Chapter 271: Discussing the Case (Late Night, Still Seeking Votes)

As Pence Jue and the others emerged, Lin Dongxue yawned repeatedly. Chen Shi suggested, “Why don’t you get some sleep? You’ve been up all night. If you don’t catch some rest soon, you won’t recover for days.”

Yawning again, Lin Dongxue replied, “Sleep during the day? Won’t that mess up my biological clock?”

“No, how about napping in the car?”

“No! I’ll nap at the bureau at noon.”

Chen Shi returned to the crime scene, and upon returning, he asked Lin Dongxue to accompany him. He had obtained Pence Jue’s car keys and opened the door. Pence Jue’s BMW was indeed comfortable. From the glove compartment, Chen Shi retrieved a facial mask and applied it to Lin Dongxue’s face.

“I’ve been worried that in ten years, your skin will look like an old lady’s,” Chen Shi remarked.

Making a face, Lin Dongxue retorted, “Will you still be able to see in ten years?”

“Whether I can see or not, I still want you to look beautiful.” With that, Chen Shi smoothed the edges of the mask on her face. The cool sensation was quite comforting. Lin Dongxue wondered how Chen Shi knew there was a mask in Captain Pence’s car. Were they that close?

But observing their usual banter, they did seem like old friends who had known each other for many years.

With the mask on and lying back in the seat, Lin Dongxue gradually fell asleep.

Only then did Chen Shi leave the car. The scene investigation was now complete, and the forensic team was carrying their equipment out. Chen Shi asked one of them, “Did you find the victim’s phone?”

“We found it, with Captain Pence.”

“Is he still inside?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, is Captain Pence not in a good mood today?”

The officer lowered his voice. “Chen, let me tell you. Captain Pence hasn’t been quite himself lately. He seems unhappy every morning.”

“Is it because of the last disciplinary action?”

“That was a while ago. We’re not sure of the reason.”

Chen Shi had a hunch. At that moment, Pence Jue emerged and handed Chen Shi a phone in an evidence bag. “Found it under the sofa. It’s dead.”

Chen Shi examined it and asked, “What’s wrong? You look troubled this early in the morning.”

“Don’t make wild guesses.”

“If you encounter any problems, remember to tell me, okay?”

“Thanks, but not necessary.”

Chen Shi took out a cigarette and offered it to him. Pence Jue declined, saying, “Still on duty!”

“Does smoking affect your work?”

Pence Jue still hesitated but eventually accepted one and took a few puffs.

Noticing Lin Dongxue asleep in his car with a face mask on, Pence Jue remarked, “Taking advantage of my stuff?”

“Shall I buy you a pack later?”

“No need.”

It wasn’t until they reached the bureau that Lin Dongxue woke up. She turned to find Pence Jue driving and said, “Oh, sorry, I fell asleep. How embarrassing.”

“No worries, get some more sleep if you need!”

Feeling somewhat refreshed, Lin Dongxue got out of the car. The forensic team took the evidence back for analysis, and Pence Jue personally handled the autopsy. Chen Shi was called by Lin Qiupu to discuss the Zhou Xiao case, which hadn’t progressed yet.

Lin Dongxue applied for the case registration. At 10 a.m., the members of the task force gathered in the conference room. Pence Jue read out the preliminary autopsy report. “The deceased male, 27 years old, died from blunt force trauma to the skull, resulting in rupture of the dura mater and intracranial hemorrhage. The skull exhibited a radiating fracture on the surface, with a contusion near the right occipital bone. However, the shape of the weapon is somewhat peculiar. I’ve taken photos…”

Pence Jue retrieved photos from a folder and a rough sketch he drew based on the wound pattern. Everyone passed them around.

It looked like a hammer overall, but the details were different, suggesting a softer type of hammer.

Pence Jue continued, “Based on liver temperature, the estimated time of death was around midnight.”

People exchanged glances, expressing surprise. In other words, the killer took a photo and posted it on Weibo immediately after the murder. Then, somehow, they escaped from the locked-room situation under the noses of Lin Dongxue and the journalists.

“Could it be suicide?” asked a policeman.

“The direction of the force on the wound indicates that the victim could not have inflicted it himself. Besides, I compared the photo, and it matches exactly what I saw. The possibility of forgery is ruled out,” Pence Jue affirmed, showing another photo taken during the autopsy.

Everyone examined the photos. When it reached Chen Shi, he scrutinized them carefully, comparing even the shape of the bloodstains on the victim’s forehead.

It appeared the photo was taken immediately after the victim’s death. There was undoubtedly another person present at the scene.

Lin Dongxue found it hard to believe such a method of murder existed. She asked Xu Xiaodong, “What did Weibo customer service say?”

“They explained the scheduled posting feature. When a post is scheduled, the information is stored on the server immediately. At the set time, the link is automatically modified. They checked last night’s servers, and this post wasn’t scheduled. It was posted at 12:01, within the deceased’s Wi-Fi coverage area.”

Everyone was amazed. Someone asked Lin Dongxue, “Dongxue, what time did you rush in?”

“At 12:02, we learned something was wrong. When we entered, the door lock was wired shut. Xiaodong went to get a lock opener. When we finally got the door open, reporters tried to come in and take pictures. We tried to stop them. We actually saw the body at around 12:10. I checked my watch.”

“Eight minutes. The killer could have escaped from the bathroom!” someone suggested.

“No, we checked the bathroom window grilles and the dust on the toilet. Although they were wiped clean, we thoroughly examined the outside window ledge. The killer didn’t pass through there,” Pence Jue asserted.

“Moreover, when I entered the room, the bathroom door was open. I could see inside at a glance. It’s so narrow, no one could hide there, let alone break through the grille and escape,” Lin Dongxue added.

Chen Shi scribbled on a piece of paper, holding it up. “This is a reconstruction of the layout based on memory. Two windows, both with stainless steel grilles, visible from the entry point.”

Everyone pondered over the drawing. Chen Shi stated, “By ruling out the impossible, the only answer left is that the killer was no longer in the room at that time.”

Immediately, someone raised objections. “The time of death and the time the Weibo was posted prove that the killer was in the room around midnight. I think Chen Ge’s ‘killer wasn’t in the room’ statement is also impossible. So, the only answer is that the killer was in the room after you entered and slipped away in the chaos!”

This viewpoint gained support from many, and Chen Shi didn’t argue, just smiling ambiguously.

“It’s impossible. All the people who entered were journalists and photographers. They left together. They’re usually very familiar with each other. It’s like if we had a stranger among us, we’d notice at a glance,” Lin Dongxue argued.

“In that case, there’s only one answer!” the skeptic continued. “The killer is someone from the TV station!”