“Don’t move!” Lin Wan grabbed Lu Zheng, who was about to step forward. “Be careful not to disturb the scene.”
“Oh.” Lu Zheng nodded.
No choice, it was a habit. Seeing a dead body made him want to check it first.
Cough, that was a joke, of course, but Lu Zheng was indeed a bit unaccustomed to modern criminal investigation habits.
“I’ll call Captain Li.” Lin Wan took out her phone and dialled, turning to Lu Zheng. “Why are we even here?”
Lu Zheng blinked. “Looking for a quiet place to… practice boxing?”
Lin Wan rolled her eyes, then nodded. “Fine, no better reason, so that’ll do.”
…
After the call, Lin Wan and Lu Zheng stayed at the scene, waiting.
Lin Wan suddenly asked, “By the way, now that I’ve developed a sense of qi, can I learn your method of tracking auras?”
Lu Zheng: Õ_Õ
Why hadn’t he considered that Lin Wan could progress so quickly in martial arts?
Lu Zheng blinked, scratched his face, looked left, then right, anywhere but at Lin Wan.
Seeing his expression, Lin Wan knew she’d been fooled again.
Lin Wan pursed her lips. She knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
Even after developing martial blood qi, she didn’t feel her learning ability had improved much.
So, by extension, sleight of hand was one thing, but claims of mastering music or calligraphy easily were clearly unreliable.
She twisted Lu Zheng’s arm but didn’t press further, instead asking, “Can you find the killer from this body?”
“I’ll try.”
Lu Zheng nodded, performed an aura-observing technique, and extracted a few traces from the plastic bag.
Seeing Lu Zheng raise an eyebrow, Lin Wan asked, “Well?”
“Found it,” Lu Zheng said. “Lucky break. No killer’s aura on the body, just some faint traces on this big garbage bag, likely the killer’s. But they’re weak. Two more days, and they’d be gone.”
“Where?” Lin Wan’s eyes lit up.
Lu Zheng looked northeast, nodding in that direction, then turned to Lin Wan. “Problem is, what’s our excuse?”
Lin Wan said, “No rush. Once the body’s identified, we’ll check the killer. The connections will come naturally.”
“Like the kidnapping case last time?”
“Exactly!” Lin Wan snapped her fingers.
Lu Zheng said, “But this aura only lasts half a day. I’ll go confirm it now, so we don’t lose it.”
“Go for it!” Lin Wan nodded.
Confident the case would be solved, since Lu Zheng had locked onto the killer so quickly, Lin Wan wasn’t about to be fussy.
…
An hour later, Li Jinglin arrived with Huang Xiumin, Liang Yuandong, and a team of police.
“Wow, you two came here to practice boxing?” Huang Xiumin raised an eyebrow at Lin Wan, giving a knowing look.
Lin Wan’s teammates started surveying the scene with blank faces, sparing her embarrassment, lest she use them as punching bags later.
Twitching her lips, Lin Wan resisted the urge to punch Huang Xiumin’s chest, saying irritably, “It’s quieter here. We didn’t want a crowd.”
“Right, right!” Huang Xiumin nodded with a grin. “You’re always right!”
Lin Wan: (▼皿▼#)
Huang Xiumin: (.❛ᴗ❛.)
Li Jinglin, exasperated, pulled Huang Xiumin aside and asked formally, “When did you find the scene, and from which direction did you approach?”
This was to distinguish their traces from the killer’s.
…
After giving statements, Lin Wan joined the investigation on-site, while Lu Zheng was free to leave.
Exchanging a glance with Lin Wan, Lu Zheng got in the car and followed the aura’s trail into the city.
…
Kanghui Building.
Twenty-seventh floor.
Zhengtong Accounting Firm.
Lu Zheng, holding a milk tea, used an illusion to bypass the receptionist’s sight and entered the office area, stopping at the third-to-last office.
Through the office blinds, Lu Zheng saw a middle-aged man with glasses working diligently at his computer.
Lu Zheng picked up a brochure nearby, which detailed the man.
Liu Weiming, certified public accountant, PhD in economics, Columbia University graduate, formerly at PwC. Three years ago, he co-founded Zhengtong Accounting Firm.
A high-quality man!
Lu Zheng clicked his tongue. This guy, a killer who dumped a body?
“Talk of kings and riches, fear no laws or rules…”
The ringtone sounded. Lin Wan was calling.
“Hello?”
“Who’s the killer?” Lin Wan asked over the phone.
“An accountant,” Lu Zheng said, not teasing. “Named Liu Weiming.”
Lin Wan frowned. “An accountant?”
“What? Wrong?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “Who’s the victim?”
“A sex worker,” Lin Wan said flatly.
“Uh…” Lu Zheng smacked his lips, surprised.
“Her social connections are complex, tough to trace,” Lin Wan said, then laughed. “But with the result known, it’s simple.”
“How so?”
Lu Zheng glanced back, then walked away, talking as he went. “Start with her clients?”
“Obviously!” Lin Wan laughed. “Her phone’s gone, but the carrier has all her call records. We’ll question them one by one, focusing on his weak points.”
“Impressive!” Lu Zheng left the firm, pressed the lift button, and became visible.
“Huh?”
The receptionist blinked, catching only Lu Zheng’s back as he entered the lift. “Was someone there just now?”
…
“Case closed!”
That evening, as Lu Zheng pondered returning to ancient times or waiting for Lin Wan, she called. “I’ll be busy tonight. Don’t wait.”
“That fast?” Lu Zheng was speechless.
“Follow the result to find clues. If that’s not fast, what am I doing?” Lin Wan said. “Plus, he was sloppy, left plenty of evidence.”
Lin Wan paused. “We also cracked a tax evasion case.”
“What?”
“The victim caught Liu Weiming faking accounts for a company and blackmailed him. In a struggle, he accidentally strangled her.”
“That convenient?”
“Yeah.” Lin Wan nodded. “The amount was huge. Exposure would’ve ruined his career, so in a moment of impulse, he killed and dumped her.”
“Alright…”
“Also…” Lin Wan’s voice carried a smile. “Solving a murder case means a bonus and leave, so we can go out for National Day.”
“Awesome!”
Lu Zheng snapped his fingers. “This time, let’s enjoy some ancient Roman history and Mediterranean vibes.”
Lin Wan laughed over the phone. “Hope nothing goes wrong this time.”
