Starting Anew From Scratch

Han Bin did not voice this suspicion on the spot. For one thing, there was no evidence; for another, since Dai Minghan had already declared the case closed, there was no need for Han Bin to make things unpleasant for himself.

Attitudes had to depend on the circumstances.

The headless corpse case had created a tremendous impact in Qingdao. Not only because a life had been lost, but more importantly, because the brutal modus operandi had terrified many people. Solving the case a day earlier meant restoring peace to the public a day earlier.

With the upcoming seventieth-anniversary celebrations just around the corner, the common people needed to be guaranteed a safe and relaxed holiday.

At noon, Han Bin ordered some takeout featuring local specialties and had it delivered to Sun Shaoqiang. Sun Shaoqiang muttered a word of thanks, then kept his head down and ate without saying another word.

After smoking a cigarette, Han Bin left.

Since it was funded by the special investigation team, Han Bin saw no reason to break his promise. Making things convenient for others was making things convenient for oneself, and Sun Shaoqiang had only a few meals left to eat.

That afternoon, Han Bin and the others escorted Sun Shaoqiang to reenact the crime scene. With that, the case was officially closed, the headless corpse case was declared solved, and the special investigation team was disbanded on the spot.

The First Team took charge of processing the paperwork and organizing the case files.

The Third Team took over the contract murder case and was assigned to track down the suspect, Li Tao.

That evening.

Zheng Kaixuan played the host, taking the members of the Third Team to a nearby restaurant for a hearty meal.

After ordering the dishes, Zheng Kaixuan raised his teacup:

"Everyone has worked hard these past few days. To crack the case as quickly as possible, you haven't eaten well or slept well, and as your captain, I've seen it all. I'll use tea in place of wine to make a toast to you all."

"Cheers." Everyone raised their cups and took a sip of tea.

"Captain Zheng, our team has hogged all the credit this time. Captain Li's expression probably isn't looking too good," Wei Zimo said with a smile.

"It's just luck. If it weren't for the First Team, we would have had to dispatch personnel to track down the suspect's vehicle ourselves, and who knows, we might have been delayed," Zheng Kaixuan said with verbal modesty, though his face beamed with a smile.

The Yuhua Precinct had one Criminal Investigation Division, which governed three criminal investigation squads. Ever since the previous division commander had been transferred, Dai Minghan had been holding the concurrent post of division commander, and competition among the squad leaders was inevitable.

"After Chen Jianfei was murdered, Li Tao vanished as well. Where do you suppose that kid ran off to?" Sun Xing wondered aloud.

"Do you think he caught wind of something and went on the run?" Li Hui guessed.

Han Bin chimed in at the right moment: "Li Tao was not involved in Sun Shaoqiang's murder and corpse disposal, and Sun Shaoqiang wouldn't volunteer that information either. I think the possibility of Li Tao fleeing is quite low."

Li Hui trusted Han Bin's judgment quite a bit: "Then where could he be hiding?"

"I don't know." Han Bin shook his head and voiced his previous suspicion:

"Based on Sun Shaoqiang's confession, it is very likely that Li Tao will attempt to kill Cao Yang again. I believe we should implement protective measures for Cao Yang."

"You have to admit this guy has the worst kind of luck. Not only was he cuckolded, but he almost got murdered by his wife's lover through a hired killer," Wei Zimo said, finding it somewhat laughable.

"Knock, knock." At that moment, a knock sounded at the door, and everyone fell silent.

Next, the waiter walked in carrying several dishes.

There were cold kelp noodles, shredded lettuce with minced garlic, stewed chicken with mountain mushrooms, stir-fried sea snails, braised pig trotters, hand-grabbed mutton, and pan-fried dumplings with three-delicacy filling, along with a bowl of beef noodles ordered for each person to be served later.

As everyone ate and chatted casually, the waiter left once all the dishes were served.

Only then did Han Bin steer the conversation back to the main topic: "Do you think Zhang Haiyan knew anything about Li Tao hiring a killer?"

Sun Xing picked up a sea snail, placed it on his plate, and took over the conversation: "If Zhang Haiyan knew, that would be terrifying. If Cao Yang ever found out, he'd probably wake up screaming from nightmares for the rest of his life."

"Captain Zheng, considering Cao Yang's safety, should we call him down to the precinct to take a statement and give him a heads-up that Li Tao might pose a threat to him?" Wei Zimo suggested.

Zheng Kaixuan lit a cigarette and took a drag: "That is indeed necessary."

"What about Zhang Haiyan? Should we take another statement from her?" Han Bin asked.

"Binzi, your judgment of people has always been accurate. When you took Zhang Haiyan's statement last time, did she display any abnormalities?" Zheng Kaixuan countered with a question.

Han Bin recalled for a moment and shook his head: "From the moment Li Hui and I appeared at the grocery store, Zhang Haiyan's behavior was abnormal. She was being asked about her lover's whereabouts right in front of her husband; if she had acted normal, that would have been abnormal. So she was definitely acting unusual, but it's hard to judge the exact reason behind this abnormality."

"Then we can only let the evidence speak," Zheng Kaixuan said, extinguishing his cigarette butt before continuing:

"The current focus of the investigation should be locating Li Tao's whereabouts to prevent him from trying to murder Cao Yang again."

"I've met Li Tao's mother. When she identified the body, she was nervous and terrified, and that kind of anxious emotion couldn't be faked. She probably doesn't know her son's whereabouts either. Apart from his mother, the person closest to Li Tao is Zhang Haiyan. It's very likely there is contact between the two of them," Han Bin analyzed.

Zheng Kaixuan hesitated for a moment before giving his orders:

"Then let's divide our investigation into three directions: first, protect Cao Yang; second, track down Li Tao's whereabouts; third, keep Zhang Haiyan under surveillance."

...

The next morning, Beizhai Village Grocery Store.

Although Zhang Haiyan was in her thirties, she maintained a good figure. Bending over at the entrance of the grocery store to tidy her daughter's clothes, she presented quite a pleasing sight.

Passing men, young and old, could not help casting a few extra glances.

"Mom, I'm hot," said Zhang Haiyan's daughter, Yueyue.

"We're going out, how can you not wear more? The weather changes on a whim. If you catch a cold, you'll end up getting shots in your bottom," Zhang Haiyan threatened playfully.

"I don't want shots, I don't want them," Yueyue shook her little head.

"Be a good girl, Yueyue. Eat properly at your grandma's house and don't act up like you do at home." Cao Yang also walked out of the grocery store and stepped in front of his wife.

"I know," Yueyue replied.

"Wife, it's overcast today. I'm afraid it might rain later. How about I drive you two there?" Cao Yang looked up at the sky.

"Oh, just stay home and tend to the shop properly. That's worth more than anything," Zhao Haiyan said impatiently.

"When are you coming back then? I'll come pick you up."

"I already said there's no need. It's very convenient for us to take a taxi back. I'll call you if anything comes up." With that, Zhang Haiyan grabbed her daughter's little hand, picked up a bag, and left the grocery store.

"Watch your safety when hailing a cab by the road. If you can't get one, remember to call me," Cao Yang shouted.

Zhang Haiyan did not reply. Holding the child with one hand and the bag with the other, she walked away without ever looking back.

Cao Yang returned to the grocery store and tidied up. There weren't many customers in the shop.

Nowadays, rural living conditions were improving, and the culture of keeping up with the Joneses was growing stronger. Every household bought a car before getting married, and a large supermarket had opened in the neighboring village just a few minutes' drive away. Many people preferred going to the supermarket because the goods were comprehensive, the variety was broad, and they occasionally ran special sales, making the grocery store's business increasingly difficult to manage.

Fortunately, Cao Yang was diligent and frequently went out to work odd jobs, so life at home was still quite decent.

"Tap, tap..."

A burst of footsteps sounded, and Cao Yang habitually looked toward the entrance, only to see two familiar yet unfamiliar figures.

"Officers, why are you here again?"

The visitors were none other than Han Bin and Li Hui.

"We came to look into a few things," Han Bin said, scanning the surroundings out of habit.

"My wife already said she really isn't close to that guy named Li Tao; he just dropped off deliveries at the shop twice, which is why she couldn't even remember him when you mentioned his name last time," Cao Yang said.

"Is that what she told you?" Li Hui smiled.

"Right." Cao Yang nodded, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handed them to Han Bin and Li Hui while saying, "Besides, your timing is a bit off. My wife just went out not long ago."

"Where did she go?"

Han Bin and the others had been keeping watch outside all along, so they naturally knew Zhang Haiyan had left, but they didn't know her destination.

"She went to the kid's maternal grandmother's house. Today is the kid's maternal grandfather's birthday, it's a lively affair," Cao Yang said.

Han Bin waved his hand to decline the cigarette: "Then why didn't you go?"

"The grocery store at home can't be left unattended, I couldn't get away," Cao Yang let out a bitter smile.

"We didn't come to see Zhang Haiyan. We came to see you," Li Hui shifted the topic.

"Me?" Cao Yang pointed at his own nose: "What do you want with me?"

Li Hui found it both exasperating and amusing. To reach Cao Yang's level of cluelessness was quite something: "To save your life."