Chapter 920: On the Way Home
In the meeting room, Sun Lei’s mother cried, “My Sun Lei was always such a good boy. When our pet pigeon died, he cried for half a day. After graduating high school, he joined the army and spent most of his time there, hardly interacting with people outside. I can’t understand who would be so cruel to do this to him.” Sun Lei’s father tried to comfort her, his own face etched with sorrow.
Chen Shi asked, “We need to know more about his recent activities to help with the investigation. Did Sun Lei visit a hospital recently?”
Chen Shi thought that if the liver was taken for transplantation, the perpetrator must have known his medical history.
Sun Lei’s mother recalled, “Their unit has a hospital. He usually went there for any medical needs.”
“What about before he joined the army? Did he ever stay in a hospital?”
“I remember now. He had a stomach issue because he wouldn’t eat properly and loved drinking cola. When he was in middle school, he had a small surgery for it and stayed in the hospital for about three or four days.”
“Do you have the medical records?”
“They’re at home. I can bring them if you need.”
“I’ll send someone to take you home later,” Chen Shi said. “One more thing, what’s Sun Lei’s real age?”
His father answered, “He’s thirty-three.”
His mother said, “Actually, he’s thirty-four.”
Chen Shi said, “He’s probably thirty-five. Please be honest. Every detail is important to us.”
The parents whispered to each other, and then his father confessed, “Officer, Sun Lei didn’t join the army right after high school. He didn’t do well on his college entrance exams and had a fallout with us. He stole a few hundred yuan and ran away to work. He even met a girl there and stayed with her for about two and a half years, not even coming home for holidays. He struggled to make ends meet, and I was worried sick. I secretly went to his city, gave money to his girlfriend to support him. Eventually, they broke up, and he admitted he couldn’t make it on his own. He didn’t want to repeat high school, so we pulled some strings, changed his age by three years, and got him into the army. Though tough, he liked the disciplined life and found his place there. He was promoted to lieutenant two years ago…” The father sighed bitterly, reminiscing about his son.
Chen Shi noted all these details and asked for more information about the girl Sun Lei had been with. He then assigned a police officer to take the elderly couple home and retrieve Sun Lei’s medical records.
Working late into the evening, Chen Shi stared at the whiteboard covered in information. Lin Dongxue approached him, “Captain, aren’t you leaving?”
Chen Shi pointed to the board, “This case is like a fruit basket in a grocery store—lots of variety but none of the fruits I want to eat. This is going to be a tough one; I sense there’s more to come.”
“Feeling unsettled without a breakthrough?” Lin Dongxue asked.
“Very much so. When Zhou Xiao was on his killing spree, I felt uneasy for a whole year, constantly thinking about the case… If only I had superpowers.”
“In everyone’s eyes, you already do.”
Chen Shi smiled wryly, “Have you eaten?”
“I was waiting for you!”
Chen Shi changed his clothes, and the two headed home. Passing by the forensic team, they saw Peng Sijue still at work. Chen Shi quietly explained to Lin Dongxue, “I don’t want him to see me leaving so early. It makes me look lazy.”
“It’s already 8 PM. That’s early?”
“When we were both single, we worked all night. Now let’s order him some takeout. Something cheap…”
Chen Shi ordered an 80-yuan steak rice bowl. In the car, he suggested, “Honey, let’s eat out and watch a movie.”
“Normally, I’d agree, but now that I’m your wife, we should save a bit. Let’s go home and eat instant noodles.”
“What’s the point of saving? We don’t need anything.”
“We can’t be extravagant every day. Married life requires some financial planning.”
“Haha, women adapt to marriage so quickly. You were a carefree girl just days ago, now you’re a perfect housewife.”
“Women think ahead. Men never grow up. Let’s go home, boil some eggs with the noodles, and continue watching that Korean drama.”
Chen Shi focused on the road, silent. Lin Dongxue asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“Should I quit? Being a captain is so different from being a consultant. I feel trapped.”
“You’ve only been captain for a few days, and it’s not your first time.”
“But I got used to the freedom over the past four years. Now working a nine-to-five feels stifling… Once, I drove a drunk guy at night. We talked about oysters until we were both drooling. He suddenly asked me to take him to another place for oysters instead of home. We ended up eating oysters, bathing, and spending the night at a bathhouse. The next morning, he asked who I was. Haha, I miss those free days. There was news abroad about some detectives who quit to run a fruit shop after a drug sting. They found it more profitable and relaxing. Maybe I should open a grilled fish restaurant and be a happy little boss?”
“No way. The entire team looks up to you. If you leave, what about us? With great power comes great responsibility. Just accept it!”
“Sigh…” Chen Shi sighed. “When will you get promoted? You can take over as captain.”
“That would be nepotism.”
“You’re capable, but people focus on your looks, not your skills.”
Lin Dongxue laughed, “That was a nice compliment. Tonight, you can watch whatever you want.”
“Thanks, honey… How about we go for oysters?”
“Get lost. We’re having instant noodles. Four yuan a pack. Deal with it.”
Chen Shi smiled wryly. At a red light, he checked his phone. “Lao Peng refunded my takeout money and even added twenty yuan. We should go for oysters.”
Lin Dongxue poked his head, “You need someone to keep you in check. Let’s buy a bag of oysters and cook them at home.”
“And some beer.”
“You’ll get gout.”
“That’s a myth!”
“Why do you suddenly crave oysters? Because we talked about them?”
“Haha, yes.”
“If we talked about poop, would you want to eat it?”
Chen Shi thought for a moment. “Do you want to try civet coffee? I heard there’s a place on Wuyi Road.”
“Get lost!” Lin Dongxue laughed.