Chapter 191: Drinking or Heartbroken?

The men turned to face him. The one harassing Gan Ping sneered, “Mind your own business! We’re friends; it’s none of your concern!”

“Are they your friends?” Lin Qiupu asked Gan Ping.

Gan Ping shook her head vigorously.

Lin Qiupu sternly pointed at the men, “This is sexual harassment. It’s against the law. Get out of my sight!”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” The man retorted.

Fury surged in Lin Qiupu. When the man reached out, Lin wasn’t sure if he was going to grab his collar or hit him. Deciding to act first, Lin punched the man in the face, sending him stumbling into the aisle.

Lin quickly flashed his badge, stopping the others in their tracks. Realizing he was a cop, they sobered up instantly and helped their fallen friend out of the store.

“Thank you so much, Officer Lin,” Gan Ping said. “These thugs often come here late at night to steal. They just take things openly, and I end up having to cover the losses myself. Tonight, they were drunk and looking for trouble again.”

“Next time, call the police. The store has surveillance cameras. Don’t try to handle it alone. If they think you’re weak, they’ll keep coming back.”

“I will. Your hand…”

Lin Qiupu looked at his hand. He wasn’t used to fighting, and the punch had scraped his knuckles against the man’s teeth, breaking the skin. He hadn’t felt the pain due to the adrenaline rush, but now it stung.

“I’ll get some iodine for you.”

Gan Ping left for a moment. Lin Qiupu noticed her phone on the table, with a lock screen photo of the popular idol Jiang Yuqi. He couldn’t understand the appeal of these effeminate stars, yet so many women liked them, including his sister, Lin Dongxue.

Gan Ping returned with a cotton ball soaked in iodine and started to clean his wound. Lin Qiupu asked curiously, “Where’s your family? Did you come to Long’an alone?”

“My family… it’s complicated. I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Oh, I understand. Respecting your privacy.” Lin Qiupu changed the subject. “By the way, my sister also likes Jiang Yuqi.”

“Really?” Gan Ping’s eyes lit up. “You have a sister? Biological?”

“Yes, she’s also a cop.”

“You must have a happy family.”

“Happy?” Lin Qiupu was confused, thinking of his strained relationship with Lin Dongxue.

“To be honest, I came to the city to find my brother, my real brother. He ran away from home when we were kids and never contacted us again.”

Seeing Gan Ping’s downcast face, Lin Qiupu felt sympathy. “Did you find him?”

“Yes, I saw him once. He was wearing clothes worth more than my entire wardrobe, driving a shiny luxury car, surrounded by people. He looked dazzling.”

“You didn’t approach him?”

“He’s doing so well now. He’s not the same person anymore. I’m afraid to.”

“That’s nonsense! Your brother is living the high life while his sister is struggling with two jobs. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Gan Ping fiddled with her clothes, not speaking.

Lin Qiupu continued, “I’m sure he’d love to see you. After all, you’re family. Tell me his name, and I’ll help you find him.”

“Please don’t. Let me handle it. I’ll meet him when I’m ready. Please don’t let him know I’m here.”

Gan Ping’s earnest plea and sincere eyes made Lin Qiupu relent. “Sorry, I got carried away. I didn’t mean to intrude on your private matters.”

“I know you’re a good person, probably a great brother too. Your sister must really rely on you.”

Lin Qiupu didn’t know how to respond. Just then, a customer walked in, giving him an excuse to change the topic. “I should go. If you need anything, I’ll come back.”

“Take care.”

Back in his car, Lin Qiupu was touched by Gan Ping’s words. If Lin Dongxue were suffering somewhere without his knowledge, he couldn’t bear it. He sent her a message: “Sis, no matter how tough life gets, your brother will always be your rock.”

Lin Dongxue replied: “Are you drunk? Or heartbroken?”

Lin Qiupu felt like his heartfelt message was tossed in the trash. He stared at his phone, feeling the gap between his idealized sister and reality.

It was past ten when he returned to the station. Most lights were off, except in the tech team’s office. Peng Siyue was there, sipping coffee after finishing an autopsy. Lin Qiupu sat down and asked, “Find anything?”

With the assistant gone, the autopsy report wasn’t printed yet, only handwritten notes. Peng Siyue handed them over.

The notes read: “Case number XXX, male, 56 years old, time of death around 9 PM, February 24, 201X. Hollow injuries on chest, shoulders, and arms. Slight bruising on the side abdomen, fractured ribs, abrasions on elbows, back of the head, and shoulders. Punctate burns near neck and ears. Needle mark on the right side of the scapula, toxin not yet identified…”

“Poisoned?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“Not certain. Here are the photos. The needle mark wasn’t professionally done; the needle seemed bent, causing swelling. The attacker’s motion must have been rough.”

“What kind of bend?”

Peng Siyue bent a syringe needle slightly. “Judging by the wound damage, something like this.”

Lin Qiupu mimicked the motion with the syringe, trying to visualize the scene. “They must have been struggling. Finding the weapon would help a lot.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. Syringes are easily disposed of.”

“No defensive wounds on the victim?”

“None.”

“Seems the victim was immobilized. Could it have been a sedative?”

“No, I’m certain it was poison. The injuries weren’t fatal. The autopsy showed signs of poisoning. I made some pathology slides for further testing tomorrow.”

Lin Qiupu continued reading the report: “Blue lips and nails, conjunctival hemorrhaging, no subarachnoid hemorrhage, calcification in the brain, tense meninges, congested arachnoid membrane, widened gyri, narrowed sulci (clear signs of poisoning)… Lung hemorrhaging, widespread lung hemorrhages, clots in small blood vessels, congested pulmonary vessels, increased white cells in alveolar walls… Free-flowing blood in the heart and major vessels… Liver hemorrhaging, fibrosis in the liver portal area with inflammatory cell infiltration… Spleen hemorrhaging.”

Lin Qiupu put down the report. “Seems like the victim wasn’t in good health, given his age.”

Peng Siyue shook his head. “These are stress responses. The victim must have been living under high stress, either psychologically or physically.”

Lin Qiupu was slightly taken aback. The victim seemed to live a leisurely life, so he couldn’t fathom the source of stress.

He set the report aside. “It’s late. Let’s continue tomorrow. Come on, I’ll treat you to a late-night snack.”