Chapter 1: The Lightning Break Murder Case

"Help! Murder!"

On a pitch-black, moonless night, a bone-chilling cry suddenly echoed through the quiet residential area. A disheveled woman was intermittently screaming for help from the window of a seventh-floor apartment.

Three minutes later, police cars arrived with sirens wailing. Deputy Chief Yang Chengfa of the Lijuan Police Station in Xishan District, Yuming City, Tianan Province, along with two young officers on duty, rushed to the scene. Yang Chengfa jumped out of the car and asked the neighborhood committee chairman Xu Jiuping, who was approaching, "Old Xu, what's the situation now?"

Xu Jiuping gave a strange glance at the young officer who had just got out of the car. In the dark night, the young man was still wearing sunglasses. Was it just to look cool? While secretly criticizing the young people of today, he replied, "The door won't open. Resident Zhu Chunlan in 7-3 was shouting for help from the window for a while, but she seems to be tired now, and her voice is getting weaker."

At that moment, Zhu Chunlan's weak cries for help were heard again from upstairs. Without hesitation, Yang Chengfa ordered, "Feng Weiwu, Du Long, get your gear ready to unlock or break the door!"

The two young officers quickly carried their equipment to the seventh floor. Feng Weiwu took out an electronic lock picker, but after two minutes, the door still wouldn't open.

Zhu Chunlan's security door was equipped with a new type of anti-theft lock. Feng Weiwu, after two minutes of struggling, was sweating profusely. This type of security door couldn't be broken with ordinary equipment; it would require a blowtorch to burn a hole in the iron door. Zhu Chunlan inside the door had stopped making noise, and no one knew her condition. As everyone began to get anxious, Du Long, who was wearing sunglasses, extended his hand to Feng Weiwu and said, "Brother Wu, let me give it a try."

Feng Weiwu hurriedly handed over the hot potato to the younger Du Long. Du Long, holding the electronic lock picker, casually inserted it into the lock and twisted it. A soft click was heard from inside the door, and Du Long grabbed the handle and pulled. The heavy iron door opened silently.

Yang Chengfa gave Feng Weiwu a dissatisfied glance. Feng Weiwu felt wronged but Yang Chengfa ignored him. He shone his powerful flashlight around the dark room. The living room and dining room of He Zhengyang's home were relatively tidy, but the drops of what looked like blood on the floor made Yang Chengfa more alert.

"Help..." A weak cry came from under the living room window. Yang Chengfa followed the sound and found Zhu Chunlan, who was sitting huddled by the window, disheveled and covered in blood.

Zhu Chunlan sat there in a daze, with a piece of tape still stuck to her left cheek. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her ankles were wrapped in tape. It seemed she had struggled to free herself and call for help.

Yang Chengfa nodded at Du Long, then at Zhu Chunlan, and made a gesture. Du Long understood and carefully approached Zhu Chunlan along the wall. Yang Chengfa, with Feng Weiwu, cautiously entered the room with a flashlight and police baton to search.

Du Long came to Zhu Chunlan's side, shone the flashlight on her, and found no obvious wounds. He whispered, "Ma'am, I'm a police officer. You're safe now. You're covered in blood. Are you injured anywhere?"

Zhu Chunlan's face was pale, and her eyes were wide and blank. She didn't answer Du Long but repeated in a dazed manner, "Help... Murder..."

Zhu Chunlan's mental state had nearly collapsed under the trauma. Her lack of response was a form of self-protection. Du Long decisively pulled out his police knife and cut the tape binding Zhu Chunlan's hands. He helped her up and led her to the door, where he handed her over to Xu Jiuping and the neighborhood security guards. He instructed, "Carefully help her rest downstairs. Don't let anyone approach her or ask her any questions until we finish the investigation."

Xu Jiuping, seeing the young police officer, who was half his age, giving orders, felt a bit annoyed. He was about to respond coldly, but Du Long had already turned and left. Xu Jiuping, with no target for his annoyance, turned to the two security guards holding Zhu Chunlan and said irritably, "What are you still standing there for? Help her down. Don't let anyone approach her or talk to her!"

At that moment, Yang Chengfa's voice came from the master bedroom, "Badge number 3984, a murder has occurred in apartment 7-3 of building 35 in Lijuan neighborhood. The victim is a middle-aged man. Please contact the criminal investigation team and the forensic experts to take over the investigation."

Yang Chengfa squatted beside the middle-aged man lying face up in front of the bed. This victim was likely the homeowner, He Zhengyang. His eyes were wide open, filled with terror and anger. His hands had defensive wounds, and his face and body were covered in blood. The fatal wound was a deep cut to his neck, from which a large amount of blood had gushed out, leaving him lying in a pool of blood.

Du Long entered the bedroom and scanned the room. His eyes fell on the victim. He noticed clear signs of struggle in the blood that had almost clotted. Du Long realized that the blood on Zhu Chunlan's body must have come from here.

Yang Chengfa, surprised to see Du Long, shook his head and said, "Du Long, you shouldn't have come in. Get out quickly. Be careful not to step on the blood or the footprints. Search the other rooms to see if the culprit is hiding."

Du Long replied, "Chief Yang, I'm being careful. Don't worry. I just wanted to see the scene with my own eyes..."

Feng Weiwu, who had quickly searched the other rooms, returned to the master bedroom and, hearing Du Long's words, sneered, "You're just a fresh graduate from the police academy. What clues can you see? Don't cause trouble here. If you destroy evidence and hinder the investigation, you'll be in big trouble."

Du Long gave Feng Weiwu a calm look. Because he was wearing sunglasses, no one could see the contempt that flashed in his eyes. Du Long ignored Feng Weiwu's provocation, left the master bedroom, and quickly searched the other rooms. He found no sign of the culprit but discovered struggle marks in a bathroom near the kitchen. Zhu Chunlan had likely torn the tape off her feet here, and a small piece of tape was still stuck to the faucet, about half a meter above the ground.

The police at the station had no authority to investigate such a murder case; they could only assist the criminal investigation team. Therefore, Yang Chengfa did not thoroughly examine the scene. After confirming that there was no culprit hiding in the house, he left the scene with Du Long and Feng Weiwu.

Feng Weiwu was left to guard the entrance. Yang Chengfa and Du Long returned downstairs and saw Zhu Chunlan sitting by the flower bed, sipping a warm cup of honey water.

Zhu Chunlan's expression had improved. Yang Chengfa approached her and said, "Zhu Chunlan, I'm Deputy Chief Yang Chengfa of the Lijuan Police Station. I'd like to ask you about what happened. Are you ready to talk?"

Zhu Chunlan nodded and said, with lingering fear, "I don't know what happened. My husband and I were watching TV in the room... Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, saying they were collecting garbage fees. I was so foolish... I didn't even see who it was before I opened the door... Two men rushed in. They were wearing hats and masks, and they held a knife to my neck..."

Zhu Chunlan, sobbing and stuttering, finally finished her story. The two criminals had controlled her with a knife and quickly overpowered the homeowner, He Zhengyang. The elderly couple, both in their fifties, had no chance to resist against the armed and muscular criminals.

The criminals forced the couple to hand over all their cash and valuables, then bound Zhu Chunlan with tape and locked her in the bathroom near the kitchen.

Zhu Chunlan heard her husband being beaten and screaming in the bathroom. When she finally managed to free herself and run out, the criminals had already left. She saw her husband lying in a pool of blood and, in a panic, fell into the blood, getting it all over her. She struggled to get up, tore off the tape from her mouth, and called for help from the window. However, the trauma had left her in a daze, and she only gradually recovered her senses when she reached the ground floor.

Just as Zhu Chunlan finished her story, the captain of the Xishan District Criminal Investigation Team, Huang Jiehao, arrived with his team. They quickly secured the scene and began their work. Huang Jiehao came down to the first floor and asked Yang Chengfa, "Old Yang, you were the first to enter the scene. Did you find anything?"

Yang Chengfa replied, "I didn't thoroughly examine the scene. I searched the rooms and didn't find the criminals. I brought the victim's wife out. Investigating the case is your job, and I don't dare to interfere."

Huang Jiehao smiled inwardly. Yang Chengfa still harbored resentment towards the criminal investigation team. This was due to a recent theft case where the Lijuan Police Station had tried to claim credit from the Xishan District Criminal Investigation Team but failed, leading to a severe reprimand from the district police chief. Yang Chengfa's resentment was deep.

The criminal investigation team didn't actually plan to rely on the local police for such a major case. Huang Jiehao was about to reprimand Yang Chengfa when he heard Du Long, standing nearby, say softly, "Captain Huang, I think this is a revenge murder disguised as a robbery. The culprit is likely the victim's enemy."

Huang Jiehao looked at Du Long in surprise and was about to speak when Yang Chengfa interrupted, "Du Long, what do you know? Don't talk nonsense here. If you delay Captain Huang's investigation, can you take the responsibility?"

Huang Jiehao laughed, "That's not the right attitude. Collective wisdom can help solve cases. You're Du Long, right? Why do you think that? Tell me your thoughts."

Du Long glanced at Zhu Chunlan, who was sobbing and being photographed for evidence, and said softly, "From the survivor Zhu Chunlan, we learned the sequence of events. The first part of the case is clearly a robbery, but the latter part is suspicious. The robbers had already succeeded, so they should have left quickly. Why did they go to the trouble of binding Zhu Chunlan in the bathroom and then return to torture and kill He Zhengyang?"

Huang Jiehao didn't speak, encouraging Du Long to continue. Yang Chengfa, however, interjected, "Du Long, are you suspecting Zhu Chunlan? That's unlikely. Although I'm not very familiar with the couple, I know a bit about them in my jurisdiction. Zhu Chunlan is a decent person and wouldn't do such a thing. You need evidence, or you might be accused of defamation!"

Du Long, unaffected by Yang Chengfa's words, continued, "Chief Yang, let me finish. According to Zhu Chunlan, the criminals had at least two knives, but He Zhengyang only had one fatal stab wound. The rest of his injuries were blunt force trauma. The room was in disarray, and I believe the criminals used items from the bedroom, like chairs and a computer, to torture He Zhengyang for a long time. The throat cut is a cruel way to kill, indicating deep-seated hatred."

Huang Jiehao nodded, and Du Long continued, "There are drag marks on the floor, and signs of struggle in the bathroom near the kitchen. I believe Zhu Chunlan's account is true."

Yang Chengfa partially accepted Du Long's theory but asked, "If so, why didn't the criminals kill Zhu Chunlan too? Why did they go to the trouble of binding her in the other bathroom?"

Du Long replied, "That's the basis of my theory. I think the murderer hated He Zhengyan but had a different relationship with Zhu Chunlan. I believe the murderer had a good relationship with Zhu Chunlan and didn't want her to witness He Zhengyang's death, so they bound her in the other bathroom. Zhu Chunlan is a suspect, and the murderer likely has a close relationship with her. This is just my speculation, but I hope it helps solve the case."

Huang Jiehao smiled, "I didn't expect such a well-reasoned analysis from you. It makes sense..."

Yang Chengfa said, "I'm not so sure. I think... maybe He Zhengyang was too attached to his wealth, so..."

Huang Jiehao ignored Yang Chengfa and looked around, then called Xu Jiuping over, "Mr. Xu, please come here. Do you know the family situation of He Zhengyang and Zhu Chunlan? What does He Zhengyang do? Does he have any enemies?"

Xu Jiuping walked over, surprised, "Enemies? Isn't this a robbery?"

Huang Jiehao said, "We haven't concluded that yet. How can you be so sure it's a robbery? Do you know what the victim did? Who he usually associated with? Does he have any enemies? What about Zhu Chunlan? As the neighborhood committee chairman, you should know."

Xu Jiuping nodded and began to speak. Zhu Chunlan and her husband ran a clothing store, and their life was comfortable. They were kind and got along well with others, and there were no known enemies... Du Long stood beside Huang Jiehao, listening to Xu Jiuping, but his eyes scanned the crowd. Suddenly, he saw a man push his way through the crowd, looking at the crying Zhu Chunlan and asking, "Sister, what happened? Where's Brother? Is he... is he in trouble?"

Zhu Chunlan looked at him with tearful eyes but didn't speak. The man crossed the barrier and approached Zhu Chunlan. Du Long immediately stepped forward and said, "Sorry, this is a restricted area. You can't come in. Please step back!"

The man protested, "I'm her brother, Zhu Wenbin. Can't a brother be concerned about his sister?"

Du Long, behind his sunglasses, carefully examined Zhu Wenbin and extended his hand, "Hello, I'm Officer Du Long from the Lijuan Police Station. I'm glad you came to assist with the investigation. Zhu Wenbin, do you live nearby? How is your relationship with your brother-in-law?"

Zhu Wenbin, somewhat surprised, shook Du Long's hand and replied, "Yes, I live in the neighborhood. How could I not come quickly? I have a good relationship with my brother-in-law."

This man was lying without a second thought. He tried to appear calm, but the hint of panic in his eyes didn't escape Du Long's notice. Du Long estimated that if he removed his sunglasses, Zhu Wenbin would immediately look away.

Du Long's eyes scanned Zhu Wenbin again, and his expression suddenly changed. He shouted, "Is that so? Then why did you kill your brother-in-law?"

Zhu Wenbin's face changed immediately, and the crowd turned to look at him. Zhu Wenbin instinctively looked at his sister, who was staring at him in shock. He cried out in fear, "It wasn't me! Sister, it really wasn't me! He's lying!"

Du Long sneered, "Then why is there blood on your pant leg? You can't say it's your nosebleed or chicken blood, can you? We can test the DNA to see if it's your brother-in-law's blood."

Zhu Wenbin looked down and saw the red stains on his pant leg. He shuddered and shook his left leg, saying, "It wasn't me! I didn't!"

Du Long grunted and suddenly reached into Zhu Wenbin's pocket, pulling out a wallet. Zhu Wenbin, shocked, tried to grab it back, but Du Long pushed him away and pulled out a Polaroid photo from the wallet.

The photo was taken at the crime scene, and He Zhengyang's lifeless eyes were particularly clear and piercing. Du Long handed the photo to Huang Jiehao, saying, "Zhu Wenbin, when did you go to the scene? Did you take this photo as a souvenir? The evidence is clear. Do you still want to deny it?"

As soon as Du Long found the photo, Zhu Wenbin lost hope. He turned to run, but he was quickly caught by the crowd.

Zhu Chunlan let out a heart-wrenching cry and lunged at Zhu Wenbin, kicking and hitting him. She shouted, "Why! Why did you kill Zhengyang! I'll kill you, you beast!"

As everyone was busy cuffing Zhu Wenbin and restraining Zhu Chunlan, Du Long suddenly pushed through the crowd and pointed at two men who were quickly leaving, shouting, "Stop! Are you residents of this neighborhood? You look unfamiliar!"

The two men, hearing Du Long, turned and ran without looking back. Du Long sped up, quickly pushing through the crowd and chasing after the two muscular men. He shouted, "Stop! Why are you running if you have nothing to hide?"

The two men, seeing they couldn't outrun Du Long, exchanged a glance and stopped, turning to face him. One of them said, "Officer, we have urgent business. We're not bothering anyone, are we?"

Du Long shouted, "I find your behavior suspicious. Come with me and explain yourself!"

The two men put on a reluctant but accepting face. When Du Long approached, they suddenly attacked. One punched Du Long in the face, and the other struck his neck. They planned to knock Du Long out and escape before anyone could react.

Du Long's head suddenly moved, easily dodging their attacks. He sidestepped and punched the left man in the ribs. The right man, still in shock, was kicked in the abdomen by Du Long's sweeping leg. The left man, clutching his ribs, knelt down, unable to make a sound due to the intense reaction of his vagus nerve. The right man, on the other hand, fell backward and let out a loud cry of pain.

Huang Jiehao and Yang Chengfa quickly arrived at the scene. They looked at the two men rolling on the ground. Yang Chengfa shouted, "Du Long, why are you beating people? What if they're not suspects?"

Huang Jiehao, being a criminal investigator, examined the two men more closely. He shone his flashlight on them and saw dark red bloodstains on their socks. The blood on their shoe soles and the two knives on their belts provided more evidence.

Huang Jiehao quickly handcuffed the two men, who were still in shock. He searched them and found a stack of money, jewelry, and a Polaroid camera. Huang Jiehao laughed, "Now we have the criminals and the evidence! These two are definitely the murderers. Zhu Wenbin is the mastermind behind the hired killers. The murderers took a photo of the scene for him. I didn't expect them to be so stupid to return to the scene after committing the crime. This case is solved. Du Long, you're impressive. How did you suspect them?"

Du Long smiled and replied, "Nothing special, half observation, half guesswork. My father said to observe carefully and make bold inferences when investigating. Zhu Wenbin didn't look like a good person, and he had a dark red stain on his shoe. I just tested him, and his panic confirmed my suspicions."

Yang Chengfa laughed, "How did you know there was a photo in his wallet? If we hadn't found it, you might have been in trouble."

Du Long chuckled, "I didn't know there was a photo. I thought I might find blood-stained money or stolen jewelry. I found something better. Seeing the photo, I immediately thought it was a hired murder case. The murderers might return to the scene to observe our investigation, so I looked around and saw those two men acting suspiciously. They were similar in build to the criminals Zhu Chunlan described. I bluffed, and it worked. It was just luck, pure luck!"