Chapter 64 Call the Police!
Just minutes before, the CID office was filled with the rich aroma of Aunt Ping's pigeon soup, and everyone was discussing the case while holding their bowls of soup.
The case took a sudden turn, and Mo Zhenbang quickly assigned tasks.
Zhu Qing, Zeng Yongshan, and Liang Qikai went to the hospital and Lin Tingchao's home. He took Xiao Sun and Haozai to check Lin Tingchao's medical records, major experiences, and educational trajectory over the years. The rest of the people stayed behind to sort out the timeline.
The moment he finished speaking, the officers quickly put down their soup bowls, grabbed old photos of Lam Ting-chiu, jigsaw puzzle portraits of Kwong Siu-yin, and other relevant materials, and rushed out of the office.
Everyone got busy, even Aunt Ping was clearing the dishes and getting ready to go home, only little Fangfang stayed out of the situation for a few minutes.
Finally, Inspector Fang successfully solved the case.
Qingzai sent him to an extracurricular class he wasn't interested in; the mastermind behind it all was Aunt Ping!
Behind them came the young master of the Sheng family's childish voice demanding an explanation, and then the group's figures gradually disappeared into the distance.
As Zhu Qing passed the technical department, she caught a glimpse of Yao Zhiyong out of the corner of her eye.
He was slumped in a swivel chair, his thin body wrapped in a shirt. Yao Zhiyong had spent three whole hours trying to piece together a portrait of Kuang Xiaoyan, but no matter how he tried, it didn't look right. He had originally planned to just get away with it, but the police officers were more shrewd than anyone else. Just as he was about to slip through the cracks, they slammed their hands on the table, startling him awake.
In any case, the portrait was finally finished. Yao Zhiyong stretched his shoulders and neck and turned to get up.
"Hey." Zhu Qing suddenly turned back and slammed an old photo of Lin Tingchao on his desk.
Have you seen this girl before?
The girl in the photo is wearing a ballet tutu and is in a graceful pose.
Yao Zhiyong stared intently: "Who is this?"
"Have you ever seen her with Kwong Siu-yin?"
Yao Zhiyong squinted and leaned closer, then suddenly sneered, "Madam, are you kidding me? This girl looks like a rich heiress, how come she's hanging out with Kuang Xiaoyan?"
He pointed at the photo with his fingertip: "Birds of a feather flock together, don't you understand? A pheasant trying to climb the social ladder—"
"So you've never seen it before?" Zhu Qing interrupted coldly.
Yao Zhiyong shrugged: "But she's way prettier than Kuang Xiaoyan."
His greasy gaze lingered on the photo.
Zhu Qing snatched the photo back.
The group had walked quite a distance when they heard Yao Zhiyong muttering behind them—
"Why are you being so fierce? I'll file a complaint against you."
In the corridor, Xu Jiale imitated Yao Zhiyong's tone: "'Does Kuang Xiaoyan think she's a swan?' Bah! He himself lost so much money at the mahjong parlor that he wore a hole in his pants."
Zeng Yongshan said angrily, "What kind of people are these?!"
Xu Jiale curled his lip: "You didn't see what kind of face he had just made, mocking Kuang Xiaoyan as 'what kind of trash'... and even saying that his parents didn't approve of her either."
"And what kind of person is he himself?" Zeng Yongshan gritted her teeth and said, "He has a pointy mouth and a monkey face, and he doesn't have a proper job. He spends all his time in the mahjong parlor. Let alone Kuang Xiaoyan having high aspirations, even if her standards were low, she would never be interested in him!"
Three official vehicles departed at the same time.
"Don't pay attention to this kind of scum." Liang Qikai smiled before opening the car door. Just as he was about to get to the driver's seat, he remembered Zhu Qing's disdain last time, so he turned back and handed her the car keys. "You drive."
Tsang Wing-shan and Leung Sir sat together in the back row.
Zhu Qing had a mobile phone, which made communication much easier, so they went to the hospital first before receiving Lin Tingchao's latest address.
At this time of day, the hospital was filled with the mixed smells of rice porridge and leftover food. Even if the patients' diet was bland, it couldn't withstand so many people crammed together, and the air was thick with a stuffy, slightly disinfectant-smelling food odor.
Rong Zimei was sitting by her mother's bedside, feeding her porridge spoonful by spoonful.
Liang Qikai said in a low voice, "Taking care of stroke patients is very hard work. Just feeding them takes up a lot of time."
The nurse standing at the ward door nodded, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Taking care of patients and taking care of children are completely different things. No matter how much a child fusses, at least they will laugh and act cute, which softens your heart. But taking care of patients... over time, it only makes you more and more exhausted."
“But Miss Rong is very filial,” the head nurse added. “Since her mother was hospitalized, Miss Rong has been either at work or at the hospital taking care of her. I recently heard that she lost her job at the supermarket, so she’s been staying here all day.”
She sighed, "We all know her situation. When she had a job, she was already struggling to pay for medical expenses, and now it's even more difficult. I've also looked for caregivers in her ward, but unfortunately, there aren't any suitable ones available yet."
"You can tell she's having a hard time; her complexion is getting worse and worse."
The head nurse looked at Rong Zimei with a sigh.
She's so young, and maybe she doesn't think she's a burden, but others can't help but feel bad seeing it.
In the ward, Rong Zimei held a bowl of porridge in one hand and gently wiped away the rice soup that had spilled from her mother's mouth with the other.
Half of the porridge fed to her went down her throat, while the other half slid down the old woman's crooked mouth. Rong's mother couldn't speak, but her eyes revealed embarrassment and despair, and tears silently streamed down her face.
“Being sick…it’s so pitiful,” Zeng Yongshan said softly.
Zhu Qing stared at the scene before her and suddenly thought of her mother.
With a proud personality like Sheng Peirong's, how painful would it be if she were still conscious and able to perceive all of this while trapped in an immobile body?
"It's okay, take it slow." Rong Zimei wiped away her mother's tears with a towel and comforted her, "It's much better than before."
"Miss Rong."
Hearing the sound, Rong Zimei noticed the police and turned around.
After understanding their purpose, she said, "I have never met Lin Tingchao."
However, when Liang Qikai took out Lin Tingchao's photo, her expression suddenly changed slightly.
“It is very similar.” Rong Zimei lowered her voice and muttered to herself, “No wonder…no wonder Xiao Yan always said that she could benefit from her good fortune.”
"Officer, it must be her." She looked up, her tone certain. "How is Xiao Yan now?"
"You said that Kwong Siu-yin knew Lam Ting-chiu at school, but Lam Ting-chiu was not her classmate."
Rong Zimei's expression turned blank.
"How did Xiaoyan get to know Lin Tingchao?" she asked, puzzled. "Xiaoyan said that she would follow that girl in the cafeteria and even knew what she liked to eat."
Rong Zimei recalled: "Xiao Yan seemed to have said that the girl was very particular about her food... She didn't eat scallions or spicy food. Xiao Yan told me that only a real rich girl would be so spoiled."
“Details reveal a person’s background,” Rong Zimei said. “That’s what Xiao Yan said.”
"Was this before Kuang Xiaoyan dropped out of school?"
Rong Zimei thought about it carefully and shook her head: "I don't remember that."
Just then, Zhu Qing's cell phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, walked out of the ward, and leaned against the wall in the corridor to answer the call.
"Dr. Cheng?"
"The cut of the severed toe shows that the muscle tissue has a shrinkage response, indicating that the person was still alive at least when the toe was severed."
Zhu Qing's gaze returned to the ward: "Sister Zhen just told me on the phone."
That's all?
Cheng Xinglang paused for a moment.
"The initial assessment is that it is female. Male toe bones are usually larger, but judging the sex based solely on toe bones has a large margin of error."
"It can be used as a reference, but it cannot be used to draw conclusions on its own."
Zhu Qing nodded: "Any other discoveries?"
"There's another personal matter—"
"I'll hang up now." Zhu Qing didn't even pay attention, and saw Liang Qikai and Zeng Yongshan walk out of the ward. Her attention returned to the case. "We'll talk about it when we get back to the police station."
The police station had already sent the address, and the three of them went to the dance center founded by Lin Tingchao according to the information.
The receptionist greeted them politely.
"Teacher Lin." She led the three police officers to the door of the training room. "Three officers from the Major Crimes Unit are looking for you."
Lin Tingchao turned around.
They searched for her for two whole days.
I finally met him in person.
...
"Did you tell me?" Fangfang almost pounced on Cheng Xinglang, her round eyes wide open and blinking. "Why didn't you tell me!"
He gripped Cheng Xinglang's knees with his little hands, leaned forward, and even held his breath.
We're just waiting for a definite answer from the other party.
“Your niece didn’t give me a chance to speak at all.”
Fangfang drooped her head dramatically: "No way..."
For the young master of the Sheng family, today is practically the end of the world.
There are only seven days in a week, but Aunt Ping gave her niece a total of eight business cards! Piano, horseback riding, fencing, abacus, oil painting... she didn't even have a moment to catch her breath.
Fangfang counted on her fingers, and the more she counted, the more desperate she became.
There's no way out. He should have known better than to say "I'm so bored, so bored, so bored" in front of his niece!
Just now, as he was walking downstairs dejectedly, he bumped into Cheng Xinglang, who was delivering the test report. He rushed over as if he had grabbed a lifeline, tugging at the hem of the white coat and begging the other man to intercede on his behalf.
However, even Dr. Cheng is now helpless and can only shrug.
“Qingzai is heartless.” Fangfang sighed, putting her little hands in her pockets. “I know.”
The steps at the back entrance of the police station were warmed by the setting sun. Fangfang sat down next to Cheng Xinglang, gazing at the horizon and contemplating life.
Aunt Ping stood to the side, holding a thermos, a soup bowl, and a lunchbox, patiently waiting for her little darling to pour out her grievances.
She had never seen the young master look so worried when they were in the Mid-Levels.
"I clearly feel sorry for Qingzai the most!" Shengfang kicked a small pebble away, looking aggrieved. "After dinner today, I didn't even watch any cartoons before rushing to bring her soup. And what did she do? She actually—"
Cheng Xinglang took a piece of fruit candy out of his pocket and handed it over: "You repay kindness with enmity."
“That’s right!” Sheng Fang Bao Bao tore open the candy wrapper, her eyes shining with a light of regret for not having met her sooner.
He leaned closer to Dr. Cheng and whispered mysteriously, "Please help me out!"
Aunt Ping pretended to tidy up the thermos, but actually she was eavesdropping.
The two people drew closer and closer, their heads touching, whispering to each other.
When she got up again, waved goodbye to Cheng Xinglang, and said "bye-bye"—
After letting out some air, the creases on my chubby face have disappeared.
The young master clenched his little fist with confidence; he was sure he would say something to Tong Qingzai.
After all, their Qingzai isn't the kind of person who doesn't care about family ties.
She dotes on her uncle!
...
In the dance studio, more than ten four- or five-year-old children lined up in two rows, practicing basic skills to the rhythm of the piano.
When the children tiptoed, their chubby little faces were all tense, like earnest little swans. Some of their movements were a little clumsy, but they always unconsciously showed happy smiles when they turned around, and their round little bellies made their practice clothes bulge.
"Watch your toes and knees," Lin Tingchao said softly, gently supporting a child's ankle to adjust their posture. "Keep your eyes straight ahead when you turn around—that's right, just like that."
"Everyone, take a ten-minute break and remember to drink water."
When Lin Tingchao turned around, he led the police to the lounge with a light step.
A plaque hangs on the door frame of the lounge—
Tingchao Dance Art Center.
According to the investigation, Lin Tingchao recently returned to China after completing her studies. The elegantly decorated dance center was fully booked within just three months of opening, and the walls display photos of her with various celebrities.
"Please have some tea."
Several beige cushions were scattered on the leather sofa in the lounge.
Lin Tingchao held the teapot with her wrist slightly tilted. Her fingers were long and slender, her nails neatly trimmed and without any unnecessary decoration. When talking to people, she would gaze intently into their eyes, her gaze neither aggressive nor evasive, but just the right amount of gentleness.
"Officers, may I ask...?"
Police placed Lam Ting-chiu's photo and Kwong Siu-yin's portrait side by side on the coffee table.
At first glance, they do look somewhat similar, both with classic oval faces, almond-shaped eyes, and thin lips. However, upon closer inspection, Lin Tingchao's eyes are more gentle, and his brows exude composure. Kuang Xiaoyan's brows, on the other hand, are sharper. In photos, she always slightly raises her chin, her eyes carrying a stubborn, defiant look, as if she's always ready to argue with fate.
Lin Tingchao's gaze lingered on the portrait, then he put down the teapot and turned it away. He then raised his hand, picked up a teacup, and brought it to his lips.
"Do you know Kuang Xiaoyan?" Zhu Qing asked directly.
Lin Tingchao's fingers paused for a moment.
“Kuang Xiaoyan?” She tilted her head slightly and asked with a smile, “Is she one of our employees? When the dance center first opened, I had very strict requirements for the teachers, and there was a lot of staff turnover. Perhaps if you say her English name, I will remember her.”
Zhu Qing pointed to the jigsaw puzzle photo on the coffee table and gently pushed it in front of Lin Tingchao: "She has been missing for three years."
Lin Tingchao lowered her eyes, her fingertips lingering on the portrait. She pondered for a long time, and was about to shake her head when she suddenly heard the police's voice in her ear.
"Ms. Lin, we did some research on our way here."
"Seven years ago, you won first prize in the Hong Kong Youth Ballet Competition. At that time, your old ankle injury recurred, and the doctor advised you to withdraw from the competition. But in the end, you insisted on finishing the competition after injecting painkillers."
"At that time, many judges were heartbroken and thought that they would lose a talented dancer after the competition. Unexpectedly, you persevered with amazing willpower."
Zeng Yongshan opened her notebook and stared at a line of words that had been hastily written down: "Coincidentally, during that time, Kuang Xiaoyan appeared in your life."
Superstitions about changing one's fate by extending one's lifespan are particularly prevalent among the wealthy.
Lin Tingchao's foot injury suddenly improved after doctors predicted it might end her dance career, and at that time, Kuang Xiaoyan began to appear frequently in her life.
Was it a coincidence, or did she deliberately approach Kwong Siu-yin, or did she start using Kwong Siu-yin after discovering that she could "shield" herself from disaster?
However, the flaw lies in the fact that seven years ago, Lin Tingchao was seventeen years old and Kuang Xiaoyan was sixteen.
Would a rich girl of that age really understand these things? And how did Kwong Siu-yin end up with Lam Ting-chao at the prestigious school after dropping out of school at fifteen?
"Three and a half years ago, you were secretly admitted to the hospital due to aplastic anemia."
"The doctor said that in your case, the probability of finding a suitable bone marrow donor is lower than winning the lottery. Out of millions of people in Hong Kong, only a handful are a match."
"I never expected that it would take you less than a month from being hospitalized to completing your bone marrow transplant surgery."
Lin Tingchao's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
"All the medical staff said you were incredibly lucky."
"The surgery went surprisingly smoothly, and not long after, you went to study in England." Zhu Qing looked up. "And Kuang Xiaoyan disappeared during that time."
The lounge fell silent for a moment.
Only the faint sound of a piano could be heard in the distance, with children counting the beats in their childish voices.
“Now, we’ve found this.” Zeng Yongshan took a transparent evidence bag out of her briefcase.
Inside was a close-up photo of a severed toe, next to which was a note with Kwong Siu-yin's birth date and time written on it.
Lin Tingchao's lips trembled slightly, and he turned his face away, not daring to look again.
Zhu Qing: "We found out that Kuang Xiaoyan... might still be alive."
Lin Tingchao suddenly looked up, his pupils shrinking sharply.
"Where is she?" Zhu Qing asked, enunciating each word clearly. "Was she taken by your Lin family...?"
"Locked up in some dark, sunless place?"
The sounds of children playing in the distance made the atmosphere inside the room even more suffocating.
Liang Qikai added at the opportune moment: "Ms. Lin, please come with us to the police station to assist with the investigation."
Lin Tingchao clenched and unclenched his hands on his knees.
"No, you've misunderstood." After a long while, she calmed down and said, "Wait a moment, I need to explain the course schedule."
Watching her walk towards the front desk, Zhu Qing lowered her voice and said to Zeng Yongshan, "If you believe that you can exchange fates just because you look alike, that's absurd."
"But it is precisely this absurdity that makes Kuang Xiaoyan even more persistent. One is a pampered young lady living in luxury, and the other is a poor girl living in a cage house and wearing second-hand school uniforms..."
"It would be strange if Lin Tingchao were willing to get involved with Kuang Xiaoyan. They're from completely different worlds, unless they genuinely believe in fate—what do you think?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it," Zhu Qing shook her head. "But Lin Tingchao was taken aback when he heard that Kuang Xiaoyan was still alive."
Zeng Yongshan: "This is so unusual, isn't it?"
They leaned against the corridor outside the lounge, talking quietly, the frosted glass revealing the blurry figures of children in the dance studio.
Liang Qikai maintained a certain distance from Lin Tingchao, neither urging her aggressively nor deliberately getting closer, but occasionally signaling to her with his eyes about the time.
Just then, a soft, sweet voice called out from the end of the corridor.
"My niece?"
When Zhu Qing turned around, she saw a little girl in a pale yellow dance costume peeking out.
She unexpectedly ran into Little Coconut.
"Wow, it really is you!" The little girl ran over happily.
Tsang Wing-shan's eyes widened: "Are you now the shared niece of all the kindergarten children in Hong Kong?"
"I don't know what happened..." Zhu Qing struggled weakly, raised her hand and rubbed Coconut Baby's little face, "Anyway, that's how it is."
...
Instead of going directly to the police station, Lin Tingchao invited the police to her home to continue questioning her.
The Lin family villa is located on the mountainside, and the courtyard is full of flowers.
Upon hearing the car, the maid, Wu Ma, quickly came out to greet her: "Miss is back."
Lin Tingchao nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips, the tension in his eyes finally easing: "Aunt Wu, help me find my old photo album."
Wu Ma went to fetch it as instructed, while Lin Tingchao gestured "please" to the officers.
“I do know Kwong Siu-yin,” she said.
Why didn't you admit it from the beginning?
Lin Tingchao sighed.
"When I first saw her, she was hiding in an alley, being beaten and scolded by her mother. I passed by after school and saw her huddled in a corner trembling, so I gave her a coat."
"But later, I found her to be very strange."
Lin Tingchao frowned as he recalled.
“I have a practice room at home, and you can see me practicing dance through the window from the outside.” Lin Tingchao opened the door of the practice room and pointed to the window. “That afternoon, I suddenly noticed that Kuang Xiaoyan was standing there, clumsily imitating my movements, with her eyes fixed on me.”
“I cut my hair short on a whim once,” Lin Tingchao gestured to show the length. “It wasn’t particularly short, it was shoulder-length.”
“The next day, Kwong Siu-yin appeared in front of me. Her hairstyle was exactly the same as mine, even the curl of the ends of her hair was exactly the same.”
Aunt Wu came over with an old photo album and interjected, "That girl always stood in the corner of the garden, staring at Miss without moving. I originally thought she was Miss's classmate, so I invited her in to sit down... But as soon as I went over, she ran away. I was going to call the police, but Miss said she probably didn't mean any harm. Miss is always like that, forgiving when she can."
"Do your parents know Kwong Siu-yin?" Tsang Wing-shan asked.
“I don’t really know her,” Lin Tingchao said. “I’ve only heard about her from me. Once, I heard that Kuang Xiaoyan had been following me around, so my father had someone investigate her background. He found out she lived in a tin shack, her father was a gambling addict and alcoholic, and her mother’s job—”
Lin Tingchao shook his head and continued, "My dad reminded me not to associate with this kind of person. If needed, he can pick me up and drop me off at school."
Lin Tingchao flipped through the photo album and pulled out a group photo from a youth dance competition seven years ago.
She was standing on the champion's podium, her face beaming with smiles.
“Look here,” Lin Tingchao said. “Kuang Xiaoyan is standing in the corner; I don’t know how she got in.”
"So I distanced myself from her."
“But actually, we weren’t really friends,” Lin Tingchao explained. “When you asked about her earlier, I couldn’t remember her for a moment, and I was really scared by that picture of the severed toe… Of course, I remembered her soon enough, but I just didn’t want to talk about it. Dad was right, people like that bring trouble. Kuang Xiaoyan has never given me any pleasant memories.”
“So subconsciously—” Lin Tingchao said, “that’s why I didn’t tell you.”
"By the way, my parents are upstairs."
"Do you need their cooperation in questioning? We can ask Aunt Wu to lead the way."
After Zeng Yongshan and Liang Qikai followed Wu Ma upstairs, Zhu Qing went into the courtyard.
Her footsteps stopped where Kuang Xiaoyan had once stood.
"Tingchao, have some sugar water."
"I'm not drinking it anymore, it'll make me fat—"
"You child..."
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Zhu Qing could see Lin Tingchao and his parents chatting and laughing.
The sweet aroma of the syrup seemed to waft past the tip of my nose, and the family looked so happy and content.
Piano, dance studio, showered with love... everything was so warm.
Kuang Xiaoyan once stood here, watching these scenes unfold.
What was she thinking at that moment?
Kuang Xiaoyan has become a mystery. The police are piecing together everything about her, but the truth is becoming increasingly elusive.
On the way back in the police car, everyone sorted out their statements.
"The key now is to find out who the bone marrow donor was when Lin Tingchao underwent surgery before the Lunar New Year, and whether it was related to Kuang Xiaoyan..."
"In addition, Kuang Xiaoyan told Rong Zimei that she met Lin Tingchao at school, but they were not in the same school at all."
"Lin Tingchao said they met in an alley and were then followed by Kuang Xiaoyan... These two accounts don't match at all."
"Following her on her way home from school, imitating Lin Tingchao's every move, and picking up her things to get good luck? That doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it. Does Lin Tingchao throw away hair ties and tissues while walking?" Zeng Yongshan frowned. "I think Lin Tingchao is lying, but what is she hiding?"
...
I waited at home all night, but Qingzai was working overtime and still didn't give me any explanation.
Finally, the child couldn't hold on any longer, his eyelids drooped, and he didn't know when he had fallen asleep.
He groggily opened his eyes the next morning.
The baby hugged Qingzai's arm like a little koala.
"You're finally back."
"I've been back for a while now." Zhu Qing rubbed his soft, round face. "I was the one who carried you back to your room last night."
Fangfang hadn't fully opened her eyes yet, and was about to continue acting cute when she suddenly jolted awake.
"My business plan!"
"Here it is." Aunt Ping walked over with a smile, holding a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. "This is the plan that the young master wrote all night. He fell asleep holding it yesterday."
Last night, Aunt Ping took the "plan" back to her room, intending to flatten it, but she forgot about it in the blink of an eye.
At this point, the project proposal was handed over to Zhu Qing.
Shengfang sat upright on the bed, her little face tilted up, looking both expectant and anxious.
This is the project plan that Cheng Xinglang taught Fangfang to write.
Suggestions for Optimizing the Children's Course
If someone didn't know how to write a character, Fangfang would ask Aunt Ping to write it down as a demonstration. The font sizes varied, but there wasn't a single typo.
It is a work of sincere effort.
Zhu Qing recognized the words: "I don't need to learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division anymore, I already know them all."
"Piano lessons are unnecessary; my fingers are flexible enough."
The four characters “addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division” will be replaced with symbols.
The simple line drawing next to the piano, which should have been ten chubby little fingers, was artistically transformed by him into slender pianist fingers.
"I hate oil paintings, the paint smells awful." Zhu Qing looked at the "little person covering their nose" and continued to guess, "Fencing and horseback riding are still included, they're super cool!"
Aunt Ping exclaimed in surprise, "Qingqing, you actually understood it all!"
Last night, while she was helping her son write the project proposal, she was worried that no one would understand these doodles and incomprehensible writings.
Little did anyone know, Zhu Qing understood her uncle better than anyone else. When he drew a smug little face with stars in his eyes to say "prestigious," she immediately understood what it meant.
Zhu Qing smiled slightly and gently placed the proposal on the coffee table.
The little head immediately followed the document, eagerly awaiting a reply.
Seeing that his niece remained silent, he hurriedly ran back to his room, solemnly brought out the pen, and presented it with both hands—
"Please give your instructions!"
"What did you instruct?" Zhu Qing raised an eyebrow. "Your handwriting is crooked and messy. Add a calligraphy lesson."
The moment it bloomed, its eyes widened and its little mouth opened wide enough to fit a quail egg.
In this family, does he, as the "youngest uncle," have no say at all?
Fangfang puffed out her cheeks, looking furious—
Why is Qingzai allowed to be the little tyrant at home?!
“I’ll think about other things.” Zhu Qing tapped the proposal lightly with her pen. “Anyway, you have to go to your fencing class tonight.”
Suddenly, Shengfang stepped back with her left foot and grabbed the chopsticks from the table, using them as a sword.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" The baby imitated the defensive counter-attack moves taught by the fencing coach.
"No!"
He gritted his teeth—
It even comes with its own sound effects: "Take this!"
Zhu Qing didn't even raise her head, but stretched out her arm and precisely pressed it against his forehead.
The short, bristly legs of the frizzy young master kicked in vain.
"Aunt Ping!" Fangfang's childish voice echoed through the living room, "Look at her!"
...
Zhu Qing had just returned to her workstation at the police station and hadn't even had time to put down the project plan covered in symbols when she plunged into the case.
"Lin Tingchao's medical records show that the bone marrow donor was registered as anonymous, but it was not Kuang Xiaoyan. She never underwent a matching test at any medical institution."
"It seems like they were just lucky to find a matching donor."
"Lin Tingchao's father spent a fortune last year hiring a master to change the company's feng shui, filling the office with crystal arrays. If this person believes in 'borrowing luck to ward off disaster,' what wouldn't he do?"
"But why throw the toes into the garbage dump? If it were a black magic ritual, they should have been buried in a feng shui location."
"Could it be that after the ceremony, there was nowhere to dispose of the trash, so they just threw it away and it ended up being picked up by Aunt Zhong who was collecting garbage...? It just feels so far-fetched, but I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with it."
The debate raged in the meeting room, with all the clues like pieces of a broken puzzle.
The whiteboard was densely covered with information, testimonies, and clue diagrams, but it was like a tangled mess; no matter how you sorted through it, you couldn't find the key.
"The breakthrough point is definitely still with Lin Tingchao."
“Rong Zimei said that Kuang Xiaoyan even remembers what Lin Tingchao likes to eat. Such details can’t be made up. They’re too specific; they don’t sound like lies. Investigate! Turn the school upside down.”
“It’s impossible for a dropout to sneak into an elite school without anyone noticing. We questioned students, teachers, cafeteria staff, cleaners… one by one.”
“Three years ago, bone marrow donation could be explained as a coincidence, but why did Kwong Siu-yin disappear at that time? Let’s invite that fortune teller from the Lam family over for coffee and see what kind of ‘brilliant idea’ he has.”
It wasn't until noon that Zhu Qing finally found a moment to catch her breath in the police station canteen.
She took a bite of her sandwich, her fingertips flipping through the "Curriculum Optimization Plan" that was held for the children.
Suddenly, a tall, slender figure entered her peripheral vision.
Cheng Xinglang held the tray in one hand, the hem of his white coat swaying gently with his steps. Even more eye-catching was the corner of a report peeking out of his pocket.
Zhu Qing has good eyesight and spotted the three characters "Kuang Xiaoyan" at a glance.
"Dr. Cheng!"
Cheng Xinglang sat down opposite her, catching her gaze fixed on his pocket, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
"The DNA comparison that Inspector Mo requested," Cheng Xinglang said. "I just delivered the samples to the forensic department this morning."
Police discovered through database comparison that Kuang Xiaoyan's father, Kuang Wei, had a prior theft conviction, and his DNA information was entered into the criminal database due to his involvement in the case.
The report, which originally required two days of processing, was now presented to her by Cheng Xinglang.
"I originally planned to deliver it in the afternoon."
He pushed the report onto the table, clearly catching the glint in Madam's eyes.
"Act as a lobbyist for the kid." Cheng Xinglang's slender fingers tapped on the report. "Could you give the green light to the extracurricular class thing?"
Zhu Qing hadn't expected that her family's elders had such a lot of influence.
“Okay.” Zhu Qing flicked her finger and snatched the report away when he wasn’t looking. “We’ll talk again when we have time.”
Before Cheng Xinglang could respond, his fingers suddenly went empty.
When I looked up again, I only saw her flying ponytail disappear around the corner of the restaurant.
Even reports are being robbed.
Dr. Cheng chuckled and reminded the air, "Your coffee."
The newly bought latte on the table was still steaming.
"Please!" came the echo from afar.
In the corridor, Zhu Qing suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She stared intently at the conclusions of the DNA report.
how so?
When Zhu Qing returned, Cheng Xinglang was slowly stirring his coffee, as if he had expected it.
"There are only two explanations for the DNA mismatch."
“Kwong Siu-yin and her father, Kwong Wai, are not related by blood.”
Zhu Qing's eyes were clear: "Or perhaps, the severed toe wasn't Kuang Xiaoyan's at all!"
...
Kindergartens come up with all sorts of tricks every day. Just yesterday, the kids were playing supermarket customers, and now they're talking about opening a tea restaurant.
"Let's put it down," Coconut said, moving closer to him. "Are we still pretending to be customers?"
“Of course!” Jinbao nodded vigorously. “The tea restaurant owner has to do math problems.”
"No, that's not right." Sheng Fang waved her little hand.
Today is different.
He tiptoed in front of the "frozen drink stall," raising his chubby little hand: "Teacher Ji, I want to be a milk tea master!"
The first child to raise their hand seizes the opportunity and becomes the milk tea master at the frozen drink stall.
During the game preparation stage, Teacher Ji made him a small name tag and stuck it on his chest.
"Shengji Milk Tea!" Fangfang tugged at her shirt, showing off to her friends.
"So cool!" Coconut Baby jumped up and down excitedly, "Next time we'll buy up a tea restaurant."
Jinbao has already discussed the listing plan with her.
"Jinbao," Sheng Fang said calmly, "We're like children; we have to take it one step at a time!"
How can you always dream of instant success? My niece said that even if you have money, you shouldn't spend it like that.
Yesterday they finalized a big deal to acquire a kindergarten, and today they're going to acquire a tea restaurant.
Who will run it after the acquisition?
Little stick-in-the-book baby Ah Juan has also found a job that suits him, wearing a "Food and Environmental Hygiene Department" name tag on his chest.
He paced around, making a show of patrolling the classroom, occasionally squatting down and lightly wiping the floor with his gloved fingertips.
"The bread cabinet is dusty," A-Juan said to Jinbao. "Please clean it up immediately."
Jinbao made a gesture: "I know."
"The trash cans need to be sorted: recycling, kitchen waste..." This Food and Environmental Hygiene Department junior officer kept his head down, meticulously recording the inspection results in his notebook.
Coconut Silk stood on tiptoe and took a look.
He can't write at all, but he drew several small circles to pretend he was very cultured.
In the classroom, the children each found their own place.
Some students wore white chef hats and acted as pastry chefs, while others practiced cashiering with calculators. Little Coconut was delivering takeout, whirlwinding through every corner of the classroom.
Restaurant manager Xiaowen patted Jinbao on the shoulder: "Jinbao, the kitchen floor tiles need to be mopped again."
"Coming!" Little Jinbao pretended to mop the floor, waving his short arms back and forth, having a great time.
Shengfang, with her short legs kicking, ran around "thump-thump-thump," clung to the cardboard window, and said in a childish voice, "Welcome!"
He mimicked Uncle Ming from the police station cafeteria, saying, "What's this?"
"I want it, I want it..." The little girl opposite, who was playing the role of a regular customer, hesitated and looked back at the teacher.
"There's a menu," Teacher Ji said with a smile, taking out a simple sketch menu that she had prepared in advance.
"We have mandarin duck pearls, stocking pearls, and caffeine-free pearls—" Sheng Fang introduced, "Today's special also includes extra-large pearls to prevent choking!"
"Stocking pearls!" The little girl excitedly peeked through the paper window. "Less sweet, no ice!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around with her doll to reserve a seat: "One more serving of rice noodle rolls, and do you have any egg tarts with flaky crust?"
Shengfang smiled, her little face flushed, and her eyes sparkled.
Kindergarten can be so much fun!
The most interesting amusement park in the world...
Weston Kindergarten is the best choice!
He rubbed his palms together eagerly, waiting for Teacher Ji to serve him milk tea with milk foam and tapioca pearls.
The young chefs at Sheng Kee Ice Room couldn't wait.
Until, the teacher handed him a small handmade basket.
The empty plastic cup is a milk tea cup, the brown crumpled paper is milk tea, and the white cotton is milk foam.
Colorful small round pieces, used to make pearls.
The young master of the Sheng family and Teacher Ji looked at each other.
He wants to buy a mobile phone to call "999" for emergency calls.
Even teachers are committing fraud.
"What's wrong?" Teacher Ji bent down and patted the milk tea vendor's head.
The little boy turned to look out the window, his eyes filled with a sense of weariness.
It's nothing, I've just seen through the illusions of the world.
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