Chapter 192: The Old Bastard Who Killed His Wife

The next morning, Lin Qiupu woke up at his usual time. After washing up and getting dressed, he noticed a few stray hairs on his eyebrows. He spent a while plucking them with tweezers in front of the mirror until he felt satisfied. Then he had breakfast, watered, and pruned the honeysuckle plant on his balcony. This plant was a gift from Song Lang to improve the office environment. It started as a small pot but had grown significantly under Lin’s care.

Lin Qiupu believed that as long as the honeysuckle was alive, Song Lang was still alive somewhere, lying low and ready to fight back against fate, much like the plant’s alias, “Winter Endurer.”

Arriving at work precisely at 8 AM, he greeted colleagues from other teams as he made his way to the Criminal Investigation Division’s office. Inside, only a few officers were reading newspapers or having breakfast.

“Just you guys?” he asked.

“The police station called. They found someone who might be Ji Chunma. Dongxue took everyone to check it out,” one officer replied.

Lin Qiupu sighed. Ji Chunma’s case was a top priority. “Those without urgent cases, meet in conference room three. We found a middle-aged man’s body on Shuangta Road last night.”

Soon, everyone gathered. Despite the busy spring break, only five officers were available. Lin Qiupu maintained his usual stern tone as he briefed them on the case and assigned tasks. First, re-examine the crime scene for any missed clues or evidence. Second, investigate the victim’s relationships, especially his ex-wife and children. Third, identify the suspicious man seen entering the house before the murder, as evidence suggested the victim had received a male visitor.

Lin Qiupu went to the tech team, where Peng Siyue handed him the formal autopsy report and a toxicology report. “You work fast, getting these done so early… Hydrogen cyanide on the victim? Cyanide, the king of poisons!”

“Access to cyanide is limited, but the victim worked at an electroplating factory where cyanide is present.”

“I heard bitter almonds contain cyanide too.”

“True, which is why cyanide has a strong bitter almond smell. But extracting high-purity cyanide from almonds requires a ton of them, so it’s not realistic.”

“Right, I’ll start by checking the victim’s workplace.”

“Also, note the detail in the autopsy report. The victim’s rectum and anus contained a water-based lubricant, but the rectal mucosa was intact, showing no signs of assault.”

“Was the killer a homosexual?”

“We can’t conclude that yet.”

Lin Qiupu put on his coat and drove to Zhou Taiyang’s workplace. The air reeked of heavy metals. Working here seemed hazardous to health. The manager was unaware of Zhou’s death and was shocked when Lin Qiupu informed him.

“Zhou didn’t show up this morning. I called several times but got no answer. I thought he might be sick.”

“He was murdered last night. I need to ask some questions.”

“What? Zhou… dead?” The manager looked genuinely surprised.

“Who was he close to?”

The manager listed a few names. Lin Qiupu spent the morning interviewing them but found no suspects. They did mention Zhou’s apprentice, Lu Yicai, who had resigned.

“Why did he leave?”

“I recall he botched an order, causing significant losses, so he was asked to leave.”

“Do you have his contact information?”

With the contact details in hand, Lin Qiupu set off to find Lu Yicai, grabbing a quick snack on the way. He called the station to check Lu’s call records.

At 2 PM, he found Lu Yicai at a mahjong parlor, looking like he had no real job. Lin Qiupu called him outside. “I need to ask you about your relationship with Zhou Taiyang.”

Lu scratched his messy hair. “We were close. He was my mentor. I visited him during holidays, and we drank together.”

“When did you last contact him?”

“Officer, since I left the job, we haven’t been in touch. The last time we met was three months ago.”

“That’s not true.” Lin Qiupu checked his phone, where a colleague had sent Lu’s call records. “The records show you two talked frequently in the past week, the last call being two days ago. What are you hiding?”

Lu became agitated, scratching his face. “What’s your sexual orientation?”

Lu erupted, “What’s that to you?”

“It’s relevant to the case.”

“I’m straight… This is nonsense.”

“You still haven’t answered my question. What were you talking about in those calls?”

“That’s personal.”

“Your mentor is dead. Your privacy is now my concern.”

“I didn’t kill him. If anything, he was out to get me!”

“What?”

Realizing he’d said too much, Lu paled. Lin Qiupu found him increasingly suspicious. “Sorry, you need to come with us for further questioning.”

“What? I told you, I didn’t kill him. I was here playing mahjong last night. Ask anyone here.”

Worried Lu might flee, Lin insisted, “Please cooperate.”

“Damn it!”

Back at the station, Lin Qiupu found some officers had returned and briefed him on their findings. Zhou’s ex-wife, Li Su, had two children: Li Chao and Li Mei. The children’s details weren’t updated in the household register, making them hard to trace. Li Su had suffered from mental illness and was abused by Zhou, who hastily cremated her after her death.

For years, Zhou fought to claim Li Su’s house, succeeding only recently.

“What a bastard,” Lin Qiupu muttered.