Chapter 32
Luo Jingyao, completely unaware of the gazes fixed on her from behind, was now thoroughly enjoying the gossip. Her delicate pink lips formed an O shape as she asked, "Is this true?"
Aunt Bujin nodded affirmatively, her tone quite proud: "I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be false? The Cui family's youngest son is 1.8 meters tall and weighs 180 kilograms. His outstretched hand is as big as a palm-leaf fan. He slapped the girl's face so hard that it's swollen!"
"That's too much!" Luo Jingyao put her hands on her hips angrily and started to criticize.
It was not until she heard a low cough that she came out of her stiff state. She slowly turned her head and saw Lin Jiafan's face with a mysterious expression.
Luo Jingyao laughed guiltily twice, then quickly climbed up from the grass while the ladies weren't paying attention and greeted the man, "Officer Lin, are you done with your work?"
Lin Jiafan glanced at the sun, which was gradually setting in the west, and replied calmly, "It's known that the victim was nearly chopped into pieces. I'm afraid it will take more than a short while to finish this."
"But Coach Luo was in his usual good spirits, chatting happily with others around the crime scene."
As if she didn't hear the sarcasm in the other person's words, Luo Jingyao rubbed her hands and defended herself: "Gossip is human nature. It's really too lively here, I couldn't help it..."
"I can see it's really lively." Lin Jiafan said, his eyes drooping slightly behind his glasses, staring at the marks on her sweatpants knees. "Otherwise, Coach Luo wouldn't be so selfless."
"..." Luo Jingyao reached out and vigorously brushed off the dust on her pants, not intending to continue the topic: "It seems that this case is quite difficult."
Otherwise, the matter would not have fallen on the shoulders of the Special Case Investigation Team.
Lin Jiafan pressed his lips downwards, not refuting. "The people of Bo'an are simple and honest, and the villagers are very united. They have inherited their traditional culture very well."
At first glance, these words seem to be praise, but upon closer inspection, it seems that is not the case.
The people are simple and honest, but their thoughts are mostly stubborn and uncivilized.
We are united and consistent, and we are united in facing the outside world.
As for the good inheritance of traditional culture, Luo Jingyao just experienced it deeply. Even the dead think that it is the Fire God who punishes evil and promotes good. Such a deep belief really makes people speechless.
It seems that the police's next work is destined not to go smoothly.
She nodded in agreement and asked again, "Has the victim been identified?"
"Not yet. Pang Guang and Sister Pan are leading the investigation. If there are no clues, we have to wait until Brother Guo recovers the body as much as possible, and then check the recent missing persons database."
"Is that so..." Luo Jingyao hesitated for two seconds, then finally raised her head again as if she had made up her mind. "Perhaps you could start with the Cui family next to Haixia Supermarket in Group 2. I heard from those ladies that their son seems to have disappeared for several days."
Hearing this, Lin Jiafan turned his head to the side, his eyes fell on her, and he said nothing.
Being stared at by him made her feel a little flustered, but recalling that the skin of the pile of flesh she had seen was indeed covered in a mess of tattoos, Luo Jingyao could only bite the bullet and take a gamble: "Besides, the ladies also said that this guy has bad character. Many people in the village alone dislike him."
"He's a man, he has enemies, and he's now suspected to be missing. I think he fits the description of the victim."
After saying that, she nervously clenched her hands hanging by her side, feeling the smoothness on her palms.
After a long while, perhaps having finally had enough of admiring the ever-changing expressions on the pretty face across from him, Lin Jiafan spoke in a rare gesture of agreement: "I think Coach Luo's analysis makes a lot of sense."
Luo Jingyao's eyes suddenly lit up, but before her joy at the praise could rise, her excitement was ruthlessly suppressed by his next words.
"Compared to half a month ago, Coach Luo has really improved a lot in his investigation skills. How's that? Are you interested in considering joining the police force as a future career plan?"
Staring at the glaring upward curve on Lin Jiafan's lips for a long time, Luo Jingyao couldn't help but complain in her heart: You are the one who wants to be a policeman, your whole family wants to be policemen!
If she hadn't been harassed by those crime scenes day and night, she would have been crazy to give up her good life and actively get involved in one muddy water after another.
Yes, she enjoyed the adrenaline rush, but she just wanted to challenge her body's limits.
It’s the physical limit, not the mental limit!
The rotting corpses, the dark red human blood, and the ugly faces of those people after revealing their sexual evil are all things that Luo Jingyao will never be able to adapt to.
She didn't know how to escape the torture of the 'anywhere door'. Thinking of this, her originally upright shoulders drooped slightly.
Lin Jiafan didn't care too much about not getting her answer. He just waved in the direction of the square, and soon a uniformed policeman came to the two of them.
He raised his chin slightly, motioning Luo Jingyao to follow him, and they asked along the way until they arrived at the door of Haixia Supermarket in the second group of Bo'an Village.
Even though it is late autumn, the temperature still rises occasionally. At this moment, under the sunshade in front of the supermarket, there are groups of villagers gathered together chatting.
However, after seeing the police uniforms clearly, the villagers subconsciously fell silent.
"Hello, is there a family surnamed Cui nearby?" Lin Jiafan quickly and accurately found the owner of the supermarket from the crowd, walked past a few curious villagers, and went straight to the other party.
The boss was a man who looked to be in his fifties, slightly plump, with most of his hair gray.
The boss swallowed his saliva, then raised his hand and pointed to the two-story building next to the road in front of him: "That's the Cui family."
Lin Jiafan didn't rush there, but walked to the freezer beside him, took out three ice creams and paid for them.
After giving two of them to Luo Jingyao and his colleague in police uniform, he opened the package of the remaining one, took a big bite of the rich chocolate-flavored cake, and said vaguely, "The solar terms this year are not normal. I don't remember the temperature being this high at this time last year."
Perhaps because he looked so mellow and didn't have any official airs, the supermarket owner smiled a little and continued, "Isn't it? This time last year I was already wearing a cotton coat."
Lin Jiafan finished the ice cream in his hand in two or three bites and chatted with the other party for a few more words.
Perhaps because he looked so refined and approachable, villagers gradually came over to him and asked curiously, "Comrade police officer, did someone in our village really die under the watchful eye of the Fire God?"
"The specific situation needs further verification." Lin Jiafan said ambiguously in a good attitude.
"What a sin! I have lived in Bo'an Village for more than 50 years, and this is the first time I have heard of a murder in the village. I don't know which wicked person would do such a thing." The supermarket owner sighed and cursed.
However, others had different opinions. At this time, an old man sitting in the corner, fanning himself, said word by word: "Maybe he died because of the sins he committed... The Fire God never kills good people."
Well, he is another staunch supporter of the 'God kills people theory'.
The surrounding villagers ignored the old man's words. The supermarket owner also gestured twice next to Lin Jiafan's head, indicating that he had mental problems.
Two seconds later, the supermarket owner began another round of questioning: "Officer, what are you doing at Mr. Cui's house? Is it about the murder case?"
"It's just a normal routine investigation. Didn't we not only go to his house but also come to your place?" Lin Jiafan chuckled, and with just a few simple words he dispelled the doubts of everyone present.
A few steps away, Luo Jingyao, who witnessed the whole process, expressed her amazement. After all, he was an experienced criminal policeman, and he was much better than a half-baked person like her.
Recalling her previous stiff way of answering questions, her earlobes blushed uncontrollably. It was only because those aunties were so gossipy, otherwise things wouldn't have been so smooth.
After realizing what he meant, the supermarket owner also smiled and said, "It's a pity that you didn't come in time. No one is at Old Cui's house today. I saw the couple drive out at dawn this morning, and they haven't come back yet."
"Really?" Lin Jiafan didn't show any disappointment on his face, and he still had that smiling look on his face: "Then we can talk about it later, it's not a big deal anyway."
As if confirming that the police really didn't attach any particular importance to the Cui family, the supermarket owner completely let down his guard and even joked, "To be honest, at first I thought you were here looking for the second son of the Cui family! I was even wondering if he had murdered someone."
"On second thought, it's not that serious. Cui Daren is a bit of a jerk, but he doesn't have the guts to kill anyone."
The youngest son of the Cui family? It unexpectedly coincided perfectly with what Luo Jingyao had said not long ago.
Lin Jiafan took a moment to glance at the woman not far away who had been as quiet as a chicken. When he turned back again, his tone was flat, more like a casual chat: "From what you said, the son of the Cui family is a bully in the village."
Hearing his description, the supermarket owner paused while tidying up the freezer, then pretended to be nonchalant and continued, "Of course not. Actually, they're just some trivial matters. I was just spoiled by my family..."
"After all, the child is still young and has grown up under our noses. Who can still bother with him about this?"
You're in your twenties, are you still young?
Luo Jingyao looked up at the sky speechlessly, but soon frowned.
For some reason, she always felt that the supermarket owner's attitude was a little strange.
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