Chapter 106: Who’s Starting a Family with You

Peng Si-jue and Lin Dongxue came to check the fridge. It indeed had a rotten smell, but the cooling was still strong. She said, “Maybe she didn’t touch the food after buying it. She thought she had AIDS, so she wouldn’t have had the appetite to eat.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch,” Chen Shi said, opening the lower freezer compartment. He found some popsicles that had melted and then refrozen into flat shapes.

“The fridge had a power outage. Lao Peng, how long does it take without power for this to happen?” Chen Shi asked.

“Not sure, we’d need to test it,” Peng replied.

“Did the power go out last night? If it did, the time of death needs to be re-evaluated,” Chen Shi said.

Lin Dongxue added, “No need for that. Wang Shiren said the deceased took a call at seven o’clock.”

The officers went out to question the neighbors. They said the girl living there didn’t seem to have a job and stayed home playing video games all day, often leaving a lot of trash by her door.

As for last night, they didn’t hear any noise around seven o’clock.

One lady mentioned that a while ago, she saw a shadow crouched by the girl’s door one night, rummaging through something. It scared her, and she yelled out, causing the person to flee. It turned out to be a rummaged trash bag.

Lin Dongxue came back and reported these findings to Chen Shi, who pondered, “A stalker?”

The scene was temporarily sealed off, and the body and related evidence were taken back to the station. Passing by the construction site downstairs, Chen Shi’s gaze was fixed on it. Lin Dongxue asked, “What are you looking at?”

“When they were working here, it must have been very noisy, right?”

Chen Shi walked over to the construction site and inquired. The workers said they worked until six o’clock last night.

Back at the station, it was already noon. After lunch, experts from the CDC arrived and said, “There was a mix-up. I re-interviewed the two infected individuals about any high-risk behaviors or blood transfusions. Patient A said he recently got a tattoo, which fits the timeline.”

“What about the second person? It’s quite a coincidence for both to get infected simultaneously,” Lin Qiupu asked.

“Here’s the story: these two had a threesome with that girl. Afterward, the girl left, but the two men, still under the influence of Viagra and highly aroused, decided to… try something new. So A suggested to B, ‘Want to give it a try?’ B was initially reluctant but eventually agreed…”

“Enough, spare us the details,” Lin Qiupu interrupted, with several officers smirking.

“So, they had unprotected anal sex, and A transmitted the virus to B,” the expert concluded.

“Are they gay?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Not necessarily. This falls under MSM (men who have sex with men), which is a broader category than gay. Some men don’t usually have homosexual tendencies but might engage in such acts under certain circumstances. According to Kinsey’s data, 10% of men have had MSM experiences.”

Lin Dongxue was taken aback, saying, “Men really have no boundaries.”

“So, which happened first: their infection or the girl’s relationship with Kong Tingting?” Chen Shi asked.

“Clearly, A’s infection came first. Luckily, the girl didn’t get infected from that encounter. The transmission rate in heterosexual sex is lower, but much higher between men due to the fragility of rectal tissue.”

Lin Qiupu said, “Thank you. Seems it was a false alarm.”

“Should I notify the other men involved?” the expert asked.

“No, we’ll handle it. And keep the homicide case confidential for now.”

“Understood. Thanks,” the expert said, relieved, and left.

Chen Shi turned to Lin Qiupu, “Seems men should be more cautious about protection.”

“Who are you talking to? I’m not like that!” Lin Qiupu unusually snapped.

Peng Si-jue walked in and tossed an autopsy report on the table, coldly stating, “The deceased showed signs of sexual assault, which happened before death. The internal injuries suggest the perpetrator harmed her before raping her.”

“And then dressed her again?” Chen Shi was surprised.

“Yes, her pants were tightly fastened, but the inside showed signs of being hastily put on.”

“We underestimated the perpetrator’s shamelessness,” Lin Dongxue said.

“Any other findings?”

“Some hairs and fibers on the victim’s body, likely from the perpetrator. The DNA under her nails points to a man around forty, but no match in the database. Based on the air conditioning, I estimate the time of death to be about 15 hours ago.”

“The time of death might need reassessment. There might have been a power outage,” Chen Shi said.

Xu Xiaodong reported, “The residents didn’t mention any power outage last night.”

Lin Dongxue asked, “Why did Kong Tingting think she had AIDS and then lash out at society? She must have had unprotected sex a few weeks ago. Is this related to the case?”

“Investigate it!” Lin Qiupu ordered. “We’ll split up the tasks…”

In the afternoon, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue returned to the crime scene. The construction site was noisy, making it hard to talk to the neighbors. Chen Shi asked if there was a power outage last night, and they all said no.

Back at Kong Tingting’s place, Chen Shi stared at the outdoor electric box, deep in thought.

“Do you suspect someone tampered with it?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“It’s a possibility, but I’m not sure yet. The fridge issue might be from a previous outage. This is just a clue, not enough for a solid theory,” Chen Shi replied.

Lin Dongxue’s phone buzzed with a message from their task force’s WeChat group. She said, “Xu Xiaodong found the nightclub Kong Tingting frequented. It’s quiet during the day, so we might have to work overtime tonight… Is Tao Yueyue okay alone at home?”

“She can take care of herself.”

“I always feel that despite your care, Tao Yueyue missed maternal love during her upbringing. It might affect her well-being as she grows.”

“Where can I find her maternal love? Buy a wig? Or are you suggesting I should start a family?”

“Starting a family? Who would you start a family with?” Lin Dongxue suddenly seemed anxious.

Chen Shi ignored her reaction and said, “Let’s eat. We have to work overtime tonight… Sigh, weekends are busier than weekdays.”