Chapter 395: Thinking Outside the Box

Lin Qiupu found the situation absurd. “Of course it’s Hao Jie. We already did a DNA test.”

“With whom?” Chen Shi asked.

“His father…” Lin Qiupu’s eyes widened as he recalled Hao Jie’s mother’s odd behavior. Given that Hao Jie’s father was bedridden, it would have been more convenient for her to provide the DNA sample.

However, he quickly dismissed the thought. “Impossible, impossible. She was too grief-stricken to cooperate with the investigation. That’s understandable.”

“You’re making excuses for the suspect? Let’s confirm the victim’s identity first. If we don’t clear up this doubt, the whole investigation could go off track.”

“What if she doesn’t cooperate?”

“Then it proves she’s hiding something… 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 a new lead. Hearing Chen Shi’s voice, the team was invigorated.

Lin Qiupu said, “You might as well become a cop. You’d be a team leader in less than two years.”

“How much do you make a month? Still paying off your mortgage? I wouldn’t take this tiring and thankless job!”

Lin Qiupu felt a pang of disappointment. “You’re limiting your own potential. You could be a cop but choose to drive a taxi!”

They reached Hao Jie’s top-floor apartment. Just as Lin Qiupu was about to knock, Chen Shi stopped him, pressing his ear to the door. Lin Qiupu followed suit, hearing Hao Jie’s mother on the phone, sounding far from grieving.

“Sister Li, how’s the skincare product my brother got from Korea?… Nothing much… Sure, let’s have tea sometime…”

Chen Shi knocked. Hao Jie’s mother opened the door, her expression immediately changing. “What do you want now? Haven’t you ruined our lives enough? I’ve sued you all. I don’t want to see you until the court date!”

“Sued?” Chen Shi was puzzled.

“Mrs. Qin, you sued the branch handling the kidnapping. We’re from the headquarters investigating the murder. We hope you’ll cooperate.”

“Hmph!”

“May we come in?”

Once inside, Chen Shi looked around. “The place is smaller than I imagined. I thought Mr. Hao would live in a bigger house.”

“He’s no boss, just a debtor. He got sick, and now we’re ruined. All thanks to you cops.”

Lin Qiupu said, “Mrs. Qin, can you drop that attitude? We’re trying to solve the case and get justice for you. Don’t you want the truth?”

Her expression briefly changed. Lin Qiupu noticed Chen Shi was missing. From the bathroom, they heard the sound of someone urinating.

“Who… Who let you use the bathroom? I think it’s dirty after you cops use it!” she shouted.

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

The sound of the trickling stream filled the awkward silence. Lin Qiupu thought, “That’s a long pee.” He said to Mrs. Qin, “We’re here to learn about Hao Jie.”

“I don’t want to talk!”

“Mrs. Qin, we really hope you’ll help. The bureau takes this case very seriously. Our task force has been working on it for two days straight.”

“And what have you found?”

“That’s confidential. Can you tell us about Hao Jie? How was he at school?”

Mrs. Qin sighed and started to tear up. “My Hao Jie was always top of his class, never caused any trouble. He loved basketball, even played in district competitions…”

Chen Shi emerged from the bathroom, fastening his pants. “But I remember he had a broken arm.”

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

“Wasn’t it his leg?” Lin Qiupu added.

Chen Shi exaggeratedly said, “Oh, right, his leg. My mistake… Sorry, bad memory.”

“I said it was his leg! What did you think?” Mrs. Qin emphasized.

“One more thing. How was your relationship with your husband?”

“Normal, like any couple. Little arguments now and then. After Hao Jie was born, I focused all my attention on him. People say children are the glue of a family. That’s true. We both saw him as our lifeline.”

“We need a small favor from you,” Chen Shi said.

“What favor?”

“We need a hair sample from you.”

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

“The procedure was a bit informal, done at the hospital. We need DNA from both you and your husband to compare.”

Mrs. Qin’s demeanor changed instantly. “What’s the point? Just to hurt us again? What good will it do?”

“It’s necessary…”

Mrs. Qin interrupted, “You’ve already confirmed it’s Hao Jie. Why keep reopening the wound? Are we paying you to torment us? Why don’t you go after the criminals instead of harassing victims’ families?”

Lin Qiupu caught a detail. “By the way, we never notified you of the test results… You left the hospital early that day.”

Mrs. Qin hesitated, then started crying. “A mother knows. I don’t need you to tell me!”

Lin Qiupu said, “We hope you’ll cooperate.”

“Cooperate for what? Can you bring Hao Jie back to life? Get out, and don’t come back!” She grabbed a mop, driving them out.

Once outside, Lin Qiupu looked helpless. Chen Shi pulled him aside and peered through the keyhole. Lin Qiupu remarked, “That’s creepy.”

Chen Shi shushed him. “Sometimes, a sneak peek can reveal more.”

“Did you find anything?”

Chen Shi shushed him again, peeking for five minutes before dragging Lin Qiupu away. “Guess what she did first?”

“Stop teasing.”

“She checked the bathroom. Didn’t you hear? No flushing. She was inspecting, not using it.”

“Definitely hiding something!” Lin Qiupu was convinced. “But we didn’t get any DNA samples!”

“Who do you think I am?” Chen Shi pulled out a bag and a bottle. “Hair, and toilet water with urine. Two samples for extra assurance.”

“So that long pee was…”

Chen Shi revealed a water bottle with a small hole. Lin Qiupu finally understood.

“Let’s go. Time for the moment of truth.”