by grassroots squads like theirs; they mainly rely on fingerprints and footprints. Ding Hao genuinely believed that using DNA technology to analyze a dozen cigarette butts for a small case was a ridiculous idea.
As a squad leader, Ding Hao worried about unsolved cases and the squad's financial woes. The squad's budget was tight, gas money was scarce, and officers often had to cover their own expenses when working cases. Tonight's operation had been in the works for a month, and it was time to close the net; they couldn't afford to be delayed by this case.
Li Dazui, being a seasoned officer, understood Ding Hao's difficulties and didn't push the matter further.
After leaving the squad leader's office, Hou Dali quietly asked, "Mentor, Ding mentioned setting up a 'game.' What does that mean?"
Li Dazui patted Hou Dali on the shoulder and said, "A 'game' means a gambling operation. We'll raid the gambling den and get a cut of the funds. It's good for the country, the people, and our squad. Some of the guys were already staking out the place a few days ago, and it seems like they've nailed it. We'll move tonight. We really do need to put the Yongfa Appliance case on hold."
"I've noticed that Ding likes to pat people on the shoulder, but he never pats yours." As the son of the CEO of Guolong Group, Hou Dali had never worried about money. With a snap of his fingers, he could make sure the second squad never had to worry about funds again. But doing so would expose his identity, so he decided to maintain his current status in the squad and set aside financial concerns for the time being.
"You're observant, noticing even the small details. Ding has a habit of patting shoulders, trying to act like a big shot. If he added a 'little rascal' to his speech." Li Dazui stood with his hands on his hips, mimicking the posture of a big shot, then said, "I got shot in the shoulder once. It aches whenever the weather changes. Ding was with me at the time."
Li Dazui was an old-school detective, rough around the edges, with long, unkempt hair and a scruffy beard. He was always cracking jokes and chatting incessantly, but his work was nothing extraordinary. Hou Dali had begun to look down on his mentor a bit, but hearing that Li Dazui had been shot in the line of duty made Hou Dali realize he had been too superficial, judging only the surface without understanding the essence.
The unsolved case was shelved, leaving Hou Dali feeling frustrated and disappointed, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Li Dazui, understanding the anxiety of a rookie detective, tried to comfort him. "Don't worry about it. The world keeps turning whether or not we solve a case. You haven't had a break since you reported to the squad. Once we wrap up tonight's operation, go home, see your folks, and take a couple of days off. Maybe spend some time with your girlfriend too. Do you have one?"
"No," Hou Dali shook his head.
Li Dazui smirked, "A good-looking young guy like you without a girlfriend? What, are you saving up all your sperm for your future wife? Even if that's your plan, you won't be able to hold on to it for long! Learn from your mentor here—get in early, enjoy life early, have kids early."
After spending so much time on the front lines of criminal investigation, regularly dealing with the darker side of society, Li Dazui's crass humor fired off like machine-gun bullets.
Even though his first suggestion had been rejected by Ding Hao, Hou Dali wasn't ready to give up entirely. This was the first interesting case he had encountered during his internship, and failing to solve it would leave a bad taste as he started his police career. After carefully considering it, he approached Ding Hao again, requesting that the cigarette butts be sent to the forensic lab as evidence.
The old methods hadn't led them to the old thief, and sending the evidence wouldn't interfere with other cases, so Ding Hao agreed.
Hou Dali carefully documented the time, location, and reason for collecting the evidence and then sent the cigarette butts to the forensic lab. The lab, which also served as the city police's forensic center, was located in the criminal police building.
The lab's receptionist was a young woman, tall and striking, with distinct features and long, slightly curled eyelashes—a beauty with a unique charm. But despite her looks, her work attitude left much to be desired. After completing the evidence handover with Hou Dali, she sat coldly behind her desk, staring out the window.
Hou Dali introduced himself, "I'm Hou Dali, an intern at the second squad."
The young woman gave a disinterested "Oh," clearly not in the mood for conversation.
Hou Dali pressed on, "Generally, when can I expect the results?"
Without looking up, the young woman replied, "You'll be notified."
"Is there anything else the second squad can assist with?" Hou Dali asked.
Her gaze still fixed on the window, she replied, "No."
With his special background and tall, handsome appearance, Hou Dali had always attracted the attention of his female classmates, many of whom were quite pretty. Being completely ignored by this young woman in the lab was a novel experience for him.
Back at the second squad, he continued reading the Jiangzhou Public Security Bureau Case Handling Manual.
Li Dazui sneaked back into the office with another fresh scratch on his face. When Hou Dali gave him a questioning look, Li Dazui simply said, "You know how it is—this time, a cat got me."
Hou Dali didn't pry into his mentor's personal life and instead chatted about the cold receptionist he had met at the forensic lab.
"That's Tian Tian, the forensic doctor," Li Dazui explained.
Hou Dali was surprised, "She's a forensic doctor?"
"Yeah, Tian Tian used to be more talkative and decent in her interactions. Her father was a well-known lawyer in Jiangzhou, but he was arrested last year for involvement in a case. Ever since then, she's turned into an ice queen," Li Dazui sighed. "We had a couple of handsome guys here who managed to overcome their fear of forensic work and tried to pursue her, but they all got frozen out. You don't have a girlfriend, right? Be brave and melt our ice queen with love."
Hou Dali had no prejudice against female forensic doctors, but he had zero interest in ice queens.
That night, the entire second squad was mobilized to raid a gambling den, successfully apprehending over a dozen people and seizing more than 200,000 yuan in cash.
After the raid, the squad processed the suspects based on the severity of their involvement—some were released, some fined, and others detained. They were busy until 5 a.m. before finishing the paperwork. Ding Hao, in good spirits, had a huge pot of noodles cooked up, with eggs and sausages added. The hungry detectives slurped up the noodles with gusto, the sound of eating filling the room.
After eating, everyone crashed at the squad office. As an intern, Hou Dali didn't feel right competing with the veteran detectives for the sofas, so he rested his head on the desk to sleep.
The night's operation gave Hou Dali a real sense of what it meant to be part of a "fighting unit." Even though it was just a simple gambling raid, it highlighted the strength of teamwork. Some colleagues gathered intelligence, others staked out the location, some conducted surveillance, while others managed the lookouts and led the charge into the building. Through close cooperation, they successfully busted the gambling den. Afterward, they gathered together to eat noodles, sprawled out wherever they could find space to sleep. This rough, yet warm, communal life made a strong impression on Hou Dali.
When he first reported to the second squad, his impression of the group had been vague, almost stereotypical. But now, after living and working closely with them, listening to Li Dazui's endless chatter, seeing Ding Hao's worries over funding and evaluations, and taking part in operations with his colleagues, that vague impression had become concrete and vivid.
At 7 a.m., Hou Dali was still hungry.
"Mentor, let's go get some pork intestine noodles," he suggested.
"Sure, let's eat and then head home," Li Dazui agreed.
The noodle shop was close to the second squad and was always packed in the mornings. The owner set up plastic chairs and stools on the street as makeshift tables. The customers didn't mind; they sat on the low stools with their noodle bowls on the chairs, slurping away contentedly.
While waiting for their noodles, Hou Dali asked seriously, "Mentor, why did you put me last when we stormed the building yesterday?"
Li Dazui, usually hiding his true feelings behind a carefree attitude, yawned and said, "Rushing in first is a great way to earn merit."
"That's not the reason, is it?" Hou Dali pressed.
"You're an intern, a rookie. You think I'd let you charge in first? Jokes are fine, but in the field, that's not how it works. We're criminal investigators, and every operation carries potential danger, even a simple gambling bust. When you're a veteran, you'll do the same and keep the rookies in the back."
After setting down his bowl, Hou Dali ran to the nearby supermarket and bought two bottles of "Little Swaymouth" liquor. Li Dazui shook his head vehemently, "If I go home smelling like alcohol, my wife will kill me."
"We'll just share one bottle," Hou Dali suggested.
After some persuasion, the two shared a bottle.
As they sipped their drinks, Hou Dali's mother, Li Yongmei, called.
"My dear son, you've been interning for so long and haven't come home once. Don't go back to Yangzhou; your father and I have something to do in Jiangzhou, so you must come home to Gao Sen today. And why are you eating at some random noodle shop? Those places are so dirty! Chef Lao Yu is coming back to Jiangzhou with us—let a first-class chef cook for you, much better than eating at those little places."
In front of outsiders, Li Yongmei was a high-ranking executive of Guolong Group, but at home, she was turning into a nagging middle-aged woman.
Since he had a break coming up, Hou Dali replied, "I'll head back later. Is Dad coming back too? Oh great, now he's going to give me another life lesson."
Li Yongmei snapped, "There are two stubborn mules in this family—the old one and the young one."
After leaving the second squad, Hou Dali, his hair a mess, headed home alone. Gao Sen Villa was one of the top residential areas in Jiangzhou, located beside a small unnamed lake, surrounded by gentle slopes and lush trees. Each villa was a separate unit with its own garden, connected to the others by small paths, streams, and fences.
After parking his car and entering the house, he was greeted by his slightly plump mother, who raised a feather duster with great flair and playfully swatted him on the butt. "You didn't come home before starting your internship, and you went straight to the criminal police team. Do you even remember that you have parents? Had it not been for Xiaoyu, we wouldn't even know that you're interning in Jiangzhou."
After letting his mother hit him a few times, Hou Dali said, "It's just an internship. Has Dad not gotten up yet?"
Li Yongmei raised her dusting brush and said, "Your father went out early. He left a message saying that when you come home, don't leave—he wants to talk to you."
"Sigh, another talk. What's there to discuss? Dad just wants to persuade me to return to the company. I want to be a police officer for a few years, and eventually, I'll have to take over his position. There's no rush." Hou Dali muttered a few words, grabbed some clean clothes, and headed for the shower.
Li Yongmei understood the root of her son's stubbornness but didn't know how to persuade him. Suddenly remembering some advice she had received from a wise person, she pointed her finger at Hou Dali's forehead and half-jokingly threatened, "I'll give you five years to come back and take over the business, find a wife, and have kids. Otherwise, I'll become a nun."
Hou Dali turned around, looked his mother up and down, then walked over and felt her forehead with the back of his hand. "Mom, do you have a fever? That was quite a drastic turn of events. Now that the family business is thriving and you're in charge of the finances at the company, could you really bear to leave it all and become a nun? Don't try to fool me; I'm a police officer."
Li Yongmei waved the dusting brush and said, "Becoming a fierce nun was just a joke. But I really did get a refuge certificate and became a lay disciple. That's for real. Xiaofan's death was too tragic—it was fate. Every time I think of it, my heart aches so much that I have to chant Buddha's name every day."
At 3:00 p.m., Hou Guolong returned home, slightly tipsy. Hou Dali had already gone out.
Li Yongmei brought over some homemade hangover soup and scolded him, "You knew our son was coming home, yet you still drank so much. Who would dare push you to drink in Jiangzhou? It's clear you just wanted to drink."
"In this world, you don't always have a choice. We may have a lot of money, but we're still running a business, and we have to maintain good relations with the local authorities. Some drinks you just can't refuse," Hou Guolong said, sipping the specially prepared sour soup. Then he asked, "That rascal—eats my food, uses my money, but if I want to see him, I have to make an appointment."
At the mention of this, Li Yongmei shook her head. "Our son is still thinking about Yang Fan, and there's nothing we can say that will change that. He's just as stubborn as you—two granite heads, a pair of stubborn mules."
Big granite head Hou Guolong thought about his son's little granite head and felt a headache coming on, shaking his head repeatedly.
Meanwhile, little granite head was sitting on Shian Bridge, gazing sadly at the river flowing eastward. In the few years that had passed, Hou Dali had grown from a naive high school student into an intern police officer, transforming from a boy into a young man. This passage of time meant nothing to Shian Bridge, which had remained unchanged, still quietly standing over the small river.
Perched on the stone railing of the bridge, Hou Dali reexamined the "cold case" with the eyes of a police officer.
From a criminal investigation standpoint, the autopsy had already confirmed that Yang Fan died from drowning. Considering all the circumstances, it indeed met the criteria for not filing a case. However, Hou Dali simply couldn't believe that the meticulous Yang Fan would accidentally fall off Shian Bridge. If she ended up in the river, someone must have caused her to fall through some means. This conclusion had no supporting evidence and was purely based on intuition, but Hou Dali trusted his instincts.
This was an old, unsolved case from years ago, a case so challenging that it could be described as nearly impossible to crack. Sitting on the stone railing of the bridge, Hou Dali tried to think through the investigation using his police training, but it only felt like an even more tangled mess.
Objectively speaking, the Criminal Investigation Team's initial direction of investigating a crime of passion was the correct one. However, everyone who could have been a suspect had a solid alibi, leaving the passion motive a dead end.