Chapter 572: Meeting Mr. Yan for the First Time

At 4 PM, an elderly couple was crying in the reception room. Lin Dongxue was doing her best to console them, promising that the police would uncover the truth.

Chen Shi stood outside the door as Peng Siyue approached with a report. “The blood found in the office matches the DNA of the missing person’s parents 99.99%. It belongs to the missing person.”

“So it’s not just a simple disappearance. What about the ashes?”

“They seem to be cigarette ash.”

“What kind of cigarette?”

“We’re still comparing.”

Chen Shi suddenly remembered what Tao Yueyue had said. “Try comparing it with Chunghwa cigarettes.”

Not long after, Peng Siyue messaged Chen Shi: “The ash is indeed from Chunghwa cigarettes.”

Chen Shi pondered for a moment and decided it was necessary to visit the school again.

At 5:30 PM, as school let out, students, tired from a long day of classes, had already forgotten about the morning’s incident. They flooded out, discussing games and anime. Tao Yueyue and Wei Zeng Mary walked together and spotted Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue at the gate.

Tao Yueyue hurried over. “Uncle Chen, are you here for the case?”

“Can’t you guess we might be here to pick you up?” Chen Shi joked.

“Hmph, I don’t believe you’d come to pick me up with Sister Lin!” she retorted.

“Have the teachers left? I’d like to talk to them. Want to come along?”

“Sure!”

Wei Zeng Mary joined them, whispering to Tao Yueyue, “Is that your mom?” “Do you think they’ll arrest our homeroom teacher?”

“What’s wrong with your homeroom teacher? You all seem to want him arrested,” Chen Shi asked.

“He often takes over our PE class, drags out lessons, picks his nose while reading, and sarcastically criticizes the students who score poorly,” Wei Zeng Mary complained.

Tao Yueyue added, “He also sniffs loudly and swallows his snot.”

Wei Zeng Mary laughed, “Yeah, it’s so gross!”

Lin Dongxue whispered, “Yueyue has made good friends at school!”

Their first stop was Mr. Liu. Chen Shi asked, “I heard you lost a pack of Chunghwa cigarettes. When did you notice?”

Mr. Liu, taken aback, said, “Oh, you didn’t need to come for such a small matter… Wait, why is Tao Yueyue here?”

Chen Shi patted Tao Yueyue’s head. “She’s my kid.”

Mr. Liu’s mouth formed an ‘O’ in surprise. “Like father, like daughter. Impressive!”

“Seriously, when did you notice the cigarettes were missing?”

“Do you really need to investigate this? This morning.”

“Did you check your drawer on October 1st?”

“Well… I brought some cigarettes that day, so I didn’t check the drawer. That pack was a gift from a student’s parent. I thought one of the boys who smoke took it, bold enough to take just one pack from the carton.”

Chen Shi thought it might have been a teacher. The person smoked in the office, and the ash fell on the missing person’s bloodstain, raising suspicion.

As a former smoker, Chen Shi understood the urge. During moments of extreme frustration, a cigarette can be a small comfort.

Mr. Liu brought out the carton, and Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue carefully lifted fingerprints from it, including Mr. Liu’s. He cautioned, “It’s just a forty-yuan pack of cigarettes. Don’t blow it out of proportion. I just wanted to scare them. If someone gets punished over this, it won’t look good.”

Chen Shi replied sternly, “We have to investigate. Small thefts can lead to bigger crimes.”

Hearing him ramble, Lin Dongxue clarified, “We suspect the stolen cigarette might be linked to the disappearance. It’s just a suspicion.”

“Understood.”

“We’d like to speak with the other teachers who share the office.”

Mr. Liu glanced outside. “Mr. Yan is about to leave. Catch him quickly.”

Chen Shi asked Mr. Liu to wait by the gate and intercept any colleagues leaving. He and the others hurried to the parking lot, where they saw Mr. Yan getting into a black Mercedes, wearing sunglasses. Handsome and stylish, he asked, “Looking for me?”

Lin Dongxue showed her badge. “We’re from the police. We need to take your fingerprints.”

“Sure!”

After collecting the prints, Chen Shi said, “I heard you’re dating Ms. Lin.”

Mr. Yan nodded. “Her disappearance was a shock to me too. I’ve been uneasy all day, calling everyone who knows her, but no news.”

“How’s your relationship?”

“Though not at the point of marriage, we’re quite harmonious. We’ve never argued. You can ask anyone at the school.”

Chen Shi nodded. “Everyone says you’re a perfect match. Did she show any signs of distress before she disappeared?”

Mr. Yan tilted his head in thought. “Nothing I noticed.”

“Why do you think she disappeared?”

“If I knew that, would you still need the police?” he chuckled.

“Don’t get us wrong. We’re just trying to understand Ms. Lin better.”

“Alright. I think her disappearance might be related to her family. She originally wanted to be a musician and didn’t major in education. She participated in provincial music competitions after graduation and won awards. She had a rocker boyfriend. But her family, with two generations of teachers and her father as the deputy director of the education bureau, wanted her to follow in their footsteps. They had everything planned for her. She wasn’t into it but eventually compromised. She always felt aggrieved about it. Being a music teacher isn’t the same as being a musician. I suspect she might have gone to find that ex-boyfriend.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ma Baobao, stage name Ma Qianli, the lead singer of a band called Black Iron. They’re somewhat famous. It’s not that I have anything against rockers, but I don’t think they’re compatible. Still, dreams need to be pursued, even if it means hitting a wall.”

Chen Shi noted Mr. Yan’s calm demeanor, possibly his personality. He offered Mr. Yan a pack of Chunghwa cigarettes. “Do you smoke?”

Seeing the cigarettes, Mr. Yan seemed flustered but laughed it off. “No thanks, I quit years ago.”

“Good. We won’t bother you further.”

“Please let me know if you hear anything about her!”