Chapter 71 Equipment Department: Team Leader, I think it's him!
After enjoying the loving breakfast prepared by Xiao Wenjuan, Jiang Ling went to work bathed in the morning sunlight.
Pinganli Community is indeed convenient, but it is an old community and its infrastructure is aging.
The red brick walls are starting to weather in many places, and ground-floor residents have illegally built structures that encroach on public space. Although running water has been installed and each household has its own toilet, the aging drainage system and electrical wiring remain major problems.
Some residents have started using gas stoves, but others still prefer coal stoves, with honeycomb briquettes piled up in the stairwells, making the already narrow stairwells even more cramped.
Looking up in the neighborhood, you can see power lines stretching out like a spider web.
The road surface is severely damaged, full of potholes, and it will definitely become muddy and slippery after it rains.
However, none of this dampened the residents' enthusiasm for life. Some people spontaneously repaired walls and roads, some planted flowers and vegetables in the open space on the first floor, and some hung clothes to dry on ropes in the sycamore trees.
Jiang Ling lives in Unit 1, Building 6, West District, Apartment 302. When she walks out of the building, she sees the easternmost apartment on the first floor of the opposite building. They have set up a sunshade in the yard, with several tables under it, which looks like they are doing breakfast business.
As Jiang Ling passed the breakfast shop across the street, she paid extra attention to it.
The soy milk my mother bought for me this morning was indeed delicious. It had a strong soy flavor, a moderate sweetness, and was both thick and smooth, with a great texture.
The breakfast shop didn't have a sign. A middle-aged woman in her forties was busy at the stall, wearing a red apron. She had a bright smile and worked quickly, frying dough sticks while greeting customers.
An elderly man with a full head of white hair walked over shakily. As soon as she saw him, she smiled and said, "Teacher Liu, the usual, a bowl of soy milk and two fried dough sticks? Please have a seat, I'll bring them over right away."
A woman in her thirties, standing in front of the fryer waiting for her fried dough sticks, pouted and said, "Hurry up, I still need to take Xiaoyong to school."
The stall owner's face was red from the fumes rising from the hot oil, but she still smiled and said, "Okay, Meijuan, don't worry, it'll be ready soon."
Standing in front of the woman named "Meijuan" was a man wearing glasses. He stepped aside and said, "Aunt Liu, I'm not in a hurry. Give her the fried dough stick first."
The stall owner thanked everyone and explained, "Everyone's busy this morning, so please be understanding. Thank you. The soy milk container is right there; just pour as much as you want."
The breakfast stall caters to the neighborhood, mostly regular customers. You can get your own soy milk and change yourself. If you don't have any money, you can pay next time. It's all about mutual trust.
Jiang Ling glanced at it and then hurriedly left.
She was taken care of last night and didn't have to work overtime, but Lei Xiao and his team have been working non-stop. I don't know if the screening results are out yet, or if they've found the suspect.
Although Geng Lihua was suspicious, Jiang Ling did not intend to say anything more and let the evidence decide.
She has a criminal record as a supplementary tool, but the Yan City police are unaware of it.
At this time, Geng Simin was only 12 years old and had not yet become the chief physician of the Department of Neurology. She was not harmed by Zhang Qiang, the family member of the doctor who caused the disturbance. At this time, Geng Lihua was still working in the Equipment Department of Yanshi Medical College and did not slash at Zhang Qiang with a knife.
Was it Geng Lihua who did it?
Jiang Ling believed he would definitely be on the suspect list, and that a thorough investigation would be conducted later.
If it really wasn't him, then what he said in his sleep in prison back then was truly just sleep talking. Sometimes, when people are psychologically vulnerable, they fantasize about being a vicious murderer to satisfy their base, inhuman, and dark desires.
If it really is him.
That proves that combining criminal psychological profiling technology with criminal investigation profiling technology is a feasible and credible new approach to criminal investigation.
We can strengthen our cooperation with Luo Yunchen in the future.
Pinganli Community is right across from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Stepping out of the community gate and crossing the road, you'll reach your workplace in just five minutes. It's quite a pleasant feeling.
Short commute, stable but not high salary, and most importantly, a great sense of accomplishment—at this moment, Jiang Ling was very satisfied with her current situation.
As soon as I entered the office, the phone rang.
Jiang Ling answered the call.
Lei Xiao's excited voice came from the other end of the phone: "Come quick! The list of criminal suspects has been released."
Jiang Ling remained calm: "How many?"
Lei Xiao chuckled: "11! After cross-screening, only 11 remain."
Jiang Ling asked again, "Is Geng Lihua among them?"
Lei Xiao asked mysteriously, "Guess?"
Jiang Ling had already guessed the result from his tone: "Yes."
Jiang Ling called Li Zhenliang to go to the task force command center, the third conference room.
The office was packed with people, and the room was filled with a strong smell of smoke that couldn't be dispelled even with the windows and ceiling fan open.
Jiang Ling frowned.
The workplace is great in every way, except that smoking is not prohibited in the office.
Jiang Ling thought to herself, "When I have a voice, I must vigorously promote a ban on smoking in public places. Secondhand smoke is harmful to health."
As soon as Lei Xiao saw Jiang Ling, he waved excitedly: "Come on, come on! We stayed up all night yesterday and got the suspect list out ahead of schedule!"
Let's go back to last night, at 3 a.m.
Jiang Ling was the only one who was specially allowed by Lei Xiao to go home and sleep.
The rest of the people gathered at the task force command center.
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, but inside the conference room, the lights were on and the air was thick with smoke.
The air was thick with the smells of smoke, sweat, and paper ink, along with an almost burning sense of urgency. Dozens of detectives had gathered here, operating like a sophisticated war machine at its limit.
The meeting room was divided by invisible boundaries.
On one side was the "mass screening team" led by Fan Wei. The table was piled high with household registration books, unit rosters, and interview records and videos. The team members all had bloodshot eyes and hoarse voices, still frantically comparing and contrasting the records on the phone, the lists, and the maps.
The whiteboard in front of them was covered with slips of paper bearing names, with the top one labeled "Key List: 400 people".
On the other side is the "Observation and Portrait Team" led by Lei Xiao, where the atmosphere is more concise and sharp.
On the wall was Luo Yunchen's painting, "A Back View of a Dark Blue Worker in a Rainy Night," next to which was a clear chart compiled by Su Xinwan, as well as photos of 15 suspects taken secretly, with their respective records of unusual behavior noted below, including the location, time, frequency, and suspicious actions.
Lei Xiao crossed his arms, his brows furrowed, and his gaze swept across the entire room like that of a hawk.
"Attention, everyone!" Lei Xiao's voice pierced through the noise, carrying an undeniable authority. "Merge the lists and cross-screen them. One group will provide basic information and location verification, while the observation group will provide profile features and behavioral clues. Our goal is to filter the 400-person list down to single digits using the finest sieve!"
Screening criteria have been upgraded.
In addition to the existing three criteria—dark blue overalls, bicycle, and unknown whereabouts at the time of the incident—key details identified by the observation team were added:
Height: around 170cm.
Body type: Slim.
Physical characteristics: Strong arms
Bicycle features: 28-inch wheels, with a dark-colored sponge seat cushion for carrying passengers.
Once the order was given, the conference room instantly transformed into a vortex of information overload.
A group continued to advance under Fan Wei's instructions.
"Height range of 167-173cm, shortlist numbers 1-200!"
"Based on the description of body type as thin or moderately thin, combined with the impressions from the interviews, we screened out fat people and burly men!"
"Check your bicycle records for bikes with foam seat cushions on the back! Pay special attention to those with notes like 'with seat cushion' or 'for children's use'!"
The phone rang incessantly: "Hello, is this the East District Police Station? Please verify Zhao Yong's whereabouts on the night of the incident. He said he was sleeping at home. Did Grandpa Wang next door hear him leaving that night?"
The pen moved swiftly across the list, crossing out names one by one, and tearing off slips of paper with markings such as "height does not match," "body type does not match," "bicycle without seat," and "witnesses available."
Li Zhenliang and Luo Yunchen, holding the photos and information of the 15 suspects, inserted them precisely into Fan Wei's group's database, as if using probes.
“Geng Lihua, maintenance worker in the equipment department of the medical school, 172 cm tall, slender build…matches!” Su Xinwan quickly marked him out of the list of 400 people.
“His bicycle!” Li Zhenliang pointed to a blurry but clearly visible photo taken secretly outside the clinic—it was an old 28-inch bicycle with a worn-out black foam seat strapped to the back!
"That's him! The observation records show that he appeared across from the clinic for three consecutive days after the nurses finished their shifts, his eyes fixed on the nurses in uniform, lingering for an unusually long time with a cold expression!"
Lei Xiao picked up Geng Lihua's file: "Equipment maintenance worker, his work clothes are dark blue. He's in contact with machinery all year round, so his arm strength is definitely not a problem. The record for the night of the incident is that he was resting at home, and his daughter was sleeping in the next room. There's no one to corroborate this."
Luo Yunchen juxtaposed Geng Lihua's expressionless, slightly wooden registration photo with the picture of his back to the camera on the wall, taken on a rainy night. Although the face was not visible, the silhouette, the thin shoulder line, and even the sense of oppression emanating from the photo created a strong intuitive connection.
The other 14 suspects in the observation group were also cross-checked against the list one by one, and those who met the criteria were quickly marked.
Time flew by amidst the intense collaboration. The darkness outside the window began to tinge with gray.
On the large whiteboard in the center of the conference room, the original 400 names had all disappeared. In their place was a final list of 11 suspects, solemnly written in red ink.
Among these 11 names, one name was highlighted in red with a prominent asterisk next to it, and marked with the words: "Highly consistent with the portrait and all behavioral and physical evidence characteristics."
This name is Geng Lihua, a worker in the Equipment Department of Nanjiang Medical College.
Fan Wei rubbed his bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse but with a hint of relief: "Okay, we finally managed to pick out these 11 tough nuts from 400!"
Lei Xiao couldn't wait to call the portrait team, and Jiang Ling, who had arrived at the office early, was summoned over.
Lei Xiao walked to the whiteboard, his finger heavily pointing at the name marked with a red circle and an asterisk, his tired eyes flashing with extreme excitement.
"Jiang Ling, we've found him! We've screened out 11 people in total, and Geng Lihua is one of them! Look, he's wearing dark blue overalls, an old-fashioned bicycle with a foam seat, 172cm tall and thin, with strong arms, and he claimed to be sleeping at the time of the crime, but no one can corroborate that. More importantly, the observation team filmed him passing by the crime scene for three consecutive days, and he would stare at the backs of the medical school girls with a sinister look in his eyes."
Jiang Ling stood behind Lei Xiao, staring at the three characters "Geng Lihua". The criminal records about him in her past life slowly overlapped with the image of the seemingly ordinary repairman in front of her.
A cold, rainy night, a watch stopped at midnight, Ke Xiaoyu's pale, lifeless face... all the clues, all the efforts, finally converged on this point.
Jiang Ling took a deep breath. The cool morning air carried the hope of dawn, but also the solemnity before the decisive battle.
"All groups, prepare!"
Lei Xiao's voice was resolute, carrying the sharpness of dawn.
"At daybreak, conduct a comprehensive, thorough background investigation, covert surveillance, and direct contact with Geng Lihua and the other 11 key suspects. Especially Geng Lihua, I need to know everything that happened to him in the past, particularly those related to the medical malpractice. Also, keep a close watch on his residence, toolbox, bicycle... the chain of evidence must be sealed before he destroys everything!"
Inside the meeting room, the dozens of criminal police officers who had worked through the night felt their fatigue vanish, replaced by excitement and focus as they identified a suspect.
The water glass was refilled, the notebook was turned to a new page, and the telephone receiver was picked up again.
The target has been identified—the murderer hidden beneath dark blue overalls and a raincoat; his true face will be completely exposed at dawn.
Upon receiving the news, Qin Tieshan washed his face and immediately took charge of the command center, temporarily forming 11 investigation teams to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the 11 key suspects.
Luo Yunchen, Jiang Ling, and Li Zhenliang formed a team to investigate Geng Lihua.
The three of them went together to the Equipment Department of Yan City Medical College.
To avoid alerting the suspect, the three devised a questioning strategy. Considering that Geng Lihua frequently appeared at crime scenes and had been questioned by the investigation team, he might be familiar with the police officers' faces, so only members of the observation team were sent out.
Today, Luo Yunchen plays a technical expert from the province who has come to investigate the safety of medical equipment. He changed into casual clothes, a light blue short-sleeved shirt paired with black suit pants, and his leather shoes were polished to a shine. He was originally from Beijing, and his demeanor was dashing; he looked like a young cadre who had gotten a minor leadership position through his parents' connections—a perfect fit for the role.
Jiang Ling borrowed a white lab coat from the technical team and wore it over her clothes. With her delicate features, calm eyes, and keen observation, she took on the role of "technical expert assistant" without any pressure.
Li Zhenliang, dressed in faded work clothes, dutifully performed his duties as an ordinary safety inspector. He held a notebook in his hand, acting with composure and a touch of routine rigidity.
The three traveled together, with Luo Yunchen driving.
As soon as he got into the car and sat down, Li Zhenliang patted his stomach hard, his tone filled with regret: "I should have a beer belly from eating and drinking too much to be worthy of this safety inspector's job."
Luo Yunchen and Jiang Ling exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile.
After laughing for a while, Jiang Ling turned to Li Zhenliang and said, "Just keep quiet and take good notes."
Li Zhenliang raised his head and puffed out his chest: "Yes!"
Luo Yunchen glanced at Jiang Ling in the rearview mirror and found her cold-faced way of instructing her subordinates rather endearing. She had a pretty, girl-next-door face, but a mouth as cold as ice. Only when it came to matters related to the case would she launch into a long, rambling monologue; otherwise, she would simply respond with "uh-huh" and "uh-huh."
Jiang Ling noticed Luo Yunchen's gaze and said coldly, "Drive."
As Luo Yunchen started the car, he laughed and cursed, "Now I'm your boss, how dare you order your superior around? You're asking for it."
Li Zhenliang said weakly from the side, "Um, Leader Luo, you're going in the wrong direction..."
Luo Yunchen then realized that he had just turned in the wrong direction, and his face turned red. He coughed and said, "Don't make noise, you're affecting my driving."
They soon arrived at Yan City Medical College.
Jiang Ling met Geng Lihua in the office of the head of the equipment department.
He was wearing a faded dark blue work uniform, with a few fresh oil stains on the cuffs and front. He was thirty-eight years old, of medium to thin build, but his bare forearms were muscular, showing the strength of years of hard work.
As soon as he entered the office, Geng Lihua took off his white cotton gloves, which were stained with oil. His face was ordinary, even somewhat wooden, with downcast eyes and a quietness typical of a skilled worker.
Old Zhang, the head of the equipment department, had already been notified in advance. He introduced Jiang Ling and the other two to Geng Lihua: "Lihua, these comrades are experts and inspectors from the province. They have come here specifically to investigate equipment safety. They want to ask you for your cooperation!"
Old Zhang's tone was casual and businesslike, and Geng Lihua didn't notice anything unusual. Having worked in the equipment department for so many years, he was used to people coming down to investigate and inspect from time to time.
Geng Lihua's gaze swept quickly over the three men, lingering for a moment on Luo Yunchen, then passing over Jiang Ling's face, before finally landing on Li Zhenliang, who seemed the most honest and silent. He gave a slight bow, his voice low and hoarse, devoid of emotion: "Greetings, leaders."
Luo Yunchen sat in the main seat of the sofa, a formulaic smile on his face. His tone was calm, with the typical research tone of a superior: "Master Geng, right? Please sit down. We apologize for disturbing your work. We're here mainly to respond to the province's instructions on strengthening the safety management of medical equipment at the grassroots level. We're conducting some basic research, understanding the basic situation, and making some notes. It'll be quick."
Li Zhenliang immediately opened his notebook, took out a pen, and looked like he was about to fill out a form: "Yes, Master Geng, it's just a formality to understand the daily work situation. Just tell the truth."
Jiang Ling sat quietly to the side, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Geng Lihua's attire. Her main attention was focused on the subtle movements of Geng Lihua's face, hands, and torso, as well as the fluctuations in his voice.
Luo Yunchen asked, "Master Geng, how many years have you worked in the equipment department?"
Geng Lihua sat down as instructed, his voice steady: "Sixteen years."
His gaze was calm, and his fingers did not make any unconscious, habitual movements, which indicated that he was not suspicious.
Luo Yunchen: "Which areas are you mainly responsible for equipment maintenance? For example, how much contact do you have with precision equipment such as operating rooms and ward monitors in the outpatient building?" The affiliated hospital is right next to Yanshi Medical College, with an outpatient building and an inpatient department, and all kinds of medical equipment are readily available.
Geng Lihua: "It's mainly the equipment in the teaching laboratories, as well as basic equipment such as the boiler room and water and electricity. We rarely go to the operating room, as there are dedicated personnel responsible for that area."
Jiang Ling noticed that Geng Lihua slowed down his speech slightly, and when he mentioned "operating room," his right thumb and forefinger began to rub together unconsciously—this meant that the words "operating room" had touched his heart and made him somewhat uneasy.
Luo Yunchen was relaxed and turned to look out the window: "Our workplace isn't close to either the teaching area or the residential area. How do you get to and from get off work, Master Geng? Do you live in the school dormitory?"
Geng Lihua: "I live in the faculty dormitory at the east end and ride a bicycle."
Luo Yunchen's tone remained unchanged: "Oh, bicycles are convenient. There are a lot of bike thefts these days, so make sure you locked it up."
Geng Lihua: "Yes, it's locked. I usually park it in the bike shed, which is relatively safe."
Jiang Ling pondered intently.
When I came to the equipment department, I did pass a bicycle shed with a lot of bicycles parked there. I need to ask someone to point it out later and see where Geng Lihua's bicycle was parked.
Four days have passed since the incident. It is unknown whether Geng Lihua cleaned the bicycle or whether the victim's blood can still be extracted from it.
Li Zhenliang flipped through his notebook, deliberately making some noise: "By the way, last week, um, the night of the 15th, the day it rained quite heavily, did our department receive any emergency repair calls? Or were you personally called out to handle any malfunctions?"
Geng Lihua's right thumb and forefinger had been unconsciously twirling, but upon hearing the question, his movements visibly paused. He remained silent for two or three seconds before answering in a low voice, "No. It was raining too hard that day, so I stayed home with my daughter while she did her homework, and then I went to sleep. I didn't go out."
Luo Yunchen pressed on, his tone remaining calm: "Did any colleagues visit your home that night, or did you hear any noise?"
Geng Lihua's eyes flickered slightly: "My wife passed away early, and it was just my daughter and me at home. I went to bed early that night and didn't notice anything."
After saying this, his Adam's apple bobbed.
Jiang Ling had been observing Geng Lihua's reaction and keenly sensed something was amiss. Geng Lihua appeared calm, but his reaction was actually quite intense. First, he paused for too long when answering questions; second, his fingers twitched rapidly, a self-concealing action when nervous; third, his Adam's apple bobbed, his swallowing was tense, and his voice was hoarse; fourth, he avoided meeting Luo Yunchen's gaze, keeping his eyes fixed on the corner of the sofa.
This is by no means a natural reaction when asked about ordinary work-related issues.
Realizing that his problem had alerted Geng Lihua, Luo Yunchen began to change the subject in order to reduce the pressure.
"Master Geng has been at the medical school for so many years, you must have experienced quite a few equipment malfunctions and safety accidents, right? Are there any that stand out in your memory? For example, were there any serious consequences caused by equipment problems or operational coordination issues?"
Geng Lihua's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He remained silent for a longer period, a good four or five seconds, before saying in an almost whispered voice, "Well, it was all handled according to procedure, nothing special."
He suddenly lowered his head, his right fist clenched, as if trying to hold onto something tightly.
Jiang Ling narrowed her eyes slightly.
Geng Lihua's reaction was unusual; it was a sign of intense emotional repression. A skilled worker would never react this way when recalling a routine work mistake.
Jiang Ling bowed slightly.
Li Zhenliang closed his notebook at the opportune moment: "Alright, Master Geng, that's the basic information. Thank you for your cooperation!"
His tone was relaxed, as if he had simply completed a boring interview record.
Luo Yunchen nodded as well: "Master Geng, thank you for your hard work."
Jiang Ling remained silent throughout, playing the role of a quiet assistant, but her gaze lingered for a moment on Geng Lihua's hands, which were well-defined, slightly oily, yet remarkably steady.
These hands have the power to strangle a person.
Geng Lihua stood up and said blankly, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll go back to work."
Watching Geng Lihua's departing figure, Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen exchanged a glance.
The three of them walked out of the office accompanied by Section Chief Zhang of the Equipment Department.
As they passed the bicycle shed, Jiang Ling asked, "Section Chief Zhang, which bicycle belongs to Master Geng?"
Section Chief Zhang pointed to the corner: "Look, that's the one. It's been a long time since we bought it. Master Geng cherishes it and keeps it in very good condition."
Jiang Ling looked in the direction he was pointing and saw an old but fairly clean old bicycle with a sponge seat cushion tied to the back, covered with a layer of floral cotton fabric.
Section Chief Zhang said with a smile, "If you ask what Master Geng cherishes most, it's his daughter. In order to pick her up and drop her off at school, Master Geng sewed this seat cushion for her himself. It's very beautiful, and many parents have seen it and tried to make one themselves."
Jiang Ling asked, "What did Master Geng mean when he said his wife passed away early?"
Section Chief Zhang sighed: "Master Geng has also had a hard life. His daughter was only three years old when his wife passed away from illness. Many people tried to introduce him to potential partners, but he refused to remarry, saying he didn't want his daughter to have a stepmother or suffer. Over the years, he and his daughter have depended on each other for survival. He is a good father."
Jiang Ling continued, "What illness did Master Geng's wife die from?"
Section Chief Zhang had worked with Geng Lihua for many years and knew him well. When the police questioned him, he didn't hide anything and whispered, "I heard that he had surgery, but he got an infection after the surgery and couldn't be saved. That's how he died."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhenliang became excited: "Then, wouldn't that be a medical malpractice case?"
Section Chief Zhang shook his head: "The surgery was performed at our affiliated hospital, and he was later transferred to the First Hospital, but they still couldn't save him. Because it's an internal hospital, the leaders intervened and covered it up, giving him a sum of money in compensation. Sigh! We can't really say anything, we can only say... he was just unlucky."
Luo Yunchen's eyes lit up: "Was the postoperative infection caused by improper operation by medical staff?"
Section Chief Zhang: "I don't know either. Anyway, the hospital will definitely not admit that it's their problem, so we can only accept our bad luck."
As the car drove out of Yan City Medical College, Li Zhenliang lowered his voice, seemingly worried about being overheard: "Team leader, I think it's him!"
Luo Yunchen chimed in, "I also think it's him. Look, there were no witnesses at the time of the incident, he had a bicycle, a cushion on the back seat, and his height and weight all match. More importantly, he had a motive! His wife died from a post-operative infection, which was clearly caused by improper handling by medical staff. That's why he hates doctors and nurses, isn't it?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Geng Lihua is a prime suspect. Go back and report immediately."
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