Chapter 551: Laying in Wait

Xu Xiaodong tensed every nerve, listening intently. The footsteps approached the door, then quickly retreated. Xu Xiaodong sprang up and rushed out in pursuit.

He followed the sound of the footsteps to a small alley. Looking around, he saw no one. Suddenly, laughter came from behind. Chen Shi said, “I was just testing your reaction speed.”

Xu Xiaodong sighed in relief, “Brother Chen, why did you scare me like that?”

Chen Shi raised his hand, holding some snacks and drinks. “I was worried you’d be bored alone, so I came to keep you company.”

“Bored? Not really, it’s just…”

Chen Shi walked into the house and saw the dark room. “Why don’t you turn on the lights?”

“I was afraid of alerting any intruders.”

“You’re too straightforward! If someone really came for the deceased and saw the lights off, they’d leave immediately.”

Chen Shi turned on the light, drew the curtains, and sat down, spreading out the snacks and drinks. “This guy’s social connections are tough to investigate. All his friends are shady characters.”

“I don’t get it. He graduated from a four-year university. How did he end up like this?”

“It’s because of gambling. I heard he was well off before, but after his father died, he couldn’t kick his bad spending habits. He lied about working out of town, but he was just lazing around every day. His family couldn’t support him, so he borrowed money from friends. His decent friends cut ties with him.”

“Brother Chen, are you staying the night?”

“I’ll keep you company. It’s not good for you to be here alone.”

Xu Xiaodong felt touched.

Actually, Chen Shi came straight from the station. The preliminary autopsy results of the deceased, Sun Jun, had just come out. His stomach contained a large amount of alcohol mixed with a sedative, undoubtedly confirming it was murder.

Chen Shi paced around the empty house while Xu Xiaodong played a mobile game on the couch. “Brother Chen, why are you pacing? Want to play with me for a bit?”

“You play by yourself. I’m reconstructing the crime scene.”

Chen Shi imagined the scene. The furniture was orderly, indicating the murder wasn’t too violent. The killer was familiar with Sun Jun and had hung him from the beam after sedating him.

Chen Shi looked up and saw marks on the beam. The cloth used to hang Sun Jun had a lot of dust, suggesting the killer couldn’t hoist him alone. They first looped the rope around his neck, pulled him up, and tied the other end to the window frame.

Sun Jun’s arm was slightly dislocated, and there were pieces of fabric under his fingernails, showing he struggled fiercely.

The killer then placed Sun Jun’s shoes on the chair to create a false suicide scene.

If the killer acted alone, they must have been familiar with Ah Qiang but not with Sun Jun, which is why they only forged Ah Qiang’s note. But why stage a suicide?

If the killer had murdered Ah Qiang and left him in the house, it might have taken days to discover, making the investigation harder.

The motive must be related to Ah Zhen’s death. The “suicide” seemed like the killer’s way of saying both victims should die similarly.

After considering this, Chen Shi searched the house. Xu Xiaodong asked curiously, “Didn’t Team Leader Lin already search?”

“Just checking for anything missed.”

He opened the wardrobe and found clothes similar to those worn by the first suspect. He laid them on the bed and took some photos.

In a CD case, he found a dozen IOUs. He showed them to Xu Xiaodong, who was still playing his game. “I’m about to finish this round. Give me a break!”

“Would you say that to Team Leader Lin?”

“I know Brother Chen is the best!”

Chen Shi ignored this and snatched Xu Xiaodong’s phone. Xu Xiaodong looked dejected. Chen Shi said, “When you become capable, you can play games while discussing cases. You’re not there yet.”

“Alright… Wow, so many IOUs!” Xu Xiaodong picked them up. “Ten thousand, thirteen thousand, twenty thousand. How much did he owe?”

“Wait!” Chen Shi picked one up. It had the name Liu Qin. “He owed Liu Qin twenty thousand?”

“There’s more. He owed Gu Daqiang thirty thousand. Did they have so much money after working just three years?”

“They’re in sales, selling raw materials. It’s not surprising they have savings… What’s with that regretful look?”

“Nothing!” Xu Xiaodong denied, but he was thinking about how they earned so much at a younger age.

“Didn’t they say he fought with Gu Daqiang? Why would Gu lend him money?”

Chen Shi shrugged. “He’s dead. How would I know?”

“Can I have my phone back now?”

“How would I contact you if your phone’s dead?”

“I brought a charger.”

“Alright, fine!”

Xu Xiaodong happily resumed his game and surprisingly won. He said, “Brother Chen, don’t you find investigating cases boring?”

“I enjoy investigating such intriguing cases!”

“So, you don’t like regular cases?”

“Exactly, they don’t interest me at all.”

That night, they slept there. The next morning, Chen Shi, while dressing, told the still-lazy Xu Xiaodong, “I’ll keep investigating during the day and come back at night. You stay here and keep watch, got it?”

Xu Xiaodong mumbled, “Yeah.”

“Don’t just say ‘yeah.’ Repeat what I said!”

Xu Xiaodong repeated it word for word. Satisfied he understood, Chen Shi left.

The case had a special task force. The clues were numerous, mainly because Ah Qiang had many friends and Sun Jun had many enemies, but there was little overlap between the two.

The only common link, Liu Qin, had already been ruled out as a suspect.

Old Zhang said, “According to one of Sun Jun’s gambling buddies, he was caught cheating six months ago and had his finger chopped off by a big shot who then tattooed a mark on his forehead to humiliate him.”

Lin Qiupu asked, “What’s this big shot’s name?”

“The buddy didn’t know, only that he was nicknamed Brother Bian and ran an underground casino.”

“Old Zhang, coordinate with the local police. See if this guy has a record and find out where he runs his casino. Don’t alert him yet.”

Lin Dongxue said, “I met one of Gu Daqiang’s classmates yesterday. He said when those two fought, Sun Jun mocked Ah Qiang for being a cuckold. Gu Daqiang then beat him up, and Ah Zhen cried. Gu Daqiang left with her. Sun Jun and Gu Daqiang were in the same department, but their other classmates aren’t local. I’ll try to contact them by phone today.” Then Lin Dongxue’s phone rang. She glanced at it and said, “Captain Lin, Liu Qin is outside. He’s scared he might be the next victim and is asking for protection!”

“Got it,” Lin Qiupu nodded. “Next time, keep your phone on silent during meetings.”