"It's clear this was Tan Baitao's doing. She is the one with access to this drug. We've identified it as the Frost Elixir," Zhao Simeng stated.
Although she understood, she insisted on conducting laboratory tests for greater accuracy. I was already preparing to arrest Tan Baitao; no matter where she fled, we would eventually catch her.
The man we found using the password was soon identified through facial recognition as Ming Gaolang, a wealthy second-generation heir and currently Tan Baitao's boyfriend.
We later learned why Tan Baitao had frozen him. According to the hospital, he had lung cancer. Once removed from the freezing chamber, his illness progressed rapidly, and he passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital.
With Ming Gaolang dead, it was likely that Tan Baitao would take action soon.
I mobilized the entire police force in Fuming City to investigate Tan Baitao's whereabouts, covering hotels, airports, train stations, and more. However, there was no sign of her or Xuan Xingchang.
Where could Tan Baitao have gone? Even our technical team was struggling. Just then, Feng Sicheng excitedly announced while typing on her keyboard, "Tan Baitao's phone is back online!"
We pinpointed her location—it was at her house. Surprisingly, she dared to return home. Perhaps she believed that the most dangerous place was the safest. We immediately surrounded the area before entering her residence.
It was a spacious villa, large enough that finding her could take time despite our numbers. While searching the premises, we discovered Tan Baitao attempting to jump from a window into the backyard. I quickly grabbed her.
"Stop running, Tan Baitao!" I yelled, forcing her to the ground.
"What are you doing in my house?" she retorted defiantly.
"You've held a grudge against Xuan Xingchang's family over the Frost Elixir project from a year ago. You murdered his wife and attempted to kill him to reclaim your technology!"
"Hmph, even if you arrest me, you'll never find Xuan Xingchang. I'll make sure he dies with me, suffering for leaving me and stealing the fruits of my life's work!" she sneered.
"He was a married man. I understand your hatred, but your actions have broken the law and must be punished!" I rebuked. "And weren't you in a relationship with someone else?"
"He was a fool. He gave me all his money to fund my research. I only used him. Freezing him was merely my way of repaying him," she said coldly.
No wonder Tan Baitao had so much funding for her company and research; Ming Gaolang, the wealthy heir, must have bankrolled her efforts.
I dragged her to the police car. While walking, I confirmed a suspicion—I noticed she was indeed limping, just as I had observed in the underground parking garage. Coupled with her height of 1.75 meters, it further proved that she was the one who had taken Xuan Xingchang from the hospital.
At the station, we interrogated her extensively, but she refused to disclose Xuan Xingchang's location. She only said, "I used my technology to put him in a state of suspended animation and hid him away. He'll be imprisoned forever, unable to live or die! Ha!"
"You're despicable," I snapped. The mere thought of someone trapped in such a state—unable to die or escape—was unbearable.
In her home, we found the hard drive from her company's research lab computer. Although the data had been erased, she was likely trying to prevent us from uncovering her research. However, with the combined efforts of Xie Deguang, Li Hong, and Feng Sicheng, we managed to recover much of the data using specialized techniques. The files revealed extensive research on the freezing technology, solidifying her role as the mastermind.
Yet, we still didn't know where Xuan Xingchang was.
Lacking leads, I pondered possible locations. The technical team discovered that Tan Baitao had recently purchased an old building in Fuming City. Suspecting that Xuan Xingchang might be hidden there, we went to the location. Despite extensive searching, we found nothing.
Frustrated, Xiao Yuande and I started digging in random areas with shovels. We eventually struck something hard—a wooden coffin lid. Excitedly, we opened it, only to find it empty except for a stone and a note underneath.
The note read:
"Officer He, if you've made it here, you're more capable than I thought. Heh, but I won't tell you where he is. He has a lovely daughter, doesn't he? I'll ensure they're separated forever. He ignored my child and pushed me from my company's building. Since my child died, I've only wanted him to suffer the same pain."
What a cunning move by Tan Baitao. The note was cryptic, almost taunting, but I was determined to play her game.
We continued digging, even excavating parts of the building's foundation, but found nothing. Exhausted, we returned to the station and requested the technical team to investigate Xuan Xingchang's daughter. They quickly located her: "Xuan Chuchu is currently studying at the Fuming City Police Academy!"
"That's the same school Liu Keying attends, isn't it?" I noted, recalling childhood memories.
Liu Keying wasn't just anyone—she was Chief Liu's daughter. Due to certain circumstances, my grandmother had frequent interactions with Chief Liu, and as a result, I became acquainted with Liu Keying. We had gotten along well.
Chief Liu had recently given me her phone number, urging me to reach out. However, I'd been too busy to contact her.
I remembered one winter break when we spent time together discussing criminal investigations, connecting deeply over shared interests. To my surprise, she had stayed true to her childhood promise and also pursued a career in law enforcement.
If not for seeing the police academy's name, I might have forgotten her. It had been about ten years since we last met.
Before heading to the academy, I called Liu Keying.
"Keying, do you remember me?"
"Brother He Sheng? How could I forget?"
"Good. I have a case to investigate at your school. Can you meet me there?"
"Really? I was just about to contact you. I've been struggling with some criminal investigation concepts."
"Perfect timing. You can learn a thing or two from this case."