When Lu Linjiang arrived at the office that morning, he was greeted by Guo Junyi’s haggard, "morning-after" face. The autopsy report had already been completed and tossed onto his desk. Having pulled an all-nighter, Guo Junyi’s face was slick with oil; he yawned repeatedly while Lu Linjiang reviewed the report, his eyes watering from the effort.
"Captain Lu, if you don't need anything else, I’m heading out. I’m getting old; I can’t handle these marathons anymore." Seeing Lu Linjiang pore over the document again and again, Guo rubbed his temples with a hint of impatience. "That’s everything from the autopsy. You study it yourself; I’m off."
Lu Linjiang gave a noncommittal nod. He read through it several more times before finally notifying Xu Sichen to finish the remaining paperwork and close the case.
This was nothing short of good news for everyone involved. Xu Sichen quickly informed Tao Minxing’s assistant of the follow-up. After a busy morning, as lunchtime approached, Xu Sichen finally found a moment to discuss the eternal dilemma of takeout versus the cafeteria with Yang Bo. Just then, the internal line on her desk let out a sharp ring.
Calls at this hour rarely brought good news. Xu Sichen, who had been chatting animatedly, pulled a long face as she answered. Yang Bo watched as she uttered a single "Hello," only for her expression to shift instantly. She practically slammed the phone down before rushing into Lu Linjiang’s office.
Lu Linjiang was currently on a call.
"I’ve only been asleep for two hours..." Wang Ling’s groggy voice crackled through the line. "Don't think I won't kill you just because I can't beat you in a fight!"
"Before I commit an act of one-sided violence against you, tell me: have you talked to Jiang Cheng yet?"
"Are you insane? Do you know what time it was last night?" Wang Ling was so irritable he sounded like he wanted to strangle Lu Linjiang through the phone. "It’s fine if you’re crazy, but do you have to make me lose my mind too? At least wait until I—"
"Hold on," Lu Linjiang interrupted him, looking up at Xu Sichen, who had burst in without knocking. "What is it?"
Wang Ling, who had only fallen asleep at dawn, had only one thought in his mind: to throttle Lu Linjiang. He took a deep breath, preparing to scream loud enough to burst Lu Linjiang’s eardrums. But before he could unleash his fury, Lu Linjiang’s voice came through the receiver again.
"You don't need to go find Jiang Cheng anymore."
Wang Ling’s "waking-up rage" doubled at those words. He channeled his strength into his diaphragm, ready to roar at the bastard—"Lu Linjiang, you son of a—!" but the line had already gone dead with a *beep*.
Left with his insults stuck in his throat, Wang Ling was so livid he felt like smoke was going to pour out of his ears.
"Where is the statement?" Lu Linjiang asked.
"It was sent directly to Bureau Chief Chu’s office," Xu Sichen said, checking the time. "It should be there by now."
Lu Linjiang hummed in response. He glanced at a message sent by Chu Juxian on his screen and stood up without a word. When he entered Chu Juxian’s office, he found both Guo Junyi and the Captain of Team Two already there. He and the Team Two Captain locked eyes, the air between them instantly sparking with the scent of gunpowder.
"Chief Chu."
Chu Juxian nodded. "Xiao Lu, gather all the materials you have on Tao Minxing and—"
"I don't agree." Lu Linjiang cut him off before he could finish. "Chief Chu, this is my case."
Chu Juxian tapped the desk, a headache brewing. "Lu Linjiang, listen to me first!"
"I have no direct relationship with anyone involved in this case," Lu Linjiang insisted, staring at Chu Juxian. "I see no reason to recuse myself."
"What about Jiang Cheng?" the Team Two Captain interjected from the side. "What, is your memory failing you? Did you forget?"
"Do you want me to slap my divorce certificate across your face?" Lu Linjiang met him point-for-point. Standing a good ten centimeters taller than the other man, he looked down his nose at him with blatant condescension.
"You!"
"Chief Chu, my relationship with Jiang Cheng ended a long time ago. Procedurally, there is no need for recusal. Emotionally, I don't believe I will be affected in the slightest."
Chu Juxian and Lu Linjiang glared at each other for three long seconds before the Chief finally looked away. "Fine. Xiao Cao, leave the report and head out. I’ll call for you once I’ve finished reading it."
Lu Linjiang sensed something was off. As the Team Two Captain walked past him, the man bared his teeth in a sneer and tossed him a mocking look.
Once the door clicked shut, Chu Juxian spoke. "I was going to tell you to gather the materials because I want you to re-verify everything."
Lu Linjiang: "..." He awkwardly straightened his collar. Under Chu Juxian’s pointed gaze, he muttered, "Sir, I was impulsive just now."
"You still remember I'm your superior!" Chu Juxian frowned at him. "I hope you live up to your word and don't let your emotions get in the way." He gestured toward a chair. "Sit!"
Chu Juxian tossed a file across the desk. "This is the statement Luo Jia gave this morning. He is adamant that there’s something wrong with Tao Minxing’s death, and his words were full of implications. Many of Tao Minxing’s former students are here in the country; my phone has been ringing off the hook all morning. We cannot afford to make a mistake on this!"
Lu Linjiang nodded. "Yes, sir!"
"Xiao Guo, check the body again for any clues. You are to cooperate fully on this case." Chu Juxian finished in one breath and waved them away. "Go on, get out of here. Looking at you gives me a headache."
Lu Linjiang and Guo Junyi left the office together. Guo Junyi used the report to swat Lu Linjiang’s back. "Quite impulsive today, aren't we, young man?"
Having had his blunder witnessed by others, Lu Linjiang felt a bit of a sting to his pride. Fortunately, his skin was "three feet of ice"—thick enough to withstand anything. He flipped through the statement with a stoic face, completely ignoring Guo Junyi’s teasing. "This is your autopsy report."
"...Hey, let me finish!" Guo Junyi took the report back, continuing his mockery without reservation. "I just didn't expect you to fly into a rage for the sake of a handsome man."
"He's my brother!"
"What?"
Lu Linjiang had been reading Luo Jia’s statement as they walked. Hearing that, he looked up and stared at Guo Junyi seriously. "I said, he’s my brother!"
Though Lu Linjiang looked respectable enough now—his face usually as frozen as if he’d had too much Botox, not changing expression for months at a time—ten years ago, he had been a notorious "terror to even ghosts." He had inherited a certain thuggish aura from his grandfather, and combined with his tall, imposing build, he only had to stand on a street corner for the crowds to instinctively part around him. If his grandfather hadn't forced him into the police academy at the end of a cane, no ordinary company would have dared to hire him.
Fortunately, becoming a police officer had allowed his righteous spirit to suppress the darker edge of his temperament, and he no longer looked like a god of death. However, when he let his aura flare—as he was doing now—Guo Junyi couldn't help but take a step back.
"Fine, brother it is. Just stop looking like you're going to eat me, alright?"
Lu Linjiang quickly finished the statement. "Is the storage tube mentioned in Luo Jia’s statement at the Forensics Department?"
Guo Junyi thought for a moment. "Yes. Basic testing has been done. They lifted a fingerprint from it."
"Any results from the comparison?"
Guo Junyi’s expression turned subtle. "Before I came over, they had already collected fingerprints from Luo Jia and Jiang Cheng."
Lu Linjiang wasn't surprised by this. "Fine. Send me the results as soon as they're in."
Guo Junyi, with his scruffy beard and exhaustion, was already miserable. He had been about to take his clothes off to sleep when he was dragged back to the station, and now he was being ordered around by Lu Linjiang. His mood plummeted. But before he could spit back a retort, Lu Linjiang had already swept past him like a gust of wind, disappearing down the stairs in three strides.
"Can't you show some sympathy for someone who hasn't slept all night?" Guo Junyi grumbled to the empty stairwell, unsure if the other man could even hear him.
From several floors down, Lu Linjiang’s voice drifted back up: "As soon as possible!"
Guo Junyi: "..."
Lu Linjiang stormed back to his office, finishing Luo Jia’s statement on the way. The man hadn't named names, but Tao Minxing only had three people traveling with him this time. One had left early, leaving Jiang Cheng as the natural prime suspect.
"Where is Jiang Cheng?"
Tang Hua replied, "He’s already in Interrogation Room Three."
Lu Linjiang pointed at Yang Bo. "Follow me."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
珞珈 | Luo Jia | A character, likely a student or associate of Tao Minxing.
楚居闲 | Chu Juxian | The Bureau Chief of the police department.
蓝颜 | Lan Yan | Literally "blue countenance"; the male equivalent of a "femme fatale" or a very close male friend/lover.
鬼见愁 | Gui Jian Chou | "A terror to even ghosts"; a nickname for someone extremely formidable or frightening.
冲冠一怒为蓝颜 | Chong guan yi nu wei lan yan | A play on a famous poem; means to fly into a rage for the sake of a handsome man/male lover.
保存管 | Storage tube | A piece of lab equipment mentioned as evidence.
