Chapter 65 Rainy Night: This case is very difficult

The Yanshi Public Security Bureau is located in the very center of Yanshi.

Zhou Wei drove his car, had his ID checked at the police station, and slowly drove into the station.

Looking up, you can see the tall and solemn office building. The dark gray stone exterior wall shines with a cold and calm luster under the sun. The huge national emblem hangs in the most prominent position above the main entrance of the building. The gold and red colors shine brightly against the solemn background.

To walk from the main gate to the main building, you have to pass through a spacious and well-maintained plaza. The ground is paved with gray granite, and the green belts on both sides are meticulously trimmed, creating a unique sense of distance that makes everyone who steps into it clearly feel their own insignificance.

Jiang Ling and her colleagues parked their car and came to the front of the main building.

Stepping onto the bluish-gray cement steps and passing through the heavy, wide gate, one enters the hall.

The vast, open space instantly creates a sense of oppression. Huge pillars support the dome, creating a palatial atmosphere. The floor is made of gleaming marble or granite, where footsteps echo softly yet clearly.

On the massive backdrop facing the main entrance, an enlarged police emblem is inlaid, beneath which are engraved the motto: "Loyalty to the Party, Service to the People, Impartial Law Enforcement, and Strict Discipline," each word carrying immense weight. The reception desk is spacious, subtly luxurious, and features clean, sharp lines; behind it, staff members in crisp police uniforms stand attentively, meticulously focused.

This wasn't the first time Li Zhenliang and his colleagues had entered the Public Security Bureau building, but today was their official start date. They were filled with excitement and could feel the solemnity and authority even more.

"Wow~" Li Zhenliang exclaimed softly, "It's much more impressive than our police station."

Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei each carried a cardboard box containing their personal belongings, looking around curiously, unable to get enough of what they were seeing.

This is where I'll be working from now on.

Look! The corridor is deep, bright, and clean, with clear and standardized signs; the police officers passing by walk with steady steps, exuding an unassailable competence, and the ranks on their shoulder insignia gleam under the lights, each one of them higher in rank than me.

Jiang Ling walked at the very front.

Unlike the warm yellow light in the police station, the city bureau building is mostly lit by cool white light, creating a quiet working atmosphere.

"Junior sisters! You've finally arrived."

A cheerful voice broke the almost sacred solemnity created by the architectural space.

Looking up, the newcomer was dressed in loose casual clothes and moved with a lazy air; it was Luo Yunchen, who had just joined the company not long ago.

"Senior Brother Luo." Jiang Ling saw him stretch out his arms in a warm welcome, so she handed him the cardboard box she was holding.

Luo Yunchen passively accepted the cardboard box, which was so large that it covered half of his face.

He moved the cardboard box to the left, revealing a smile: "Come on, come on, I'll take you to the new office, it's right next to mine, and it's quite clean."

"Jiang Ling." A clear voice came from behind Luo Yunchen.

As soon as Jiang Ling saw it was her, she smiled and said, "Xinwan!"

Luo Yunchen shrugged: "Junior sister, you're more enthusiastic towards my disciple than towards me." As he spoke, he casually handed the cardboard box to Su Xinwan.

Su Xinwan happily accepted the cardboard box: "Jiang Ling, that's great! We can see each other every day from now on."

Having been through the ordeal of the Chu Jingen murder case, Su Xinwan's heart became even stronger. She lost a lot of weight, cut her hair short, and looked much more energetic than before.

This time, after being transferred from the First Brigade to the Criminal Investigation Portrait Team of the Technical Brigade, Su Xinwan was determined to learn from Luo Yunchen and strive to make a name for herself like Jiang Ling.

Along with Su Xinwan, Zhuang Jianbai from a large team was also transferred to Luo Yunchen's group. He was the frail scholar who kept asking questions at the task force meetings, nicknamed "Glasses."

Zhuang Jianbo has a good memory, is good at reasoning, and can sit still for long periods. Although his artistic foundation is weak, his criminal investigation sketches are like "puzzle pieces."

—The face is broken down into multiple parts such as eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. For example, eyes are divided into fish eyes, phoenix eyes, almond eyes, narrow eyes, round eyes, droopy eyes, triangular eyes, etc. Noses include hooked noses, upturned noses, upturned noses, thick noses, lion noses, teardrop noses, etc. The portrait artist repeatedly and in detail asks about the characteristics of each different part based on the witness's account, and finally uses a jigsaw puzzle method to put these parts together to draw the suspect's portrait.

Therefore, the current requirements for criminal sketching in the police force are not high in terms of artistic skills. The most important thing is to be meticulous, patient, and able to communicate well with witnesses. Zhuang Jianbo happens to meet the requirements, so he and Su Xinwan were transferred from the First Brigade to the Criminal Sketching Group of the Technical Brigade.

The criminal profiling team led by Luo Yunchen and the criminal psychological profiling team led by Jiang Ling are not only newly established technical teams by the Yan City Public Security Bureau this year, but also the first of their kind in Hunan Province.

When Director Zhong returned from the meeting at the provincial department, the provincial leaders had high hopes for the two groups. This excited Director Zhong, and he generously provided the two groups with new offices, new office equipment, a car, and a certain amount of funding... In short, the investment was large and the expectations were high.

Naturally, the pressure is also considerable.

Luo Yunchen led Jiang Ling to the new office on the second floor, chatting casually as they walked.

"The main offices of the technical team are all on the first floor. Have you been there? As soon as you go in, you can smell a mixture of chemical reagents, old paper, paint on wooden cabinets, and disinfectant."

"In the darkroom, a double-layered black and red curtain blocked out the light, and a red safety light glowed dimly. The air was filled with the acrid smell of developing and fixing solutions."

"The technicians were all wearing white lab coats and moving very carefully..."

For some reason, Jiang Ling suddenly thought of Ying Songmao.

Wearing a white lab coat, Ying Songmao exudes a calm and focused charm when he works. He has keen observation skills, solid basic skills, and rich experience accumulated over many years.

I wonder if his work in Yuezhou is going well, and whether he can make good use of his professional expertise in the anti-drug squad.

It's been over a month since we last said goodbye, why haven't we heard from Ying Songmao at all? Is he too busy with work, or are there confidentiality requirements, or is dealing with drug traffickers too dangerous for him to implicate everyone?

"Junior Sister? Junior Sister Jiang?"

Luo Yunchen waved in front of Jiang Ling a few times before bringing Jiang Ling back to reality.

Jiang Ling looked up and realized she had arrived at the door of her new office.

A transparent acrylic sign hangs on the door, with the words "Criminal Psychological Profiling Team" written in large characters.

Pushing open the door reveals a bright and clean office.

The office wasn't very big, about 20 square meters. The walls had been freshly painted, and the beige blinds had also been replaced. The whole room was very bright, and there was still a faint smell of dust from the broom and the varnish from the wooden cabinets in the air.

Four dark brown, old-fashioned desks were placed in pairs facing each other. The desks were surprisingly empty, with only a few essential items: brand-new pen holders, hard-covered notebooks with the company name printed on them, empty glass ashtrays, and enamel mugs with snow-white interiors.

The only common area was a large old conference table in the center of the room, covered with a brand-new, dark green woolen tablecloth, so smooth and without a single wrinkle, as if waiting for the first case analysis meeting to begin.

A spotless blackboard hangs on the west wall of the conference table. Next to it are two brand-new city maps, and the thumbtack box sits on the windowsill below, unused.

The brand-new gray metal filing cabinet had a label on its door that read "Unclassified Case Files (Pending Analysis)". Next to it, a neat stack of blank kraft paper file folders and index card boxes stood. Several potted green plants sat atop the cabinet, their vines trailing down, adding a touch of vibrant green.

In the corner of the office, there was a square table with a brand-new cassette tape recorder and a portable slide projector on it, both covered with red cloth covers, giving these two new devices a sense of ritual as if they were ready to be used at any time.

This is a brand new office. There are no mountains of files, no lingering smell of smoke, no noisy telephones, only a quiet, focused atmosphere. The hum of the fluorescent lights and the faint city noise outside the window are the only background noises. The air is filled with the unique scent of new paper, new paint, and a new journey ahead.

Upon seeing the office, the team members cheered collectively.

"marvelous!"

"This is much more advanced than our old case team office."

"Exactly! It looks high-class!"

Li Zhenliang strode to the conference table, reached out and stroked the exquisite dark green woolen tablecloth, looking completely unsophisticated: "Tsk tsk tsk, it feels so smooth. Isn't it a bit extravagant to use this as a tablecloth?"

Liu Haoran went to the window, adjusted the angle of the blinds, and exclaimed as if he had discovered a new continent: "Our office faces south, so we can see the square in front of us, and even the sentries can see us!"

Zhou Wei placed the cardboard box on his desk, smiling broadly: "I didn't expect that they would even provide us with paper, pens, and water cups."

Hearing their praise, Luo Yunchen felt a surge of pride and looked at Jiang Ling, asking, "How is it? Junior Sister, are you satisfied?"

Seeing Luo Yunchen's beaming smile, Jiang Ling recalled her conversation with her father, Lin Weidong, the night before.

Lin Weidong: "In a new unit and a new position, one must be cautious in words and deeds, and avoid arrogance and impetuosity."

Jiang Ling: "Yes."

Although Lin Weidong's words sounded like an admonition, his smiling eyes were full of care and love for his daughter, which made Jiang Ling unable to feel the slightest bit of rebellion.

Lin Weidong: "Although Luo Yunchen is not very composed, he is very capable. If there is any problem that he cannot handle, you can go to him."

Jiang Ling: "Oh."

Lin Weidong sensed the reluctance in his daughter's tone, lowered his head slightly to meet her gaze, and said in a low voice, "You seem to... not like him?"

Jiang Ling shifted her gaze to the right: "Not exactly."

Lin Weidong's lips curled slightly, his smile gentle: "I can't stay in Yan City for too long, so I can't protect you completely. With Luo Yunchen by your side, I feel more at ease."

Jiang Ling looked up at her father and noticed that a few more gray hairs seemed to have appeared at his temples. Her heart softened, and she spoke the words she had been keeping to herself: "Dad, I don't need anyone to protect me. I can manage on my own."

Having lived two lives, Jiang Ling was already used to relying on herself for everything. Suddenly being treated like a delicate child in need of protection by her father was something she didn't want. Therefore, she felt somewhat resistant to Luo Yunchen, whom her father had "sent," and naturally, her tone wasn't very friendly.

Lin Weidong realized that his arrangements had neglected his daughter's feelings, and he apologetically patted her on the shoulder: "I'm sorry, Dad misunderstood."

Lin Weidong knew that Jiang Ling didn't want to go to Kyoto, but he was worried that it would be too difficult for his daughter to struggle alone in Yanshi. That's why he sent his prized student to Yanshi. This way, he could not only help Jiang Ling in her career, but also take care of her life. Of course, he could also keep her updated on her situation, so that she wouldn't become too proud and unwilling to complain to her parents.

The idea was good, but it ignored Jiang Ling's personal feelings.

If you inexplicably have a young, unmarried man by your side, anyone would probably feel rebellious, right?

Therefore, Lin Weidong apologized.

Jiang Ling didn't expect her father to apologize.

She knew her father meant well.

Although she had never been a mother, she had witnessed too much of the joys and sorrows of life in prison and deeply understood the principle that "parents who love their children plan far ahead for them."

For some reason, Jiang Ling felt a pang of sadness: "Dad, it's okay. Luo Yunchen is actually a very good person."

Lin Weidong's hand remained on Jiang Ling's shoulder: "Don't force yourself. If you really can't get along, just tell me. I'll transfer Luo Yunchen back in a while."

Jiang Ling looked up at her father: "Didn't we say we should combine criminal investigation profiling with criminal psychological profiling?"

Lin Weidong smiled and said, "Alright, then you two should work together well."

Jiang Ling didn't actually say some things.

She admitted that her attitude towards Luo Yunchen was not very good.

This is a subtle kind of "jealousy" that is hidden deep inside and cannot be expressed to outsiders.

Luo Yunchen is clearly the kind of child who grew up in a happy family, with the tolerance and encouragement of his parents. He is confident, sunny, and straightforward. He will ask for what he wants directly and will clearly express any dissatisfaction he has.

But Jiang Ling is not like that.

She grew up in an orphanage, with no one to rely on. She had to work hard to obtain all resources. She would keep in mind any injustices she encountered, but she wouldn't directly express her grievances or dissatisfaction.

But she holds grudges, silently remembering the grievances and humiliations she suffers, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate fiercely.

It can be said that Luo Yunchen is like a mirror, reflecting the gray and unknown aspects of Jiang Ling's heart.

Therefore, Jiang Ling doesn't like him.

Rather than saying I dislike him, I would say I hate the way I feel "jealous".

However, faced with her father's apology and comfort, Jiang Ling suddenly felt relieved.

She is loved by others too.

She also has people who support and care about her.

In the future, she could try to befriend Luo Yunchen and learn from his sunny and straightforward side.

Jiang Ling used to believe that "a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years," but now he can try to "avenge his grudges on the spot."

Thinking of this, Jiang Ling said, "Luo Yunchen is actually not bad either."

Lin Weidong: "He's a bit arrogant and not calm enough, which is where he falls short of you. However, you're about the same in terms of integrity, kindness, and enthusiasm for your work."

Jiang Ling felt praised.

I'm a little proud.

The corners of her lips couldn't suppress the upward curve.

In Lin Weidong's eyes, his eldest daughter was perfect in every way.

She clearly didn't like Luo Yunchen, but to comfort herself, she considerately said that he was a good person.

He really wanted to keep his understanding daughter by his side, to pass on all his knowledge and skills to her, and to watch her shine in the field of criminal investigation.

What a pity.

His daughter is growing up and has her own ideas, so all he can do is understand and support her.

Lin Weidong looked at his daughter with reluctance: "I have something to do and have to go back first. Your mother has more time now that she's retired, so she'll stay here with you."

Jiang Ling quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need. I live in the company dormitory and I'm usually too busy with work to spend time with her. My mother's social circle is in Kyoto, and my sister and grandmother are there too. Let her go back with you."

Lin Weidong sighed softly: "Just let your mother stay with you for a while. She was heartbroken for a long time when she thought you were dead. She suffered from severe postpartum depression and almost died. Now that she knows you are alive, she wants to see you every day, buy you new clothes, and cook delicious food for you. It's all out of a loving mother's heart. Just... bear with it a little longer."

Jiang Ling nodded: "Okay."

Lin Weidong added, "We bought you an apartment in the old neighborhood across from the Municipal Bureau. Your mother has been busy cleaning and tidying up lately, so she has something to do. If you can have dinner with her every day, she will be very happy."

Jiang Ling opened her mouth, but in the end only said one word: "Okay."

Parents' love is so profound.

At this time, accepting it calmly will make them happier.

Lin Weidong explained, "There's not enough time, so we bought an old house for now. Housing conditions at the Municipal Bureau are tight, so you can only live in a single dormitory for now. I've asked Lao Zhong to keep an eye out for suitable new apartments nearby, and if there are any, we'll buy you a new one right away. Don't worry, your grandma has money."

At this point, Lin Weidong laughed: "Your mother and I only earn fixed salaries, so we don't have the financial means to buy a house. Your grandmother is an excellent embroiderer; one of her pieces can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. She's the one who said she wanted to buy you a house, so just go for it."

"Ah, please thank Grandma for me." Jiang Lingzhen never expected that the richest person in the family was actually her grandmother.

Memories faded, and before me stood a clean and tidy new office, and Luo Yunchen's beaming face, eagerly seeking praise.

Jiang Ling's gaze swept over every corner of the room, then she looked at Luo Yunchen intently with a sincere smile: "Very satisfied, thank you, senior brother."

Luo Yunchen raised an eyebrow smugly and pointed to the next room: "I work from there. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Su Xinwan helped Jiang Ling put away her belongings, then mopped the floor until it shone. Her busy figure resembled a happy little bee. Jiang Ling tried to persuade her to go back and rest, but she refused, saying, "It's okay, let me do something for you."

The Chu Jingen case put Su Xinwan under considerable pressure.

After all, the murderer Chu Jingen was her stepfather; and the accomplice Hu Shuifen was her biological mother.

Fortunately, Jiang Ling spoke up for her and transferred her to the criminal investigation sketch team of the technical brigade. This brand-new team had only three people, the working atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious, and they were doing what Su Xinwan loved most: drawing. It can be said that every day after being transferred to the new team, Su Xinwan was happy and fulfilled.

Now that Jiang Ling has officially moved to the new office, Su Xinwan feels a great sense of security with her there, and she seems to have inexhaustible energy when she works.

"Ring ring..."

The telephone on my desk rang.

Jiang Ling walked over and answered the phone: "Hello."

It was Director Zhong's voice on the other end of the phone: "Jiang Ling, come to my office."

Judging from Director Zhong's serious voice, it must be something important.

"yes!"

Jiang Ling hung up the phone, picked up the new notebook on the table, and looked at Li Zhenliang and the others: "Hurry up and get ready, we have work to do."

Li Zhenliang and the others exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with eagerness: "Yes!"

Jiang Ling walked out of the office and ran into Luo Yunchen, who was coming out of the office.

With just one glance, the two understood each other perfectly.

Luo Yunchen: "Together?"

Jiang Ling: "Mm."

Luo Yunchen: "I suspect there's a big case involved."

Jiang Ling: "Mm."

Luo Yunchen turned to look at her, a half-smile on his face: "Besides 'uh-huh,' what else can you say?"

Jiang Ling: "Director Zhong's tone was low and his voice was urgent. There were no pleasantries, and he called the two of us over together. Obviously, there was a case, and a rather serious one at that. I guess..."

Jiang Ling lowered her voice: "It's most likely a murder case."

Having just solved the Chu Jingen murder case, Jiang Ling's mind was filled with mixed emotions.

Even if the murderer is brought to justice, the dead cannot be brought back to life.

How exactly can we eliminate the murderous intent in people's hearts?

Luo Yunchen hadn't expected Jiang Ling to either remain silent or launch into a long tirade when she did speak. He wasn't as perceptive as Jiang Ling; he didn't become downcast upon hearing about the murder case, but rather the sense of challenge energized him: "There must be eyewitnesses, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to get involved."

Jiang Ling: "Mm."

Luo Yunchen stopped arguing with Jiang Ling and started responding to him with "hmm": "As long as there are eyewitnesses, as long as they see the murderer's face, I am confident that I can find him."

The two arrived at Director Zhong's office, knocked on the door, and went inside.

Upon entering the office, one could see Lei Xiao from the First Brigade standing there, with a solemn-faced veteran detective beside him. This was none other than Qin Tieshan, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, Lei Xiao and Jiang Chenzhou's superior.

Qin Tieshan is 55 years old this year. He worked his way up from the grassroots level, experienced the crackdown, and solved many major cases. He is known as the "pillar of stability" in the bureau and is deeply respected by everyone.

Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen saluted solemnly: "Director Zhong, Captain Qin, Captain Lei."

Director Zhong didn't waste any words and got straight to the point: "Last night, a murder occurred near the medical school in the North District. The victim was a 21-year-old female third-year nursing student."

Jiang Ling sank down.

Murder case.

Female college student.

He was only 21 years old.

She quickly searched her memory for relevant cases.

Lei Xiao began to explain the details of the case.

"The time of death was approximately between 11:30 PM and 1:00 AM. There was continuous moderate to heavy rain, low visibility, and few pedestrians on the road. The body was found in an alley in an old residential area behind the medical school campus. There were streetlights, but some were damaged, making the lighting dim."

The deceased was named Ke Xiaoyu, a 21-year-old third-year nursing student at Yanshi Medical College. She was cheerful, had above-average grades, normal interpersonal relationships, and no known complicated romantic relationships or significant debts. She came from an ordinary family and worked part-time as a trainee nurse at a community clinic on weekends.

On the night of the incident, Ke Xiaoyu finished her part-time job at the clinic, declined her colleague's offer to walk her home alone, a journey of about 15-20 minutes. She was found by a passerby in the morning who called the police. When she was found, she was lying face down on the puddle, wearing her intern nurse uniform, a white nurse's coat, her umbrella blown several meters away by the wind.

A preliminary autopsy revealed a blunt force trauma to the back of the head and ligature marks on the neck, suggesting the victim was first knocked unconscious or subdued before being strangled. The weapon used was likely a stone or a hard object carried on the person. The clothing was relatively intact, with no signs of forced tearing or obvious signs of sexual assault. A small amount of cash and the student ID were found in the wallet.

The pager was intact; the last message was from a roommate saying "Be careful." An open notebook titled "Basic Nursing" was found in the victim's backpack, soaked by rain. Small amounts of dark blue, synthetic clothing fibers, not belonging to her, were found under her fingernails.

Oh, by the way, she was wearing a women's wristwatch; the dial was smashed, and the hands were stopped at the 12 o'clock position.

Lei Xiao finished speaking in one breath, his brows furrowed.

"Let me say a few words," Qin Tieshan coughed and began.

He was preparing to retire this year, but unexpectedly, such a murder occurred before his semi-retirement. Seeing a vibrant life disappear, he felt very heavy-hearted.

21 years old, what a wonderful age.

Like the rising sun, the future is bright and promising.

But Ke Xiaoyu's life ended at the age of 21.

Qin Tieshan, a heavy smoker, said in a low, hoarse voice, "This case is very difficult. What makes it difficult?"

After a pause, he continued: "First, the motive for the murder is unclear. It was not robbery, nor a typical sexual assault, and there is no evidence to support the claim that it was a revenge killing or a crime of passion. Second, there is limited physical evidence. No footprints, fingerprints, or the murder weapon were found at the scene; the only biological evidence was a trace amount of fiber found under the fingernail. Third, there were no eyewitnesses. It was raining that night, and there were few pedestrians on the road at that time."

Upon hearing "there were no eyewitnesses," Luo Yunchen became somewhat dejected.

No one saw the murderer, so where did this forensic sketch artist begin?

Qin Tieshan, usually stern and unsmiling, now wore a cold expression that was quite intimidating: "This murder case is preliminarily classified as 'indiscriminate killing' or 'random violent crime.' Based on experience... these kinds of murder cases are very difficult to solve, very difficult."

He glanced at Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

So young, how much experience could they possibly have in handling cases? If it weren't for Director Zhong's insistence, he really wouldn't have wanted Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen to join the task force.

Director Zhong nodded: "It is difficult, but we cannot be deterred by difficulties. If traditional case-handling methods don't work, then we'll bring in new people and new methods!"

Director Zhong looked at Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen: "Because of Ke Xiaoyu's death, all the female college students are terrified. The terrifying story of the rainy night killer has spread on campus, causing social panic. The city has ordered us to solve the case quickly, and a special task force has been established. Lao Qin is the team leader, and Lei Xiao is the deputy team leader. Yunchen and Jiang Ling, you two will also join."