Xu Zhiwei pulled on a pair of gloves, inspected the laptop bag inside and out, and meticulously recorded the number of items found. "Alright, give me a moment," he said, before turning to wave over the other two. "Dispose of the trash and head straight to the lab to get to work."
Lu Linjiang had originally intended to return to his office, but a message arrived from Tang Hua on his phone. Jiang Langmin had already packaged and sent over all the relevant video footage, and Tang Hua had finished downloading it.
After a moment’s thought, Lu Linjiang replied, telling Tang Hua to head home first. He then sat down and pulled up his photo gallery. He had already taken photos of the contents of the papers; taking advantage of this quiet moment, he began to study the material. He managed to grasp the general gist through a mix of guessing and context, though it was an academic paper so dense that he likely wouldn't have understood it even if it were translated into plain Chinese.
Could this be one of the papers with the falsified data Tao Minxing had mentioned?
Lu Linjiang searched the pages, but there was no signature. If everything was indeed related to data tampering, this article would be a vital breakthrough.
As Lu Linjiang stared at his phone screen, pondering how to proceed, the internal line on the desk rang. It was Xu Zhiwei. "Captain Lu, the results are out."
Lu Linjiang immediately headed to the lab. Xu Zhiwei was sitting by the printer and pulled over a stool for him. "On this report, there are quite a few fingerprints. We’ve confirmed Tao Minxing’s, Jiang Cheng’s, and that Luo Jia person’s. Additionally, there are two sets of unidentified prints."
Lu Linjiang nodded. Xu Zhiwei continued, "There were fewer prints on the bag itself—only Tao Minxing’s and Jiang Cheng’s."
This was expected. Lu Linjiang asked, "Where exactly were they lifted from?"
Xu Zhiwei checked his records. "A few clear ones were on the inner lining. There are some blurred ones on the exterior surface that will take a bit more time to extract."
"Most are Tao Minxing’s. Jiang Cheng only has five—all along the rim—and three at the bottom."
"The bottom?"
"Yeah." Xu Zhiwei grabbed his own bag to demonstrate. "He was likely rummaging for some small object. Look, normally when we grab a laptop or a file, we just pull it out once the bag is open. You only reach all the way down if you're fishing for a USB drive or something similar."
He gripped the rim of the bag with one hand and reached down with the other, rummaging around before pulling out a small flash drive.
An image flashed through Lu Linjiang’s mind. He froze for a moment before saying to Xu Zhiwei, "Give me the evidence list!"
Xu Zhiwei pulled out a folder and handed over the list.
Lu Linjiang scanned it line by line, his finger stopping on one particular item. "Get this pen and the storage tube out."
Xu Zhiwei glanced at the list, then went to the storage area to retrieve the two items.
The fountain pen had been clipped to the e-reader's storage tube from the beginning. Because it hadn't been a focal point, it hadn't attracted much attention even after the initial forensic identification.
"What’s wrong with these two pieces of evidence?"
Lu Linjiang took them and held the two bagged items together under the light. "Look at them closely. Don't you find it interesting?"
The fountain pen was pitch black with a matte finish, while the storage tube was dark brown, appearing much lighter in color than the pen. When compared side-by-side, although they differed significantly in length, the diameter of the storage tube was not much thicker than the pen.
Xu Zhiwei stared for a moment before a spark of realization hit him. He tossed both items, still in their bags, into the laptop bag.
If the laptop bag wasn't held open under direct light, a quick glance inside would reveal very little difference between the two objects.
Lu Linjiang gave Xu Zhiwei an appreciative look. Jiang Cheng had mentioned that he once helped Tao Minxing look for a fountain pen. Lu Linjiang took the pen and the storage tube out of the evidence bags and dropped them inside, then reached his hand into the laptop bag. He simulated the scenario in his mind: if he were Jiang Cheng, suddenly learning that the lab data had been compromised and feeling his long-held beliefs shattered, would he have been able to realize the existence of this storage tube under such circumstances?
Lu Linjiang’s finger brushed against the storage tube; he had consciously reached for it just now. The surface material of the tube was quite different from the pen. Upon contact, one would subconsciously realize it wasn't the pen...
Lu Linjiang withdrew his hand. "I remember the fingerprint on the storage tube belonged to Jiang Cheng’s middle finger."
"Correct."
Lu Linjiang looked at his own middle finger, which had been the first to touch the tube. If his hypothesis was sound, that was likely how Jiang Cheng’s fingerprint ended up on the storage tube. As Lu Linjiang stared at the contents of the laptop bag, Xu Zhiwei suddenly stood up. "Captain Lu, wait a second."
He walked a few steps to the lab bench, grabbed the stack of papers, and arranged them by page number. He then showed the bottom of the pages to Lu Linjiang. "Look here."
He aligned the dozen or so pages in order. At the bottom of the sheets were two faint creases, like two arc-shaped indentations.
"I noticed this while I was checking them earlier and was wondering what it was. If the storage tube was actually kept in the laptop bag, then we can make a bold deduction—when the virus storage tube was put in, there might have been some liquid on it, which transferred to this stack of papers when it tipped over."
Lu Linjiang’s pupils constricted slightly. "Is there a way to prove it?"
Xu Zhiwei considered it. "For now, all we can do is compare the diameter. As for the contents, I’ll try to extract and compare any residues."
Lu Linjiang was overjoyed. The source of Jiang Cheng’s fingerprint was merely a deduction, but if they could overturn Luo Jia’s testimony and prove the storage tube was in the laptop bag rather than the suitcase, then his theory would have a much more credible foundation. Combined with the fact that no fingerprints of Jiang Cheng’s were found on the suitcase, the collective evidence would be enough to clear him of involvement.
Hope had finally surfaced. As Lu Linjiang left the forensics department, he felt the weight in his chest finally begin to lift.
Upon arriving home, Lu Linjiang took a quick shower. When he climbed into bed, he found that the housekeeper had replaced his bedding with a thicker set. The cleaning lady was incredibly professional; she was so quiet she was almost imperceptible, yet she arranged everything perfectly.
If it weren't for the monthly bills and the receipt that appeared on the table every week, Lu Linjiang might have forgotten she existed entirely.
But in the end, she did have some presence.
Lu Linjiang fell into a deep sleep almost immediately. It felt as though he had only just closed his eyes when the alarm went off. He sat up instinctively, got out of bed three seconds later to wash up, and after tidying himself, opened his bedroom door and walked out.
A bowl of noodles sat on the table alongside a few side dishes. Lu Linjiang sat down in a daze and took a bite. The noodles were chewy, the temperature was just right, and the side dishes were refreshing and not greasy—a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, perfectly seasoned. After finishing, Lu Linjiang looked back at the kitchen. The small pot used for the noodles was uncovered, still emitting a bit of steam.
Setting down his chopsticks, Lu Linjiang stood up and paced to the small room at the end of the hallway. The door was closed. Lu Linjiang raised his hand to knock, then lowered it, then raised it again, before finally backing away step by step. He washed his bowl thoroughly and placed it on the drying rack.
Then, he let out a deep sigh, which created a small echo in the quiet room.
Lu Linjiang dried his hands with a towel. As he hung the hand towel back on the rack, something felt slightly off, but he was in a rush for work and didn't give it much thought. The shoes in the cabinet had been wiped clean. Lu Linjiang changed his shoes and opened the front door. As he stepped out, he couldn't help but look back again. The door at the end of the hallway remained tightly shut. A subtle, strange sensation rose within him. Not paying attention to his footing, Lu Linjiang missed a step. He felt his body plummeting straight down, while his heart floated up as if in zero gravity.
It was a dream!
***
