Chapter 778: It’s Not About the Bowl

At the 9 a.m. case discussion, Song Lang shared the autopsy results and his theories with everyone. “The direct cause of death was a sharp weapon piercing an artery, leading to a false aneurysm rupture. Apart from the fatal wound, there were no other injuries on the body. The angle of the weapon suggests the victim was in a squatting position, and the attacker struck from above. Given the narrow alley where it happened, there was no place for an assailant to hide in the victim’s direct line of sight. If a stranger approached, the victim, carrying valuable items, would have been on alert. This leads me to believe the attacker was someone familiar.”

Song Lang continued, “The attacker might have approached the victim, engaged in conversation, and then the victim squatted down, allowing the attacker to stab him from above.”

“Captain, why not stab from behind?” a policeman asked.

“Last night, Peng and I conducted several tests. The angle of the wound couldn’t be from behind. Additionally, we found no footprints behind the victim, but there were some faint footprints in front,” Song Lang explained, showing photos of the unclear shoe prints on the whiteboard. “We’ve sent these prints to a footprint analysis expert.”

Another officer suggested, “Maybe the victim bent over suddenly due to a sudden illness or poisoning, and the attacker took the chance to stab.”

Song Lang nodded, “Good suggestion. I’ll have Peng check for any signs of illness or poisoning.”

Song Lang continued, “Interestingly, the weapon was pulled out once after being stabbed into the victim, then reinserted. There are two possibilities: the attacker accidentally left some trace on the weapon, perhaps cutting themselves, and pulled it out to clean it. But leaving the weapon at the scene is highly disadvantageous for the attacker, as such a weapon is easily traceable even without fingerprints or DNA. Another possibility is the attacker switched weapons, leaving a different knife in the wound. But why would they do that?”

“To mislead the investigation or frame someone else,” someone guessed.

“I’ve considered that too. Another possibility is the attacker couldn’t take the weapon with them. They might have feared blood traces would reveal their path, or getting blood on themselves would raise suspicion, or they had to meet someone. Leaving the weapon behind seemed safer. These are just theories. Don’t let my thoughts mislead you; think for yourselves,” Song Lang advised.

Lin Qiupu listened attentively, taking notes. He admired Song Lang’s detailed analysis.

Song Lang added, “Also, the victim’s hands were wiped with a coarse cloth. I suspect the victim grabbed the attacker’s clothes before dying, and the attacker cleaned up afterwards. Several questions remain: why was the victim out late with a suitcase, what was in it, who knew about it, and did the victim have any enemies? It’s noted that the victim’s spouse died two weeks ago. We need to verify these details.”

After assigning tasks, everyone left for their investigations. Song Lang lit a cigarette, thinking in front of the photo-filled whiteboard. Lin Qiupu approached, “Captain, you forgot to mention the bowl.”

“I didn’t forget,” Song Lang smiled. “The cursed bowl might mislead people and distract them. I’ll let you and Dazhang investigate it.”

“Understood!” Lin Qiupu saluted.

Lin Qiupu and Dazhang visited Yuxiang Pawnshop as He Jingjing had mentioned. The shop owner seemed unwelcoming at the sight of the police early in the morning. Lin Qiupu showed a photo, asking, “Have you seen this bowl?”

The owner studied it and said, “I’ve heard of it, but never seen it.”

“But someone mentioned your shop received this bowl,” Lin Qiupu pressed.

“Oh, that was the previous owner. He did get that bowl, and then his family of three was murdered. I took over this shop half a year ago,” the owner explained.

“Is that true?” Lin Qiupu was surprised. “Was the case solved?”

The owner countered, “You’re the police, you tell me.”

Dazhang nudged Lin Qiupu, chastising him for not thinking before speaking. “Boss, what’s the story behind this bowl?”

The owner scratched his head, “I heard it’s made from the skull of a Russian monk, very spooky. All pawnshop owners in Long’an know about it. If you get it, you’re doomed unless you pay to break the curse. But it never shows up in the same shop twice. That’s why I haven’t seen it.”

The owner’s explanation mirrored He Jingjing’s story. After a few more questions, they left the shop.

Dazhang stretched, “Okay, let’s report back.”

“There are many pawnshops in Long’an. We should ask around more,” Lin Qiupu insisted.

“It’s just a legend. Asking more won’t change the story. It’s a waste of time,” Dazhang argued.

“But the owner’s story about the bowl’s origin differs from what I heard last night. That’s an inconsistency,” Lin Qiupu pointed out.

“You’re too rigid. The captain didn’t mention it in the meeting because he thinks it’s irrelevant. No need to dig deeper,” Dazhang said.

“The captain assigned me this task, and I intend to complete it properly,” Lin Qiupu responded.

Dazhang sneered, “You’re really ambitious, huh?”

Not daring to retort, Lin Qiupu asked Dazhang to drive him to the next pawnshop.

That afternoon, they visited three more pawnshops. Their stories were similar. One shop owner had received the bowl and paid ten thousand yuan to avert disaster, delivering the money to an abandoned building.

Pointing to a shuttered shop across the street, the owner said, “That used to be a pawnshop run by some thugs. They refused to pay, and the place got shut down by the police. It sounds spooky, but I think it’s just a way for someone powerful to collect bribes. Understand, kid?”

“So, the bowl is a tool for someone in power to demand bribes?” Lin Qiupu summarized.

The owner smirked, “That’s your conclusion, not mine.”

Dazhang scolded, “Don’t say such things!”

He thought Lin Qiupu was too naive, speaking without considering the implications. To ordinary people, the police represent the government, so words should be chosen carefully.

Lin Qiupu was still puzzled, “But once something is pawned, it can’t be taken back. How does the bowl show up in different shops?”

“Ah, a little bone bowl like this isn’t worth much. Wait a moment!” The owner went inside and returned with an identical bone bowl. “Look, this is the bowl I paid ten thousand yuan for! If you like it, you can take it.”