My Life with Narration-Chapter 303 - 300: Qiangzi Is Stunned

Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Just when I finally started to feel better, that bastard made my stomach turn again, a wave of nausea hit me.

If you’re taking a dump, can’t you wait to make a call?

At this moment, Su Qing really regretted not being the bold type. If he had the skills of a social daredevil, he would definitely hold up his phone and run around the cafeteria, letting everyone see that Du Qiang is taking a dump, making him socially dead, and unable to stay at the precinct.

But alas, he wasn’t thick-skinned enough, and besides, he didn’t know these people. Rushing up and making them watch someone else take a dump while eating was unethical for one, and he was mainly afraid of getting beaten up.

After all, this is the police precinct, where almost every man can fight, and you can’t tell which woman is particularly tough, so everything seems dangerous.

So he turned the phone around, facing Zhu Lili across from him, and they made eye contact.

"Hello, Brother Qiang!"

Beep beep beep!

Zhu Lili just greeted with a smile, and Du Qiang hurriedly hung up at the speed of light. Unsurprisingly, it probably scared him stiff.

"What’s up with Brother Qiang? Was he really taking a dump just now?" Zhu Lili asked uncertainly.

Holding back his laughter, Su Qing replied, "Who knows, when he gets back, you can ask him yourself, right?"

Judging by Du Qiang’s posture in the video, he was definitely on the toilet, serves him right for scaring people.

Hearing this, Zhu Lili just looked at him suspiciously, and the food on the table lost its appeal. Thinking back to the scene from earlier, she could almost smell it through the phone screen, and she felt a wave of retching.

"Ugh~ Ugh Ugh~~"

"Hey, hey, can you wait until I’m gone before you retch? People might think you’re having pregnancy symptoms."

"Oh, go to hell, I’m telling Li Jie you bullied me, just wait!"

Having said that, flat-board Zhu dragged her tray to another table. She really didn’t want to deal with him right now, he was just too awful, but despite some nausea, she didn’t abandon the food in front of her, as this was one of her few happy moments of the day.

As for Du Qiang, when he saw Zhu Lili, he was almost scared to death. He had diarrhea, otherwise, he might have cut off his poop. After hanging up, his feet started tapping on the ground awkwardly.

"Damn you, Su Qing, just wait till I get back, see if I don’t..."

But before he could finish, Lin Chengcai shouted from a distance, "Du Qiang! Du Qiang, where are you? Get your ass out here, you’re always in the toilet. Did you fall into the pit?!"

"Hey, hey, I’m here, I’m here! Be right there!"

Seeing this, Du Qiang could only sigh helplessly, finish his business, pull up his pants, and dive back into his hectic work.

In criminal investigation cases, searching for clues in a single room is hard enough. Not to mention, they were searching a mountain aimlessly, three months had passed, and it rained more than once. The chances of finding clues were slim, but they had to do this.

Because the case was stuck at step one, they couldn’t identify the victim, so they had to resort to this clumsy method.

They couldn’t just stop investigating because they couldn’t identify the victim, plus they were only part of the team, and others had already gone to upstream and downstream villages for investigation.

There were even parts of the bureau collecting missing persons information and reviewing records from Jiang City police stations, nearby towns, and village stations.

The power of state agencies is immense, especially now. If they really put effort into investigating, it’s impossible not to find any clues, there will always be some traces.

After all, the dumping ground here implies that the culprit’s range wouldn’t be too large. Of course, fleeing to another province was also possible, so when checking the villages, everyone asked if anyone had left home within the past three months.

As for Su Qing, after lunch, he didn’t leave either. Since he was there anyway, he might as well work a little longer, save himself from old Lin and old Zhao bugging him later.

The video went viral, Zhu Lili happily went back to brag with colleagues, while he went to old Zhao’s office.

"Have a smoke, have a smoke, stop pretending, I can tell you’re a smoker. Don’t worry, little Li went to the suburbs, it’s fine!" Zhao Minghui handed him a cigarette with a smile.

Hearing this, Su Qing accepted it, cautiously, like a minor sneaking a smoke behind their parents’ backs, which made Zhao Minghui chuckle.

Lighting up the cigarette, Su Qing took a small drag, the strong tobacco was worlds apart from his mild cigarettes, so he didn’t dare inhale too hard.

"Phew~~"

Blowing out the white smoke, Su Qing felt much more relaxed.

"Captain Zhao, how do we handle this case?" Su Qing asked.

Though appearing carefree, he was actually thinking about how to reveal leads since he had no idea how to crack a case without identifying the victim.

But if he disclosed the information he had, he couldn’t explain it, which was frustrating. Knowing but unable to say anything was truly unbearable for most people.

Hearing this, Zhao Minghui leisurely took a drag on his cigarette and smiled, "What’s the rush? The victim’s been dead for three months, whatever happened has already happened, just investigate slowly, there will be clues."

This wasn’t a serial murder case, nor was the victim alive, needing the police to solve it in a short time for rescue. There’s plenty of time, no sense of urgency.

Not to mention, after three months, if the culprit wanted to run, they would’ve done so long ago. Rushing now would be useless.

An experienced detective’s psychological resilience was fully displayed.

"Have you thought of a method?" Su Qing asked eagerly.

To this, Zhao Minghui laughed, "What’s so difficult about it? Just wait."

"Wait?"

"Yeah, what else can we do? We don’t have any clues now, and we can’t confirm the identity. Getting anxious won’t help. As long as we wait a bit longer, there will be news. Think about it, no one reported it for three months. Is that usual? But to say she had no relatives or friends, I don’t believe it. There must be some special reason. As time passes, her acquaintances will naturally notice and report it. I’ve already spread the word."

When someone disappears for three months without a report, it might be due to personal reasons. In today’s society, there are many who go a long time without a word. Those around them might not realize, but once they see the police release the information, they’ll naturally think more.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing thought it made a lot of sense. By five in the afternoon, people from the criminal investigation department were gradually returning, and nearly everyone looked glum. Clearly, the investigation wasn’t going smoothly.

Everyone then went to the meeting room for a brief meeting, reporting the progress from various aspects and formulating the next plan.

Su Qing was present but, being a newbie in others’ fields of expertise, he dared not to speak up.

Surveillance, interviews, autopsy, and data collection—of the four responsible teams, only the interviewers brought back some information, though it’s still uncertain if it’s useful.

After the meeting, Zhao Minghui and Lin Chengcai, each with their apprentices and Su Qing, continued their analysis in the office.

"Du Qiang, Little Li, and I were responsible for the upstream riverbank. We didn’t find any useful clues, but when I put myself in the killer’s shoes, I discovered a relatively easier path.

Du Qiang found a lighter, which I sent for examination, but no cigarette butt was found. It’s been too long. Old Han, responsible for the downstream, also had no news.

However, Xiao Zhou reported that the murder weapon is suspected to be a Bone-Carving Knife or similar tool. Bone-Carving Knifes are mostly used for slaughtering pigs or sheep, and they are commonly found in marketplaces. Through the interviews, several people engaged in this trade were found upstream and downstream. All are currently at home, with no unusual activity, so we didn’t pursue it further. Here’s the list." Lin Chengcai placed a list on the desk.

An experienced old detective’s insights are invaluable. Being able to start from the suspected murder weapon type is experience itself.

After all, a Bone-Carving Knife is not like a kitchen knife; not every household has one.

Zhao Minghui nodded. At this stage of mobile clues, it’s not the time for bold assumptions: "Thanks for the hard work. Let’s focus on interviewing the families of those involved in pig slaughtering or selling."

"Don’t worry, I’ve already given instructions, and it won’t be missed. For now, the priority remains the victim’s identity, followed by narrowing the scope. Otherwise, the workload is too overwhelming. We can’t handle it, and pulling in more officers isn’t a long-term solution, either."

"Indeed. Xiao Su, do you have anything to add?" Zhao Minghui asked.

At this moment, Su Qing was listening to a voiceover in his head.

[The suspect range is narrowed to families associated with Bone-Carving Knife professions.]

Upon hearing this, Su Qing squinted his eyes.

Based on his elementary reading comprehension, this sentence doesn’t mean the killer’s job is related to Bone-Carving Knifes but rather someone in their family works in a profession using such tools. Otherwise, the voiceover would directly inform him of the killer’s occupation, without mentioning the family.

When old Zhao asked, Su Qing let out an "Ah," drawing everyone’s attention to him.

"Ah what? They’re asking if you have anything to add. It’s okay, speak your mind; there’s nothing wrong with being wrong, especially at this point," Lin Chengcai encouraged.

Compared to old Zhao, he understood communication better, being knowledgeable in psychology.

"Oh, I think the killer is likely a man. Given the terrain, a woman wouldn’t manage it. Even two women would struggle. And this man must be quite muscular. Someone like me, I just couldn’t carry a body so far in the mountains."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room nodded, agreeing with his point. But agreement doesn’t equal the truth. Still, at this stage of bold hypotheses, it’s okay to talk. Besides, the two old pros have always wanted to guide him more.

Then Su Qing continued: "Also, I don’t think the killer necessarily works with Bone-Carving Knifes. It might be that someone in his family does and conveniently has such tools. We should investigate whether the people on this list have sons, and their age should at least be close to the victim’s."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chengcai was enlightened: "Exactly, the youngest person on this list is in their forties, with some older than sixty. But if they have sons, it’s worth paying more attention."

With a new perspective, everyone felt they’d gained a lot.

Without progress in a case, those involved naturally worked overtime. Of course, most gathered to brainstorm strategies, like privately holding small meetings.

By seven in the evening, most had left work. Su Qing, Li Zijun, and Du Qiang, three young people, exited the station and went to a nearby street, finding a stall selling skewers.

"Boss, ten meat skewers, three chicken skins, three fish tofu. What about you two, want something? It’s on me," said Du Qiang in his casual clothes.

Before Li Zijun could reply, a voiceover sounded in Su Qing’s mind.

[Eating this meal will require a lot of physical effort, racing a vehicle. Advisable not to eat!]

Though unclear on its meaning, he reached out to stop Li Zijun: "Just order something, we’ll check out the front stalls and meet you later!"

Confused but silent, Li Zijun nodded, and seeing this, Du Qiang didn’t press, "Alright, boss, how much for these?"

"Altogether 22."

Saying this, Du Qiang paid promptly, but as he completed the transaction, a shout came from afar.

"The city inspectors are coming, city inspectors are coming!"

Hearing this, the stall owner immediately turned off the stove, covered it, got on the tricycle, and fled.

Du Qiang: ...

"Hey, hey, I paid you! Wait, boss!"

"Run with me, we’ll meet at the intersection ahead!"

Du Qiang: ...

...