Chapter 931: The Overlooked Clue

KK looked at the sole of his shoe, confused. “Is this blood? I don’t know where I stepped on it. Maybe on the way here!”

“Maybe you have hemorrhoids on your foot,” Sun Zhen joked.

“Get lost.”

Chen Shi decided to investigate further. He asked KK to remove his shoe and sent it to Peng Siyue’s lab. After taking a sample, he returned the shoe. Chen Shi wasn’t interested in any celebration; the trio left with repeated instructions to meet at the hotel the next night.

Lin Dongxue suggested, “Captain, it’s getting late. Let’s go home and sleep.”

“Huh?” Chen Shi snapped back to reality, still preoccupied with the blood stain. “Alright, let’s go.”

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window as usual. Lin Dongxue, her long, ink-black hair draped over her shoulders, smiled and greeted, “Good morning, hubby.”

“Why not call me Captain?” Chen Shi had just opened his eyes a few seconds earlier.

“Husband sounds more intimate.”

“I had a dream about a locked room with a dead man inside. The door and windows were sealed shut, but the ventilation fan was on. Guess how he was killed.”

“Suicide?”

“Haha, in classic locked-room mysteries, that’s a method, but not this time. The man was stabbed from behind.”

“I don’t know.”

“The answer is: the killer turned to ash and was blown away.”

“Crazy!” Lin Dongxue laughed and punched him lightly. “That’s cheating! I know why you dreamed that. You’re thinking about that resurrection ritual.”

“Yes, I was. Is it possible that a resurrected dead person could be the perfect tool…assuming it works?”

Filled with unanswered questions, Chen Shi got up, ate, and dressed. At the precinct, he eagerly sought Peng Siyue. The forensic team said he had worked late and was resting at home.

The killer’s body had been stitched up. Chen Shi glanced at the report and asked, “What about the blood sample I sent last night?”

“Oh, it hasn’t been tested yet. We have a backlog of items,” a police officer replied.

“Prioritize it. I need results by noon.” Chen Shi grabbed a stack of files and a cup of coffee.

The morning was filled with heavy desk work. Everyone was busy checking the list of people born on February 19, 1973. The nearby whiteboard was covered with names of potential leads.

Lin Dongxue approached Chen Shi. “Captain, there’s a man named Qin who died in 2000. He had a history with a cult. Should I note it down?”

Chen Shi pondered, “What cult?”

“The Demon Sect. They preach that God is dead and Satan is about to rule.”

“This doesn’t seem related…Was Qin a leader or just a member?” Chen Shi suddenly thought of someone called “Mr. Qin” but couldn’t place it. “Does anyone have a nickname of Mr. Qin?”

“From Tao Yueyue’s transcript?”

“Yes!!”

Chen Shi quickly ran to his office to find that transcript. It was 20 pages long, with every detail of her kidnapping meticulously recorded.

He skimmed through and found the page:

Tao: The fat chef told me to cut meat. While I was doing that, I heard Mr. Qin say to Zhou Xiao: five people, four million, think about it.

Chen Shi excitedly turned to Lin Dongxue. “We’ve had this clue all along and ignored it. This Mr. Qin is a middleman who offered the job to Zhou Xiao, but he didn’t take it.”

Lin Dongxue was skeptical. “Are we sure this five people refers to the current case?”

“This is the only serial killing in Long’an recently. Even if it’s not, finding this underground killer through this middleman is key.”

“Let’s try it.”

Chen Shi called KK, who answered amidst noise. “Chen, what’s up? We’re buying props for tonight’s ritual.”

“Do you know a man called Mr. Qin?”

“Mr. Qin? There are many Qins. Which one do you mean… Wait, the old man has something to say.”

Then the old man’s voice came through. “Hello?”

“I’m listening.”

“I know a Mr. Qin. He used to be an informant in the underworld. Now he sells perfume.”

“Is he a dwarf?”

“Yes!”

“Where can I find him?”

The old man gave an address, cautioning, “Don’t mention my name.”

Chen Shi said, “Get a team in plainclothes, armed… I’ll bring Yueyue for identification.”

“She’s still in training, right?”

“This is more important. I’ll pick her up. Meet me at the address.”

“I’ll come with you.”

They went to the police academy, picked up Tao Yueyue, and rushed to a large mall. Other officers were already waiting. Tao Yueyue stayed in the car, and Chen Shi coordinated through his phone. “Bring the man to the entrance.”

The officers emerged five minutes later with a dwarf in a suit. The dwarf tried to run, but Tao Yueyue immediately identified him. “That’s him!”

“Stay in the car, Yueyue,” Chen Shi instructed.

He and Lin Dongxue approached. The dwarf was rambling, “Officers, I’m just selling perfume. Did I offend anyone? Maybe I’m too handsome for some female leader?”

“You’ve got a quick tongue,” Chen Shi remarked.

“Part of the job…”

Mr. Qin smiled at Lin Dongxue. “Miss, want to buy some perfume? With your looks and my perfume, you’d turn heads.”

“What else do you do besides selling perfume?” Chen Shi asked.

Mr. Qin shrugged. “Sometimes I offer relationship advice to my female customers.”

“Do I need to spell it out? You’re a special kind of middleman.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Mr. Qin swallowed nervously.

Chen Shi showed him a photo of the dead killer. Mr. Qin’s pupils constricted, and he gulped. He looked up warily. “You set him up with the job, didn’t you?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“Sorry, you don’t have that right. Come with us.”