"She has two accounts. One appears to be a personal one that she doesn't use much. The most recent email is a credit card statement from this month. Looking through it, most of the contents are various bills or registrations for different websites. It’s definitely her everyday email," Sun Wen explained as she operated the computer. "Then there’s the second email address. This one is a bit strange. It was registered within the last six months and hasn't been used much. There is only one person in the contact list: JIANGLM912."
"Jiang Langmin?" Lu Linjiang reacted immediately. He glanced at his surroundings. "What is Jiang Langmin’s birthday?"
Xu Sichen quickly opened the internal network on a nearby computer. "September 12th."
It was hardly a surprise. Lu Linjiang asked Sun Wen, "Can you find out what she sent to Jiang Langmin?"
"I’ve already tried. I don't know if they were deleted or what, but I can only find the three most recent sent emails. There’s no real content inside, just a single name: 'Roman Salazar'."
Lu Linjiang looked around at his team. "I think we should invite Mr. Jiang back for another chat."
Jiang Langmin looked at the laptop Lu Linjiang placed in front of him with a face full of innocence. "This is indeed my email address, but I don't recall ever receiving such emails." He looked at Lu Linjiang suspiciously and countered, "This is Martina’s email? Why would she send this to me?"
"We are very curious about that as well. Mr. Jiang, may I ask where you were around nine o'clock on the night of the third?"
"The third?" Jiang Langmin tilted his head in thought. "I should have been at Micro-Universe University. The vaccine hadn't been released yet, so to be more precise, I should have been in the laboratory. Yes, that sounds right." He leaned back leisurely in his chair. "I remember there are cameras at the laboratory entrance. If Captain Lu has any doubts, you are more than welcome to ask the university for a copy."
Seeing Jiang Langmin’s composed expression, Lu Linjiang narrowed his eyes slightly. "May I see your inbox?"
Jiang Langmin shook his head. "Captain Lu, my email address is not a secret. In fact, I probably have more emails in my spam folder than legitimate ones. Furthermore, there are many important research papers in there. It’s not that I absolutely cannot show you, but before that, you need to find sufficiently strong evidence to prove I am connected to this case. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll have to call a lawyer."
Lu Linjiang: "..."
***
Yang Bo asked Cheng Hao, "Is this the surveillance footage from the night of the third?"
"Yes." Cheng Hao shrugged. "Officer, what do you want this for?" He let out a mock gasp. "Oh? What, are you starting to suspect Jiang Cheng and Jiang Langmin now? What did they do?"
Tang Hua looked at him. "Mr. Cheng, when you aren't being questioned, please speak less."
Cheng Hao shut his mouth sheepishly. Tang Hua and Yang Bo watched as Lu Linjiang and Jiang Langmin chatted for a few moments at the door. Once Lu Linjiang was led out by a security guard, Jiang Langmin entered the sterilization room.
Yang Bo crossed his arms, his left hand rhythmically tapping his arm. "Should we fast-forward? Let's just see when he comes out."
Hearing this, Sun Wen pressed the 3x fast-forward button. A few seconds later, they saw Jiang Langmin walking out while clutching his stomach. Sun Wen immediately hit pause.
"8:47. He was only inside for five minutes." Yang Bo and Tang Hua exchanged a look. "How long does it take to get from Micro-Universe University to that small park in the eastern suburbs?"
The two of them looked at Cheng Hao together. Facing their scrutinizing gazes, Cheng Hao remained unruffled. "Asking me? What small park? There must be two or three parks of various sizes in the eastern suburbs. Which one are you talking about?"
The two ignored him. Seeing Jiang Langmin disappear from the video, Sun Wen immediately switched cameras. They watched as Jiang Langmin slowly shuffled all the way back to his room. It was nearly nine o'clock by then. Sun Wen then fast-forwarded all the way until the time in the top right corner showed 8:02 AM the next morning, which was when Jiang Langmin finally opened his door.
Tang Hua and Yang Bo looked at each other. He didn't go out?
Yang Bo ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Mr. Cheng, does this dormitory have any other exits?"
"Yes."
Yang Bo’s eyes lit up. "Is there surveillance?"
"Camera number 8042, I believe."
Sun Wen immediately opened the video. When Yang Bo saw a small side door on the screen, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I'm not talking about the dormitory building. I mean Jiang Langmin’s specific room. Are there any other exits?"
Cheng Hao snorted dismissively. "This is a dormitory, a building! Who would put two doors in a dorm room?" He looked at Yang Bo and Tang Hua with disdain. "Dr. Jiang saved your colleague, after all. And now you're suspecting him? Talk about burning bridges quickly. What exactly do you suspect Dr. Jiang of, anyway?"
"As I said, Mr. Cheng, please speak less when you aren't being questioned."
Cheng Hao looked like an elite, but his mannerisms were those of a very down-to-earth nouveau riche. He made a single phone call, and before long, Chu Juxian appeared at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Unit. Chu Juxian listened to the situation with a grim face before saying politely, "Mr. Cheng, since this is related to a case, Mr. Jiang Langmin’s cooperation is part of his duty."
At this point, Cheng Hao made no effort to hide his arrogance. "Oh, Director Chu, I don't even understand what case Dr. Jiang has been dragged into. Moreover, he was just giving his all to save your colleague recently. He’s been moving strictly between the lab and the hospital every day, practically right under the noses of you police. Even if you don't trust him, can't you trust your own eyes?"
"Mr. Cheng, we handle cases based on evidence. Furthermore, from what I understand, we only asked Mr. Jiang here to cooperate with the investigation; he is not a suspect."
"A suspect? Tell me, if I were to post the details of this matter online, what would the netizens think?"
Chu Juxian’s lips thinned into a hard, straight line. "Regardless of what the netizens think, our investigation will continue. Those who need to cooperate must still do so."
The two locked eyes in a confrontation for a long time before Cheng Hao finally relented. "Fine. Now that he has cooperated, can I take Dr. Jiang with me?"
Chu Juxian glanced at Lu Linjiang. Seeing him nod slightly, he said, "You may. However, until the case is fully resolved, we ask that Mr. Jiang does not leave Jinghai so he can cooperate with our investigation at any time."
Cheng Hao let out a cold, rude laugh. "Fine. Next time, please notify us in advance. I will bring a lawyer along with Dr. Jiang."
***
A lead they had worked so hard for had yielded nothing. Lu Linjiang frowned as he stared at the video. Chu Juxian looked at him and asked, "What is it? You think Jiang Langmin is highly suspicious?"
"First, Martina’s allergy wasn't a typical one; her allergen was very strange. Second, she came looking for Jiang Langmin with a very clear purpose, and the two of them had private contact. I don't believe Jiang Langmin is completely ignorant of why she was here. He might not be directly involved in Martina’s death, but he definitely has clues." Lu Linjiang paused to think. "We can't rule out that Martina is Roman Salazar, or that she knows them. In either case, her reason for seeking out Jiang Langmin is worth investigating."
After hearing this, Chu Juxian said in a low voice, "I understand. I’ll handle the pressure from above, but you must proceed with caution."
Tang Hua seized the opportunity to flatter him. "Of course, of course! Don't worry, Director Chu! Would we ever cause trouble for you?"
Chu Juxian got a headache whenever he saw his subordinates acting sycophantic. He turned to leave with his hands behind his back. "As if you lot haven't caused enough trouble already!"
Lu Linjiang followed behind to see him out. "Director Chu, don't wor—" He caught a glimpse of something outside the window and froze in his tracks.
Tang Hua saw him staring intently outside and leaned over curiously. "What are you looking at?"
In the courtyard outside, a black SUV was waiting to make a right turn. Several others gathered around the window. While the others were confused, Lu Linjiang stared at the license plate for a long time before finally speaking.
"That car... it also appeared in the gas station surveillance footage that night. About ten minutes before Martina passed through."
Xu Sichen immediately returned to her seat. She opened the internal network and entered the license plate number. A moment later, she said, "This car belongs to Cheng Hao."
***
