Chapter 800: The Perfect Frame

Several individuals returned to the bureau with the painting. The expert Lin Qiupu had invited was already there. Holding a magnifying glass, he scrutinized the painting for a while and said with slight excitement, “Absolutely authentic Qian Yutan! If you’re still unsure, we can do a carbon-14 test. However, as an expert, I must advise extreme caution during the authentication process because any damage is irreversible.”

Lin Dongxue expressed gratitude and asked if there was a fee for the appraisal. The expert generously replied, “No need. Assisting in investigations is a civic duty!”

Lin Dongxue continued, “Do you know any collectors in Long’an?”

“A few,” he replied.

“Have you heard of Lie Guoxiao?”

At the mention of this name, the expert’s expression changed. “Not very familiar. I have an appointment, I must leave now. Until next time.”

Half an hour later, the appraisal results from Lin Qiupu came out. Fingerprints belonging to Liu Feng were found on the plastic bag that wrapped the painting. Chen Shi asked, “Are there any fingerprints on the ancient painting itself?”

“I’m afraid we can’t verify that,” Peng Sijue said. “Extracting fingerprints from this type of rice paper requires iodine fuming, which would damage the painting irreversibly.”

Chen Shi looked at the scroll on the table. “The ends of the scroll are made of rosewood. Can we check that?”

Unable to resist Chen Shi’s persistence, Peng Sijue carefully collected fingerprints from the scroll. After meticulous comparison, only one set of prints matched those of Boss Shen.

Peng Sijue breathed a sigh of relief. “At least we have some findings. It proves the painting indeed came from Boss Shen’s shop.”

Chen Shi asked, “Can you take a few people to Liu Feng’s house to see if we can find other people’s fingerprints there?”

“I have a pile of work on my hands!” Peng Sijue complained.

“Aren’t you the one who loves work the most? Consider this a little extra joy.”

“Just get out!” Peng Sijue issued a dismissal order and returned to his lab to get busy.

Chen Shi smiled wryly, left the technical team, and went to the evidence room with Lin Dongxue to store the painting in a safe.

“I find this whole thing suspicious. If the painting really belonged to Liu Feng, wouldn’t he have hidden it before surrendering? What’s the difference between hiding it under his bed or leaving it on his desk? The door was forced open, someone went there after Liu Feng was arrested, took a plastic bag with Liu Feng’s fingerprint, put the painting inside, hid it under the bed, perfectly framing him.”

“Assuming that’s the case, there’s a precondition: this person knew Liu Feng had already been arrested!”

“The news of Liu Feng’s arrest wasn’t public. Could it have been that assistant?”

“I’m increasingly suspicious of him.”

“At this point, framing Liu Feng almost constitutes a complete case. What does the murderer really aim for? Is it simply to frame him?” Chen Shi pondered as they walked outside. “Hey, where’s your brother?”

“I don’t know. After he came back, he disappeared again. Maybe he’s in the office.”

“Say hi to him for me. I’m heading out. Otherwise, the fish in my car will start to stink.”

“Being a consultant is really easy,” Lin Dongxue chuckled. “Go home and cook for Yuanyuan!”

Back at home, Chen Shi temporarily set aside the case, focusing on cooking, eating with Yuanyuan, watching TV, and indulging in some entertainment at night.

He slept through the night and woke up to a message from Lin Dongxue saying, “I’m dying!”

Chen Shi smiled, guessing Lin Dongxue was probably working overtime again. He quickly freshened up, bought breakfast on the way, and drove to the bureau.

Arriving at Lin Dongxue’s office, he saw her staring at the computer screen with tired eyes, while Xu Xiaodong was already asleep at his desk. Lin Dongxue complained to Chen Shi, “After you left yesterday, my brother brought over a bunch of video copies for us to watch. Unconsciously, it was already dawn. We’ve been up all night!”

“Footage from the scene?”

“If not from the scene, could it be Zhang Yimou’s?” Lin Dongxue joked.

“Only you two stayed up?”

“Yeah, this is a ‘no smoking’ area, so I kicked all the smokers to the main office.”

“Eat something. Stay hydrated after staying up all night. I bought some millet porridge.”

“I can’t lift my hands anymore,” Lin Dongxue said playfully.

Chen Shi sat down and fed Lin Dongxue the porridge. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen. “It’s strange. There’s no record of Liu Feng visiting the pawnshop the night of the incident. Xiaodong checked nearby surveillance and didn’t see Liu Feng leaving his house.”

“Isn’t this confirming our suspicions? Liu Feng didn’t go to the pawnshop that night. Any suspicious individuals?”

“Can’t confirm.”

“How many cameras are there on Ma Street?”

“There are many, but conveniently, the crime scene is a blind spot. The surveillance there recently broke down. The repairman said nearby kids damaged it with toy guns.” Lin Dongxue raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t that suspicious?”

“The murderer used a ashtray with Liu Feng’s fingerprints to commit the murder, indicating premeditation. Maybe they sabotaged the surveillance in advance.”

Lin Dongxue lowered her head, lost in thought or too tired to focus. Chen Shi suggested, “You look exhausted. How about a nap?”

“No, I can’t sleep. It’s uncomfortable to sleep on the desk. I’d rather stay up until afternoon and go home to sleep… It’s nothing, staying up late is normal for us.”

“Wanna sleep in my car?”

As Lin Dongxue was considering, Lin Qiupu suddenly burst in, saying, “Meeting!”

A group of people gathered in the meeting room, borrowing Peng Sijue’s coffee maker to keep awake with strong, bitter coffee. The meeting was straightforward. Lin Qiupu stated, “From all current indications, this case is likely a cleverly designed frame-up. However, we still need to focus our energy on Liu Feng. Yesterday, I spoke with Team Three. They’ve been monitoring Lie Guoxiao for years but haven’t found a reason to search him. This case could be a major breakthrough. I’m applying for a search warrant this morning. After we get it, we’ll meet with Team Three and visit Lie Guoxiao… If anyone can’t handle it, you can go back and rest first.”

“Hooray!” echoed from a dim corner.

Lin Qiupu glanced at Xu Xiaodong. “Anyone else have something to say?”

Chen Shi asked, “Are we not going to catch the real culprit anymore? Or, while you investigate Lie Guoxiao, can Lin Dongxue and I continue to investigate around the crime scene?”

Lin Qiupu replied, “Let’s act together. I believe clarifying Lie Guoxiao’s situation will also lead to new progress in this case.”

Chen Shi wanted to remark that this was Lin Qiupu’s unilateral understanding, but with so many people present, he chose to save face for him.

Team Three’s stance was understandable. As a unit specializing in cracking down on crime, Lie Guoxiao was their primary surveillance target. Finally catching a criminal case related to him, they naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity.