Zhao Simeng's words seemed to strike a chord with Sima Chao, who smiled and said, "Thank you, Zhao Simeng. Can we head back now?"
"Let's wait for the transport team to take the body first."
Soon, reinforcements from the police station arrived. I noticed Gao Qiang and Li Siqi were among them. They immediately began processing the scene, taking photographs. Gao Qiang found a strand of long hair on the driver's seat, likely from Han Xingxian, as he had been the one sitting there.
"Take it back for analysis. It could be related to the perpetrator," I said.
With evidence collected, everyone piled into the police cars and returned to the station. At the station, I heard that Gu Wenbin, Zhao Simeng's admirer, had been questioned multiple times but kept giving the same answers. Using my observation skills earlier, I had already determined he wasn't the perpetrator.
The additional questioning was intentional on my part. When no further leads emerged, I instructed the team to release him.
When we traced the source of the hair, Xie Deguang informed me, "It belongs to a woman named Li Mengman, the wife of Han Xingxian. She's a typical housewife and lives in apartment 702, Block B, Leiming Community."
"Don't go looking for her just yet. Just inform her that Han Xingxian has passed away and ask her to come to the station to identify the body."
"Yes, Captain He."
Xie Deguang picked up the phone and dialed the number for Han Xingxian's home. During the conversation, I overheard a woman's exclamation on the other end of the line.
Shortly after, Xie Deguang reported, "She's on her way to the station now."
"Well done," I said with approval.
Not long after, Li Mengman arrived at the station, her face etched with grief.
I told her, "Your husband's body is in the morgue."
"Take me there!" she demanded.
"Understood."
I led her to the morgue, where two forensic examiners were waiting outside. After greeting them, I brought Li Mengman to a bed with a body covered by a white sheet.
I instructed Li Siqi, who was there, to uncover the sheet.
When she saw her husband's face, Li Mengman broke down, throwing herself onto his body and weeping uncontrollably.
Her reaction didn't seem fake—she was genuinely devastated, tears and mucus flowing together. Thanks to our earlier treatment, the gory state of Han Xingxian's abdomen had been minimized, with plaster applied by Zhao Simeng.
Li Siqi, standing nearby, was visibly moved by Li Mengman's grief and tried to comfort her. "Don't be too upset. This will pass, Ms. Li."
"We've been married for so many years without any major issues, and now he's dead! Oh, my husband, my dear Han Xingxian!"
Li Mengman cried so hard her legs gave out. After some time, we managed to console her enough to regain composure. I then said, "Please come to the lounge with me."
Naturally, I wouldn't take her to the interrogation room to avoid raising suspicion.
In the lounge, where Gao Qiang and Li Siqi were already present, I asked her, "Has your husband had contact with any strangers recently?"
"No, he only worked as a driver for Gu Wenbin. I think it must have been him!"
I was intrigued and asked, "Why are you so sure it's him?"
"There was a woman they both liked at a party, and they got into an argument over her. Later, that woman started liking my husband. I think Gu Wenbin must have been angry and killed him out of jealousy."
"Really, Ms. Li? If you knew your husband had affairs, wouldn't you be angry?" I asked, probing further.
"Men like him having flings is normal. What can we women do? If we divorce, we'll end up with nothing," she replied.
As she spoke, I activated my keen observational skills and determined she wasn't lying. I continued, "How was your relationship with your husband recently? Were things going well... in that regard?"
Hearing this, Li Siqi coughed and said, "Captain He, what are you asking? The poor woman is already in such a state."
I gave a wry smile and said, "Ms. Li, please answer my question."
I had a reason for asking—if this was a crime of passion, the intimacy between the couple could play a role. If they weren't getting along, it could increase the likelihood of a crime. Examining the couple's relationship could also help identify whether the killer was the spouse.
"Our relationship was always good. Why do you ask?" Though she spoke calmly, I sensed a hint of irritation, as if she was unwilling to discuss their intimacy.
"No reason, just curious. Did anything unusual happen with your husband recently? For example, was he away from home for long periods?"
At this, she suddenly grew angry and snapped, "Even if he fooled around with other women, he never stayed out all night!"
"Why are you so upset?" I asked.
Before she could answer, Li Siqi interjected, "Captain He, stop accusing her. Ms. Li's husband must have loved her deeply."
I said nothing, noting that Li Mengman seemed to be hiding something. It was clear she wouldn't tell the truth under these circumstances. I decided to let her go, saying, "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Li. You're free to leave now."
She wiped her tears and left slowly. Watching her go, Li Siqi sighed, "What a pitiful woman!"
Ignoring her, I went to the forensics lab to find Zhao Simeng.
As soon as she saw me, she seemed eager to share her findings.
"Captain He, I discovered a strange component in Han Xingxian's stomach—a combination of sulfur and copper powder. If these substances are ingested and then triggered, they can cause significant damage. That's why his ribs were fractured by the explosion!"
"How did the perpetrator time the explosion so precisely?" I asked.
Zhao Simeng speculated, "It must have been a chemical reaction. The killer made him swallow a pill first and then injected him with a substance. This substance had a time delay, only activating the pill after a set duration."
"How long was the delay?"
"Approximately six hours."
I asked Li Hong from the tech department to review surveillance footage from six hours before the explosion.
Our efforts revealed that at 2 p.m., Han Xingxian left home, drove to pick up Gu Wenbin, had a meal, and then arrived at the building where Zhao Simeng lived.