Chapter 14: The Captain's Test

The other end of the phone was silent for a moment, and Du Kang chuckled softly, "Did you find a girlfriend? Or the suspect's cousin? You wouldn't be taking advantage of the situation, would you? That wouldn't be good."

Du Kang, who knew his son well, was indeed a seasoned detective with decades of experience. His words made Du Long break into a sweat immediately. Although his father had hit the nail on the head, Du Long could not admit it. He replied, "Dad, am I that kind of person? I've known her for a long time. I only found out yesterday that her cousin was one of the two robbers. I caught them today, so I'm upholding justice."

Du Kang said, "Don't kid yourself. I have some business to attend to, so I won't chat with you anymore. I have a friend at the detention center; I'll call them to take care of it. That's all, bye."

That day, the Lijuan Police Station was relatively quiet, except for a construction site where an excavator had broken a large underground water pipe. Du Long and his team were temporarily assigned to maintain order at the scene. The pipe was repaired smoothly before Du Long's shift ended. He had just changed into civilian clothes when Huang Jiehao's car arrived at the police station.

"Huang Captain, how dare you come to pick me up personally," Du Long jumped into the car and smiled at Huang Jiehao, who was driving.

"Just happened to be on the way. Du Long, want a smoke?" Huang Jiehao held out a pack of soft Honghe cigarettes.

Du Long didn't hesitate, took one, and skillfully blew a smoke ring, smiling, "I just smoke for fun."

Huang Jiehao laughed, "For fun? Once you've been a cop for a while, you won't be able to do without it."

Huang Jiehao started the car and asked casually, "Want to pick up your girlfriend to join us?"

Du Long shook his head, "No, it would be hard to have a good time if she came along."

Huang Jiehao skillfully navigated through the streets, smiling, "Be grateful. Your girlfriend is the gentle type, a future virtuous wife and mother. Treat her well; you'll know how important a good woman is to us cops."

The divorce rate among police officers is quite high, something Du Long had long known. There are many reasons for this, but one of the key factors is the busy work schedule and lack of time to take care of the family.

The Crystal Palace is one of the most upscale leisure and entertainment centers in the Xishan District of Yuming City. Huang Jiehao first drove Du Long to a nearby Lujì Sichuan restaurant. A few detectives Du Long had met earlier were already seated. They had ordered a table of Sichuan dishes. Huang Jiehao smiled, "Du Long, you're a native of Yuming, so you can't be averse to spicy food, right? How's your drinking capacity? What do you like to drink? Old Zhao has something to do today, so he won't be coming. We're all colleagues, so don't be shy."

Du Long smiled, "I'm not picky, I eat anything, and I don't have a particular preference for any drink. You guys order whatever you like; I'll just keep you company!"

"Good, straightforward!" A detective in his early thirties laughed, "Then we won't be shy. I'm Meng Hao. Captain Huang doesn't need an introduction. This is our deputy captain..."

Meng Hao, with his cheerful personality, quickly introduced the other three people to Du Long. Among them, Liu Yong'an was someone Du Long already knew, a young detective around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Another was Wei Xingbang, who looked to be in his early forties and was a shrewd old detective.

As for the deputy captain of the criminal investigation team, Shen Yujie... at first glance, one might think it was a woman, but in fact, it was a middle-aged man in his thirties. Perhaps because of his delicate name, he gave off a reserved and introspective vibe.

Du Long greeted them and noticed that Meng Hao was the most enthusiastic towards him. Shen Yujie clearly didn't take Du Long seriously, and Liu Yong'an was also quite cold, possibly because Du Long had taken credit for the team's achievements twice.

Wei Xingbang, a shrewd old detective, showed curiosity towards Du Long but maintained an appropriate distance.

Huang Jiehao and Du Long sat down, and Huang Jiehao asked Shen Yujie, "Yujie, did you bring the file from yesterday's case?"

Shen Yujie smiled, "Captain Huang, you can't even forget work while eating. Here, the file is right here. I spent the whole afternoon looking at it but didn't find any new leads."

Huang Jiehao took the file and looked at Du Long, saying, "Du, are you interested in this case? The night before last, a husband working the night shift came home and found his wife strangled to death in bed. He then called the police..."

Huang Jiehao had brought the file to show Du Long, which surprised everyone. Du Long also felt a bit taken aback but gladly took the file, smiling, "Since everyone hasn't arrived yet, I'll take a look. Don't expect too much from me, though..."

Under the various gazes, Du Long pulled out the file and read it carefully. The case occurred in a medium-sized residential area. The victim was named Zhou Lian, a bank employee, 36 years old. Her husband, Zhao Anhua, worked for a state-owned enterprise. Their financial situation was quite good, and their only daughter was in junior high school, attending a private boarding school, so she wasn't home on the night of the incident.

Zhao Anhua returned home from his night shift at 1:30 AM and quickly reported the incident to the police. After the investigation by the criminal investigation team, it was confirmed that Zhao Anhua was indeed working the night shift. He left the factory at 12:10 AM and it took about an hour to get home. Since he had breakfast downstairs, his alibi was very solid.

Zhou Lian's death was not peaceful; her face was twisted in fear, but there were no signs of a struggle in the room. The murderer might have tidied up the room after the crime. The forensic examination indicated that the victim likely died between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, giving the murderer ample time to clean the scene.

The crime scene did not yield many clues. The murderer meticulously erased all traces of his presence, such as fingerprints, footprints, and hair. The detectives even found that the victim's nails had been recently trimmed and cleaned by the murderer, indicating a high level of anti-detection skills.

Despite this, experienced detectives deduced that the murderer was likely a strong male who could easily kill the victim and was familiar with her. However, there were differing opinions. For example, Shen Yujie believed the murderer could be two or more women, as the victim was alone at home and would not easily let a strong man in. The murderer's attention to detail in handling the crime scene was impressive, and men generally do not have such meticulousness, indicating a strong ability to cover up.

The case had not yet been classified. Was it a revenge killing, a crime of passion, or a robbery? There was no concrete evidence to confirm any of these. The victim's home had indeed lost some valuables, but the door lock was intact, and there were no signs of forced entry or damage.

Zhao Anhua's relationship with his wife was not very good. Their neighbors confirmed that they had argued a few days ago. Zhou Lian was a bank employee with a stable and high income, while Zhao Anhua was a factory worker with a low income and a rotating shift schedule, which often led to conflicts. But was it enough to lead to murder?

The possibility of a revenge killing was the lowest, as Zhao Anhua and his wife generally got along well with others. Investigations revealed that they rarely had disputes in their careers or personal lives. Although the possibility of a revenge killing was not ruled out, it was almost negligible.

By the time Du Long finished reading the file, most of the people had arrived, and the restaurant began serving dishes. The smell of Sichuan-style fish quickly filled the private room.

"Finished? Any thoughts?" Huang Jiehao asked.

Du Long smiled, "Yes! Your experience and the bold assumptions and cautious verification methods you use in your investigations have really broadened my horizons!"

"Cut the flattery, and say something useful," Huang Jiehao said.

Du Long smiled wryly, "This is tough, Captain Huang. Just reading this, I can't give you a clear answer because the clues are scattered and lack a coherent connection. Unless I see the scene myself, I'd rather not speculate."

Shen Yujie and Liu Yong'an's faces showed disdain, but Huang Jiehao was not disappointed. Wei Xingbang even showed a hint of admiration. Du Long wasn't blind; he just wasn't ready to speak yet. That's what a smart person does.

Huang Jiehao put away the file and smiled, "Do you have the guts to go to the crime scene and the forensic lab with me after we finish singing?"