Yan Qing placed the cup from the table into his hand: “If Bald Two wasn’t lying, perhaps Fan Dabao’s wife is also worth looking at.”

Shi Ting looked at her: “I’ve already had someone bring her in to the military police department for questioning.”

At that moment, Bai Jin shouldered open the door, carefully guarding a wooden board in his hands.

“Seventh Brother, the glass is reassembled.”

Bai Jin set the board on the desk. “Young Wen is a capable one — he worked from morning until now without even stopping to eat.”

While some of the finest fragments could not be recovered, the overall shape of the glass had been restored. To everyone’s satisfaction, there was a missing piece in the center — the gap forming an irregular elongated triangle, with one end coming to a sharp point.

Yan Qing asked Bai Jin to fabricate a simulated weapon based on the shape of the missing piece. If it could be matched to the wounds on the body, it would confirm that Fan Dabao had been killed by this glass shard.

Shi Ting said: “What’s the progress on Shi Hao’s end?”

“Shi Hao hasn’t come back yet, but he’s already done a thorough sweep. I’m confident the results won’t disappoint us.”

Yan Qing guessed what was happening: “You’re looking for the murder weapon?”

Shi Ting nodded: “After killing Fan Dabao, the killer took the weapon away from the scene. He’s a night-shift worker at the textile factory and would have returned to the shantytown. He couldn’t take the weapon home, so the most likely scenario is that he discarded it somewhere along the way. There’s only one road between the factory and the shantytown, with vegetation on both sides — ideal for concealment.”

Yan Qing smiled: “Walnut gets to show off again.”

“He’s been terribly lazy lately.” Bai Jin complained. “Won’t budge an inch without a piece of beef. Is this raising a dog or waiting on a canine lord?”

“The canine lord has scored.” Shi Hao came in from outside with a wide grin on his face, holding an evidence bag containing a blood-stained piece of glass.

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

“This is what our canine lord found.” Shi Hao handed the evidence to Shi Ting. “The road from the factory back to the shantytown isn’t long, but the weeds alongside it are dense and the area is wide. Without Walnut, we’d probably have been searching for three more days and nights.”

Yan Qing pictured Walnut’s smug little expression upon finding the murder weapon, and allowed herself a quiet smile.

Shi Ting compared the reassembled glass Bai Jin had put together with the piece Shi Hao had found — the missing portion was a perfect match. He handed the evidence bag to Yan Qing. “Hand this over to you and Doctor Gu Zhen.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll have results within an hour.”

Yan Qing took the murder weapon and left Shi Ting’s office.

In under an hour, she and the plump white-coated doctor returned.

The doctor adjusted the small glasses on his nose: “While we can’t yet confirm whether the blood on it belongs to the victim himself, Consultant Yan has compared it to the victim’s wounds and confirmed — this piece of glass is the weapon that killed the victim. Additionally, I found something else on the glass.”

He placed what he had found before everyone. It was several fine, hair-like strands of material.

“What is this?” Bai Jin’s face nearly pressed up against it.

“Carbon fiber. Don’t let its softness fool you — it’s stronger than steel.” The doctor explained: “These carbon fibers were embedded in the blood residue. I extracted them. The clothing the victim was wearing at the time of death was cotton and contained no carbon fiber. Strictly speaking, this type of carbon fiber can’t be used to make clothing — it’s corrosion-resistant and heat-resistant, and is generally used in industrial applications.”

“You mean these — these carbon fibers — were brought by the killer?”

“Correct.” The doctor nodded with certainty.

Bai Jin tilted his head and thought for a moment: “If it can’t be used in clothing, why would the killer be carrying it?”

“You said it’s heat-resistant?” Shi Ting suddenly thought of something. “Bai Jin, come with me back to the textile factory.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Zheng Yun, spend some time with Fan Dabao’s wife and get her to tell the truth.”

“Yes, sir.”

Finally, he turned to Yan Qing: “I’ll have someone escort you back first. I’ll keep you updated on the case as it develops.”

Yan Qing knew there was nothing more she could contribute by staying, so she nodded: “All right.”

Upon arriving at the textile factory, Director Qian came out in person to greet them.

“Manager Liu called me just now asking about the case, and then you show up.”

Shi Ting acknowledged this with a sound.

“Manager Liu said to make sure the factory offers proper condolences to Fan Dabao’s family. After all, he was killed while on duty — the factory should provide compensation.”

Liu Huan, though shrewd in business, also had a firm sense of moral responsibility. When it came to balancing money against principle, he always managed to strike the right measure.

“Please take me to the dyeing workshop, Director Qian.”

“Of course, of course.”

The dyeing workshop was responsible for transforming raw cloth into fabric of every color. The signature method at the Mingan Textile Factory involved boiling the cloth in water before dyeing, followed by a second high-temperature steaming after the dye was applied. As a result, the workshop was draped with fabrics in every hue, the air thick with billowing steam. Only those who worked in this environment for long periods could endure the suffocating heat, like being trapped inside a steam room.

Shi Ting noticed a worker pulling boiled cloth from a pot of scalding water. The man wore a pair of black gloves — thick, heavy ones designed to withstand intense heat.

Shi Ting walked over: “May I borrow your gloves for a moment?”

The worker stared, momentarily confused by the unfamiliar face, but Director Qian issued the order: “Do whatever he says.”

The worker quickly removed the gloves and handed them over.

Shi Ting examined them carefully. “Director Qian, I may need to take these gloves with me.”

“Take them, take them — no trouble at all.”

Walking out of the workshop together with Director Qian, Shi Ting asked: “Are these gloves issued uniformly by the factory?”

“Yes — primarily for workers in the dyeing workshop and other high-temperature operations.”

“Are there records of who has received them?”

“There are, there are. I’ll have Secretary Liu find them right now.”

Shi Ting and Bai Jin left the textile factory with one glove and the distribution records. Outside, the police vehicle was parked and waiting. Walnut leapt out happily, circling Shi Ting excitedly.

Walnut was usually kept in Shi Ting’s courtyard and only brought out when needed — on such occasions it was a rare and treasured moment of freedom, so wherever Shi Ting went, Walnut followed.

Shi Ting crouched down and gave him a pat on the head.

“Woof woof.” Walnut barked at him, tail wagging furiously.

Bai Jin snorted: “Canine lord, are you hungry again? I didn’t bring any food.”

Shi Ting gave him a gentle pat: “Eat when we get back. Bear with it for now.”

Walnut drooped his head, looking rather unwilling. Just as they were about to get in the vehicle, Walnut’s nose twitched suddenly, and he turned and bolted toward the hillside.

Beside the guardhouse was a small grove of trees. Along the grove’s edge rose the textile factory’s high outer wall. This grove was known as Lovers’ Grove — reportedly, couples who had taken a liking to each other at the factory would meet here in secret.

“Did the canine lord find a clue?” Bai Jin was delighted, and quickly followed close behind Walnut.

Walnut ran through the grove at full speed, finally stopping before a gnarled old locust tree.

Once Walnut stopped, he began sniffing intently at the ground.

“Walnut, no eating.” Shi Ting’s sharp reprimand rang out.

“Whimper.” Walnut, under orders, sat down reluctantly on the ground, staring at a chicken leg on the earth and drooling.

“You greedy dog — I thought you’d found a clue, but it turns out it’s a chicken leg.” Bai Jin looked thoroughly disgusted.

Walnut let out a low whine, looking rather aggrieved.

Shi Ting crouched and patted his head in comfort: “I’ve told you — don’t eat things from outside. Remember.”

Walnut wagged his tail obediently.

Shi Ting turned to look at the locust tree. “Bai Jin, do you remember this place?”

“Vaguely — seems like a case happened here before.”

“A young girl was raped and murdered here. The killer was brutal — he dragged her intestines out from below and hung them from the branches of this tree. When she was found, her whole body was suspended upside down in her own intestines. The scene was utterly horrifying.”

“I remember now.” Bai Jin’s expression turned to one of fury. “Fortunately that killer was caught and sentenced to death. He should have been cut into ten thousand pieces.”

“Look at what’s been laid out here on the ground. What does it look like to you?”

Bai Jin crouched halfway down, murmuring: “A peach, an apple, a chicken leg, a stick of incense… this looks like an offering for someone.”

“Who do you think it’s for?”

“The girl who died here?”

“Who would come to make offerings for this girl?”

Bai Jin had long grown accustomed to Shi Ting’s method of questioning, and answered carefully: “The girl’s family or close friends.”

“Although a bit of dust and leaves have settled on the offerings, everything is very fresh. It must have been placed here last night or in the early hours of this morning.” Shi Ting’s eyes narrowed into a thin gaze. “Let’s go. I want to pull the case file on this.”

The two had barely returned to the military police department when Zheng Yun came out of the interrogation room.

“Seventh Brother, Yu Cuicui just confirmed that Big Gap Tooth did indeed have an improper relationship with her.”

Yu Cuicui was Fan Dabao’s wife.

Bai Jin understood immediately: “I always thought something was off about that Yu Cuicui. Her husband was dead and she was sobbing without any tears. Now that I think about it, it was all an act for our benefit.”

“Yu Cuicui is also a pitiable woman.” Zheng Yun glanced back toward the interrogation room. “After she married Fan Dabao, she was devoted to him in every way — all the heavy work around the house fell on her shoulders, without a word of complaint. Later, Fan Dabao started bringing friends home to eat and drink. Big Gap Tooth, with his insatiable appetite for women, saw that Yu Cuicui had some beauty to her and tried to take advantage of her. When Fan Dabao walked in on it, he beat Gap Tooth. Yu Cuicui thought the matter was settled. But Big Gap Tooth kept saying terrible things about her to Fan Dabao, even falsely claiming that it was Yu Cuicui who had shamelessly pursued him that night. Over time, Fan Dabao came to believe Gap Tooth’s version of events. Gap Tooth, emboldened, went to find Yu Cuicui — and after raping her, she went to Fan Dabao in tears to report it. Not only did Fan Dabao refuse to help her, he beat her instead. After that, Gap Tooth came looking for Yu Cuicui every two or three days. Yu Cuicui went from resisting, to going along with it reluctantly, to finally accepting it altogether.”

“Did she ever tell Fan Dabao again?”

“Every time she brought it up, Fan Dabao would curse at her and hit her. How could she dare say a word?”

“That Fan Dabao — not trusting his own wife, but believing an old lecher like that. What happened after?”

—