Liu Yuning turned her head from the driver's seat and looked at me disdainfully, "Men these days, why are they so sentimental? It's enough to know it in your heart! Are you a repressed type?"
"Uh, alright, work!"
I deliberately tried to smooth things over. Although Liu Yuning seemed unbothered, I could sense a subtle tenderness in her eyes whenever she looked at me.
Her attitude towards me had indeed changed a lot. Just as I was lost in thought, the car stopped at a place called Four Seasons Ice Room.
Our police station used to order takeout from here often. I didn't expect this place to be involved in an incident too. After getting out of the car and crossing the cordon, Liu Yuning intended to take me straight to the kitchen, but that wasn't my intention.
Instead, I lingered around the dining tables in the lobby. I squatted down, observing the area beneath the tables. Liu Yuning, puzzled, walked over and asked, "The victim didn't die here, why are you staying here?"
I ignored her. Suddenly, I noticed a worn area on a seat not far away. This spot was closest to the kitchen. I looked up at the table above and saw scratch marks along the edge, along with a faint grayish-white stain. I took out my shadowless reflector tube and scanned it carefully, saying, "It's spilled milk tea!"
"So what?"
"I forgot to tell you, I found similar traces on the victim's clothes. It seems the victim sat in this seat at the time, and then went to the kitchen? So the victim was murdered here and then hidden in the freezer?"
I looked around and spotted a surveillance camera nearby, so I asked Liu Yuning, "Have you checked that camera? Did it capture anything?"
"We checked it, but it was interfered with. We didn't see anything."
"I think the victim was a customer here, and was drinking coffee when for some reason he walked into the kitchen. If the killer closed the kitchen door, killed him, hid him in the freezer, and then left, it would be difficult. Because during the day, the chefs are very active in the kitchen, and since this isn't a hotel, there's only one kitchen. It's simply impossible!"
"I already know all this, otherwise, I wouldn't have asked for your help."
I frowned and entered the kitchen, squatting on the ground like a dog, sniffing around. Liu Yuning looked at my strange actions in surprise. "Team Leader He, what are you doing now?"
I still didn't answer. When I reached a cupboard, I found many footprints on the ground. Although they were messy, I could still identify one set, which belonged to the victim. Then I looked at a mark on the elbow next to the chopping board on the cupboard, and immediately concluded, "The victim was a cook here? Did he go to the seat for a break?"
"The victim was indeed a cook here. Witnesses said he was supposed to be on break, but unexpectedly appeared in the freezer and died."
"Did the witnesses not see him before the incident?"
"No."
"According to the time of death, the case was discovered at night. Bian Ruifeng, the victim, came back to the ice room late at night. But he wasn't here to work. Instead, he casually drank a cup of milk tea at a seat before going into the kitchen. Tell me, what does this prove?"
I deliberately tried to test Liu Yuning, keeping her in suspense as I asked.
Liu Yuning hesitated for a moment, her eyes widened, and then she finally realized. "He had arranged to meet someone here at a specific time?"
"Smart. Go and investigate his communication devices, including his phone and computer. He must have been in close contact with someone recently."
"Actually, I asked He Xin to look into it, but we found nothing. We also went to his home, but didn't find any computers or similar equipment."
"What about internet cafes?"
"This, we'll need to check the Sky Eye system to know if Bian Ruifeng went to any."
"Alright, let's do that. I think we'll find a breakthrough soon."
"Uh, I'm worried that cases like this will keep happening."
"Haha, are you saying they'll use all eighteen levels of punishment?"
"You can still laugh? If that's the case, how many victims will there be!"
As a police officer, no one wants to see this happen, and naturally, neither do I. I patted Liu Yuning's shoulder and said, "Don't be nervous. I think it's time for me to go somewhere!"
"Where are you going? Can I come with you?" Liu Yuning asked curiously.
I shook my head, "I'll handle this mission myself. You and He Xin check the Sky Eye system. I'll be back!"
With that, I turned and left. No matter how much Liu Yuning called out to me from behind, she didn't try to stop me. After all, she knew my methods. At that moment, I heard Gao Mingqiang speaking next to her, "What is Team Leader He going to do?"
"Don't mind him. He has his own ways."
I had actually been to Bian Ruifeng's residence before. I found out that he had gone to Hunan before his death. Now, I need to take a high-speed train there.
I didn't tell Liu Yuning what I was thinking, and she didn't even know I was going there.
It took me nearly three hours to reach Hengyang. This is a second-tier city in Hunan, and Bian Ruifeng's hometown. I found the address on his ID card, a small town called Qiaoyuan.
The people in his hometown don't know he's dead yet. Bian Ruifeng's parents are long gone, but I found out that Bian Ruifeng has an older brother in the city. I wonder if he came back here to see his brother?
And is this meeting related to his death?
I came here precisely to find the answers to these two questions.
I contacted the local police station. When they learned I was from Fuming City, the chief here was very hospitable.
I didn't reveal my true identity, only saying I was Officer He. Director Li here assigned a technical officer to help me find Bian Ruixi in the database. It turned out he was Bian Ruifeng's brother. He now lives on Hele Street in Qiaoyuan Town. After getting the exact address, Director Li told me, "Actually, I have had some dealings with your Director Huang. He was very capable when he was young, and solved countless cases. He even came here with the legendary 'Judge of Judgment' He Jianquan and solved the '821 Tang Poetry Serial Murder Case'."
"Oh, I've heard of that case. Alright, Director Li, thank you. I need to leave!"
"Wait, your surname is also He? Are you related to He Jianquan?"
I didn't answer, just smiled and left. I was worried that if Director Li knew my true identity, he would keep talking, and I didn't want to waste any more time.