The four of them drove away from the Xicheng District Police Station. Though they were delayed a bit by stopping to buy some supplies, they still arrived at the intersection of Qianjin Street and Pingcheng Road just before 4 a.m.
By the time Xu Nian and the others got out of the car, several auxiliary officers transferred from the Pingjiang District Station had already arrived and were standing by the roadside, scanning the surroundings and observing the road conditions.
When they saw Xu Nian, the officers immediately approached, greeting him warmly, "Captain Xu, Brother Jiang."
Xu Nian nodded in acknowledgment, while Jiang Yingyao responded with a cheerful laugh.
Qi Bai hurried over carrying several bags, swiftly distributing them to everyone. "Come on, come on, let's eat something first. A full stomach will make the work easier later."
Qi Bai handed out burgers while Wang Yu passed around bottled water. Soon, everyone was eating and discussing the case between bites.
Qi Bai wolfed down his food and asked indistinctly, "Captain Xu, how should we proceed? Should we split up?"
Xu Nian ate quickly as well, though far more neatly than Qi Bai. He glanced in the direction of Binhu Road and said, "First, we'll walk Pingcheng Road a few times to determine how long it takes someone of Lu Manqing’s height to traverse the entire stretch. Then, we’ll split into pairs and comb through all the side streets connected to Pingcheng Road, as well as the nearby buildings, to see if there are any places convenient for hiding or disposing of the murder weapon."
Wang Yu suddenly spoke up, "Captain Xu, I’ve checked—the distance between the intersection of Pingcheng Road and Qianjin Street and the intersection of Pingcheng Road and Binhu Road is 1,869 meters. Lu Manqing is 1.77 meters tall, and among our eight team members, only Xu Zi'an roughly matches that height."
As soon as Wang Yu finished speaking, all eyes turned to Xu Zi'an, who was twisting the cap off a water bottle.
Xu Zi'an tensed under their gazes and instinctively straightened his posture.
Xu Nian looked at him and asked, "How tall are you?"
"1.79 meters," Xu Zi'an replied.
Xu Nian nodded. "Two centimeters off, but it can’t be helped—the rest of us are way off. Alright, Qi Bai."
He called Qi Bai over. "You and Xu Zi'an will stay here. Wait for my call, and don’t hang up. Then, follow Xu Zi'an as he walks the route—he’ll go first, you’ll trail behind, both at a normal pace. We’ll time how long it takes."
Qi Bai agreed, and the group quickly finished their meals, disposing of the trash before Xu Nian said, "Let’s get started. We need to move fast."
Leaving Qi Bai and Xu Zi'an behind, Xu Nian led the rest of the team down Pingcheng Road toward Binhu Road.
Before arriving, everyone except the new auxiliary officers had repeatedly reviewed the surveillance footage featuring Lu Manqing. In the video, Lu Manqing appeared completely relaxed, showing no signs of tension one might expect from someone fleeing a murder scene. So, as Xu Nian led the group forward, he also maintained a casual pace, observing the buildings along Pingcheng Road as they walked.
Pingcheng Road wasn’t a main thoroughfare—just four lanes in total. Apart from a small, three-story shopping plaza with a modest footprint, the area mostly consisted of small restaurants, pharmacies, and numerous residential complexes. However, these were clearly older neighborhoods, their exteriors faded and peeling in places.
They reached Binhu Road without incident. Xu Nian immediately checked his watch—sixteen minutes in total.
After confirming their time, Xu Nian called Qi Bai. "Start walking now."
The group waited in silence, the only sound being the faint footsteps transmitted through the still-connected phone call.
Soon, Xu Zi'an and Qi Bai appeared in the distance, walking one after the other. Once they rejoined the group, Xu Nian confirmed, "Eighteen minutes. Run back and do it again."
Qi Bai and Xu Zi'an complied, jogging back to the starting point. After catching their breath, they repeated the walk.
After repeating this process four or five times, Xu Nian finally called a halt. "Eighteen minutes seems about right. Lu Manqing appeared at the intersection of Qianjin Street and Pingcheng Road at 2:05 a.m. and then at the intersection of Pingcheng Road and Binhu Road at 2:43 a.m. The normal walking time for this stretch is around eighteen minutes, but he took thirty-eight. That means he spent twenty minutes dealing with the backpack he was carrying."
"Twenty minutes?" Jiang Yingyao frowned. "That’s more than enough time to hide something a kilometer away and back. And if he had stashed it somewhere else, he wouldn’t have needed to return to Pingcheng Road at all."
"Maybe Zhang Weiyan only told Lu Manqing about the area within a kilometer of the crime scene," Qi Bai speculated. "He might not have known about Pingcheng Road, so Lu Manqing didn’t dare wander into unfamiliar side streets or residential areas."
"Or maybe he wasn’t hiding it—maybe he burned it?" Wang Yu, who had been studying something on his phone, suddenly spoke up. "Captain Xu, I checked with the Xicheng District Station’s administrative staff. There’s an abandoned construction site near Pingcheng Road—originally slated for high-rise redevelopment after a 2017 demolition, but the construction company went bankrupt, leaving it half-finished. The staff mentioned that since then, the place has been a hotspot for trouble. The local precinct has arrested robbers there, busted drug users, and even dealt with homeless people squatting inside. There was also an attempted sexual assault case."
Xu Nian’s brow furrowed. "I’ll make a call."
While the others continued discussing, Xu Nian stepped aside and dialed Zhuang Yinghua.
Zhuang Yinghua answered briskly, "Xu Nian, what’s up?"
"Chief Zhuang, we’ve found a lead," Xu Nian said. "We suspect the suspect disposed of the murder weapon somewhere along Pingcheng Road. I wanted to ask about the investigative work done in the area back then, especially regarding that abandoned construction site."
Zhuang Yinghua had personally led the investigation into the January 29, 2021 case and still remembered every detail. Without hesitation, he replied, "I personally led the search of that abandoned site. On the night of the crime, three homeless men were staying there. We questioned them repeatedly, and they claimed they’d been asleep the whole time, seeing nothing. We also conducted thorough door-to-door inquiries in nearby residential areas, but since the crime happened late at night, most residents were asleep except for a few night-shift workers. We didn’t find anything. Additionally, we worked with the local precinct to investigate known troublemakers who frequented the site, but again, nothing turned up."
Xu Nian noted everything down. "Understood. Thanks, Chief Zhuang."
Hanging up, he rejoined the group. Qi Bai immediately asked, "So, Captain Xu, what’s the deal with that abandoned site?"
Xu Nian shook his head and said, "In 2021, Chief Zhuang personally led a thorough search of the area. They practically turned the place upside down, even canvassing nearby residential neighborhoods, but found nothing."
The team's briefly uplifted spirits sank again. Wang Yu asked, "Captain Xu, should we still go check it out?"
Xu Nian thought for a moment before replying, "Aside from those abandoned buildings, there aren’t any more likely places to dispose of a murder weapon. Let’s take a look."
Wang Yu immediately pulled out his phone. "I’ll contact the local precinct. They know the area better."
The team didn’t wait for the precinct officers to arrive. After Wang Yu confirmed the route, they headed to the site first.
The abandoned construction site was far larger than Xu Nian had imagined. He’d assumed it was just a few buildings, but upon arrival, he was taken aback by the sprawling, desolate expanse. Isolated from the nearest residential area and devoid of streetlights, the place relied entirely on natural light—making it an ideal hideout for criminals.
Qi Bai was equally surprised. "Damn, this place is huge. And it’s been abandoned for years? Shouldn’t the Xicheng District government be concerned? Even if it’s a bit remote, this land would be worth a fortune if developed."
Wang Yu explained, "That’s exactly why it’s hard to find investors. Smaller companies lack the resources, and big developers would rather focus on more lucrative locations."
Qi Bai nodded in belated realization. "Makes sense. No wonder the suspect chose this place to dump the weapon. It’s practically a natural crime scene."
The team didn’t venture in blindly. They waited at the entrance for about ten minutes until two figures approached, flashlights in hand.
As they drew closer, the group saw they were uniformed officers—one middle-aged, likely in his forties, and the other a fresh-faced rookie, still energetic despite the late hour, clearly new to the job.
After exchanging greetings, the older officer said, "This place has been trouble since the demolition started in 2017. Back then, it was clashes between holdouts and construction crews. After the project stalled, things got worse. We patrol here daily—once during the day, twice at night. We’ve tried installing surveillance cameras and even fencing it off, but everything gets vandalized. Eventually, we had to rely on foot patrols."
Leading the way inside, the veteran officer continued, "I was on patrol with a trainee the night of the January 29th case in 2021. I still remember the timing—first round around 10:30 PM, second around 3 AM."
Both patrols had missed the crime window. Xu Nian asked, "Are there any surveillance cameras covering exits from this area?"
The older officer shook his head. "There were, but they were all down that night. Actually, new cameras were installed in mid-January 2021, but they were wrecked within days. This area’s a mess—petty thieves, relapsed addicts, would-be muggers, even homeless folks who slip back after being sent to shelters. Tracking down the vandals is impossible."
The team exchanged exasperated glances. While the culprits had acted out of self-interest, their destruction of the cameras had inadvertently helped the January 29th killer evade detection. With functional surveillance, the case might’ve been solved back then.
Given the site’s vastness and their unfamiliarity, the group stuck together, following the officers while observing and learning about the area.
Xu Nian asked, "Are there many homeless people living here? Any long-term residents?"
The older officer replied, "There used to be more—over twenty at one point. But the numbers dwindled. By 2021, there were three. Now, only two remain—the others just pass through."
"Only two?" Qi Bai blurted. "What happened to the third? Did they find somewhere better or reunite with family?"
The officer answered calmly, "He died. Hit by a car. Most of the homeless here survive by staging accidents for payouts. That one misjudged his timing and got run over."
The team shared uneasy looks, surprised by the grim reason for the man’s absence.
After a pause, Xu Nian asked, "So the remaining two make a living by scavenging?"
The officer nodded. "Right. They’re the quiet type—like clockwork, they collect cardboard and bottles from nearby neighborhoods during the day, then return here at night. Some kind souls give them old clothes and shoes. Tough life, but they manage."
Wang Yu frowned. "What about their families? And why leave shelters to come back here? Wouldn’t state care be better?"
The older officer sighed. "Most of the earlier homeless were men who abandoned their families when younger, then expected support in old age. When no one would take them in, they turned to scams. These two are different—just unlucky. No relatives, no home, no money. We’ve sent them to shelters, but they couldn’t adjust. Claim they don’t want to burden the government, so they stay."
Wang Yu sighed too, dropping the subject.
As the group talked, they reached a four-story unfinished building. The older officer shone his flashlight and said, "This is where the two stay. They used to live separately, but as others left, they got spooked and moved in together."
Before anyone could enter, shuffling footsteps approached. A frail figure appeared at a glassless second-floor window—a gray-haired old man peering out. Recognizing the lead officer, he called warmly, "Officer Zhao, back on patrol? Must be tiring work! Quiet night—just us two here. Haven’t heard a peep from the whole place."
After exchanging greetings, the elderly man noticed the group of people following the senior police officer and hesitantly asked, "And these people are... here to investigate that case again?"
Just from that sentence, it was clear that even though five years had passed since Case 129, turning it into a cold case, the Xicheng District police had never given up on it, still occasionally coming by to gather information.
The senior officer tilted his head slightly and replied, "That’s right. The case was never solved, so we have to keep digging. It’s been five years—have you remembered anything new lately?"
The old man said, "That night, we were asleep the whole time. We really didn’t see or hear anything. But..."
He paused, and the officers tensed, instinctively pressing, "But what?"
The old man continued, "But we did run into Lao Tian recently—the one who used to live around here five years ago before he struck it rich and moved away. We all thought he left at the end of January 2021, but when we bumped into him the other day and chatted, he mentioned he actually moved in early February, right before the New Year."
The senior officer immediately caught the significance of this, his expression turning serious. "You’re sure he moved in early February 2021?"
The old man nodded firmly. "That’s what he told us. He said he’d already settled on a price with the guy who hit him, but later regretted not asking for more. He haggled for a few extra days, so he didn’t move until early February."
Xu Nian’s expression also darkened as he realized this sudden reappearance of Tian Kangyun might be a crucial lead.
The senior officer understood as well and, without waiting for Xu Nian to ask, lowered his voice and said, "This Lao Tian’s full name is Tian Kangyun, male, born in 1956—68 years old now. Back then, he abandoned his wife and child, ended up homeless, and made a living as a scammer. After he moved from here, we kept tabs on him. He’s living near Ziyanghu Road now, outside our jurisdiction."
Since it was a different precinct, it made sense that there’d been a discrepancy in the timeline they had on record.
Xu Nian nodded in acknowledgment and glanced at Wang Yu.
Wang Yu reacted swiftly, pulling out his phone. "I’ll contact the Ziyanghu precinct station right now."
