Shi Ting had given only a few quick words earlier and hadn’t specified Li Haotian’s background, but Yan Qing had an instinct that this Li Haotian was no ordinary figure.

The young officer driving answered promptly, “Young Master Li Haotian is Commander Li’s only son.”

“Commander Li?”

“Miss Yan may not be aware — the Commander has a regiment stationed in Taishan, led by Commander Li Yongqi. The Li Family Army under Commander Li has never been defeated in battle, and the mere mention of the Li Family Army sends enemies fleeing in terror. Commander Li is the Commander’s most capable right-hand man, which is why he was stationed in Taishan, this strategically vital location.”

“Shouldn’t Commander Li’s son be serving in the military?”

“He only holds a nominal post in the army. Day-to-day, he’s idle and dissolute — trading on his status as Commander Li’s son to bully the weak while fearing those stronger than him. His reputation is quite notorious.”

The young officer went on at length about Li Haotian’s misdeeds, but Yan Qing’s thoughts had turned to the purpose of Shi Ting’s visit to Taishan.

He had gone out hurriedly the previous night — most likely to meet this Commander Li.

His reason for visiting Commander Li was partly at the Commander’s behest, but surely he also had his own intentions.

Now, Commander Li’s son had suddenly become entangled in a murder case — and very possibly as the killer. She didn’t believe all of this was coincidence.

Yan Qing couldn’t guess how Shi Ting intended to handle the matter, and so she spoke up. “Please drive a little faster.”

This case was no simple affair.

—

Taishan was rich in catfish, which were said to be quite delicious. A local specialty dish was “Catfish Braised with Eggplant” — reportedly irresistible once you’d tasted it. There was even a local folk saying: Catfish braised with eggplant — enough to stuff an old man senseless.

Catfish Alley was located near the seafood market, where catfish were sold in abundance, and so the alley had taken its name from them.

Li Haotian was free to carry on his indulgent ways elsewhere, but he could never bring such company back to the Li household.

For ease of amusement, he had purchased an apartment in this alley. The ground-floor unit faced south, and outside there was a small garden enclosed by iron railings — though no one tended it, and the courtyard was full of withered branches and dead leaves buried beneath a blanket of snow.

By the time Yan Qing arrived, Bai Jin was crouched outside the window searching for something.

“Deputy Bai.” Yan Qing wheeled herself forward.

Bai Jin looked up and broke into a grin. “Sister-in-law, finished with your business?”

“Done. What are you looking for?”

Bai Jin pointed to the small courtyard. “This courtyard is unattended and clearly has no regular foot traffic. But look at this.”

He used a small brush to gently sweep away the surface layer of snow, revealing a dark brown patch of ground beneath. “The snow here is noticeably shallower than everywhere else.”

“You’re right.” Yan Qing’s brow furrowed slightly.

“So I deduced that something passed over here last night, carrying away the snow that had previously fallen. When new snow fell afterward, it created a state where the middle was lower than the edges on both sides.”

Yan Qing glanced at the window just then, and her eyes lit up. The window adjacent to the small courtyard was painted blue — though the paint had been worn and weathered, leaving it somewhat flecked and faded.

“Deputy Bai, would you please collect some flakes of paint from the window frame?”

“Of course.” Bai Jin knew she never did anything without purpose, and he immediately stood to gather a few paint chips and placed them into an evidence bag.

When Yan Qing entered the apartment, she found Shi Ting standing inside with a furrowed brow.

She moved toward him and lightly tugged at the hem of his coat. He seemed to notice her only then and turned, giving her a brief smile. “Why did you come?”

“I was worried. I wanted to have a look.”

Shi Ting gestured toward the inner room. “Examiner Ren is examining the body. It appears she was strangled to death — time of death was between two and three this morning.”

Just then, two officers carried a female body out from the inner room.

Yan Qing looked at the body. The woman’s face was a livid purple, her tongue swollen and protruding, with a distinct ligature mark on her neck — all the classic signs of strangulation.

“The footprints at the scene are chaotic.” Bai Jin walked in from outside. “The madam sent people to find this apartment, and there are numerous prints on the floor. I expect that besides Li Haotian’s and the deceased’s, there are also those of the errand boys who came looking for her.”

“Take them back for comparison.”

“Understood.”

“Anything else found at the scene?”

Shi Ting shook his head. “Let’s go outside and talk.”

After everyone returned to the branch office, Chunlan’s body was placed on the autopsy table. The madam came to take one look at the body and immediately covered her eyes. “What a tragedy — how could a perfectly healthy person die like this.”

Shi Ting looked at her. “Do you know where Chunlan went last night?”

The madam’s eyes shifted. “No… I don’t.”

“Don’t lie to me. If you do, Yanque Tower will never open its doors again.” Shi Ting frowned — he had clearly run out of patience with these people and their petty games.

“Yes, yes, I’ll tell the truth. I won’t lie.” The madam had naturally read the room and understood Shi Ting’s standing here. Though she had people above her to rely on, ordinary people didn’t tangle with officials — crossing the Military Police Division would leave her with nothing good to look forward to.

“Chunlan left last night with Young Master Li.”

“What time?”

“They left after dinner and drinks — around eleven in the evening, I’d say.”

Shi Ting showed the madam a photograph of Mo Xiangrong. “Was this man with Li Haotian yesterday?”

The madam looked carefully. “Isn’t this Young Master Mo? He was Young Master Li’s guest. Young Master Li was very generous — he even gave Hongyu to him as company.”

“What time did he leave?”

“Around eleven as well, I’d say. Officer, you can ask Hongyu — she’s right out in the main hall.”

“After these two left, did either of them come back?”

“Young Master Li left with Chunlan, so naturally he wouldn’t be coming back. And Young Master Mo didn’t return either. Oh, now that I think of it — isn’t he the Wen family’s brother-in-law? He didn’t come to our Yanque Tower often, but every time he did, he spent freely. I’ve heard he goes back and forth between rich and broke — when money is short, he visits the lower-class establishments.”

“You know quite a lot,” Shi Ting said with a cold snort.

The madam laughed awkwardly. “In our line of work, you have to know your clients inside and out — their preferences and their financial situation especially.”

“All right. You may go.”

“Officer, when will you be letting us go home? We’re just about ready to open for the evening.”

Shi Ting said coldly, “A person just died in Yanque Tower, and you can’t wait to open for business?”

“Officer, business has to go on even when people die — otherwise you lose your reputation, doesn’t that make sense?”

Bai Jin frowned to himself. Remarkable — every trade in the world apparently had its own concept of professional integrity.

Shi Ting saw that keeping them there served no further purpose and had everyone sign their documents and sent them on their way.

With Chunlan’s post-mortem about to begin, Shi Ting and Bai Jin went to the interrogation room.

Inside, Li Haotian had exhausted himself from all his shouting and was slumped over the table, fast asleep.

—