The two teams quickly merged, exchanging brief handshakes before Xu Nian and Xia Chenghui began speaking in hushed tones.
Guan Xia and Pang Le stood nearby, straining to eavesdrop, when Wang Yu subtly waved at them. Seizing the moment while the others were distracted, he slipped over to their side.
“Why’d you come over?” Guan Xia asked, surprised, then quickly pieced it together. “Does Xu Nian have something to tell us?”
Wang Yu glanced around before leaning in closer. “Captain Xu wants to know if you two are interested in joining the case.”
“We can actually get involved?” Guan Xia was even more astonished. “Isn’t this an active investigation?”
Wang Yu lowered his voice further. “Based on the current leads, it’s almost certainly active. But that’s exactly why we can participate. Look at the weather—” He paused, scanning their surroundings. “It’s getting worse. On the surface, there seem to be plenty of leads, multiple angles to pursue. But in reality, we haven’t found the victim, nor do we have a solid lead on the suspect. Even with the murder weapon, forensics will take time. The investigative team is racing against the clock. If the crime scene is indoors, fine—but if it’s outdoors? What evidence will be left after this storm? They’re throwing every available resource into this.”
Pang Le’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “No wonder Captain Xia is huddling with your Captain Xu at a time like this. They’re recruiting backup.”
Wang Yu chuckled softly. “Free labor’s too good to pass up. Besides, it’s all for solving the case. Since we’re stuck here until the storm passes, might as well lend a hand. Build some goodwill for next time we need their help.”
Pang Le shot him an impressed look and gave a thumbs-up.
Having explained the situation, Wang Yu pressed, “So? Are you in?”
Pang Le stayed silent but nudged Guan Xia’s waist with a finger—a clear hint. Guan Xia, who had uncovered the initial clues, was eager to see the case through. “We’d love to, but this is Fu’an City. Will it really work?”
Wang Yu grinned confidently. “Leave that to Captain Xu. Just nod along no matter what Captain Xia says later. Don’t speak up.”
Guan Xia, curious but compliant, agreed. “Got it.”
She then noticed Xu Nian glancing subtly their way while still talking to Xia Chenghui. Wang Yu caught the look and flashed an “OK” sign. Xu Nian gave an almost imperceptible nod in return.
Minutes later, after some exchange between Xu Nian and Xia Chenghui, the group approached. Guan Xia, both nervous and confused, stiffened as Xu Nian suddenly announced, “This is Guan Xia, an external consultant for our bureau.”
Guan Xia’s mind flooded with questions. Since when was she a consultant for Pingjiang District Bureau? But remembering Wang Yu’s advice, she forced a polite smile and nodded, keeping her bewilderment in check.
Xia Chenghui, far more enthusiastic, seized Guan Xia’s hand and shook it vigorously. “No wonder you spotted the suspect so quickly in the crowd—you’re one of us! A pleasure, Consultant Guan.”
Guan Xia managed a stiff reply. “Likewise, Captain Xia.”
Xia Chenghui finally released her hand but fixed her with an intense stare. “You’ve uncovered every lead in this case so far. Any thoughts on the next steps?”
Guan Xia froze. She’d only wanted to see the case through—she had no idea how to actually investigate it.
Luckily, Xu Nian stepped in smoothly. “Consultant Guan excels at spotting details. She’s helped crack several cases for our bureau. Beyond her sharp instincts for suspects, she’s particularly skilled at tracing them through surveillance footage.”
Xia Chenghui’s focus shifted instantly. “Perfect. I’ve already sent someone to pull traffic cam footage. We’d appreciate your expertise, Consultant Guan.”
The team from the First Division arrived in a flurry and left just as quickly, taking not only Guan Xia’s sketch but also the black plastic bag containing the suspected murder weapon—a fruit knife.
Once only familiar faces remained, Guan Xia finally relaxed. “What just happened? Since when am I an expert? This cover story feels way too out there.” She eyed Xu Nian skeptically, unable to picture him concocting such a scheme.
Pang Le was equally puzzled, but Ji An seemed to have figured something out, a knowing look crossing his face.
Xu Nian motioned toward the cars. “We’ll explain on the way to Dingyang District Bureau.”
They split into different vehicles, with Guan Xia, Pang Le, Xu Nian, and Wang Yu in one.
The moment the car started, Guan Xia blurted, “So? What’s the deal?”
Xu Nian checked her seatbelt before answering. “Director Ren’s idea. His exact words were, ‘If Guan Xia needs it, she can operate under our bureau’s authority as a consultant whenever necessary.’”
Guan Xia was stunned. Before she could react, Pang Le gasped. “Wow, your Director Ren’s got vision. Never even met Guan Xia, yet he trusts her this much?”
Wang Yu laughed. “She’s already legendary at Pingjiang Bureau—hell, all of Yongquan City knows her name. By year’s end, people might even start calling me to get to her.”
Guan Xia frowned. “What do you mean?”
Wang Yu explained, “For case-solving. Our field has quotas—not for how many cases to crack, but for how many cold cases we can close. Especially during year-end reviews, when even the experts from the provincial bureau are swamped. That’s when they look outside for help—especially for someone like you, a suspected ‘third-category’ talent.”
"Third category?" Guan Xia vaguely felt she had heard or seen this term somewhere before. As she was trying to recall, Pang Le suddenly spoke up excitedly, "I know this."
Pang Le leaned forward from the back seat and said, "I recently read a detective novel that mentioned it. The so-called 'third category' refers to things that aren’t based on accumulated case experience or technological innovation—stuff science can’t quite explain. Things like intuition or even metaphysical approaches fall under it."
Guan Xia nodded subconsciously. A system had suddenly popped into her mind—wasn’t that exactly the third category?
"So go ahead and trust your instincts," Wang Yu patted Guan Xia’s shoulder and said, "In our line of work as detectives, we have to make bold hypotheses and verify them carefully. The only thing we fear is having no leads at all, never too many."
As they spoke, the three cars soon arrived at the Dingyang District Bureau. The wind had grown stronger over time, making it hard to walk steadily on the ground, and visibility was worsening. The moment Guan Xia stepped out of the car, she didn’t even have time to observe her surroundings before rushing into the office building with the others.
Quickly smoothing her disheveled hair, Guan Xia looked up and saw a tall but slender, scholarly-looking middle-aged man adjusting his glasses as he came forward to greet them.
"You must be Captain Xu," the man first shook hands with Xu Nian, then scanned the group before his gaze settled on Guan Xia. He stepped forward and extended his hand again. "You must be Expert Guan. Hello, I’m Lin Zhuang, deputy captain of the first unit. Captain Xia already briefed me, and I’ve prepared an office for you upstairs."
Lin Zhuang led the way. Guan Xia rubbed her stiff cheeks and fell to the back, whispering to Wang Yu, "In your detective team, is it usually the captain leading operations outside while the deputy stays behind?"
Wang Yu lowered his voice in response. "Generally, yes. Lead from the front, you know."
Guan Xia frowned. "Do your teams always move this fast? Captain Xia just took over the case, right? The suspect’s identity is still unknown, and the surveillance footage hasn’t been reviewed. I thought everyone would gather at the bureau for a meeting first."
Wang Yu whispered back, "Before we arrived, Captain Xia had already contacted the traffic police. They found the bus your suspect boarded and confirmed with the driver that the suspect got on between Jinxiu First Street Station and No. 16 High School Station. It’s almost 9 PM now, and rain is expected in six or seven hours. Time’s tight, so Captain Xia couldn’t wait for the surveillance results. She took the team straight to canvass the area, hoping to find the victim and the crime scene sooner."
Guan Xia thought for a moment. "Her unit only has a few people. Between those two stations and who knows how many residential areas nearby, how long will that take?"
Wang Yu smiled. "Don’t worry, they’ll mobilize extra manpower for this."
Guan Xia nodded and followed the group up two flights of stairs to a small office.
The setup was similar to Xu Nian’s second unit office she’d seen earlier, though with three extra laptops on the conference table—likely for Guan Xia, Pang Le, and Ji An. A box filled with external hard drives sat in the middle.
Pang Le hissed under his breath, "We just got to Dingyang Bureau, and the surveillance footage is already here? That’s insanely fast."
Wang Yu explained, "From what I heard, the moment Captain Xia’s team explained the situation to the traffic police, the footage was ready. We were surprised too."
Guan Xia immediately recalled the traffic officer who had verified their details earlier after their ten-minute delay with Pang Le.
Pang Le seemed to have the same thought and asked Wang Yu, "So, we might catch the suspect before the storm hits?"
Wang Yu checked the time. "The traffic police have probably set up checkpoints by now, but whether we can nab him before the rain starts is another matter."
While the three whispered, Xu Nian and Lin Zhuang arranged seating. As expected, Guan Xia and her two companions were assigned the laptops as auxiliary personnel.
Though unfamiliar with Fu’an City, the office setting put them at ease, and they settled in smoothly.
Based on her limited experience, Guan Xia had assumed they’d review surveillance footage to trace the suspect’s movements and locate the crime scene. But less than two hours in, they’d only confirmed the suspect boarded Bus 528 at No. 16 High School Station, having previously appeared near Jinhu Road, Ronghe North Second Road, and Hongxing Street. Just as they were pushing further back, Lin Zhuang, the deputy captain, took a call and announced, "Captain Xia just relayed a report—fifteen minutes ago, a woman around 60 was found at No. 16 High School’s residential compound on South Victory Second Road with abdominal injuries and hemorrhagic shock. She’s been taken to Second People’s Hospital. Captain Xia suspects she might be the victim and has already headed to the crime scene. She wants me to take a team to the hospital now."
Lin Zhuang’s eyes flicked between Xu Nian and Guan Xia, silently asking if they’d join.
Guan Xia and Xu Nian exchanged a glance and stood almost simultaneously.
Before they could speak, Lin Zhuang said, "The car’s ready. Let’s go." He strode out briskly.
Despite the howling wind outside, it was now 11 PM, and the roads were clear with almost no pedestrians. They reached the hospital without delay.
Moving at a near-jogging pace to the surgical building’s operating area, Lin Zhuang spoke first. "Who’s Ye Tao?"
A young man who’d been making calls from a chair stood up. "That’s me. Are you the police?"
Lin Zhuang flashed his badge. "Dingyang District Criminal Police. You reported this?"
Ye Tao nodded nervously and said, "Yes, I arrived outside Teacher Jiang's house around 10:20. Originally, my sister was supposed to come, but she was held up at work and still on her way back. Because of the weather, she was worried about Teacher Jiang, so she called and asked me to check on her. When I got there, I knocked for a long time, but no one answered. At first, I thought she wasn’t home, so I called to ask. If she was out, I’d go pick her up. But no one answered the phone, and yet I could hear the ringtone from inside. I thought something was wrong, so I knocked on Teacher Du’s door across the hall and borrowed Teacher Jiang’s spare key. When I opened the door, I saw Teacher Jiang lying face-down in the living room, bleeding heavily. She was unconscious and unresponsive."
Lin Zhuang pulled up a photo on his phone and showed it to Ye Tao. "Do you recognize this person?"
Guan Xia, standing nearby, vaguely recognized the person in the photo as the same one she had sketched earlier.
Ye Tao studied the photo carefully but shook his head after a few seconds. "No, I don’t know him."
Lin Zhuang pressed further, "Do you know if Teacher Jiang had any recent conflicts or grudges with anyone?"
"Conflicts?" Ye Tao frowned, thinking hard before shaking his head again. "I’m not sure. I only know Teacher Jiang was a high school teacher at No. 16 High School. After retiring, she was rehired. She divorced her husband years ago and never had children, so she’s lived alone ever since. She mostly kept to herself, though students often visited her. My sister mentioned there’s even a group chat—filled with students Teacher Jiang helped in the past. They visit whenever they can. My sister might know more."
Lin Zhuang had just asked, "Could you provide your sister’s contact information?" when hurried footsteps echoed down the hall. A clear, urgent voice called out, "Brother, how’s Teacher Jiang?"
Guan Xia turned to see a young woman in a professional suit, her forehead glistening with sweat from running. She was strikingly pretty but nearly tripped in her haste—Ji An quickly steadied her.
After a hurried thanks, the girl grabbed Ye Tao’s arm, her face full of panic. "Your call was so unclear! What happened to Teacher Jiang? How was she hurt? Is it serious? What did the doctors say?"
Ye Tao replied, "I don’t know either. When I opened the door, she was already on the floor, bleeding badly. I called 120 right away. The paramedics said something about organ rupture, but it was chaotic, and I didn’t catch everything. She was rushed into surgery as soon as we got to the hospital."
"Organ rupture? How?" The girl paled, tears streaming down her face as she clung to Ye Tao for answers.
Lin Zhuang interrupted gently, "What’s your relationship with Teacher Jiang? Do you know if she had any recent disputes or grudges with anyone?"
Only then did the girl notice the police officers. She wiped her tears hastily. "I’m Ye Xi, one of Teacher Jiang’s former students. I’ve kept in touch with her, but I haven’t heard about any conflicts. Teacher Jiang was a good person—she’s been helping students since she started at No. 16 High School. She divorced her husband because of it. She might’ve seemed strict, but she had a heart of gold. She just wanted everyone to do their best."
Lin Zhuang showed her the same photo. "Take a close look. Do you recognize this man?"
Ye Xi wiped her eyes furiously to see clearly. She studied the photo intently, even racking her memory, but finally shook her head. "No, I’m sure I’ve never seen him before."
Handing the phone back, she sniffled. "Is this the person who hurt my teacher?"
Lin Zhuang replied, "We’re not sure yet. The investigation is ongoing."
Ye Xi paused, then suddenly asked urgently, "Officer, can I share this photo in our group chat? Everyone there was helped or supported by Teacher Jiang. I might not know him, but someone else might."
Lin Zhuang declined. "The case is still under investigation. All information must remain confidential outside authorized personnel."
Ye Xi hesitated, then nodded in understanding, wiping fresh tears. "Then I’ll call some classmates in Fuan City and ask them to come now."
She retreated to a corner, still crying as she made calls, while Ye Tao followed to comfort her.
Guan Xia noticed the photo Lin Zhuang had shown seemed to be from a household registration record. She whispered to Xu Nian, "Have you identified the suspect?"
Xu Nian replied quietly, "Only basic details so far. The suspect is Wei Jianming, male, 51. He lived in Fuan City until 14 years ago, when his son got into a university in Dongyi City, and the whole family moved there. He has two children, both attended No. 16 High School, but their grades were average, so they weren’t in Teacher Jiang’s class. They might’ve known of each other, but they weren’t close."
Pang Le rubbed his chin. "That’s strange. If they weren’t close, what motive would Wei Jianming have to attack Teacher Jiang? His son would be around 28 or 29 now. Why suddenly come back after ten years to commit murder? Is this another mentally unstable case?"
As more details about the victim and suspect emerged, Guan Xia only felt more puzzled. She tried to analyze it logically, but even stretching her imagination, she couldn’t make sense of it. Pang Le’s theory seemed plausible—maybe, like the previous case involving Yuan Yue, the motive was something only a disturbed mind could conjure.
(Caught up with yesterday’s update. Love you all!)
