Chapter 393: Reliance on Chen Shi

Lin Qiupu, looking exasperated, leaned on the table and said, “It seems our second team has developed a severe case of ‘Chen Shi Dependency.’ Haven’t we solved cases before Chen Shi joined us?”

“We never cracked any big cases,” someone muttered quietly.

“Who said that? Stand up! Xiaodong, was that you?” Lin Qiupu demanded.

Sitting in the corner with a mouthful of food, Xu Xiaodong sheepishly said, “Not me, I’m eating.”

Everyone burst into laughter. Lin Qiupu knocked on the table, “Alright, everyone, share your thoughts. This is the initial stage of the investigation, so be bold with your hypotheses!”

The room fell silent. The case seemed like a dead end from the start. The precinct had already hit a wall, and most people, though not vocal about it, felt that following old leads wouldn’t help.

Lin Dongxue stood up and said, “Captain Lin, I reviewed Captain Peng’s report. It mentions carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death. What do you think about that?”

This point had puzzled Lin Qiupu as well. He asked back, “What do you think?”

“Carbon monoxide poisoning could mean a gas leak. Maybe the child died accidentally, and the killer staged it as a kidnapping and murder to cover up. That might explain why the kidnapper never collected the ransom.”

“That’s a huge leap,” another officer said. “If the killer wasn’t found out, they could’ve just buried the body and been done with it.”

“But Dongxue’s divergent thinking is good!” Lin Qiupu emphasized. “The killer’s motive might not have been money but murder. However, accidental death doesn’t fit. I’ve listened to the recordings of the calls with the kidnapper. Hao Jie was alive during those calls… even during the last call on the night of December 3rd.”

“If the killer wanted Hao Jie dead, and since we’ve exhausted the father’s social connections, should we consider Hao Jie’s circle instead? We recently solved a similar case,” Lin Dongxue suggested, referring to the Li Mengran case.

Lin Qiupu thought for a moment, “Hao Jie was just a grade-schooler, unlike Li Mengran. His peers wouldn’t have the capability to commit such a crime. Also, the kidnapper’s voice, though altered, was clearly an adult.”

“Let’s listen to the recordings,” someone proposed.

“Alright.”

Lin Qiupu played the recordings on his computer. The altered voice said, “Hao Zhiqiang, your son is with me. Prepare ten million yuan, or you’ll be collecting his body!”

Hao Jie’s father yelled, “Who are you? Don’t joke around, or I’ll call the police!”

“Haha, call the police? Then prepare to collect the body!”

“No police, no police. Let me hear my son’s voice.”

“Come here!” the kidnapper barked. Then a boy’s crying voice was heard, “Daddy, I’m scared! Please save me.”

Crying, Hao Zhiqiang said, “A-Jie, don’t be afraid. Daddy will think of something. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, the bad man bought me a lunchbox, but I’m really scared!”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at… Ah!!!”

Hao Jie seemed to be violently interrupted, and the kidnapper snarled, “Don’t try anything. Get the money ready!”

“Where should I send it?”

“I’ll let you know.”

“If you harm my son, I’ll…”

The call was abruptly cut off.

Lin Qiupu played the other recordings. They were typical of a kidnapping case, with the same kidnapper speaking and Hao Jie responding to his family in real-time, making pre-recorded messages unlikely.

After the recordings ended, the room was silent. Someone suggested, “If there are no suspects locally, could it be the work of professional kidnappers?”

“If so, solving this case quickly won’t be easy.”

“Don’t be pessimistic. Since we can’t identify the motive, let’s focus on the facts of the murder. Let’s investigate the area where the body was found. Hao Jie’s death date should be after December 3rd. Let’s see if anyone noticed anything unusual around that time.”

“Captain, it’s a remote area. Who can we ask?”

Knowing this would be challenging after six months, Lin Qiupu said, “Ask the forest rangers, passing drivers, and conduct a thorough search for evidence. Meeting adjourned!”

For old cases like this, enthusiasm wanes quickly. At the scene, now cordoned off, everyone split into groups, poking the ground with thin wires, searching through leaves for any overlooked evidence.

This work was exhausting and mostly fruitless, yielding only worthless trash. Lin Dongxue’s back ached when she spotted an electric tricycle passing by. “Maybe that person saw something,” she suggested.

“Let’s ask!” everyone eagerly agreed, wanting a change of pace.

They ran down the hill, startling the old man driving the tricycle into speeding up. They chased him down, flashed their badges, and the old man nervously said, “I’ve paid my taxes!”

“Sir, we’re criminal investigators, looking into a case. Do you pass by here daily?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Yes, I sell mushrooms, go to the city every morning, and come back in the evening.”

“Did you see anything suspicious on December 4th last year?” Lin Dongxue asked, though not expecting much given the time lapse.

The old man pondered and asked, “Was there a murder?”

“Uh… yes, it’s a murder case.”

“Late last year, one evening, I saw a car parked here with two people moving something heavy. I looked, and one yelled at me, ‘What are you looking at?’ He wore a mask. I thought they might be bad guys but didn’t dare call the police, fearing revenge.”

“When exactly?” Lin Dongxue asked excitedly.

“I can’t remember, but it wasn’t December. I wasn’t wearing my winter coat yet.”

“Two people?”

“Yes!”

After confirming he’d shared all he knew, they let him go. The old man asked if they wanted to buy some mushrooms. Lin Dongxue hesitated, then bought a kilo. The other officers followed suit.

Standing by the roadside with bags of mushrooms, they debated the old man’s lead. It seemed unlikely to be related. It didn’t fit: two people and a large bag didn’t match the scenario of a ten-year-old’s body.

“This place is a dump. Finding bodies here isn’t uncommon. Maybe the old man’s talking about another case,” Officer Zhang said.

“If it’s so unsafe here, why not post guards?” Xu Xiaodong suggested.

“Would you want to guard it?” Zhang laughed.

“Should we keep searching or go home and cook these mushrooms?” Lin Dongxue asked.

Reluctantly, they continued searching the mountain.