Chapter 25: The First Honor Banner

The situation was becoming increasingly complicated.

Previously, Cen Lian had assumed that only Hu Tingting and Chen Nan had blood on their hands, but who did the fourth bloodstain belong to?

“Is this case officially assigned to our team now?” Cen Lian asked, mindful of jurisdiction issues.

Wu Qiushan shrugged. “No choice. Hu Tingting was caught in Kang’an City, and the body was found there as well. So this case is now considered an active investigation within your precinct.”

Cen Lian felt a headache coming on. Just the four different DNA bloodstains suggested a complex backstory, and it might drag on until the end of the year.

“Handling a case in another jurisdiction is usually tough,” Wang Yuanteng said, holding a teacup so pale the color was gone, casually tossing a few goji berries from a box on Qi Yan’s desk into his cup. “But if we crack this case, the local authorities will owe us big time. That’s a huge favor.”

“Heh, I’d rather not have that kind of favor by the end of the year,” Deputy Captain Liang Xuan said as she hurried in from outside. “Who arrested Lin Xiangyuan?”

Wang Yuanteng answered immediately, “Qi Yan led Xiao Liu and the others—six people in total: four police officers and two auxiliary officers.”

Liang Xuan nodded slightly, exchanged greetings with Wu Qiushan, then addressed Wang Yuanteng and the others.

“Wear your uniforms this afternoon. Chu Yulin’s parents and the families of other victims in the Yang Xu case will be coming to present banners. Pay attention to your appearance.” She gave Cen Lian a pointed look. “Go wash your hair. You’ll stand next to the victims’ families for the photos.”

Cen Lian nodded repeatedly. He had been working overtime every day lately, and the last time he managed to wash his hair was three or four days ago.

There were still no new leads in Hu Tingting’s case, but Lin Xiangyuan was quickly arrested and brought in.

In fact, once they had basically identified the suspect, Lin’s home and workplace were closely watched, leaving him no chance to flee.

When the DNA report came back, the officers stationed at Lin’s workplace, led by Qi Yan, handcuffed him in front of everyone at the unit.

That afternoon, Lin Xiangyuan’s wife, Tian Wenwen, came to the Criminal Investigation Team.

Yuan Chenxi received her.

Cen Lian, Tang Hua, and Wang Yuanteng had just changed into their uniforms, and Yuan Chenxi called them over when she saw them.

Cen Lian, who rarely wore his uniform, felt slightly out of place as he sat down at the table.

Tian Wenwen looked pale, clearly already aware that Lin Xiangyuan was suspected of murder.

“When you called me last time, I had a bad feeling,” Tian Wenwen said, slumping in her seat. “Did he kill Xiaoyu?”

Cen Lian glanced at Yuan Chenxi but was met with a look from his junior.

No one knew how to break the news to Tian Wenwen.

Finally, Tang Hua couldn’t hold back.

“Ms. Tian, your husband Lin Xiangyuan killed Sun Xiaoyu because he didn’t want your family to find out about his premarital health examination results,” he said in one breath, revealing the truth.

Tian Wenwen closed her eyes in pain.

“I suspected as much. After your call, I pretended to ask about the premarital exam casually, and he immediately lost his temper and stormed out,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “Six years ago, I asked Xiaoyu to secretly let me know if anything was wrong with the results. But after Xiaoyu died, I never imagined it would be him.”

“You can’t blame yourself,” Wang Yuanteng offered comfort. “From what we know, your father promised Lin Xiangyuan that if he married you, he would be transferred to his current unit as a permanent employee. He had syphilis, and if your family found out, his future would be ruined. So he lied to you and harmed your friend.”

Tian Wenwen left in a daze.

“I think she’s probably going to get a medical checkup,” Cen Lian, who had been silent, finally spoke up. “She must have sensed something was wrong back then, but she trusted her husband too much and didn’t think he could do such a thing.”

Wang Yuanteng lifted his teacup from his desk.

“It’s also because Lin Xiangyuan wasn’t under suspicion at the time. Four days before the incident, Sun Xiaoyu’s schedule didn’t include gynecology because she was only temporarily helping out, so no one noticed.” Wang shook his head. “Actually, Lin’s success in killing someone had a lot to do with luck. The method was too complicated; if any part had failed, Sun Xiaoyu wouldn’t have died.”

Cen Lian agreed.

“If no one had fallen for the oxygen system sabotage, or if Sun Xiaoyu hadn’t seen the SOS signal on the hospital window—or had seen it and ignored it—this murder wouldn’t have happened. It’s just coincidence that Lin’s plan actually worked.” Cen Lian felt a twinge of regret. Sun Xiaoyu rushed to check the SOS on the window immediately because her medical ethics would not allow her to turn a blind eye.

She was willing to help Tian Wenwen check her fiancé’s premarital exam report out of kindness, hoping to protect her friend from deceit.

But in the end, kindness brought no good reward.

One wondered whether Sun Xiaoyu felt regret or disappointment when Lin Xiangyuan stabbed her in the heart.

…

Sun Xiaoyu’s case entered the interrogation and evidence consolidation phase. Cen Lian and his team were assigned to take over Hu Tingting’s dismemberment case and would no longer follow up on the former.

Around three o’clock, Yuan Chenxi notified them that the families of several victims in the Yang Xu case had arrived.

Cen Lian hurriedly tidied his uniform and went downstairs with Tang Hua and Wang Yuanteng.

Qi Yan arrived late after changing his clothes but still made it in time.

“These are the families of the victims,” Yuan Chenxi introduced them as Captain Liang continued to comfort the grieving relatives. “They were okay when they first arrived, but soon broke down in tears.”

Cen Lian wasn’t very good at facing such situations.

Every time he saw the victims’ families crying, he felt deeply unsettled.

Under Captain Liang’s guidance, they accepted the families’ gratitude and, once emotions had settled, took group photos holding the banners.

After the families left, Cen Lian looked at the banner in his hands, then at their retreating figures, feeling a heavy sigh rise within him.

For the police, the end of a case meant closure.

But for the parents who had lost their children, solving the case was only the beginning of a long, painful journey.

“Don’t dwell on it. There are other victims waiting for us to bring them justice,” Wang Yuanteng said, seeing Cen Lian’s expression and knowing what he was thinking. “The longer you work in criminal investigations, the more you get used to it.”

Cen Lian was touched by Wang’s words, but he was also watching the entrance for another reason.

Across the street from the precinct, someone wearing a speech bubble on their head sped past on an electric scooter.