Chapter 73 Red Spider Lily 12

In the afternoon, under a bridge in the west of Donglan City.

When Luo Siwei and Ni Xiang arrived at the scene, Guo Zhengyao and the salvage team had just fished the body out of the water.

Judging from his clothes and facial features, the deceased was the police suspect Xu Chile.

After being soaked for several hours, the body had become swollen, with hair clinging to its cheeks and its skin a somewhat eerie grayish-white. Because of the hot weather, a faint stench of decay wafted from the body as soon as it was pulled ashore.

Luo Siwei stood by the river, helping the detectives carry the body up and place it on the riverbank. The suspect they had confronted not long ago was now dead. It felt a little surreal.

Chu Shisui and Lan Anan had already arrived at the scene. Lan Anan squatted nearby, taking photos. Chu Shisui opened Xu Chile's mouth, carefully observing him for a moment. "We can see that he inhaled mud and sand in his mouth and nose. The preliminary diagnosis is drowning."

Guo Zhengyao was familiar with the surrounding geography and made a judgment: "This place is not connected to the river channel at Wuli Lianhua Street."

Donglan City has many rivers, but these two stretch across half the city, making it impossible to swim across even if one wanted to. This proves that Xu Chile's death had no direct connection to the encounter with the police.

Xu Chile was a good swimmer, as Luo Siwei and Chi Li had both seen. But it didn't make sense for such a person to die in the river simply by drowning.

Medical Examiner Chu lifted the deceased's hand and examined it carefully. "Judging from the condition of the body, the time of death should not have been more than ten hours."

Ni Xiang calculated: "Then the time of death is... after 4:00 AM today?"

In other words, after the fight with the police, Xu Chile didn't know what happened next and fell into the river.

Medical Examiner Chu examined the body, undressed Xu Chile, and felt in his pockets. "No cell phone. Perhaps it was left behind." He then pointed to the bruises. "The deceased has some injuries."

Luo Siwei squatted down and checked with him: "The chest, shoulders, back, and wrists are left from the previous fight with us."

After examining the bruises, Forensic Doctor Chu reached out his gloved hand and touched Xu Chile's head. His brow furrowed. "Did you hit him on the head?"

Luo Siwei shook his head: "No."

She remembered clearly that neither she nor Chi Li attacked Xu Chile's head last night.

After a careful examination, Medical Doctor Chu said, "There's a wound on the back of the head. It shows the signs of life. He might have been knocked unconscious with a weapon and then thrown into the water and drowned. We'll have to wait for the autopsy results for the details."

Guo Zhengyao asked Luo Siwei, Captain Luo: "What should we do next?"

Luo Siwei said, "Take your men and conduct an on-site investigation along the river. Also, remember to contact the relevant departments along the way and retrieve the surveillance video."

The body floated down the river, and this wasn't the primary scene. No matter where the person fell into the river, there must be a crime scene.

Guo Zhengyao sighed: "This river is quite long. I think it will take me a while to find it."

After saying that, he took Shen Qing and a team of people to go upstream for investigation. Ni Xiang also followed the team to make investigation records. Only Luo Siwei, Huo Cunsheng and several junior police officers with less experience were left here.

Luo Siwei directed the young policemen to disperse on both sides of the river to look for various traces, while he continued to conduct an external examination of the body with forensic doctor Chu.

Huo Cunsheng led a few people around the area. Their team was the first to finish work. When he returned, Forensic Doctor Chu was putting the body into the body bag.

Huo Cunsheng leaned over and asked, "Medical Doctor Chu, he was just a scumbag, and his death wasn't a pity. Could it be that he hit his head, became dizzy, and fainted by the river, leading to his death?"

Medical Doctor Chu replied cautiously, "The wound on his head shows the shape of the object that struck him. It's two parallel wounds, indicating that the object that hit him on the head was a stick."

Huo Cunsheng asked again: "Is it possible that after a fight with someone, he felt guilty and couldn't get over it, so he jumped into the river and committed suicide?"

Forensic Doctor Chu didn't know how to answer him for a moment: "Uh..."

Luo Siwei couldn't bear to listen any longer and said, "Doctor Chu, please take the body back for an autopsy and tell me the results later."

Forensic Doctor Chu was rescued and looked at Luo Siwei with gratitude. They lifted the body into the car and followed the body transport vehicle away.

Seeing the young police officers working nearby start to whisper, Luo Siwei said to Huo Cunsheng sternly, "There are still many doubts about Xu Chile's death. It's possible that an accomplice or the real murderer killed him to silence him. You should investigate the scene carefully and don't miss any clues."

Her words determined the nature of the incident. The other police officers fell silent, lowered their heads and went to patrol the riverside. Some of them even went to search the nearby houses.

A team worked until 6:30 in the afternoon, when they received a message from Guo Zhengyao that all the surveillance footage that could be retrieved had been retrieved. However, the line along the river was too long, and it was getting dark, making it difficult to work. Their team was ready to call it a day, and the others would come back tomorrow.

As the sky gradually darkened, Luo Siwei asked the police officers here to gather their forces. After contacting the police officers using the communicator, she stood by the police car, waiting for the police officers on the other side to return.

Luo Siwei was busy all day. When he stopped to look into the distance, he found that the scenery here was quite beautiful. There was still a ray of sun left in the sky, dyeing a few clouds into a rich orange.

Huo Cunsheng seemed to be actively seeking peace as he walked over and handed her a bottle of mineral water.

Luo Siwei unscrewed the water and drank it. The slightly cool water helped her calm down.

Every time she encountered a case, Luo Siwei seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for the case to be solved before she could let it out. But this case was different from the ones she had handled before.

The sudden death of the suspect made Luo Siwei feel like one of her feet was stepping on empty air. She suddenly relaxed from her tense state, leaving her at a loss as to what to do.

In the past, Luo Siwei had always had a strong intuition about which direction to go when encountering a case. But now, she thought she had reached the exit of the maze, but found that it was actually the entrance to another maze. She felt like she was falling into a fog.

Luo Siwei drank a few more sips of water to calm herself down. She slowly pondered her next steps. She had originally intended to interrogate Xu Chile, but now that he was dead, one of her two avenues was gone. Her only hope for a new direction of investigation was to focus on that hair. Perhaps there were other clues she could dig deeper into...

She was going to urge the technical department, wondering how Ding Zhaomo's phone had recovered.

Huo Cunsheng looked around to see if there was anyone around, then said to her with a smile, "Captain Luo, it's a good thing that Xu Chile died. This case will soon be closed."

Luo Siwei turned his eyes slightly and looked at Lao Huo.

She knew what he was thinking. The police couldn't prove Xu Chile was the murderer, and similarly, they couldn't prove he wasn't. As long as they listed the evidence and carefully worded it, the case would look flawless. Even if new evidence emerged later, or other circumstances occurred, they couldn't say their handling of the case was wrong.

Huo Cunsheng relaxed, resting his right hand on the police car and said, "Anyway, evil has been punished now, and no one will be harmed anymore. The case just happened, so there will be a lot of attention. Who will remember it in ten days or half a month? In my opinion, this case can be closed. The murderer accidentally fell into the river and died. He sold his own products."

Luo Siwei lowered her head to listen to him. Old Huo was a smart man, but with a touch of slickness and sophistication, he knew how to manage his position. This veteran police officer had numerous informants and was well-informed, which was enough to protect him from being fired or transferred off the front lines. So when he was slacking off, he could act with impunity.

When Old Huo was asking about Chu Shi's age, Luo Siwei felt that Huo Cunsheng was testing her attitude. She didn't expect Huo Cunsheng to come to her again. She didn't hate Old Huo, but felt a little sorry for him.

Thinking of this, Luo Siwei lowered his head slightly and said, "Old Huo, this case is not right. We can't close it so hastily."

Huo Cunsheng said, "If there were no new clues in this case, the leadership would have handled it the same way. Closing it now not only improves the efficiency of solving the case, but also avoids subsequent troubles. Moreover, this case is completely different from He Jin's. As police officers, we cannot wrongly accuse a good person. But people like Xu Chile definitely deserve to die."

Luo Siwei asked again: "What about the shooter? How do you explain this?"

Huo Cunsheng said, "That must be Xu Chile's cellmate or accomplice. He fired two shots but didn't hurt anyone. I guess either his marksmanship is poor, or his purpose was just to give Xu Chile a chance to escape, not to kill him. Anyway, after analyzing the trajectory, he's put on the wanted list. We'll investigate slowly..."

Luo Siwei interrupted him: "I never rely on luck when handling cases. I only care about evidence. If the evidence is not solid enough, the case cannot be closed."

Huo Cunsheng seemed to have compromised. He spread his hands and said, "Okay, okay, let's talk about evidence. Where can I find it?"

Hearing this question, Luo Siwei was silent for a moment.

Old Huo added, "It's not like we haven't tried our best. We've investigated this far. Even if there are more complications in the future, the leaders won't be able to say anything to us. There are always problems to be solved, and there are always cases to be investigated."

Luo Siwei asked him, "Are you investigating this case for your leadership or your salary?"

"What else could it be? If not for food, what else could it be for?" Old Huo continued his analysis. "Take this case, for example. Do you think Zheng Wanshan cares about the truth? Do you think the leaders of the Municipal Bureau care about the truth? Do you think the spectators who just read a few reports of the incident care about the truth? In the end, this case will just become a number. No one cares about the truth."

This is the personal testimony of a veteran who has worked for many years. Luo Siwei has heard similar comments in the past at the police station. For many, being a police officer is just a job, with a small monthly salary. The truth is not important; closing the case is what matters. The crime clearance rate is tied to salary, and a factor in this is the time it takes to solve the case. As long as no one objects to the outcome of the case, that's the outcome.

The truth is like a stone hidden deep in the mud at the bottom of the water. As long as no one looks for it, the mud will only get thicker and thicker.

No one cares.

In ancient times, there was a story called the Gourd Monk who solved the Gourd Case.

This phenomenon is not an isolated case. Over the years, in so many cases, when the investigation reaches a deadlock, many cases have been handled in this way. The police are also human beings. Under the pressure of the crime clearance rate, they must give a conclusion.

After a moment's silence, Luo Siwei spoke up, "There was once a young police officer who was assigned to the most tiring anti-theft team at the precinct. He made countless contributions in the three years since joining the team and was an outstanding model officer for three consecutive years. Later, he was transferred to criminal police. He rushed to the front lines during arrests and refused to let go even after being stabbed twice by criminals. He once saved an eight-year-old girl and helped solve the major August 21 case..."

Huo Cunsheng's expression froze when he heard her say that. That was his previous resume, and with the passage of time, it actually seemed a little unfamiliar.

Huo Cunsheng said awkwardly, "People change. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes."

He had long been worn down by time and interpersonal relationships. When did he begin to change?

Was it the time he was about to get a promotion but was slapped on the shoulder by a son of a powerful official? Was it the time his junior boss suggested he be less straightforward and learn more about the ways of the world? Was it the time he charged forward while his colleagues watched from behind? Was it the time he got hurt and only his family members cried and worried for him? Or was it the time his superiors forbade him from investigating a case that raised doubts?

Gradually, disappointment and unwillingness turned into laziness. The young and passionate man was dried up and turned into an old salted fish.

He filled his pockets with cigarettes of various brands, and he assessed the situation daily, learning to flatter and fawn over his superiors, saying one thing to one person and another to another. As he grew older, he began to learn to be lazy, saving energy and leaving his superiors with no room for criticism. He got into the habit of not staying even a minute longer after work when he had no cases.

He was unwilling to interact with people in the Municipal Bureau and would rather trust those informants.

Luo Siwei looked at him and continued seriously, "There was a female student in junior high school who accompanied her classmate to an exhibition. At that time, her classmate's phone was lost. The other police officers said there was nothing they could do because it was lost. Only that man carefully recorded the information and eventually found the phone. The owner was very grateful to him. The female student thought that with good police officers like him, there is still hope in this world."

Because of that phone and that incident, Luo Siwei has always been more tolerant and understanding of Huo Cunsheng.

She said, "Old Huo, I feel sorry for you."

These few words brought tears to Huo Cunsheng's eyes.

He worked in the anti-theft team for three years and returned countless mobile phones. No matter how hypocritical the workplace was, the thanks were sincere.

But he still had to tell the reality to the policewoman in front of him.

Huo Cunsheng looked at the other police officers who were standing far away and could not hear their conversation. He took a step forward and made his words clearer.

"Girl, I know you want to check if there's any connection between this case and the one from fourteen years ago. But even if there is, what would happen? That carbon monoxide poisoning case happened over a decade ago, and the person who died was powerless, without any relatives or friends. If you dig it up and find nothing wrong, that's fine. But if you do find something wrong, won't Old Yang from the Fifth Precinct and the leader who was in charge of the case back then be very angry with you?"

"Also, don't underestimate the difference between three and four deaths. Three is a case we can handle, but when it gets to four, it becomes a major case that needs to be reported to the higher-ups. If the case can't be fully investigated, it's our fault. Even if we do find the truth, not only will we not achieve much, but it will also be a tough situation. It's a losing proposition."

"And...if you keep rummaging around like this, you might find something you shouldn't touch. Did you know that there was a captain named Jiang Yu who died in the city bureau? He encountered a case and insisted on investigating it thoroughly. In the end, he died, and there's nothing left..."

Jiang Yu......

Luo Siwei had heard this name before. It was the captain who was in charge of her case back then. When she returned to school after recovering from her injury, she heard the news of Captain Jiang's death. At that time, he seemed to have encountered some difficult case and was murdered by the murderer.

Luo Siwei could tell that most of Lao Huo's confusion was pretended. He had long seen what she was suspicious of.

Huo Cunsheng was reminding her that it might be dangerous to continue investigating the case.

Huo Cunsheng waited for Luo Siwei's answer.

After saying all these words in one breath, Huo Cunsheng's heart was pounding. He felt conflicted and a little uneasy. He hoped that Luo Siwei would give up, but he was also a little afraid that she would just say "yes" and let it go.

He hoped that Luo Siwei could protect herself, but he also hoped that the unyielding pride and fearlessness of life and death that he himself could not achieve could appear in this young female captain.

Having said this, Luo Siwei lowered her head in thought. New employees entering a new work environment experience a honeymoon period in the first three months, during which the relationship between leaders and subordinates is often the most harmonious. Building trust during these three months would lay a good foundation for future relationships. If any of her actions during these three months disappointed others, it would be detrimental to her future work.

After she came to the Municipal Bureau, the first two cases were solved smoothly. Even if she felt there were doubts in this case, it could not be delayed for too long without a result.

Luo Siwei understood Huo Cunsheng's kind words as a reminder; he was much more familiar with the city bureau's personnel structure and the leadership's temperament than she was. The case had reached a bottleneck, and further investigation would likely be a thankless task.

The young female captain and the middle-aged police officer stood by the river, each with their own thoughts. Both of them were silent for a moment, and only the sound of flowing water could be heard.

The wind blew Luo Siwei's hair, and she finally made a decision.

Luo Siwei took a deep breath and said, "You asked me if I knew about Captain Jiang. I know."

"Something happened when I was a junior. You could say my life was saved by Captain Jiang and those police officers. Later, some of them died, and some retired to the sidelines."

"I often feel like my life isn't mine. When something happens, I wonder what the people who saved me would do if they were faced with something like that. Would they bravely rush forward..."

"Thinking this way gives me courage. I don't have parents who are ready to sacrifice themselves at any time, so I would rather take the risk."

"And Old Huo, this is a case, not a deal. I'm leading this team and will take responsibility for the case. I choose to live up to my conscience and this police uniform. I choose to uphold justice. I believe we can find out the truth as soon as possible." Luo Siwei turned to look at Huo Cunsheng. Her face was as cold as snow, but her eyes were burning and determined. "Old Huo, you will help me, right?"

After hearing these words, Huo Cunsheng actually smiled with some relief: "Captain Luo, you are the captain, I will listen to you."

As he laughed, he wiped his eyes again, and somehow the corners of his eyes became even wetter.

Huo Cunsheng thought he was tough enough and calm, but when he heard the word "justice", he didn't think it was old-fashioned, but found that his heart actually skipped a beat.

The blood is still hot.

He discovered that Luo Siwei was different from him, and was different now than in the past.

The case seems to have hit a bottleneck, but who knows if we continue investigating, there might be some unexpected twists and turns.