Chapter 44: I Left My Leather Gloves at Your Place

Chen Shi laughed, “Miss Lin, why do you always get stuck on the details?”

Lin Dongxue pouted, “This isn’t about getting stuck. We’re discussing possibilities, and we need to consider all of them.”

“What I’m talking about are high-probability events. Of course, if you want to verify, think about the slope from the body-dumping site to the road. If it was a strong person carrying a box alone, you know physics, right? The weight on the slope would make it extremely hard to stay balanced without leaving deep footprints. But there were no such prints at the scene.”

Lin Dongxue finally seemed convinced. “I wasn’t trying to get stuck on the details. I just wanted to understand. You always talk about probabilities, but probabilities aren’t absolutes!”

“You’re teachable,” Chen Shi smiled. “Now, let’s eat!”

Just then, Chen Shi’s phone rang. It was Peng Sijue. “The ash on the victim was from Hard Zhonghua cigarettes, based on the tar and carbon monoxide content. The pills in the victim’s stomach were acetaminophen, a common non-inflammatory painkiller.”

“I remember that drug has side effects on lung function. Could pulmonary edema be related?”

“It seems so.”

“Thanks, Old Peng. Have you eaten yet?”

Peng Sijue hung up abruptly, and Chen Shi shook his head, “That guy, always so robotic.”

Xu Xiaodong commented, “Be glad Peng called you with the results personally. Few in the team get that honor.”

Lin Dongxue added, “Peng Sijue’s so cold-hearted. Maybe he doesn’t plan on getting married?”

“He’s over thirty and still single.”

“Hey, enough gossiping. Let’s eat and get back to work,” Chen Shi urged.

After eating, the three split up to continue their inquiries. Chen Shi divided the area into sections, and each took a part.

Lin Dongxue went from restaurant to restaurant, her mouth dry from all the talking. Around 4 p.m., Chen Shi called, “Any luck?”

“No! But you sound happy. Did you find something?”

“Haha, meet me at the Emperor Hotel. I’ll wait for you there.”

Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong arrived at the hotel, where Chen Shi was chatting with the deputy manager. “Mr. Wang here told me someone booked a banquet here recently, and the dishes match our list.”

The deputy manager said, “Yes, it was ordered by Kangxing Electronics Company. It was probably their quarterly celebration. We delivered the food… Are you really police? What case are you investigating?”

Ignoring the last question, Chen Shi handed him a cigarette. “Could you repeat what you just said?”

“I heard from the staff that when they delivered the food, they saw two male employees slapping each other so hard they were bleeding.”

Lin Dongxue exchanged a surprised look with Chen Shi. He smiled, “Thank you! We’ll visit that company now.”

“What case are you investigating? Did someone die?” the manager persisted.

At Kangxing Electronics, Lin Dongxue showed her badge and requested to see the manager. While waiting, Chen Shi looked at the company’s promotional posters. “So they sell these kinds of products.”

The company made health electronics, like massage machines—low cost, high profit, relying heavily on sales.

Sure enough, as they were led to the manager’s office, they passed walls plastered with motivational quotes like “Goals are not just to be met but to be exceeded” and “There’s no product you can’t sell, only people who can’t sell it.”

There was also a quarterly sales leaderboard.

Xu Xiaodong whispered, “This place reeks of motivational hype.”

Lin Dongxue added, “I have a classmate who works in a similar industry. At our reunion, we had nothing in common anymore.”

Chen Shi laughed, “People love what they do. You should learn from that.”

“Should I make it obvious I’m a cop wherever I go?”

In the manager’s office, a portly man in a suit warmly shook their hands. His grip was so strong that Xu Xiaodong had to shake his hand out afterward. After some pleasantries, the manager asked, “What brings you here?”

“Has anyone from your company gone missing recently?” Chen Shi asked.

“Haha, no, why do you ask?”

“Let me see your employee records.”

“Sure, just a moment.”

The manager made a call, and a timid-looking employee brought in a sheet of paper. Chen Shi scanned the names, but nothing stood out. The manager kept chatting, “Why aren’t you having tea?” “Do you smoke?” He pulled out a pack of Hard Zhonghua cigarettes.

Chen Shi eyed the pack. “Do you always smoke these?”

“Haha, I’m used to them. Want one?”

“No, thanks… Mind if we look around?”

“Haha, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Our employees are very busy. Though we’re small, the workload is heavy. Please understand.”

“We’re criminal police,” Lin Dongxue reminded him.

The manager feigned surprise, “Oh, criminal police? My apologies, haha!”

“Let’s go,” Chen Shi said.

“Goodbye. Take care!” the manager called after them.

Outside, Xu Xiaodong exhaled, “That manager was too enthusiastic.”

“He felt fake, like wearing a mask,” Lin Dongxue said.

“Yes, very slick, well-disguised. Even I couldn’t read him,” Chen Shi noted.

Feeling dejected, Lin Dongxue asked, “So, we’re leaving?”

“Who said we’re leaving?” Chen Shi smiled.

At the stairwell, Chen Shi suddenly stopped. “Wait here. I’m going back.”

He returned to the manager’s office and put his ear to the door, secretly activating his phone’s recording function. Inside, a man was saying, “Cops just came… Make sure everyone keeps quiet. If anyone talks, I’ll deal with them!”

Chen Shi burst in, catching the manager mid-call. His face turned fierce for a moment but quickly shifted back to a smile. “Officer, what can I do for you?”

“Sorry, I left my lighter.” Chen Shi grabbed his lighter, shook it, “I won’t disturb you further.”

“Of course, take care.”

After Chen Shi left, the manager slumped into his chair, frantically wiping sweat from his face with tissues.