Chapter 16

The taxi had just started moving when the old driver, after hearing Du Long's words, immediately hit the brakes to stop the car. The old driver shook his head vigorously and said, "Brother, do you want to get me killed? Following a police car? I won't do it. You'd better find someone else."

Seeing that the police car had already driven off, leaving only its taillights visible and several other private cars in between, Du Long hurriedly said, "Driver, how about this: take me to Shijia Garden Road."

Shijia Garden is located in Guandu District. The old driver started the car again and drove forward. The old driver's driving skills were excellent, weaving through traffic. Soon, Shen Yujie's police car came into view. Du Long quickly said, "Driver, don't drive so fast. Don't overtake that police car. Just follow it slowly. I'll give you an extra ten yuan."

The old driver chuckled and said, "Young man, you've tricked me again. That police car is also going to Shijia Garden?"

Du Long nodded and said, "He lives nearby, but he might not go straight home. Oh! He's turning! Driver, please follow him. I'll pay you double the fare!"

The old driver gritted his teeth and turned into the right lane, chasing after the police car. He said, "Young man, you don't seem like a bad person. I'll help you today, but if the police catch us, I won't be responsible!"

Du Long was delighted and said, "Driver, you have a keen eye. The police officer in front is a two-timer. I want to get justice for my cousin!"

The old driver immediately agreed, "I hate those who deceive feelings the most. Young man, I'll definitely help you today! I have a baseball bat and a sack in my car. How about we sneak up behind him, put the sack over his head, and beat him up? He won't even know who did it!"

Du Long felt a cold sweat on his back. This taxi driver was too strong. He actually had a sack and a bat in his car. Was he... one of those legendary muggers?

The old driver kept cursing the two-timer. Suddenly, the police car in front turned into the non-motorized lane and stopped by the roadside. The old driver asked, "Young man, the car has stopped. What should we do now?"

Du Long looked out the window and said, "Driver, drive slowly past it. I'll see what he's doing."

The taxi slowly drove past. Du Long saw Shen Yujie get out of the car, holding a bulging brown envelope.

Shen Yujie looked around. Du Long noticed that he was wearing disposable gloves for evidence collection and even had a pair of sunglasses on, showing how cautious he was.

Shen Yujie didn't notice anything unusual. The street was busy with traffic, and the taxi Du Long was in had already passed, so Shen Yujie didn't suspect anything.

Shen Yujie walked to the sidewalk, approached a mailbox, and inserted the brown envelope. After confirming it was in place, he looked around again and then turned back to his car, quickly driving away.

Du Long took a deep look at the mailbox and turned to the old driver, saying, "Driver, what's the name of this road? Please take me to the West Ring Road gas station. Thank you."

"This is Zhengqi Road. Young man, you sound like a local. How could you not know Zhengqi Road?" The old driver laughed. "This is Zhengqi Road. You want to go to West Ring Road? Alright, I'll take you there."

Although Du Long grew up in Yuming City, he was naturally directionally challenged. He only remembered the roads near his home or those he had walked many times. He had heard of Zhengqi Road before, so he noted it down and felt relieved. Post office staff usually open the mailboxes to collect letters around 8 a.m., so Du Long had plenty of time to prepare and retrieve the brown envelope.

Du Long got out of the taxi near the West Ring Road gas station. According to the agreement, he was supposed to pay extra, but the old driver refused to take it. Du Long had to give up, thinking that there were still good people in the world!

Du Long returned to Liyuan Police Station, took a universal key and a flashlight from his toolbox, and put them in his pocket. He then returned to West Ring Road and took a taxi to Zhengqi Road.

Zhengqi Road was not a commercial area, so it was dimly lit and sparsely populated at night. This made it convenient for Du Long. Shen Yujie chose this place to mail the letter, and Du Long took advantage of it. He got out of the taxi near the post office and approached the mailbox, finding no one around.

Du Long's heart raced. He quickly put on disposable gloves, took out the universal key, and inserted it into the mailbox's keyhole. Since it was rare for anyone to steal letters from mailboxes, the lock was surprisingly easy to open. It took less than five seconds to unlock the mailbox.

Du Long shone the flashlight into the mailbox. There were only a few letters inside, and the thick brown envelope stood out. Du Long felt a surge of excitement as he took out the envelope, closed the mailbox, and quickly left.

Sitting in the back of the taxi on his way home, Du Long couldn't resist his curiosity. He opened the envelope and found a stack of developed photos, about twenty or so. Du Long examined the photos carefully and saw images that were almost cinematic.

After confirming the identity of the person in the photos, Du Long immediately put them back. His large sunglasses concealed the turmoil in his heart.

Shen Yujie had a good reason to back out. Even Du Long regretted getting involved when he saw who was in the photos. If anything went wrong, the person in the photos would be in trouble, and everyone involved would suffer.

Du Long returned home, locked the envelope in his drawer, and felt a bit better. The postal system's inefficiency was well-known. It would take at least a few days for Shen Yujie and the mysterious Old Zhang to notice and confirm that the photos were missing. As long as Du Long didn't say anything, no one would suspect him.

Du Long told his mother he was going out again and took a taxi to Crystal Palace. When he arrived at 8:30 p.m., it was half an hour before the agreed time with Huang Jiehao. He entered the private room and found that Liu Yong'an, Wei Xingbang, and others had already left. Only Huang Jiehao, Meng Hao, and Zhao Wuwei were left, and they were discussing the case instead of singing.

Seeing Du Long, Huang Jiehao immediately packed up and said, "Du, you're just in time. Let's go back to the crime scene and see if we missed any clues."

Du Long smiled and said, "Sure, I can't wait."

Huang Jiehao drove the police car to the neighborhood where the incident occurred. They had already completed their investigation of the community and the victim's neighbors, so they didn't disturb anyone this time.

When Huang Jiehao opened the door to the crime scene, a cold draft rushed out, making Du Long's scalp tingle and his arms break out in goosebumps, even though he had been to a crime scene before.

"Achoo!" Meng Hao sneezed loudly and muttered, "Why is it so cold in here?"

Huang Jiehao glanced at Du Long, who remained calm, and laughed. "This is what we call ghostly cold. Scared? Actually, it's just because the house has been empty for a couple of days, so it's colder. Houses that have been empty for a long time are always like this."

Meng Hao sneezed again and muttered, "But we were here yesterday. The house shouldn't have lost its warmth so quickly..."

Huang Jiehao ignored him and said to Du Long, "Du, according to regulations, you must wear shoe covers when entering the scene. However, since the floor has already been thoroughly examined and all footprints have been photographed and documented, you can move around freely in the room. But you must wear gloves and avoid touching anything unless necessary. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to speak up."