Chapter 5 Another incident occurred.
When people are in extreme grief, they can't even utter a complete sentence.
The illiterate elderly couple could barely stand, supporting each other as they stared intently at the words on the evidence panel. For a moment, all they could hear was the creaking noise of the old-fashioned ceiling fan, and they forgot to ask anything.
Zhu Qing: "There's nothing on the inner ring—"
"The evidence is still undergoing further testing," Uncle Li said, raising his hand to interrupt her.
The ring that was brought out of the fireplace along with the bones was carefully placed in an evidence bag by Zhu Qing, who was wearing gloves. She clearly remembered that there were no letters engraved on the inside of the ring.
However, Uncle Li was more experienced. There was no such coincidence in the world. The time of the elderly couple's daughter's disappearance ten years ago, her figure, the location of the surgery she had, the style of the ring they described... all pointed to the characteristics of the remains.
"Let's wait for the forensic department to release a detailed report before we talk about it," Uncle Li said cautiously.
The couple still appeared dazed.
The scent of the rheumatism ointment from He's mother's waist wafted to her nose. Zhu Qing asked, "How did He Jia'er disappear?"
The old lady wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.
The couple ran a newsstand and worked hard to support their only daughter's education. Ho Ka-yee lived up to their expectations, excelling in both character and academics from a young age, and was admitted to Hong Kong University.
He Jia'er, a female college student who walked out of the tin-roofed newsstand at the corner of Kwun Tong Street, has an indomitable stubbornness in her bones.
“Jia’er always says that after she graduates, she will make a lot of money and buy us a 1,000-square-foot house.”
"We who are used to living in subdivided flats don't even dare to dream of it."
The old lady's eyes welled up with tears as she recalled what happened back then.
In my memory, my sensible daughter would be studying at a low table, not even turning on the fan when the sun was at its hottest... Like a dream, Madam's voice startled her awake.
Why did you choose to work at a nightclub?
Unable to escape Zhu Qing's sharp gaze, He's father spoke evasively, raising his hand to adjust his collar, revealing the faded blue dragon tattoo on his forearm.
The old woman clenched her withered hands and glared at her husband: "It's all his fault, he's gone gambling again!"
When he was young, Mr. He chopped off his finger to vow never to gamble again. But when his daughter's acceptance letter from Hong Kong University arrived, he straightened his back and relapsed into gambling. He borrowed money after losing, and the interest ballooned. People even threw red paint at their door, the sticky red paint dripping down the house number. Mrs. He was devastated and heartbroken. The only university graduate in the family, capable of handling things, single-handedly went to negotiate with the debtors. By mortgaging her prestigious university student ID, He Jia'er saved her father's little finger, but the debts still had to be repaid. She found a job as a waitress at a nightclub, giving her commission to her father to pay off his gambling debts, finally bringing him to his senses.
“Jia’er is capable; she paid off her gambling debts in three months.”
"But since the money comes in so quickly, she'll still go even during her holidays..."
“We’ve been poor our whole lives, and Jia’er—she’s never seen so many beautiful handbags and clothes.”
According to He's mother, the obedient female student was blinded by this glamorous world and chose a shortcut to make money.
Zhu Qing flipped through the case files of the missing persons case.
Ho Ka-yee went missing after a heated argument with her parents. The daughter, who had never stayed out all night before, did not return home for an entire night.
One night passed, then another, and still there was no news from her.
The couple then called the police.
Why did you hide the nightclub incident?
"No, the neighbors said that if the school finds out, they will revoke your degree."
"I initially thought it was those people from Portland Street who led her astray..."
"Actually, we, as parents, are a burden on Jia'er. If it weren't for the fact that her scholarship money was all lost—"
"It's me." Father He suddenly slapped himself. "It's my fault, it's all my fault..."
The old woman burst into tears, crying out, "Who could be so cruel as to kill someone and hide the body in the fireplace, roasting it until the bones turned black but it didn't even turn to ash? How much injustice has Jia'er suffered..."
Zhu Qing turned around to look at Uncle Li.
Uncle Li nodded: "The DNA test results will be available by next Wednesday at the latest. Arrange for them to take another detailed statement."
...
Zhu Qing sat at her workstation, with an iced lemon tea delivery next to the case files; every officer in Team B had a cup in their hand.
This is afternoon tea that Inspector Mok is treating everyone to. There has been progress in confirming the identity of the deceased, which means that everyone will have to work overtime all night again tonight.
Mo Zhenbang pasted the graduation photo from He Jiaer's certificate in the case file of her disappearance ten years ago onto the whiteboard.
The faded old photograph shows a female college student with a ponytail smiling brightly at the camera, making it hard to associate her with the skeleton in the fireplace.
"The deceased had undergone surgery on her leg. Based on detailed medical records, it is highly likely that the remains are those of Ho Ka-yee."
“He Jia’er’s parents said that although she worked part-time at a nightclub in a mixed environment, she was tactful, knew how to read people’s expressions, and was good at resolving conflicts.”
"As far as they know, Ho Ka-yee has not offended anyone, nor has she had any grudges with anyone."
Haozai took a sip of iced lemon tea and popped a throat lozenge into his mouth. The cool sensation sobered him up a bit.
"Are college students so opinionated? Do they have to report everything to their families?"
Several colleagues chimed in.
Even though they've never been parents, they've been children. No matter how filial they are, they tend to only report good news and not bad. Moreover, He's mother has argued with He Jia'er many times about the nightclub, and the two don't understand each other. Bringing up work-related unpleasantness at home only adds to their distress.
"Hey, I didn't tell my mom I got yelled at by the cops the other day..."
"After the Central shootout, I even said we'd go on a date at Ocean Park!"
As the group chatted, they tried to get Zhu Qing, who hadn't said a word, to join in: "Right?"
Mo Shazhan slammed the file clipboard heavily on the whiteboard: "Let's get down to business!"
When the meeting ended, he asked Zhu Qing to stay and took out the dormitory application form.
“Your monthly salary exceeds the public housing quota, but we can arrange for you to apply for disciplined services housing specifically for police officers.”
"The earliest you can get in is several months, so let's wait a bit longer."
Mo Zhenbang had seen her files at the police academy and her transfer documents.
Orphaned and raised in an orphanage, she still lives in the police academy dormitory, taking a minibus and transferring at least three times a day, setting off from Wong Chuk Hang before dawn. Sometimes, when she works late, she sleeps on the floor in the CID room for the night, showing she can endure hardship.
"Although the room is small and you have to share it with others, it's still better than you sleeping in a CID room."
"Thank you, Officer Mo." Zhu Qing said succinctly, even changing the subject by continuing to flip through the case files, among which was a small note that she had just slipped in. "But He Jia'er's parents said that the plain ring had letters engraved on it. How do you explain that?"
Mo Sir took the note that Zhu Qing handed him.
When the elderly couple tried to recall the engraving on the inside of the ring, they drew it on paper, but it looked like self-invented English letters and was unrecognizable.
Mo Zhenbang: "It looks like scribbles."
"Officer Mo, shall we request an expedited scan now?"
The new employee was professional and efficient, which was surprisingly intimidating.
Mo Zhenbang glanced at her, squinted, and flattened his cigarette butt. As he signed, the ash fell down: "Forensic scientist Ge is going to blame me for giving him a death knell again."
Zhu Qing successfully retrieved the expedited processing order.
"Tell them that I want to see a scan of the metal indentation on the inside of the ring before we finish work today!"
"Yes, sir."
...
"Knock knock knock—"
Xu Jiale returned and gently knocked on the conference room door, lowering his voice: "Mo sir."
"The Sheng family is in trouble again."
Not long after the death of jewelry tycoon Sheng Wenchang, the Sheng family has been plagued by troubles. The case of the skeleton in the fireplace has just been filed, and rumors are spreading.
That's all the information the TV station got. They broadcast the same news over and over again from morning till night, with only different titles but essentially the same content. Inspector Weng went to the CID office three times, loosening his tie countless times in his haste. By the end of the day, Mo Zhenbang's face darkened whenever he heard the internal phone ring.
Now, hearing that the Sheng family has run into trouble again, Group B left Zhu Qing to go to the forensic department to submit the follow-up order and handle the final work, while the rest of the group members followed Mo Shazhan to the mountainside.
The old butler's trousers were still covered in grass clippings. As soon as he saw the familiar police officer, he immediately went up to him and said, "Sir, Bobo is dead!"
When Mo Zhenbang learned that Bobo was a Maltese dog owned by the Sheng family, he had to take a deep breath to remain calm.
Do taxpayers really think the police are idle? Now they even have to report a case if their dog gets hurt. When did the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit start taking on pet funeral services?
The old housekeeper said, "Bobo was perfectly fine yesterday, but suddenly he's not doing well this morning. Could it be... he's been poisoned?"
The luxury car drove into the garage, and Chen Chaosheng rushed over. He had heard about the incident on the phone and went straight to his wife's room as soon as he entered the house.
Mo Zhenbang watched his anxious back.
"He immediately cancels his meetings when he receives a call from his wife," Zeng Yongshan said. "No wonder he's considered a devoted husband!"
...
After composing herself, Sheng Peishan was pushed in her wheelchair by her husband to the living room.
"I'm sorry to have troubled everyone." Sheng Peishan's eyes were red and swollen, and she pressed her eyes with a tissue to wipe away the tears.
The second young lady held a photo frame in her hand; it was a photo of her and Bobo from the past.
Her fair fingers gently brushed over the puppy she was holding in her arms in the photo, and tears fell again.
"Bobo was there for me through the toughest times..."
"My biggest fear right now is that something might happen to the tide."
"I initially thought it was a coincidence, but if Bobo's death wasn't an accident, could it be that the brake failure that time was also..."
Chen Chaosheng held her hand: "Of course old cars are prone to breakdowns. That was just an accident. Look at you, overthinking things again."
After a pause, he coaxed, "How about I discuss it with Attorney Hu? Rules are rules, but people are flexible. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle staying in the old house for a hundred days."
"But……"
A perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, Zeng Yongshan saw deep affection and concern in Chen Sheng's eyes.
This couple, married for many years, are still inseparable, which is truly enviable.
Mo Zhenbang: "You just said that Mr. Chen's car had brake failure before?"
...
The young master rarely climbs down the secret passage to play in broad daylight.
Unfortunately, Marissa had learned her lesson and dared not leave the key to the children's room lying around anymore. He was curious about the noise outside and the habitual offender tried the same trick again.
Last night, the child played with the air conditioner while sleeping, turning the temperature to the lowest setting. He woke up this morning with a runny nose and whimpering. Marissa stuffed a cartoon handkerchief into the collar of his shirt and added an extra layer to his pants.
Strange, the friction of my pants is unusually strong today.
The vases slid down the pipe, moving slowly, much like a little sloth.
As she slowly slid down, Sheng Fang saw the female police officer she had just broken up with the night before.
Zhu Qing quickened her pace and hurried toward the Sheng family's house.
When forensic experts complete a preliminary examination of physical evidence, they usually preserve its integrity. However, a platinum ring that has been stored in fireplace ash for a long time has developed a dense oxide film on its surface due to the high temperature. Regular cleaning can only remove surface stains.
However, it can be peeled off by soaking in a special reducing agent.
As Zhu Qing waited for her colleagues in the forensic department to work overtime, the inner ring of the ring, after the oxide layer was peeled off, gradually revealed engravings.
The English letters on the inside of the ring could definitely help advance the case.
With this exciting discovery in mind, Zhu Qing rushed to the Sheng family home with her forensic science senior colleague.
Just as she rounded the cast-iron carved porch, she saw the young master patting his little hands to get rid of the dust that fell from the pipes.
The young master had a smug look on his face.
He puffed out his cheeks and blew his nose while clutching a handkerchief.
Seeing the snot bubble on the tip of the child's nose, Zhu Qing flicked it backward.
Shengfang, however, had already made up her mind to never talk to this female officer again.
However, at this moment, he assumed a small horse stance.
The young master of the Sheng family channeled his resentment into a Wing Chun move, stretching and retracting his short arms while his chubby hands grabbed a dirty handkerchief to scare people.
"leave--"
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