“Can you tell what kind of gun?” Yan Qing put down her pen and turned her head with curiosity.

“These bullets belong to the Soviet M304-type revolver. This kind of handgun was manufactured in the Soviet Union and imported into our country two years ago, though only in limited quantities.”

He set the bullets back. “Bai Jin and I found no shell casings at the primary crime scene. There were no shell casings in or around the vehicle where the female deceased died either.”

“The killer was that careful — bringing the shell casings away from the scene?”

Shi Ting shook his head. “Bringing the casings away would be pointless — the type of firearm can still be determined from the bullet fragments. The reason there are no casings at the scene is because this type of revolver has no ejection mechanism. The casings remain inside the gun after firing. Unless he manually ejected them and loaded new rounds, no casings would be left at the scene. The M304 has six chambers. The killer used only three bullets to kill two people, so those three casings are very likely still inside that revolver.”

Yan Qing immediately understood. “So as long as we find this gun and conduct a ballistics comparison, we can confirm the murder weapon.”

“Indeed.” Shi Ting looked at her with a smile. “By the way, E’Yuan Dance Hall will be sending someone over shortly to identify a body — please receive them. I need to make another trip to the Qingyuan Villa Estate.”

The female body had been burned equally badly, with few distinctive features. In this era without DNA, identity could only be confirmed through other means. The only item belonging to this female body was the partially burned hair clip.

It was precisely this hair clip that ultimately confirmed the female body’s identity — Xiaoyan, a dancer from E’Yuan Dance Hall.

The one who came to identify her was a floor supervisor from E’Yuan Dance Hall. Xiaoyan had been the top dancer under her charge. Ever since the incident with Qin Peipei, Xiaoyan had quietly been on the verge of taking her place — a person of considerable prestige in the social circles of high society. No one had expected her to disappear before she had even truly risen to prominence.

“Miss Lu, what was the relationship between Xiaoyan and Xie Jun?” The senior officers had all gone to the Qingyuan Villa Estate, so Yan Qing could only bring along a junior officer to assist with the questioning.

Floor Supervisor Lu studied the woman in the white lab coat seated before her. Her brows were delicately drawn, her lips red and teeth white. The slight upward tilt at the corners of her mouth gave her an air of serene composure, yet her eyes were like pure crystal — faintly luminous, without a trace of cloudiness. When those eyes rested on you, they stirred no ripple, yet they seemed capable of seeing through everything.

Floor Supervisor Lu didn’t dare meet her gaze, and quickly looked away to some point on the table. She fanned herself with the folding fan in her hand with a slightly ill-at-ease air, and the scent of her perfume grew more pronounced in the small interrogation room.

“Xiaoyan had been spending a lot of time with Young Master Xie lately. Young Master Xie went to the dance hall to see her almost every day, and last night he took her out.”

Floor Supervisor Lu’s lips were a striking red. She blinked coquettishly. “It’s the rule at our hall — pay enough and you can take anyone home.”

“Did you know where Xie Jun took Xiaoyan?”

“That I don’t know. Once we’ve been paid, we don’t ask about our clients’ whereabouts.”

Floor Supervisor Lu thought for a moment. “Where did you find Xiaoyan’s body? How did she end up burned like that?”

“Floor Supervisor Lu, you only need to answer our questions. The details of the situation are not yet convenient for us to disclose. Once our investigation is concluded, we will certainly give you a full account.”

Yan Qing’s voice was cool and detached, making Floor Supervisor Lu smile uncomfortably.

“All right, all right, I won’t ask.”

“Apart from her relatively close relationship with Xie Jun, did Xiaoyan have any other clients?”

The room was quiet, with only the sound of the junior officer’s pen scratching away as he recorded the statement.

Floor Supervisor Lu’s eyes shifted. She didn’t answer right away. In that moment of hesitation, Yan Qing already knew she was weighing whether to tell the truth or lie.

So before she could speak, Yan Qing’s voice dropped a tone. “Floor Supervisor Lu, the statement you give here will be treated as evidence. If, once the case is resolved, it is discovered that you provided false information in your statement, under the laws of Shun Cheng, providing false testimony carries a sentence of two years or more. In a murder case, the penalty doubles. Floor Supervisor Lu, I advise you to think carefully. In your line of work, youth and looks are everything. Are you really willing to spend four years in a prison crawling with mosquitoes and rats? When you come out, what will you have left? Faded looks, added years. Is it worth it for someone who has nothing to do with you?”

Floor Supervisor Lu couldn’t help but look at Yan Qing again. Perhaps because they were both women, every word she said struck directly at a tender spot.

She couldn’t help thinking — if she really spent four or five years in prison, she would truly have nothing left. Thinking of this life of glittering nightlife, of clients slipping her generous tips hand over fist, of the covetous looks men gave her whenever they saw her…

She suddenly clenched her jaw hard, as if she had made up her mind. “Fine, I’ll talk. But could you first give me a cigarette?”

The junior officer immediately looked to Yan Qing for guidance. Yan Qing nodded.

Floor Supervisor Lu received the cigarette, lit it, and took two deep drags before blowing out a smoke ring. Then she began to speak slowly. “Can you keep this secret for me?”

“Certainly.” Yan Qing said. “We will ensure the witness’s safety before the case is resolved, and will not disclose any information that could threaten a witness’s personal safety.”

Floor Supervisor Lu nodded and took another draw of her cigarette. In the haze of drifting smoke, she began. “Xiaoyan used to belong to Chief of Staff Meng.”

“Chief of Staff Meng — Meng Xiangli?”

Floor Supervisor Lu gave a sound of confirmation.

No wonder Floor Supervisor Lu had been thinking of concealing it. Meng Xiangli was the third son of the Meng Family and current Chief of Staff of the First Army in Shun Cheng — holder of the city’s defensive forces. He was a prominent figure in Shun Cheng, and the power of the Meng Family on top of that made him someone ordinary people wouldn’t dare offend lightly.

“I’ve heard people say Chief of Staff Meng and Young Master Xie never got along — those two would argue every time they met. Whenever Chief of Staff Meng had his eye on a woman, Young Master Xie would try to snatch her. Xiaoyan had been serving Chief of Staff Meng all along, but somehow ended up throwing herself into Young Master Xie’s arms instead. Before Xiaoyan, there were two other women Chief of Staff Meng liked — both were stolen by Young Master Xie as well. Over that, Young Master Xie and Chief of Staff Meng had even come to blows.”

“Young Master Xie was very skilled at winning women over, and never hesitated to spend lavishly. No woman could escape his relentless pursuit. Chief of Staff Meng, by comparison, was rather poor at reading romantic situations and was quite rough with women. Given the choice, everyone would choose Young Master Xie.”

Yan Qing thought for a moment. “Last night, did Xie Jun and Meng Xiangli appear at your dance hall?”

Floor Supervisor Lu nodded. “Chief of Staff Meng arrived first, and Young Master Xie came later, but the two of them didn’t run into each other.”

“And after that?”

“After that, Chief of Staff Meng told me he wanted to take Xiaoyan. I told him Xiaoyan had already left with Young Master Xie. He looked quite displeased, though he didn’t say much more — he just called for Feifei to keep him company instead.”

“Has Feifei returned?”

“No.” After saying this, Floor Supervisor Lu looked at Yan Qing with a slightly urgent expression. “What I’ve said today puts my life at risk. You must guarantee my safety.”

“Rest assured. We will not let your testimony leak out. When you go back, carry on with your regular schedule as usual. If anyone asks, just say you came to identify a body — you know nothing else.”

Floor Supervisor Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Understood.”

No sooner had the questioning of Floor Supervisor Lu concluded than Yan Qing heard a burst of hurried footsteps coming from outside. She saw Floor Supervisor Lu to the door, and found that the people of the Military Police Directorate were all preparing to head out — everyone was putting on their uniforms and pinning on their sidearms.

After Floor Supervisor Lu left, Yan Qing asked, “What happened?”

“It’s from the Qingyuan Villa Estate — Deputy Chief Zheng came back to get more men.”

At this moment, outside the Qingyuan Villa Estate, the Military Police Directorate had tightly surrounded the perimeter. Beyond them, a group of soldiers had encircled the Military Police, both sides standing armed in a standoff.

“Director Shi, what exactly is the meaning of this?” Meng Xiangli strode out from inside in a fitted tunic suit. He was tall and powerfully built, with an imposing severity etched into his brow.

Shi Ting looked over. His brow lifted slightly. “Ah, Chief of Staff Meng is here too — my apologies for the oversight.”

Meng Xiangli laughed coldly and surveyed the Qingyuan Villa Estate, now sealed so tightly not a drop of water could pass through. “And what does Director Shi intend to do?”

“Apprehend the killer.” Shi Ting said calmly. “I ask Chief of Staff Meng to please return inside and cooperate with the investigation.”

“You suspect I’m the killer?” Irritation crept into Meng Xiangli’s expression.

“The killer is somewhere within the Qingyuan Villa Estate. As for who exactly, we’ll only know after investigation. If Chief of Staff Meng has no connection to this case, there is naturally no need for alarm — but we still require your cooperation for the inspection.”

“What if I refuse to cooperate?” Meng Xiangli narrowed his eyes. “You intend to come to blows with my men? Are you certain your bunch of useless officers can take on my regular military troops?”

Shi Ting acted as though he hadn’t caught the threat and mockery in his tone. The gaze he returned carried a few degrees of cold stillness. “The laws of Shun Cheng stipulate that all those who obstruct the Military Police Directorate from carrying out its duties shall be treated as interference with official business. In serious cases, offenders may be shot on the spot. The Military Police Directorate has full grounds for this operation. May I ask, Chief of Staff Meng, what grounds do you have for deploying your troops?”

Chief of Staff Meng narrowed his eyes and glared at Shi Ting. “I need to consult the Marshal.”

Shi Ting made a gesture. Zheng Yun immediately stepped forward, presenting a document. “Chief of Staff Meng, this is the Military Police Directorate’s search warrant — signed by the Marshal himself. Please cooperate, Chief of Staff Meng.”

Meng Xiangli took it and looked it over. Indeed, it bore the Marshal’s signature and seal. He was deeply displeased; the color drained completely from his face in an instant.

“Chief of Staff Meng.” Shi Ting looked at him, his manner neither subservient nor arrogant. “I am carrying out the Marshal’s orders. If Chief of Staff Meng has not received personal orders from the Marshal, please go inside.”

“Fine. Very well.” Meng Xiangli threw the paper to the ground and made a withdrawal signal to his troops. Watching them fall back to the side one by one, he turned away in fury and strode back into the estate.

Shi Ting gave Zheng Yun a nod. Zheng Yun turned and made a hand signal. “Search.”