Chapter 607: Surveillance

After a long conversation, Chen Shi glanced at Liu Jin’s feet and asked, “One last question, Mr. Liu, what shoe size do you wear?”

“Size 39.”

“Alright, thanks for your cooperation.”

As they walked away, Xu Xiaodong asked, “Chen Ge, do you think he’s suspicious?”

“It’s hard to say. We should keep an eye on him.”

They continued interviewing a few more people, took a break for lunch, and did other things to distract themselves. Chen Shi’s anger seemed to have subsided. On reflection, he realized that Lin Dongxue’s anger stemmed from his evasion of her subtle marriage proposal. The other issues were just excuses; she couldn’t be foolish enough to think he wanted to sleep with the saleswoman.

Chen Shi asked Xu Xiaodong, “If a woman subtly brings up marriage and you avoid it, is that really bad?”

“Chen Ge, why bring this up again? I’m not a woman, so I don’t really know. But… maybe… girls do want a more stable life. Did Dongxue talk about marrying you?”

“Forget it. I’ll just apologize. This needs to be resolved.”

“What about your dignity?”

“A man should know how to be accommodating. Understand? A man who is accommodating has dignity!”

“That sounds like an excuse.”

Back at the station, they found that Lin Dongxue had already gone home. Seeing it was getting late, Chen Shi decided not to go to her place. That night, he hesitated over his phone, writing and deleting messages but ultimately sending nothing.

How could he explain why he didn’t want to get married?

This touched on his secrets, which had always been a sore point between them. Lin Dongxue often asked, but Chen Shi never wanted to tell her, leading to several small arguments over time. These were old wounds.

Past actions always have present consequences, like shadows that follow you. Changing your face doesn’t erase the past. He had been avoiding it for so long that he no longer had the courage to face it. He felt despicable for his cowardice.

As Chen Shi sat on the couch, staring blankly, Tao Yueyue approached him, asking, “Uncle Chen, did you and Sister Lin have another fight today?”

“No.”

“But you haven’t made up yet, right?”

“These things take time. How’s school?”

“Pretty good. If we move, will I still get to play with Sister Gu?”

“We can visit her at her office.”

“When people say they’ll keep in touch, they usually don’t.”

“Don’t you really like that apartment?”

“I do, but…” Tao Yueyue hesitated. “I’m worried that Maoqiu won’t adapt to the new place.”

“It’ll be fine. We’ll get it a big cat tree, put up some catwalks like you saw on TV. It’ll adapt quickly and be very happy with so much space.”

“I’m going to play some games.”

The next morning, Chen Shi arrived at the station and found that Lin Dongxue wasn’t in the office. Xu Xiaodong said she had checked in but then left to investigate a case, likely to avoid him, Chen Shi thought.

Today, they continued to investigate yesterday’s subjects, focusing on Liu Jin.

Liu Jin had lied. Investigation revealed that his parents were long deceased. Although he had inherited a house, he also inherited his father’s gambling debts. The house was quickly claimed by creditors, and Liu Jin fled to Long’an for work, having little contact with his relatives since.

Liu Jin had 400,000 yuan in his bank account from an unknown source.

Liu Jin’s build and shoe size matched the suspect’s profile. Chen Shi’s suspicion of Liu Jin was only about thirty percent, because something still didn’t add up. The killer had entered the victims’ homes and even shared a meal with the second victim, Li Mou. Liu Jin had previously argued with Li Mou, and there was a significant gap in their occupations, ages, and backgrounds. Was it possible?

To confirm, Chen Shi also checked Li Mou’s sexual orientation, which was clearly heterosexual. But no women had appeared in the investigation so far.

Well, except one: the saleswoman.

To verify, Chen Shi texted Gong Jianqin, “I’d like to visit your place for the investigation. Can we arrange a convenient time?”

She replied, “Today?”

“Today is best.”

“Alright, this evening. I get off at six.”

During the day, Chen Shi gathered all the information he could find about Gong Jianqin. Everything she had told him was true.

At 5 PM, Chen Shi arrived at Gong Jianqin’s neighborhood, early enough to prevent her from hiding anything before he arrived. At 6:30, she appeared, smiling apologetically, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Why the sudden visit?”

“I won’t elaborate on the reason.”

“Am I under suspicion too?”

“We suspect everyone: your manager, your colleagues, your clients.”

Bringing a stranger home, Gong Jianqin seemed a bit uneasy. Chen Shi maintained a respectful distance as they entered her home. It was a nice place, showing signs she had lived there for a long time, alone.

“Miss Gong, how much do you make a month?”

“It varies. More in the busy season, less in the off-season. It’s the off-season now.”

“Specifically, how much did you make last month?”

“About thirteen thousand.”

“And last year’s annual bonus?”

“I was the top salesperson last year, so I got a thirty thousand yuan bonus.”

Chen Shi nodded. He felt confident in ruling her out as a suspect based on her financial stability. She didn’t need to buy the apartment, had a good income, and as a salesperson, wouldn’t want property prices to drop, as that would reduce her commission.

After a short stay, Chen Shi was about to leave. Gong Jianqin, out of politeness, asked, “You’re leaving so soon? Don’t you have more questions?”

“Alright, let me ask something casual. How long have you been single?”

“Quite a while…” She smiled shyly. “A few years, I guess. Even though I meet a lot of people as a salesperson, I rarely connect deeply with anyone. Besides selling houses, I don’t know how to make friends.”

“Maybe picking up some hobbies would help.”

“I’m quite mundane. Apart from making money, I can’t find interest in anything else. My previous boyfriend thought I was too realistic, and we broke up… By the way, the opening is the day after tomorrow. Just a reminder.”

“I’ll be there. Thanks for your cooperation. Sorry to bother you.”

“No problem.”

After leaving, Chen Shi followed his usual routine of monitoring for any follow-up actions. The window remained still, and she didn’t come down to throw out the trash. As dusk fell and he was about to leave, Gong Jianqin exited her apartment. She hadn’t changed her clothes and went directly to the underground parking to get her car.

Chen Shi quickly retrieved his own car and followed her. She drove to the sales office but didn’t enter. Instead, she headed to the C-phase building, the one with apartment 1818.

Sensing something suspicious, Chen Shi got out and followed. He didn’t take the elevator, choosing to walk up to the 18th floor, stopping in the dark stairwell.

The entire 18th floor had only that one apartment, so the hallway lights were off, creating a dark and oppressive atmosphere. Chen Shi stood still, waiting for a long time. He began to doubt if she had actually gone inside when he suddenly heard faint moaning sounds coming from the apartment…