Chapter 392: Why Not Call Chen?

Lin Qiupu brought the DNA test results, evidence photos, and witness statements to the precinct. The officer he spoke with on the phone, Liu, was waiting at the entrance. Liu introduced himself, and Lin Qiupu asked, “Officer Liu, did Hao Jie ever have a broken bone?”

“I’m not sure. You can’t imagine the chaos back then. The parents were frantic. There was no time to discuss the child’s medical history with me,” Liu replied.

“Then we can only rely on DNA testing. Do you have their contact information?”

Liu frowned. “I do, but I can’t promise Hao Jie’s mother won’t curse us out. Every time I called to check in, she would berate me.”

“Let me try,” Lin Qiupu offered.

Lin Qiupu dialed Hao Jie’s mother’s number, and when she answered, he politely said, “Hello, this is Lin from the Municipal Public Security Bureau…”

“Why are you contacting me again? Isn’t it enough that you got my son killed six months ago? All you know is to investigate and collect evidence. Why don’t you find my son and bring him back? You waste taxpayers’ money and dare to show your face!”

Liu gave Lin Qiupu a knowing look as if to say, “I told you so.”

Lin Qiupu took a deep breath and said, “Ma’am, please listen. Today, we found the remains of a boy, and we suspect…”

“What? What did you say? Say it again! Is my son dead? You killed him, and now you want to tell me this? I’ll sue you until your police station is shut down!”

“Could you please calm down? How about we meet in person?”

After some crying, she said, “Third Municipal Hospital, Ward 1.”

Hanging up, Liu said, “I’m not going. I can’t face her again. Here are the case files.”

“Is she in the hospital because of this?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“I heard Hao Jie’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Poor family,” Liu sighed.

The thought of meeting her alone made Lin Qiupu uneasy. He decided to bring Xu Xiaodong along.

At the hospital, Xu Xiaodong, excited about working a case directly with the captain, asked, “Captain, what major case are we handling this time? Did you call Chen? Have you eaten?”

“Stop blabbering and follow me.”

They met Hao Jie’s mother, Mrs. Qin, in the hospital. Her eyes were red from crying, but she was well-dressed, suggesting a decent family background.

Mrs. Qin coldly said, “I’ve been waiting for a call from the police every day for six months, dreading the truth. It looks like the day has finally come.” She took a deep breath. “I’m prepared. Just tell me.”

Lin Qiupu explained, “You’ve misunderstood. We found some remains and need to confirm their identity with a DNA test.”

“With me?”

“Yes. Can I ask if Hao Jie ever had a broken bone?”

“Why do you ask?”

“The remains had a healed fracture on the right leg.”

Mrs. Qin’s eyes widened, and she suddenly burst into tears. “It’s him! It’s my A-Jie! He broke his leg playing on a ladder!”

“We can’t be certain yet. We need your DNA.”

Stomping her feet hysterically, Mrs. Qin cried, “What’s the use of all this? My son is gone. The police did nothing but bring bad news. I never should have trusted you!”

“I promise we will bring the culprit to justice.”

“Hmph, promises! More promises! My family is ruined. Saying we’re broken would be an understatement. Sorry, I can’t handle this right now. I have to go!”

“Ma’am, please…” Lin Qiupu called after her, but Mrs. Qin walked away. He looked at Xu Xiaodong, who suggested, “Her husband is still here, right?”

“I’ll get the sample. You talk to the doctor. We’ll do the paternity test here.”

Hao Jie’s father was in the adjacent room, frail and covered in tubes, asleep in bed. Lin Qiupu explained the situation to a nurse, who swabbed the father’s mouth for a sample and warned, “The patient’s saliva carries bacteria. Be very careful.”

“Thank you,” Lin Qiupu said.

The nurse smiled at Lin Qiupu, and he mentally compared her to Lin Dongxue, deciding she wasn’t even a third as attractive as his sister. He nodded and left.

An hour later, the paternity test confirmed a 99% match between the DNA samples, identifying the remains as Hao Jie.

Lin Qiupu felt a weight lift off his shoulders, but the pressure to solve the case increased. The precinct had already investigated the family’s connections for two months without finding any leads. Rechecking them might not yield new results.

As he frowned in thought, Xu Xiaodong suggested, “Captain, could you buy me spicy hot pot?”

“That stuff is unhealthy to eat at night. You should change your eating habits.”

“A few days ago, Dongxue took me to a great hot pot place. I thought you might like it.”

“Hmm… Alright, once in a while is fine. Let’s go!”

“You’re treating?”

“Of course!”

Back home, Lin Qiupu reviewed the thick stack of case files. The clues were numerous and complicated. It might take another two months to sort through everything, but he organized the information for the next day’s meeting.

At the special task force meeting the following morning, Lin Qiupu said, “The precinct has already looked into a lot of leads. Hao Jie’s father was once a manager at a company, then ran a small business. He had conflicts with several people in the business world. We should focus on a few individuals: Wang Chao, the boss of Hao Jie’s former company. When Hao Jie’s father left, he took a list of clients and offered lower prices, prompting Wang Chao to threaten his family. Wang Chao claimed to be out of town during the kidnapping, but aside from his travel tickets, he has no alibi. Li Hai, a competitor who benefited from the kidnapping, got a $500,000 deposit when Hao Jie’s father couldn’t complete an order due to the kidnapping. Lastly, Zhang Lijuan, rumored to be a former mistress of Hao Jie’s father. The precinct hasn’t been able to contact her.”

The officers seemed unenthusiastic. Lin Qiupu asked, “Any questions?”

One officer asked, “Isn’t kidnapping and killing for clients a bit extreme? Businessmen aren’t usually this reckless. I remember someone saying, and it made sense, that people don’t easily kill others.”

Another officer added, “Chen said that!”

Others murmured, “Why not bring in Chen?”