Luo Jia’s reason for filing the report seemed somewhat bizarre. He had discovered an empty virus storage tube in Tao Minxing’s suitcase. Recalling that Tao Minxing had come down with a cold shortly after landing, he found the discovery highly suspicious. He had called back to the lab to check and discovered that two flu virus strains were indeed missing.
Everything was far too coincidental. Thus, Luo Jia had brought the storage tube to the police station to report the matter.
Lu Linjiang pushed open the door to the interrogation room and immediately saw Jiang Cheng sitting at the table. Jiang Cheng was staring at his own fingers; when he heard the door open, he looked up blankly. His gaze met Lu Linjiang’s as the latter strode inside, clearly not understanding why he had been brought here.
Lu Linjiang placed Luo Jia’s statement on the table. Just as he was considering where to begin his questioning, the interrogation room door opened again. Xu Sichen poked her head in. "Captain Lu, a word outside."
"Wait here," Lu Linjiang instructed Jiang Cheng before rising and stepping out.
Xu Sichen’s expression was grim. She handed a report to Lu Linjiang. "The fingerprint comparison results are in."
A sudden premonition gripped Lu Linjiang’s heart. He flipped through the report quickly, skipping the certification process to look directly at the conclusion: the sole fingerprint extracted from the storage tube matched the print of Jiang Cheng’s right middle finger.
"Captain Lu?"
Lu Linjiang closed the report and looked up at Xu Sichen. That single look made her feel an inexplicable chill, causing her to instinctively take a small step back.
"Go apply for a search warrant."
"Yes, sir!"
It wasn't until the door clicked shut in front of her that Xu Sichen realized she had been holding her breath. She stood on her tiptoes slightly, peering through the small window. Lu Linjiang, sitting down at the interrogation table, seemed like a human-shaped eye of a typhoon, radiating a massive field of low pressure. Yang Bo was the first to react, clutching his notebook and scooting further toward the corner of the table.
Lu Linjiang pulled a photograph from the report and placed it in front of Jiang Cheng. "Do you recognize this?"
Jiang Cheng’s hands were clasped together on the table in front of his chest. He took only one look at the photo Lu Linjiang offered before saying, "I do. It’s a storage tube used in laboratories for housing viral strains." He looked at Lu Linjiang in confusion. "Is there a problem?"
"Can you explain why this storage tube was found in Tao Minxing’s personal luggage?"
Jiang Cheng immediately thought of Tao Minxing’s cause of death, but he had no answer for Lu Linjiang’s question. "I can't. No matter what someone intended to do with it, it shouldn't be left in a suitcase like that."
Lu Linjiang asked, "Do you know what was originally inside?"
Jiang Cheng picked up the photo and examined it closely. "I can't be certain without testing it. However, judging by the type of tube, it’s a Level 2 pathogen at most."
"Does the influenza virus fall into that category?"
"Of course!" Although he had already suspected it, Jiang Cheng was still shocked when the suspicion was confirmed. "Are you saying the Professor caught a cold because someone put this in his bag?"
"There is one more thing." Lu Linjiang didn't answer him, asking directly instead, "There is one, and only one, fingerprint on this tube. Yours."
The color drained from Jiang Cheng’s face instantly. "I..." He looked at the photo in his hand in disbelief. "I can't answer that. I’ve handled thousands, if not tens of thousands, of these tubes. Besides, the label has been torn off. I, or anyone else in the lab, could have come into contact with it."
"Is my fingerprint really on it?" Jiang Cheng asked again, refusing to give up.
Lu Linjiang placed the comparison results in front of Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng stared at the forensic findings in disbelief, then looked blankly at his own right hand. "Impossible!" He suddenly looked up at Lu Linjiang. "When handling storage tubes, no matter the purpose, you wear gloves. That’s common sense in a lab. How could my fingerprint possibly be on it!"
"That’s exactly the problem. This wasn't found in a lab; it was found in Tao Minxing’s luggage." Lu Linjiang suddenly became aggressive. He braced his right hand on the table and pressed down on the report with his left, looming over Jiang Cheng. "You took this tube containing the flu virus from the lab, tore off the label, and secretly placed it in Tao Minxing’s luggage. You caused Tao Minxing to contract the flu, which eventually worsened until he died in that bathroom."
"Lu Linjiang, use your head! What benefit would killing Professor Tao bring me?" Jiang Cheng glared back at him, showing no sign of backing down. "I’ve been at Professor Tao’s research institute for less than a year. If all goes well, I’ll graduate in another year, and with my resume at Xius, I could go to any company I want! What reason would I have to destroy my own future?"
A fire seemed to burn in his eyes. His back was ramrod straight, and his hands were clenched into fists against his chest. Upon closer inspection, one could easily see his hands trembling—a state of extreme rage held under tight restraint.
In contrast, Lu Linjiang was much calmer. He stared at Jiang Cheng with his usual expressionless face. Even though the distance between them was less than thirty centimeters, no ripple of emotion could be seen on his features. The interrogation room was deathly silent. Yang Bo stopped writing, his gaze darting back and forth between the two men.
After a moment of stalemate, Lu Linjiang finally broke the silence. "That night you went to Tao Minxing’s room—what was it really for?"
At the mention of this question, Jiang Cheng instinctively averted his gaze. Lu Linjiang leaned down even further, bringing them closer. His breath almost brushed against Jiang Cheng’s face as he spoke. "Jiang Cheng, don't you understand? This is your motive!"
"Nonsense!" Jiang Cheng’s gaze snapped back to meet Lu Linjiang’s fearlessly. Yang Bo saw his fist twitch and thought Jiang Cheng was about to throw a punch; he quietly set down his pen, prepared to lung forward the moment things went south. But in the end, Jiang Cheng held back.
His chest heaved violently once, as if drawing in all his anger. "I didn't say anything because the matter wasn't certain." Jiang Cheng pursed his lips, struggling for a moment before finally saying, "If possible, I hope this part of the statement can be kept confidential."
Lu Linjiang felt a secret wave of relief, but he maintained his stony expression. "That will depend on the circumstances."
Jiang Cheng knew this was the most the other man would concede. He nodded slightly and, with the air of someone burning their bridges, said, "Professor Tao said that someone in the institute was falsifying data."
"Who?"
"I don't know." Having revealed his biggest secret, Jiang Cheng relaxed completely, leaning back against the chair. "The Professor had a portable e-reader; all his data was on it. He originally intended to show it to me, but in the end, he didn't."
"Why show it to you?"
Exhausted, Jiang Cheng tilted his head to look at the relentlessly questioning Lu Linjiang, instinctively crossing his arms over his chest. "I’d like to know that too."
"With my seniority, I shouldn't have even been considered for this research conference." He glanced at the table. "Is there any water?"
Lu Linjiang glanced at the two-way mirror. A moment later, Xu Sichen brought in some water. Jiang Cheng took a sip before continuing. "There are many people in the institute more qualified than me to attend this conference. I don't believe I have anything that surpasses them. The only explanation is that the Professor wasn't sure who the problem was. Since I joined the institute last, if it was a case of large-scale data falsification, I would be the first one ruled out."
"Large-scale?" Lu Linjiang keenly caught the keyword in Jiang Cheng’s words.
"Yes, large-scale."
Lu Linjiang flipped through the evidence list; Tao Minxing’s e-reader was not among the items. He nodded thoughtfully. "But your fingerprint is indeed on that storage tube."
At the mention of the fingerprint, Jiang Cheng’s expression became complicated. "In my memory, I have never handled any such storage tube with my bare hands without protective gear. I have no way to answer you."
Lu Linjiang glanced at Yang Bo, who was taking notes. He seemed to have finished his questions, and simply stared at Jiang Cheng in silence. Once Yang Bo stopped writing, Lu Linjiang spoke. "You won't be leaving for the time being. You may call a lawyer if you need one. Is there anything else you don't understand?"
Jiang Cheng’s gaze remained fixed on the photograph of the storage tube. He didn't delve into the implications of Lu Linjiang’s words, merely nodding with a look of cold indifference.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 保存管 | storage tube / cryovial | A small tube used for storing laboratory samples, often viral strains. |
| 毒株 | viral strain / pathogen | A specific genetic variant or subtype of a virus. |
| 修斯 | Xius | Likely the name of a prestigious company or research institution. |
| 阅读器 | e-reader | A portable electronic device for reading digital documents. |
| 篡改数据 | falsifying data / tampering with data | The act of altering research data dishonestly. |
| 二级毒株 | Level 2 pathogen / strain | Refers to Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) agents. |
