Chapter 395: A Radical Rethink

Lin Qiupu felt incredulous and said, “Of course it’s Hao Jie. We’ve already conducted a DNA test.”

“With whom?” Chen Shi asked.

“His father…” Lin Qiupu’s eyes widened as he recalled Hao Jie’s mother’s unusual behavior. Given that Hao Jie’s father was bedridden, it would have been more convenient to collect DNA from his mother.

But he still dismissed the idea, saying, “Impossible. She’s just too grief-stricken to cooperate. That’s normal.”

“You’re actually making excuses for her? Anyway, we need to confirm the identity of the deceased. If this suspicion isn’t cleared up, our entire investigation could be misdirected.”

“What if she refuses to cooperate?”

“All the better. If she won’t comply with such a small request, it’s proof that she has something to hide… Let’s go. I’ll ride with you.”

They headed to Hao Jie’s home. On the way, Chen Shi called the task force, instructing them to investigate new leads. Hearing Chen Shi’s voice on the other end energized everyone.

“You should become a cop,” Lin Qiupu said. “You’d be captain in less than two years.”

“How much do you make a month? Still paying off your mortgage? I’d never do such a thankless job.”

Lin Qiupu felt disheartened. “You’re limiting your own potential. You could be a great detective, but instead, you drive a taxi.”

Arriving at Hao Jie’s apartment, Lin Qiupu was about to knock when Chen Shi stopped him. They pressed their ears to the door, hearing Hao Jie’s mother on the phone, sounding far from upset.

“Li Jie, how’s that skincare product my brother brought back from Korea? … Oh, nothing really… Sure, let’s catch up for tea sometime…”

Chen Shi then knocked. Hao Jie’s mother opened the door, her demeanor changing instantly. “What do you want now? Haven’t you done enough to ruin our family? I’ve already filed a lawsuit against you. I don’t want to see any of you before we go to court!”

“Lawsuit?” Chen Shi asked.

“Ms. Qin, your lawsuit is against the district police. We’re from the city’s criminal investigation team, and we’re here to investigate the homicide. We need your cooperation.”

“Hmph!”

“May we come in?”

Once inside, Chen Shi looked around. “This place is smaller than I expected. I thought Mr. Hao would have a bigger apartment.”

“He’s a lousy businessman with a mountain of debt, and now he’s sick. Our family is ruined, all because of you cops.”

“Ms. Qin, please don’t be like this,” Lin Qiupu said. “We’re doing everything we can to find the truth. Don’t you want justice for your family?”

This last line was deliberate. Hao Jie’s mother showed a slight nervous reaction. Lin Qiupu suddenly noticed Chen Shi was missing, and heard the sound of the toilet flushing.

“Who… who let you use the bathroom? I don’t want it dirtied by you cops!” she yelled.

“Sorry, couldn’t hold it,” Chen Shi shouted from the bathroom.

The sound of a prolonged stream of water echoed through the room, creating an awkward atmosphere. Lin Qiupu thought it was taking too long. “We’d like to know more about Hao Jie,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk!” she snapped.

“Ms. Qin, please cooperate. The bureau is taking this case very seriously. Our task force of over twenty people has been working for two days.”

“And what have you found?”

“I can’t disclose that. Can you tell us about Hao Jie at school?”

Hao Jie’s mother sighed and started to cry. “My Hao Jie was a model student, never caused any trouble. He loved basketball, even participated in district competitions…”

Chen Shi walked out of the bathroom, buttoning his pants. “But I remember he broke his arm once.”

“Ah, that was when he was little. Kids’ bones heal quickly…”

“It was his leg, wasn’t it?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“Oh, right, his leg. My mistake,” Chen Shi corrected himself, overacting.

“That’s what I said! You think you know better than his mother?”

Chen Shi continued, “How are things between you and your husband?”

“Just like any other couple. We have our little fights, but since Hao Jie was born, I’ve been completely focused on him. They say children stabilize a family, and it’s true. Both of us treated him like our lifeline.”

“We need a small favor from you. Can you help?”

“What is it?”

“We need a strand of your hair.”

“What?! Didn’t you already confirm his identity?”

“That process wasn’t standard. It was done in the hospital. We need DNA from both you and your husband to verify.”

Her demeanor changed instantly. “Why keep reopening old wounds? What’s the point? You’re just making us relive the pain. What good will this do?”

“It will help a lot…”

She cut him off, “You’ve already confirmed it’s Hao Jie. Why keep bothering us? You waste taxpayer money just to harass victims. Why aren’t you catching the real criminals?”

Lin Qiupu caught an inconsistency. “We never informed you of the DNA results. You left the hospital before we could tell you.”

Hao Jie’s mother hesitated, then started crying again. “A mother knows her child. Do you need a test to tell you that?”

Lin Qiupu pressed, “Why won’t you cooperate?”

“It won’t bring Hao Jie back. Get out, both of you! Don’t come back!” She picked up a mop and started pushing them out.

Once outside, Lin Qiupu looked exasperated. Chen Shi, however, peeked through the keyhole. “This feels creepy,” Lin Qiupu muttered.

“Watch and learn. The second visit can often reveal more.”

“What did you see?”

Chen Shi motioned for silence, watching for several minutes before leading Lin Qiupu away. “Guess where she went first?”

“Stop teasing.”

“She checked the bathroom. Did you hear any water just now? She wasn’t using it; she was checking.”

“So she is hiding something,” Lin Qiupu concluded. “But we still didn’t get the DNA sample.”

Chen Shi pulled out a small bag and bottle. “Hair and some toilet water. Two samples for safety.”

“How did you manage that long bathroom break?”

Chen Shi showed a water bottle with a small hole in it. Lin Qiupu finally understood.

“Let’s go witness a miracle,” Chen Shi said with a smile.