Chapter 784: The Deduction Man

Through a cross-reference in the household registration database, Song Lang discovered that He Jingjing’s previous name was Li Jingjing, and her father’s name was Li Qiang, who lived in Long’an.

Lin Qiupu said, “Captain, isn’t He Jingjing supposed to be He Taiyang’s illegitimate daughter? Why does she have another father?”

“Maybe her mother married Li Qiang, so Li Qiang is her stepfather. Another possibility is that Li Qiang is her biological father…”

“So He Taiyang is her stepfather?”

“You could call him a guardian. By the time He Jingjing sought him out, she was already an adult.”

“Why did He Taiyang adopt her?”

“What do you think?”

“Well, I can’t think of a reason.”

“He Jingjing never lived with He Taiyang as his daughter; she was his mistress. It’s not something to boast about. He claimed she was his illegitimate daughter publicly. I suspect Mrs. He found out early on. After all, it’s hard to keep secrets between spouses. That’s why her relationship with He Jingjing was so bad. He Jingjing and He Taiyang had over thirty years between them. It’s unlikely it was true love. That’s why He Jingjing turned to someone younger and stronger like He Jun. Based on He Jun’s reaction, he didn’t know He Jingjing was He Taiyang’s mistress. He thought He Taiyang was just being protective as a father, not wanting his daughter to be with a ex-convict.”

Lin Qiupu was impressed; Song Lang had managed to deduce so much in one go.

“Of course, this is all speculation. We still need evidence to support it… Xiao Lin, let me give you tomorrow’s task. Go find He Jingjing, talk to her casually, offer her a drink. Then bring back the cup she used within two hours and deliver it to Captain Peng.”

“Are we taking her DNA?”

“I don’t want to alert her. Asking someone for DNA suggests suspicion. If He Jingjing isn’t biologically related to He Taiyang, that gives her a motive for murder.”

“A motive for murder?” Lin Qiupu scratched his cheek. The captain’s mind was too fast; he was struggling to keep up.

“Enough thinking. You should go home and rest.”

“Okay, Captain.” Lin Qiupu was about to leave but remembered something. He took out some change from his pocket. “This is the change from the taxi fare.”

“Keep it for snacks!”

“No, even if you’re the captain, I don’t want to owe you.” Lin Qiupu handed over the change and the taxi receipt to Song Lang, then bid farewell. Song Lang smiled as he watched the young man walk away.

Looking at the money in his hand, Song Lang suddenly had an idea and rushed to find Peng Senjue.

“Peng, do you have a million in savings?” Song Lang asked as soon as he entered.

“Are you buying a house?” Peng Senjue was tidying up the workbench.

“I just thought of something. If the victim had a million on him that day, how heavy would it be? Let me see all the crime scene photos.”

Leaning back in a chair, propping his legs up, Song Lang looked through the photos one by one. It was now eleven at night; besides a few police officers on duty, they were the only ones left in the station. Song Lang enjoyed this quiet atmosphere; it felt like the whole world had fallen asleep. Only in such tranquility could his brain work at full speed.

“1.15 grams!” Peng Senjue handed him a cup of coffee. “I weighed a hundred yuan bill on an electronic scale. If it’s an old bill, it might be a bit lighter.”

“Ten thousand would be 115 grams, and a million would be ten kilograms, the weight of a bag of rice.”

“The weight of an adult male’s entire head.”

“Exactly, you’re a forensic expert; your examples are always so eerie.” Song Lang smiled. “Bring something that weighs ten kilograms.”

“It should be more than ten kilograms. Don’t forget the weight of the box!”

The two went to the evidence room, a treasure trove of the police station where they found a box and filled it with ten kilograms of paper. Song Lang handcuffed his wrist to the box and said, “Let’s take a walk outside.”

“It looks like it’s going to rain. Let’s just do the experiment here.”

“No, there’s no atmosphere here. The night outside is dark and windy; that’s where the atmosphere is. After we’re done, I’ll treat you to a late-night snack.”

Peng Senjue sighed and reluctantly agreed.

At first, ten kilograms didn’t feel like much. It wasn’t until Song Lang had walked around outside that he realized how heavy it was. Handcuffed to the box, unable to switch hands, his wrist was starting to ache.

“From Taiyang Pawnshop to the crime scene is about half a kilometer. After estimating that distance, Song Lang put down the box and sighed with relief. Peng Senjue said, “You’re dedicated; your wrists are turning red.”

Looking at his wrist, Song Lang said, “I have a professional question. When a victim is stabbed in the back, does blood come out of their mouth?”

“There was indeed blood in the trachea of the deceased, and some in the mouth.”

“But there was no blood on the ground at the scene. Something blocked the blood.”

Peng Senjue glanced at the box and said, “The box?”

“Exactly. The victim bent over to place the box down in front of the other person, who was his trading partner. This indicates that we made a mistake. The killer didn’t have to be an acquaintance. The killer was the deceased’s trading partner. As the deceased bent over to open the box, the killer pulled out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the back. The blood the deceased vomited was on the inside of the box, and the killer took the box away.”

“The ground was very muddy. If the box was put down, there would be marks.”

“The deceased crawled over that patch of ground and wiped away the marks. However, if you look closely, there are still faint imprints.” Song Lang took out a photo of the scene, showing a small square imprint.

After Peng Senjue saw it, he had to admit defeat. “This means you have more people to investigate?”

“This is a good thing. The identity of the killer is clearer. As long as we find the person the deceased met that night, we will be close to the truth… But what was that million for? Life-saving money? Impossible… Apology money to the old man? No… Why did He Jingjing bring up that legend? Could she have had other intentions…”

Deep in thought, Song Lang walked away with his hands behind his back. Peng Senjue said, “Hey, take the box back!”

Song Lang was completely immersed in his deduction, ignoring Peng Senjue’s words. He walked further and further away. Peng Senjue sighed helplessly, then picked up the box and returned it to the police station.

Back in his lab, Peng Senjue brewed a pot of coffee, turned on some music, and picked up a book to read. Outside the window, it started to drizzle. Suddenly, Song Lang ran back, soaked in rain, coat and hair wet. “Damn, I ended up in a park. You’re still here!”

“I was waiting for you. Didn’t we agree to have a late-night snack together?”

“Sorry, sorry. I was lost in thought…”

Song Lang picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. “It’s bitter, no sugar.”

“Sugar makes you tired and gives you cavities. I never eat sugar.”

“Man, you live such a hard life.” Song Lang absentmindedly pulled out a cigarette.

“A disciplined life brings you many benefits.” Peng Senjue reached out, grabbed the cigarette from his hand, and threw it out the window. “No smoking in the lab!”