Qi Bai accompanied Wang Yu in coordinating with the Ziyanghu Road precinct police station, while Xu Nian and the others went up the four-story unfinished building to take the elderly man’s statement.
Walking up the exposed, railing-less stairs to the second floor, Xu Nian was surprised to find that the derelict building the old man called home had been transformed into a surprisingly cozy space. The nearly collapsing bed, the tattered sofa, and the table with uneven legs had all been patched up as best as possible. Clean, scavenged bedsheets covered the furniture, and a chipped vase held slightly wilted wildflowers, their origin unknown. A half-burned candle beside the vase cast the only light in the room.
The old man was clearly accustomed to police visits and showed no hesitation, warmly offering mismatched stools. "You’ve had a long night investigating. Please, have a seat."
"No need for formalities," the senior officer waved him off and cut straight to the point. "You mentioned running into Old Tian recently. When exactly was that?"
The old man thought carefully. "Let me see… three days ago, June 2nd. Yes, that’s right—the day after Children’s Day. Old Wang and I were out collecting cardboard and plastic bottles when someone called out to us. At first, we didn’t recognize him. Old Tian looks completely different now—dressed sharp, even wearing a watch. He had to tell us who he was before we believed it."
"If he moved away, why come back?" Xu Nian asked. "His new place isn’t exactly nearby."
"I asked the same thing," the old man replied. "He said he’d found a sweetheart around here. She’d steamed buns for him that day. Turns out he visits often, just hadn’t crossed paths with us."
The senior officer pressed a few more questions until the old man had nothing left to share, and the group finally left the unfinished building.
Downstairs, Wang Yu and Qi Bai hurried over. "Captain Xu, we’ve confirmed it. Tian Kangyun currently rents Unit 101, Building 15 in Lvshui Community on Ziyanghu Road. The lease was signed on February 2, 2021—same day he moved in. The precinct verified he’s home tonight."
The news lifted everyone’s spirits.
The senior officer beamed. "Three years… This cold case has weighed on our precinct all this time. Finally, we might get somewhere."
Unsolved homicides burden every officer the same way. Though Xu Nian didn’t say it aloud, he understood perfectly, giving the older cop a firm pat on the shoulder.
"We’ll head out now," Xu Nian began, but the officer cut him off with a wave. "No need for formalities among comrades. Go do your job."
After bidding farewell, Xu Nian’s team sprinted to their nearby car and sped toward Ziyanghu Road.
Qi Bai drove fast, unable to contain his thoughts. "This case is something else. Stalled for five years, then suddenly clues pop up one after another. When Captain Xu mentioned Zhuang Da personally leading the initial investigation, I thought we’d hit another dead end—only for a potential eyewitness to appear out of nowhere."
"Almost too convenient," Wang Yu mused. "Looking back, it feels surreal, like something out of a TV drama."
Jiang Yingyao chuckled. "The clues were always there—just a matter of timing. Still, what luck we stumbled onto them."
After a brief, upbeat exchange, Qi Bai suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of which, I’m still curious about that ‘concerned citizen’ Captain Xu mentioned earlier. Are they multiplying these days? First Guan Xia, now another one."
He shot a glance at Xu Nian, curiosity burning.
Eyes fixed ahead, Xu Nian replied flatly, "Ask Zhuang Da if you’re so curious. It’s her precinct’s case."
Denied an answer, Qi Bai pouted for two seconds before resigning—clearly too intimidated to approach Zhuang Da.
Jiang Yingyao, however, seemed to piece it together, smiling knowingly at Qi Bai before turning his amused gaze back to the road.
Ziyanghu Road was far from Pingcheng Road—a twenty-minute drive that brought them to the edge of Xicheng District, nearly crossing into Tongchang.
As they stepped out of the car, precinct officers waiting at the complex entrance approached. After shaking hands with Xu Nian, one reported, "We checked with the community. He’s definitely home."
"Any unusual behavior since Tian Kangyun moved in?" Xu Nian asked. This was their only lead on someone who might’ve witnessed the killer disposing of the weapon.
"Nothing criminal, but he’s a troublemaker," the officer said. "In the past few years, we’ve responded to at least ten reports of him faking injuries for compensation. We’ve warned him endlessly, but it’s useless. At his age, we’re more worried he’ll hurt himself before anyone else does."
"Does he live alone?" Xu Nian pressed.
"Always. Goes out often but never brings anyone back."
The group soon reached Building 15. Dawn had broken, and early-rising seniors were already exercising in the courtyard, eyeing the police procession with curiosity.
Officer Liu knocked and entered first, Xu Nian following closely. Noting the small space, Xu Nian motioned for most of the team to wait outside, allowing only Jiang Yingyao inside.
At 68, Tian Kangyun looked far younger than the old man from the unfinished building—short, lean, with a ruddy complexion. Unfazed by the police, he greeted them with a smirk. "Well, Officer Liu, what brings you here so early? Let me be clear—I’ve been home lately. Didn’t do a thing."
Though unafraid, his expression soured at their presence.
Officer Liu wasted no time. "You moved here on February 2, 2021. Between January 28 and February 1 that year, were you living near Shunmin Community on Pingcheng Road—in those unfinished buildings?"
Tian Kangyun blinked, caught off guard. "Yeah… So? That’s not illegal, is it?"
Having gotten the answer they wanted, the group showed no visible reaction, but inwardly, they were all exhilarated.
The officer didn’t speak further, so Xu Nian continued, "On the night of January 28th and the early hours of the 29th, were you also staying in the unfinished building?"
This was Tian Kangyun’s first time meeting Xu Nian, and he couldn’t help but scrutinize him for a moment, as if trying to guess his identity. After a pause, he replied, "During that time, I was running around outside during the day, but I always returned to the unfinished building at night. I never stayed out."
Xu Nian pressed further, "What time did you return to the unfinished building on the night of the 28th?"
Tian Kangyun frowned. "That was five years ago—how could anyone remember?"
"Think carefully," the officer interjected. "Something major happened that night. You were out and about every day—I don’t believe you didn’t hear about it."
Tian Kangyun naturally had heard. He scoffed, "Yeah, I know. Some murder case nearby, right? A few people died, but what does that have to do with me? I was just a homeless guy back then, barely scraping by. I didn’t have the energy to care about that kind of thing."
The group couldn’t help but frown at his words.
Xu Nian patiently pressed on, "Try to recall carefully. In the days before you moved out, when you were about to start living better, did you see anyone around the unfinished building at night? Especially on the night of the 28th."
Tian Kangyun looked thoroughly annoyed, but it was clear the police wouldn’t leave without an answer. He racked his brain before finally shaking his head. "I was always coming back late during that time. Ever since I got out of the hospital until I moved out, I never had a phone or a watch, so I didn’t know what time it was. But I didn’t run into anyone on my way back. Though… I did find something."
Just as Xu Nian and the others were about to feel disappointed, his last sentence immediately piqued their interest. "What did you find?"
"A dagger," Tian Kangyun gestured with his hands. "The blade was about this long, and it had some blackened marks, like it had been burned. It was thrown inside a metal barrel—still warm when I picked it up."
"Where is the knife now?" Xu Nian asked urgently.
Tian Kangyun shrugged. "Should still be at my place. Back then, I was negotiating compensation with someone, and the guy looked like he wanted to hit me. I wanted something to defend myself, so when I saw it, I took it and kept it on me. Didn’t throw it away when I moved, but I’m not sure where it ended up."
As Tian Kangyun began rummaging through his things, Xu Nian quickly stopped him and called in the rest of the team to search carefully with gloves on.
After some time, Wang Yu suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Xu Nian, found it!"
Qi Bai, who was closest, rushed over in surprise. "How did you think to look here?"
The dagger had been carelessly tossed behind a pot of half-dead plants in a corner of the balcony, buried under piles of clutter. If not for a thorough search, it would have easily gone unnoticed.
Wang Yu explained, "While going through the boxes full of junk, I noticed these plants had signs of disturbed soil, but there was no gardening tool nearby. So I figured he might’ve used something sharp, like a dagger, to dig."
Xu Nian walked over, equally surprised. No one would have guessed that the weapon used to kill four people had ended up as a gardening tool.
After sealing the dagger in an evidence bag, Xu Nian held it up and asked Tian Kangyun, "Take a close look. Is this the one?"
Tian Kangyun recognized it instantly. "That’s it. See the upper half? Blackened like hell—couldn’t scrub it clean no matter how hard I tried. I thought about using it to cut fruit, but since it wouldn’t come clean, I just used it to dig dirt instead."
Though they had found what they were looking for, the team didn’t leave immediately. Two members were sent back to the West District branch with the evidence, while the rest took Tian Kangyun back to the unfinished building.
Tian Kangyun was reluctant, but the local officers easily intimidated him into compliance, forcing him into the car.
Once inside the unfinished building, Xu Nian immediately asked, "Where exactly did you find the metal barrel?"
Tian Kangyun pointed ahead. "Right in front of the building I was staying in, over there."
The group followed him past several structures until they reached a spot near the center of the complex.
"This is it," Tian Kangyun confirmed, scanning the open space between two buildings.
After a moment, he announced, "Found it—that’s the barrel."
He jogged toward it, the others close behind.
The metal barrel was barely recognizable, its paint long gone and rust eating away at its surface. Inside, it was caked with black, sticky grime, making it impossible to tell what it had once been used for.
"You’re sure this is the one?" the local officer asked.
Tian Kangyun nodded firmly. "This is it. I saw a glint as I walked past and found the dagger inside."
"Looks like Wang Yu was right," Qi Bai remarked, peering inside. "The killer really did burn it. He had some nerve—and luck. This place isn’t completely isolated from the residential area, and criminals and drifters frequent these buildings. Not to mention the patrols. If he’d been even slightly earlier or later, someone would’ve caught him."
Jiang Yingyao recalled the briefing from the senior officer about the unfinished building’s history and nodded in agreement. "He was lucky. Or maybe Zhang Weiyan scouted the place beforehand and told Lu Manqing."
Wang Yu considered this. "Very possible. We’ll need to dig into Zhang Weiyan’s movements before the crime."
At the mention of this, Qi Bai’s triumphant expression faltered. "Great. We found the murder weapon, but now we’ve got a mountain of work ahead."
After bagging the entire barrel and sending it back to the West District branch, Xu Nian and his team had just settled into their temporary office when Zhuang Da arrived, clapping Xu Nian on the shoulder. "Heard the news. Good work—finding the weapon so quickly."
Xu Nian humbly replied, "Just got lucky. We stumbled onto a new lead while at the unfinished building."
"Luck is part of skill," Zhuang Da said before adding, "In a couple of days, I’ll be leading a team to Jianyang to arrest the suspect, Lu Manqing. I’d like your team to come along."
Though surprised, Xu Nian responded swiftly. "Understood. Thank you, Zhuang Da."
Zhuang Yinghua flashed a smile and gave Xu Nian’s shoulder a firm pat before turning to leave the temporary office.
The moment he disappeared through the doorway, Qi Bai couldn’t help muttering, "We actually get to assist in the arrest of the suspect for the Xicheng District case. Zhuang Da is really a good guy, huh."
"He is indeed a good guy," Jiang Yingyao replied, though his brow furrowed slightly as he added, "But this case is a bit unusual. This trip to Jianyang probably won’t go as smoothly as our previous assignments."
Qi Bai looked puzzled for a moment before instinctively turning to Xu Nian, only to find his expression equally grave. Wang Yu, after a brief moment of confusion, seemed to catch on as well, her face tightening with concern.
It’s the 31st today—happy early New Year’s, everyone! Wishing all you lovely folks a joyful New Year filled with success, good fortune, and all your heart’s desires!
