BL Ch51

In a study room no larger than ten square meters, the three of them sat around a round table.

Xu Sheng, dressed in his police uniform, had come alone. His stubbled face looked a bit rough, but his eyes sparkled with excitement, and he seemed in good spirits. “After hearing what you guys said yesterday, I’ve been busy since this morning—taking people to the bar for questioning, going to the police station to check files. I didn’t sleep all night and didn’t even get a shower, so don’t mind if I smell.”

Ji Lin respectfully handed him a cup of chrysanthemum tea to help cool down and clear his eyes. “Thanks for your help. I’m no longer part of the team, so I can’t get involved. If Old Peng and Captain Feng find out, it’ll be over.”

“You think Old Peng doesn’t know you’ve been investigating on your own? He knows full well. Don’t worry, Old Peng still has your back. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a chance to come find you. He just doesn’t want you to get into trouble,” Xu Sheng said with a smile before his tone shifted to something more serious. “Let’s talk business now. First, about that bottle you found at the bar. The bottom had a date when it was opened—October 16th of last year. According to the bartender, Bei Ming opened the bottle, drank a few cups, then left with two women and never came back.”

Ji Lin showed a look of disdain. “He looks so serious, but he’s actually quite the playboy.”

Yu Duqiu rested his chin on his hand, tapping the table in boredom. “Is that it? I thought I was going to make a big discovery.”

Xu Sheng’s eye twitched slightly. “Mr. Yu, solving a case isn’t as easy as you think. Moreover, this case is from more than half a year ago. That alley has been washed away by rain countless times. Restarting the investigation is going to be tough. That we’ve found out Bei Ming was at Yi Qing just a few days before the incident is already a stroke of luck! At least it makes your theory a bit more credible. Maybe he was there to scout the place.”

Ji Lin quickly asked, “Has Old Peng applied for a search warrant? Or can we interrogate Bei Ming?”

Xu Sheng gave a disappointing response. “Old Peng originally planned to apply for one, but because of the Huang Hanxiang case, Captain Feng disagreed. He says we’re lacking a solid chain of evidence. If Bei Ming isn’t the main suspect, it’s fine—just a waste of effort. But if he is the killer, we won’t be able to convict him based on the small clues we have. His lawyer team is tough, and after the 24-hour interrogation deadline, we’ll have to let him go. Just like with Peizhuo, he might even sue us. Captain Feng suggests we continue investigating and gather stronger, more direct evidence before we interrogate him. This way, we’ll have a better chance of catching him off guard.”

Yu Duqiu nodded in agreement. “Captain Feng is very meticulous. No wonder he likes Mu Hao—one old-fashioned guy and one young stickler.”

Ji Lin shot him a glare and, unwilling to accept it, asked Xu Sheng, “So we’re just waiting for the next case to happen? How many cases have there been already? From Wu Min, Mu Ge, to Bai Zhiming, Yu Wencheng, Dong Yongliang, Huang Hanxiang… The killer’s been so brazen, committing crimes right under our noses, threatening us repeatedly, and we’ve done nothing about it? We can’t even interrogate a suspect without second-guessing?”

Xu Sheng replied, “Calm down, I’m not done. Although the bottle of wine only takes us this far, didn’t you guys come up with a new line of thought yesterday? There’s a new discovery on that path, and it’s a major one!”

Yu Duqiu raised his eyebrows. “You mean, Mu Hao might have already been targeted?”

“Yeah, that’s the second thing I came here to discuss,” Xu Sheng said, laying out the case file he got from Feng Jinmin on the table. “Following your hypothesis, I looked into Mu Hao’s past drug cases. There were over two hundred of them, and I have to say, he’s quite the workaholic!”

Ji Lin smiled as if he had been praised, pressing his lips together. “He’s always like that.”

Xu Sheng continued, “The probability of it being an old case seems low. Drug dealers usually aren’t patient, they’re fast and ruthless—wouldn’t likely spend so much time on one person. So, I narrowed the time frame to the second half of last year and focused on unsolved cases. Out of the remaining five, one of them was a new type of drug case that was mailed from overseas.”

Ji Lin sat up straight. “What’s the specific situation?”

Xu Sheng reviewed the records carefully and said, “On October 1st of last year, the Pingyi Customs intercepted a package sent from the U.S. to Changhe District. Inside was an art painting, and in the frame’s inner layer, there was a whole bunch of ‘postage stamps’ stuck on it.”

He pulled out archived photos from that time and showed them to the two of them. It was a vertical portrait of a lamb, but the lamb had human-like expressions, its black eyes filled with panic and fear, with a bloodstain on its neck. It seemed as if it had just been slaughtered, evoking a sense of pity.

Behind the lamb was a huge cross.

Yu Duqiu raised his eyebrows. “That’s it. It’s definitely the same group of drug dealers. In Huang Hanxiang’s photo, there’s also a bloodstained cross behind him. Could this be an occult group?”

Xu Sheng shook his head. “I don’t know. What I do know is that the Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau, in cooperation with the Municipal Criminal Investigation Department, pretended to ‘release the tiger back into the mountains’ but arranged for undercover officers to deliver the package as if it were a normal delivery. However, the drug dealers had strong counter-surveillance skills, and when they noticed something was off, they immediately abandoned the package, switched phone cards, and vanished without a trace.”

Ji Lin muttered, “Sent from the U.S., addressed to Changhe District, with psychedelic drugs hidden in the stamps inside an artwork… Don’t rich people love buying art? Does Bei Ming like art?”

Yu Duqiu shrugged. “Not particularly passionate, but he buys a little here and there. The painting doesn’t look like a copy of a famous artist, more like an original piece, kind of interesting.”

Xu Sheng snorted. “Interesting? It’s got a pretty twisted taste.”

Yu Duqiu pointed at the cross in the painting. “The lamb’s not surprising, but the background is quite intriguing. In Western culture, a ‘lamb’ refers to a sacrificial offering. In ‘The Last Supper,’ when people sacrificed a lamb, Jesus was crucified on the cross, redeeming humanity with his life, which is why Jesus is called the ‘Lamb of God.’ The person who commissioned this painting must have been heavily influenced by Western culture. This could be a clue. What do you think?”

Xu Sheng blinked in confusion. “Don’t ask me. I only worship the God of Wealth, not familiar with foreign gods.”

Yu Duqiu shrugged. “I happen to know someone in the art trade. I’ll ask him if he’s ever seen a painting like this. But more importantly—there are so many officers investigating this case. Why did they focus on Mu Hao? Did he do something to attract the drug dealers’ attention?”

Xu Sheng replied, “Mu Hao was the undercover officer who posed as the delivery guy.”

The other two immediately understood.

Ji Lin asked, “The package delivery was supposed to have an address, right? Where was it?”

Xu Sheng replied, “Jiangxue Road 196, Jiangxue Community. There was no specific building number. Their parcels are kept at the community’s delivery station, and people pick them up using their phone number. When Mu Hao arrived and saw this situation, he discussed it with Captain Feng and decided to lie in wait, pretending to be a staff member at the delivery station. He waited for the drug dealers to come pick up the parcel. Unfortunately, after a week of waiting, no one came to claim it. They tried calling the number on the delivery slip, only to find it didn’t exist. The drug dealers must have noticed something was off.”

Yu Duqiu laughed. “So he just obediently played the delivery guy for a whole week? That’s so dumb.”

Ji Lin, displeased, retorted, “Mu Ge worked so hard to catch the drug dealers, never complaining or giving up. You, with your extravagance and laziness, could never understand his noble qualities and dedication.”

Yu Duqiu laughed even harder. “Last time I used ‘noble’ and ‘dedication’ to describe someone was when I was in elementary school writing an essay.”

“You!”

“Alright, alright, let me finish. I haven’t gotten to the most crucial part yet.” Xu Sheng cleared his throat seriously and said, “It just so happens that Jiangxue Community is less than five hundred meters away from Yi Qing Bar. The row of buildings closest to the street has windows that directly face the bar’s entrance. Also, the blind spot where Huang Hanxiang disappeared—if you walk fifty meters north from there, you reach the back entrance of the community. Do you know what that means?”

The other two’s expressions froze simultaneously.

Yu Duqiu’s smile faded, and a cold light began to shine in his eyes. “This is getting interesting.”

Ji Lin’s mind froze for a moment, then quickly clicked into gear as he pieced together the clues. “You mean…the drug dealer who was supposed to pick up the package, or the killer of Huang Hanxiang, might live in that community?”

“Yeah, it’s very likely. He could have stopped Huang Hanxiang, who was on his way home, under the pretense of paying him the rest of the money, taken him home, killed him, and then transported the body to the seaside. It all makes sense.”

Ji Lin got excited. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s check the surveillance at the back gate of the community from the early morning of the 8th!”

Xu Sheng showed a proud look. “Don’t need you to remind me. Didn’t I tell you I didn’t sleep all night? I was checking the surveillance. Niu Feng and Lu Qing helped too. After staying up all night, we found the figures of Huang Hanxiang and the suspect. Unfortunately, it was raining heavily that night, and the surveillance footage was unclear. They were both holding umbrellas, and we couldn’t see their faces clearly. Jiangxue Community is old, and there’s no surveillance inside. This is as far as the clues go. But it’s almost certain that the suspect was living there at the time. Even if they’re not living there now, they will have left traces. Now, we just need to check each building. The community’s not big, so it should take about a week to finish.”

Ji Lin could no longer hold back. “Do you have a photo of the suspect? Is it the killer from the Rain Alley case?”

Xu Sheng shook his head. “No, it’s not. The height and build don’t match. He might be just a runner, like Liu Shaojie.” While speaking, he pulled out his phone.

“Well, it’s still better than no lead at all.” Ji Lin stood up and moved beside him, enlarging the photo with his fingers, leaning in for a closer look.

Sitting across from them, Yu Duqiu propped his chin up, watching the two with little hope. “How do you plan to track someone down based on a photo without a clear face? Besides, they might have already moved.”

“This person does have some distinctive features.” Ji Lin pointed at a spot in the photo. “Is that a flame tattoo near his shoulder on his right arm? It’s summer now; if he’s wearing short sleeves, it could be visible.”

Xu Sheng nodded. “That’s what I thought. But if, as you two suspect, he’s connected to Pei Ming, then it’s hard to say. Those wealthy show-offs and their lackeys are always dressed to the nines…”

Both of them looked up simultaneously, casting glances at the live example in front of them. Yu Duqiu’s expression tensed.

Xu Sheng chuckled. “I wasn’t talking about you.”

“Flame tattoo?” Yu Duqiu hadn’t caught the latter part of their conversation. Sorting through his memory, he finally recalled a nearly forgotten detail. “Last month, when I was in the U.S., Jia Jin mentioned that the suspect who hid the tracker in my gun also had a flame tattoo.”

Ji Lin was surprised. “A tracker? Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”

“It was a family matter,” Yu Duqiu replied nonchalantly. “Didn’t want to make a fuss, and it happened abroad. There’s nothing you could have helped with. I had Jia Jin continue investigating, but nothing’s come up. Looks like he might’ve fled back to China; no wonder he couldn’t be traced.”

With a bang, Ji Lin slapped the table, his voice echoing in the small room. “Yu Duqiu! When will you finally be honest with the police? How could you keep something this important from us until now!”

Yu Duqiu rubbed his ear, irritated by the noise. “Didn’t I tell you? We walk our own paths. As Nietzsche said, ‘You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it doesn’t exist.’”

“I’m done guessing. What I want is evidence!”

Xu Sheng raised his hands to diffuse the tense atmosphere. “It’s not too late now, and we have evidence, don’t we? Now we can confirm that the Rain Alley case wasn’t the beginning. The drug dealers had already set their sights on Mu Hao, so we need to revise the timeline. I’ll go back and report immediately—this is a major breakthrough; we should be celebrating.”

Ji Lin knew this wasn’t the time for internal conflict. Even though Yu Duqiu wouldn’t listen, he was still a key person in need of protection. He set aside his grievances for the time being. “Alright, let’s wrap up for today. I’ll stay here. Mr. Yu! Write a clear, honest report about the tracker incident and hand it over to me. If there’s one lie in it, I’ll be back with handcuffs next time!”

“No need to trouble yourself; I’ve got handcuffs in my basement,” Yu Duqiu replied with a carefree smile, almost provoking another outburst from Ji Lin. He quickly added, “I doubt the beginning is with the package case either. You might want to look back twenty years and investigate the car accident involving Cen Wan’s family. My grandfather always suspected she was targeted by drug dealers. At the time, the most deeply hidden drug figure in Pingyi City was Pei Ming’s father, Pei Xianyong. But since the informant’s evidence was insufficient, he was only sentenced to life imprisonment and could still be released.”

Xu Sheng gathered his belongings. “I know about that case. Xiao Ji has already told me about the Pei family. But it’s been too long; reopening the investigation won’t be easy. Let’s focus on the current leads first.”

“Yes, thanks for your hard work.”

“Oh, and one more thing.” Xu Sheng paused, his tone serious. “Mr. Yu, the police have shared so much case information with you to ensure your safety. You’ve also helped us recently, making you a quasi-insider. But you’re not a police officer, so please don’t take action on your own. Report any findings truthfully, and most importantly, don’t reveal our discussions to anyone. You’ve probably noticed that the other side is well-informed about you and might have planted an informant nearby. Be very careful.”

Ji Lin scoffed, “Brother Xu, you think I haven’t told him all this before? I’m tired of repeating myself. He does what he wants, regardless of what we say.”

“Thank you both for the reminder. I’ll be careful.” Yu Duqiu pointed to the ornate rose motif on the ceiling, his expression light. “Under the rose, absolute confidentiality.”

Xu Sheng was puzzled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ji Lin tugged him toward the door. “Don’t talk to him about anything outside of the case. The more you do, the more you’ll feel poor and clueless.”

Xu Sheng sighed, “…You must’ve been through a lot.”

Outside the hidden room, a heavy bookcase rumbled aside, revealing a small door, and the three walked out in succession.

Yu Duqiu’s smile faltered slightly at the scene before him.

Inside the study, Zhou Yi was supervising his daughter with her summer homework, his gloomy gaze fixed on her and the young man teaching her, as if he feared his precious daughter might be stolen away by the “wolf” beside her.

Bai Zhao, who had just explained a math problem to Zhou Yangguo, looked up at the noise. “Are you done with your discussion? What’s the result?”

“There’s no need for you to know, nor do you have the right to know,” Yu Duqiu replied, casting a glance at the summer homework spread out on the table. He asked, seemingly casually, “Old Zhou, why don’t you get her a tutor?”

Zhou Yi sighed, “I’d like to, but with you not hiring anyone lately, I’m worried someone might try to get close to me to gather information about you, maybe by becoming my daughter’s tutor.”

Yu Duqiu nodded approvingly. “You’re still the most security-conscious one. No worries, I’ll arrange someone. Xiao Guo is in her third year; she’ll need professional guidance.”

Zhou Yangguo pouted. “But I think Brother Bai teaches pretty well…”

“There are plenty more talented than him. No one is irreplaceable,” Yu Duqiu said, though it was unclear to whom it was directed. Nonetheless, someone’s brows furrowed upon hearing it.

As it should be.

Control must be reclaimed bit by bit, and a dog must be trained gradually so that the blade can be wielded entirely for oneself.

Just then, there was a knock on the study door, and in came Hong Liangzhang, holding a jade-green invitation envelope with gold embossing. Seeing the room was full, he stayed at the door and said, “Master, Mr. Pei sent an invitation. His company is holding a jewelry exhibition next week. How would you like to respond?”

Everyone, including Ji Lin and Xu Sheng, immediately looked concerned.

Pei Ming, a prime suspect, inviting Yu Duqiu to his exhibition now suggested a hidden motive.

But Yu Duqiu calmly took the invitation, his ruby ring matching the crimson wax seal on the back of the envelope. “I’m going, of course. Why wouldn’t I? I’ve been meaning to see him again.”

Zhou Yi voiced his concern. “It might be a trap.”

“If I were afraid, would I have come back to China?” Yu Duqiu handed the invitation to Ji Lin. “Captain Xu has a case to handle. Ji Lin, you’re free anyway. Want to join me?”

“Who’s free? There are new cases every day.” But Ji Lin still accepted it. “At the exhibition, you keep Pei Ming’s attention on you, and I’ll search for clues. If we find solid evidence, we might get a search warrant.”

Yu Duqiu nodded. “Fine, but I have one request.”

“What?”

“Don’t wear that floral shirt.”

“…”

Xu Sheng chimed in, “Won’t just Ji Lin be enough? There will probably be a lot of people there, and who knows how many will take advantage of the chaos.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got someone fearless to back us up.” Yu Duqiu turned his gaze to the displeased man across from him, smiling wickedly. “My queen, are you willing to risk your life for me once again?”

Bai Zhao looked at him helplessly, and under the stunned gaze of everyone present, he gave his usual answer. “Always, my king.”