A Psych Case Just Joined the Team Chapter 014

Black Hand – 02

---

"Blindy went to the deceased's rented apartment today and found a suspicious man under the bed, he's already been brought back to the station by our colleagues."

"Let's go."

Xing Zui uttered the two words, then turned and walked out of the alley...

The car sped off and reached the Fengjing Garden estate in just over ten minutes. Neilan Street was located in the southern part of the city, thriving and bustling, and closely connected to the city centre. In contrast, the western part of the city was a forgotten slum, detached, dilapidated, completely out of step with the ever-evolving modern world. The old communal residential buildings had been deeply rooted in place since their inception, carrying an air of disconnection that only intensified the longer one wandered among them.

Several years ago, the government launched a redevelopment project for Neilan Street. As a result, the desolate western outskirts of the city were replaced by a cluster of resettlement apartments. The original residential buildings of what had once been called "Linglan Street" were all torn down and reduced to nothing. A few years later, what had been nothing but rubble and ruin had transformed completely. Under the hand of capitalism, it had grown into a nocturnal city teeming with gaudy lights and decadent luxury. Tangible wealth and carnal desire fermented endlessly, breeding one greedy heart after another.

In the space of just a few years, the south and west of the city had become two entirely opposite directions. One led to paradise, unchecked, with a misstep landing you straight in hell. The other led to stability, an unchanging path ending in a dull, monotonous life.

Outside Fengjing Garden estate hung a sign that read "No Vehicle Parking". Qing Ming got out of the car, intending to greet the security guard. Inside the guard's room sat only an elderly man. An old opera was playing from a crackling radio, and the man had dozed off. Qing Ming knocked on the window for quite a while without getting a response. If it weren't for the old man's snoring, he would've suspected he'd... passed away???

Xing Zui parked the car on the side of the road and, together with Qing Ming, headed to building 123, unit 2, on the sixth floor, where the deceased had lived. It was immediately obvious that many of the estate's safety signs were entirely decorative, one clearly stated "No Open Flames", and yet downstairs, elderly residents were still using wood-fired kettles to boil water. These were old-fashioned cylindrical metal boilers, with a curved spout and a water inlet at the top. The base was hollow and raised, allowing a lit match to be inserted underneath. The fire would burn until the water boiled, then flow from the spout.

The scent of burning wood reached Qing Ming's nose, it smelled authentic, rustic, and honest.

The two of them climbed to the fourth floor in one go, then slowed their pace. The already narrow, cramped corridor was now packed with residents keen to watch the commotion. It was mostly middle-aged women who passed time gossiping and speculating about local drama.

Xing Zui squeezed through a group of aunties and entered room 607. A few detectives were still inside, and one of them greeted Xing Zui. He took a pair of latex gloves from one of the officers, and at that moment, Xie Xun emerged from one of the rooms, drawn by the sound.

Xie Xun: "Boss."

Xing Zui: "How did you find the suspect?"

Xie Xun: "Since the deceased had rented the place alone, I brought the landlord over this morning to open the door. As soon as I walked into the deceased's room, I noticed a smell of smoke in the air... I thought it was strange, as the information Fang Lai provided showed that the deceased didn't have a boyfriend, there was no sign of a man ever having lived here, and the deceased also didn't smoke... So I began to suspect someone else might've been in the apartment. Total blind luck, I casually glanced under the bed and ended up finding that pervert. Fuck! Scared the hell out of me..."

These old-style resettlement apartments were typically one-bedroom units with a lounge, kitchen, and bathroom. Due to their remote location, the rent for a whole apartment was just over a thousand yuan a month. The deceased's room faced south, but due to the weather, even with the curtains drawn open, the room was still a little dim and especially desolate.

Just inside the doorway was a shoe rack, with the shoes arranged neatly. The light was switched on, and Xing Zui glanced around. The apartment was tidy, and although it wasn't large, the placement of the furniture made it appear spacious and cosy, with a good visual effect. Several bottles of cosmetics sat on the dressing table, all lined up precisely. The clothes in the wardrobe were arranged by season, categorised and orderly. It wasn't hard to tell that the woman who had lived here had obsessive tendencies.

Xing Zui's gaze inadvertently landed on the wastebasket beside the dressing table. A piece of paper inside caught his attention...

At that moment, Xie Xun said, "The deceased's name was Lin Lin. She got along well with her colleagues, but didn't have many friends and hadn't fallen out with anyone. She'd always been single, and her daily routine was basically just work and sleep, she rarely went to bars or places like that. On the day of the incident, she attended a middle school reunion, which went on until midnight. She was killed after that."

Xing Zui's gaze swept across every corner of the apartment. "The deceased led a disciplined life, she probably didn't wear makeup regularly."

Xie Xun replied, "Didn't wear makeup? These days, how many women actually go barefaced? This..."

Xing Zui shot him a glance. "Just because you're called Blindy doesn't mean you have to actually be blind." As he spoke, he turned and picked up a bottle of perfume from the dressing table and continued, "All these cosmetics have only recently been opened and used, this bottle of perfume still has the label on."

Then he shifted the topic, "Get me the list of people who attended the middle school reunion with the deceased yesterday."

Xie Xun looked puzzled. "But we just caught a suspect, he's our strongest lead right now, why not investigate him thoroughly instead of looking into her old classmates? Fengzi's already confirmed the deceased left the bar alone last night."

Xing Zui said, "The high heels the deceased was wearing when she died were bought only two days ago." He handed Xie Xun the note he had just picked out of the wastebasket. Xie Xun took a look and saw that it was a receipt. In the item column, it clearly read 'New Kokani high heels'.

Xing Zui: "The deceased's shoe rack only has trainers and casual shoes, which shows she didn't usually wear high heels. But for this school reunion, not only did she buy a pair of heels in advance, she also deliberately put on makeup. It's very likely that there was someone at that gathering she cared about deeply."

Xie Xun suddenly had a lightbulb moment. He clapped his hands and said, "Women dress up for the ones they admire."

"That pervert you just caught, if he really were the killer, would he kill the victim and then crawl back under her bed just to wait for you guys to catch him? No killer would be that stupid."

Xie Xun had to admit it made sense.

Xing Zui walked out of the rented apartment and saw Qing Ming chatting animatedly with a group of aunties. With both hands tucked into the side pockets of his pants, he brushed past Qing Ming without so much as a glance. Whether it was his build or his looks, Xing Zui stood out too much to go unnoticed. Unsurprisingly, the attention of Qing Ming and the aunties quickly shifted to him as he descended the stairs.

One older woman with curly hair leaned in and asked softly, "Young man, is that handsome man your colleague?"

"He's our captain."

"Oh my, how old is he? He looks quite young to already be your captain."

Another aunty chimed in, "Does your captain have a partner?"

Qing Ming scratched his head. "I really don't know about that."

Worried that Xing Zui might drive back to the station on his own, Qing Ming quickly wrapped up the barrage of questions and caught up with Xing Zui.

"Senior, you walk so slowly, I'm starting to suspect you are waiting for me on purpose."

"You ran ahead like that, did you find a new lead?"

Qing Ming followed closely behind and asked, "How did you know I was digging for information?"

Xing Zui gave a calm smile. "What else could it be? If you told me you spent all that time talking to the aunties outside the deceased's apartment just to flirt or exchange tips on square dancing, I might just smash your damn head in."

Qing Ming muttered inwardly, "This guy... his mood swings are so unpredictable, he's not even a woman, could it be that he's on their period?" Outwardly, though, he remained perfectly innocent.

"Wise as ever, Senior. The aunties were just too friendly, so I thought I might as well have a proper chat... An old lady living directly opposite the deceased said she always came and went alone, she never saw her bring anyone else back... Since the deceased only moved in a few months ago, she didn't really interact much with the neighbours upstairs or down. The only one who had any contact with her was the lady downstairs, Aunt Zhao. Last month, water leaked from the air conditioner pipe on the deceased's balcony and soaked the washing Aunt Zhao had hung out to dry. Aunt Zhao's husband left a note on the deceased's door, and when she got home that evening, she went down to apologise in person. The next day, she even brought in someone to fix the air conditioner pipe properly. That Aunt Zhao had a great impression of her, said she was a very well-mannered young woman."

Having said that, Qing Ming leaned in, putting on a mysterious air. "Senior, I've got something good for you." Saying that, he casually pulled an apple wrapped in a tissue from his jacket pocket and held it out to Xing Zui, wearing the eager, dopey grin of a golden retriever trying to please.

"It's clean, I washed it."

Xing Zui hesitated for a moment, then looked up at him with what seemed like an indifferent glance. Qing Ming instantly straightened up, putting on a serious expression.

"Kid, where did you get this from?" Xing Zui said, snatching the apple in one swift move.

"Used my beauty in exchange for it, purely a gesture of filial respect to you, Senior, no need to repay me with your body."

Xing Zui gave him a meaningful look, then replied calmly, "Thanks."

Xing Zui finished the apple in a few bites, and the two of them headed back to the station, where Mu Sen had passed along the autopsy report through Tang Xin. Fang Lai had also sent over the details of the suspect they'd arrested that morning at Lin Lin's apartment. Though Xie Xun usually behaved like a careless mutt, he was extremely efficient at his job. By now, he had already emailed Xing Zui the list of classmates from the middle school reunion, as well as some information on Lin Lin's school life.

Suspect: Yuan Zhiqiang, male, twenty-six years old, unmarried. Previously worked for three years at a home appliance repair company, resigned two days ago and is currently unemployed. No prior criminal record.

The door to the interrogation room opened, and Yuan Zhiqiang looked up to see a very tall officer walking in. He had thought there would be more people following, but once Xing Zui closed the door behind him and cast an icy glance in his direction, the chill of his stern presence sent a faint shiver through Yuan Zhiqiang's chest.

Xing Zui pulled out a chair with one hand and sat down, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Say it then, what were you doing hiding under a girl's bed?"

Yuan Zhiqiang rubbed his hands together, deliberately avoiding eye contact. "I went in to steal something, but when I heard someone at the door, I panicked and hid under the bed, then you guys caught me."

Xing Zui gave a polite smile. "Well, I do apologise for interrupting your little scheme." His smile faded, and his tone turned cold. "There were no signs of forced entry, and the apartment's on the sixth floor, how exactly did you get in?"

"I... I just pushed the door open, it wasn't locked..."

At that, Xing Zui raised his brows slightly and asked, "The victim's name is Lin Lin. You know her, don't you?"

Yuan Zhiqiang froze, and his expression clearly shifted. The leg he'd tucked beneath the table twitched slightly as he forced himself to calm down. Though the question had been phrased casually, the man opposite him had delivered it with a tone that allowed no denial. After a brief pause, Yuan Zhiqiang finally opened his mouth slowly, "Yes... We were classmates in middle school and high school."

"We've already checked, last month, Lin Lin requested a home repair service through Gree Electric, and the technician sent over by Gree was you. You've had a crush on her since middle school, so that day, while Lin Lin wasn't paying attention, you secretly made a copy of her house key. As for what exactly you were planning while hiding under her bed, those filthy thoughts, you don't need me to repeat them, do you?"

Yuan Zhiqiang didn't say anything.

"Don't challenge my bottom line. You know the principle of leniency for those who confess and severity for those who resist, right?" Xing Zui had a nonchalant expression on his face, but his tone left no room for argument.

Yuan Zhiqiang replied, "Yes, I like her... I've liked her since middle school. But I never dared to tell her. Back then, her grades were average, but she always worked hard, and she was always kind-hearted. Later, I found out she liked another boy in our class. That boy had good grades and came from a wealthy family, so I didn't dare confess my feelings to her. My grades were poor, and my family was struggling, I knew I was just a toad dreaming of eating swan meat."

"The male classmate you're talking about should be Song Xincheng, right?"

Yuan Zhiqiang nodded.

"Are you aware that Lin Lin was murdered last night?"

Hearing those words from Xing Zui, Yuan Zhiqiang visibly froze. "You... what did you say? Lin Lin was murdered? Murdered how?"

"She was found dead in an alley behind a bar just after six o'clock this morning."

Yuan Zhiqiang hadn't yet recovered from the shock of hearing Lin Lin was dead. He clutched his head with both hands and buried his face in the table in apparent anguish.

"How could this happen..."

Xing Zui knocked his knuckles on the table. "Where were you between one and three o'clock this morning?"

Yuan Zhiqiang kept his head down, and his voice was barely audible. "I knew Lin Lin usually came home around ten thirty at night. At ten, I used the key I'd copied earlier to open her front door, and I crawled under the bed to wait for her to come home... but I waited all the way until the next morning, and she still didn't come back. I couldn't fight the urge to smoke and ended up lighting a cigarette. Just as I finished, I heard the door opening. I froze... and then you guys caught me."

"How can you prove you were in Lin Lin's apartment the whole time? What if you killed her, then went back to her place and hid under the bed?"

"I didn't kill Lin Lin! I didn't kill her!"

Yuan Zhiqiang's voice suddenly rose in volume, showing no awareness of his loss of composure.

"I loved her so much, how could I kill her!"

With that, Yuan Zhiqiang lowered his head again and broke into sobs. Men don't cry easily, not unless they're truly heartbroken. What should have come across as pitiful now seemed all the more pathetic and helpless in the midst of his feeble, wavering sobs...

In his years working as a detective, Xing Zui had witnessed every kind of crying imaginable: the grief of victims' families upon learning their loved ones had been killed... the bitter regret of criminals confessing their crimes when confronted with undeniable evidence... the despair of men imprisoned for accidental killings, and the breakdowns of their wives and children unable to accept the truth... and the tears of those wrongly accused, finally proven innocent, and released from the label of criminal...

In contrast to Yuan Zhiqiang's emotional breakdown, Xing Zui remained composed. He silently pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to the man, then crossed one leg over the other and fished out another candy... waiting for Yuan Zhiqiang to finish crying.

By the time Xing Zui had eaten his third candy, Yuan Zhiqiang had finally calmed down from his earlier grief. He picked up the tissue Xing Zui had set aside for him and murmured quietly, "Thanks."

After steadying himself, Yuan Zhiqiang began to speak again: "After finishing high school, I went to a technical college for electronics and appliances and never saw Lin Lin again. But all these years, I've never forgotten her. I ran into her again about a month ago... Back then, I was still working for Gree Electric. The company sent me to Fengjing Garden estate to fix a leaking air conditioner pipe for a resident. The moment the door opened, I recognised her straight away."

Yuan Zhiqiang wiped his nose and continued, "I never dreamt Lin Lin would actually remember me... Back in school, we never even spoke once. I'd always liked her in silence. When she said my name, I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even get my words out... Then she asked me if I'd be going to a high school reunion the following month. I told her I wasn't, after graduating, because I'd never kept in touch with any of my classmates. She seemed a bit disappointed, but didn't press the matter."

At this point, he looked up and saw Xing Zui staring at him, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

Xing Zui said coolly, "Go on."

Yuan Zhiqiang went on: "After I'd fixed the air conditioner pipe, I noticed her toilet flush mechanism was broken too, so I helped repair that while I was at it... She stayed in the kitchen cooking the whole time, and once dinner was ready, Lin Lin asked me to stay and eat. I didn't want to at first, but I saw that flicker of disappointment in her eyes, and it felt like someone had tugged at my heart. In the end, I couldn't say no. That meal was the best, warmest meal I've had in the six years I've been living in Dang City."

"Then why hide under her bed?"

"It was from that moment that I realised that I'd never stopped loving Lin Lin. I fell for her all over again, and I realised just how much I liked her. I wanted to see her, to look at her... So when she wasn't looking, I took one of her soap bars and used it to make an impression of her door key. Later, I had a locksmith make a copy... I swear, I only wanted to see her while she was asleep, I never meant to do anything beyond that."

Xing Zui gave a cold laugh. "Do you even believe yourself?"

——————————

When Xing Zui left the interrogation room, Cui Jingfeng had already returned. As usual, Xing Zui gathered the team for a meeting.

Xing Zui: "You've all seen the autopsy report by now. Forensics have confirmed that the deceased, Lin Lin, died of mechanical asphyxiation, and there was no sexual assault. The forensics team also found traces of vomit containing the victim's stomach acid at the entrance of the alley, and her stomach contents tested positive for high levels of alcohol, confirming Lin Lin was likely intoxicated at the time of death. She also had multiple significant abrasions on her heels and back... Putting this together, it's clear she was forcibly dragged into the alley and assaulted, resulting in death... What are everyone's thoughts on this case?"

Fang Lai said, "I pulled up all the surveillance footage from Neilan Street around the time of the murder and didn't find any suspicious individuals, so I think the killer is familiar with the area and knows how to avoid the cameras."

Xie Xun said, "Lin Lin was just an ordinary office worker. Aside from her looks, she doesn't have any particularly noteworthy traits. I think the murderer is very likely Yuan Zhiqiang, who killed Lin Lin out of hatred born of love. He used to work for an appliance repair company, and a year ago his assigned area was Neilan Street. He'd know the layout well enough to avoid cameras, slip back into Lin Lin's apartment, and create a false alibi."

Qing Ming, however, disagreed. "Based on the way the murder was carried out, the killer left no traces before or after the crime. That either means he's a born killer, has the instincts for it, or this wasn't his first time. But oddly, he left behind his... ahem, semen. A killer who does that is probably acting with one of two intentions. First, to derive some kind of sexual pleasure from killing. Second, to provoke the police. Killers like this don't usually pick their targets at random. There must've been something about the victim, one trait or a combination, that met some criteria in the killer's mind. Yuan Zhiqiang is indeed highly suspicious, but if he really had murdered Lin Lin and left no evidence, he could've just disappeared. There's no reason for him to go back to Lin Lin's apartment, hide under the bed, and wait for us to come and arrest him."

"I agree with Qing Ming," Cui Jingfeng said. "If Yuan Zhiqiang were the killer, going back to Lin Lin's apartment would've been suicidal, it'd be throwing himself straight into the net."

Xie Xun said, "Or maybe it was intentional, to confuse us and throw us off."

Xing Zui: "Fang Lai, pull all the surveillance footage near Lin Lin's home from the day of the murder, let's see if we can find any trace of Yuan Zhiqiang..."

Xie Xun: "Isn't that basically helping Yuan Zhiqiang clear his suspicion?"

Qing Ming: "My intuition says Yuan Zhiqiang isn't the killer."

Xie Xun wasn't happy, after all, he'd personally apprehended Yuan Zhiqiang. During the arrest, Yuan Zhiqiang had landed a few punches while resisting, and up till now, he was their only prime suspect. Pulling an all-nighter and working tirelessly to clear his suspicion, that... isn't that just having the heart of a saint?

Still not ready to give in, Xie Xun asked, "Boss, how are you so sure Yuan Zhiqiang isn't the killer?"

Xing Zui slowly lifted his eyes. "Whatever the case, until we get the test results back on the semen found under the victim's armpit, we should be doing something..."

Xing Zui tapped his firm jaw lightly with fingers calloused from handling firearms. "This murder won't be that simple. None of the nearby surveillance picked up the killer. That tells us he's got some counter-investigation skills. If we don't catch him soon, there's a real risk of another similar case."

At these words, everyone present lowered their heads, lost in thought and silent...

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: July 4, 2025 by Angel

Edited: August 21, 2026 by Angel