Special Forces Medic-Chapter 747 - 714: The Illusion of Order

"Boss, let me tell you some good news. The mouse has finally moved. Lao Xu just sent a message." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Stop, don't lift your right foot, use your left foot to come in," Xiao Lin shouted at Shi Shuai, startling him so much that both his feet remained motionless. He felt somewhat bewildered.

"Why?" Even though he was standing still, curiosity led him to look around again. There was nothing special ahead, just a wooden floor, and it was spotless. "Is there a trap or something?"

"There's no trap, but there are footprints." Shi Shuai's appearance always relaxed people's nerves. He was the jolly figure in the team, though he was also the most restless.

"Footprints? I can't see anything!" Shi Shuai crouched down, staring ahead of his right foot with his eyes, still seeing nothing but brightness. There were two lines, apparently just drawn.

"Using this you can see it," Xiao Lin aimed the beam at the area he circled, showing a row of neat footprints. The footprint wasn't large, only half a foot, as if the person was tiptoeing.

"Wow, this thing is amazing. How can it show traces that have been handled?" Shi Shuai sidestepped the drawn area, curious about Xiao Lin's device, he asked, "Can I see it?"

Xiao Lin generously handed the flashlight to Shi Shuai. The room had been thoroughly examined, suspicious areas marked with pens.

"How do you use this thing?" Shi Shuai fiddled with the flashlight, shining it around. Reflected light made his eyes hurt.

"Don't shine this cold beam into people's eyes; it can be harmful. During investigations, I will instruct you on how to use it," said Xiao Lin, gathering the rest of the others in the room. After a specialized person photographed marks under the beam, everyone assembled in the living room. "Did anyone discover anything?"

"No discoveries at all. Everything seems orderly, as if never used. It doesn't seem like anyone lived here."

"The clothes in the room are neatly arranged, and there are creases on the sheets."

"On the balcony, there's drying clothes and a fish tank with three live fish while the rest are dead, yet the water isn't murky."

"Did you find anything?" Xiao Lin asked Shi Shuai, observing his furrowed brows.

"I haven't seen everything, but I feel something's wrong." Though he wanted to inspect the room again, Shi Shuai restrained that urge, standing to Xiao Lin's left, opposite the footprints. "First, the room's too tidy, the arrangement's too orderly, which doesn't suit the living habits of a household. Even for someone with OCD, it wouldn't be this spotless. Second, used sheets wouldn't show creases, and even laundered ones would have them but not be so evident. Third, the fish tank shows that water was changed recently, indicating the first two points were deliberate setups to confuse us."

Xiao Lin clapped, acknowledging. "You've made good points, but it's not quite the truth."

"Eh? Really?" Shi Shuai, confident in his analysis, felt unsure after Xiao Lin's remark.

"You were partly right about the third point," Xiao Lin led them past the circled area, heading to the bedroom. "There are marks on the sheets because they're new. It's an unused set, rushed as the tags are still attached," he said while flipping over the top layer, revealing a strip of tags.

"Wow, impressive noticing such small details," Xiao Lin snipped off the tag and handed it to someone to seal in a bag. "This brand has few stores in Yanjing. Check who bought these sheets recently and compile a list for review."

Xiao Lin then unveiled the bottom layer, exposing the entire bed, pressing forcefully on the middle area. "The mattress is new too; the bed's been replaced entirely. What reasons necessitate replacing a bed?"

"Damaged!"

"Dirty!"

"When did Xiao Mei die?"

"A month and a half ago," Shi Shuai answered and suddenly fell silent, scanning the room with a shocked expression.

"Why fix the bed and sheets when the person died so long ago?" Xiao Lin posed yet another question, his gaze sweeping over them as if they were all spooked. "Not ghosts, don't worry."

"I have a question. If someone died, why would they look for things here and change beds? Isn't this movement quite noticeable?" A young officer couldn't fathom it. "Plus, carrying a bed upstairs should be seen by neighbors?"

"That's exactly what you should investigate, who entered this room." Xiao Lin chuckled as he noted Xu Ming's recruits weren't foolish; they were thinkers.

"Everything's meticulously arranged in the room, not a façade but a psychological compulsion," Xiao Lin emphasized. "Some individuals have a strong perception of spatial importance, a severe mental disorder manifesting the problem. Who can explain?"

The search transformed into a course on criminal psychology, Xiao Lin purposely stood by the window, glancing outside. Xiao Mei's apartment wasn't the topmost but midpoint of the building.

"The sheets are new, items orderly, it's contradictory."

"A meticulous person wouldn't leave tags on laid sheets."

"Exactly! She was hasty, forgetting to remove tags, after changing fish tank water, not scooping out dead fish, and pots, pans from the kitchen are newly purchased and still wrapped, brand new furniture." Shi Shuai mused. "I think, was everything done just as someone moved in?"

Xiao Lin shook his head, pointing to balcony clothes. "The person is the original resident, merely replacing unnecessary items with new ones. Identify the person and you'll naturally understand."

"Boss, what about the half footprint?" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)