Site 049

Forty minutes later.

On the outskirts, outside Linfang Residential Area.

"Park the car outside and let's walk in. We need to get a sense of the neighborhood," Zheng Kaixuan said.

At the entrance, there were many people relaxing—mostly women with children. Entering the residential area, the group walked and observed the surroundings.

"Bin, what do you think the price of these apartments is?" Li Hui asked.

"Taking a liking to the houses here?"

"The city center is too expensive—prices are probably over twenty thousand. The suburbs are a bit farther, but driving forty minutes to the precinct isn’t bad," Li Hui patted his chest. "We have a car, after all."

"In the suburbs, I’d estimate around ten thousand," Zhao Ming replied.

"How do you know?"

"My family owns a place around here. I collect the rent," Zhao Ming pointed east. "Not far ahead."

Li Hui was momentarily speechless.

"Master Zhao, could you please spare us, don’t keep reminding us proletarians," Tian Li rolled her eyes.

"This area isn’t that pricey—probably only six or seven thousand per square meter," Zheng Kaixuan said.

"Really? That cheap!" Li Hui looked excited.

"This area used to be Linfang Village land. The residential buildings are village-built, with limited property rights," Zheng Kaixuan explained.

"What are limited property rights buildings?"

"They’re village-certified, with no property title, can’t be mortgaged, and aren’t allowed to be sold as commercial property," Han Bin said. He had exchanged merit points for a wealth of knowledge.

Though seemingly miscellaneous, such information could sometimes be unexpectedly useful in solving cases.

"Bin, can you actually buy them?" Li Hui still didn’t understand.

"You can, but there’s no guarantee. If a dispute arises, the contract isn’t legally protected."

"Bin, you’re impressive, knowing all this," Tian Li remarked.

"I know a little," Han Bin replied.

Zheng Kaixuan reminded them, "You’re all chatting about real estate—don’t forget why we’re here."

"Don’t worry, we’ve already looked around," Li Hui pointed to the entrance. "There’s a surveillance camera at the gate, but none inside."

Tian Li added, "This residential area only has one open gate. The back door is locked."

As they spoke, the group entered Building 5, Unit 2. The victim lived in Apartment 2704.

"Management here is lacking. There’s only surveillance in the elevator, none at the unit entrance. If a thief used the stairs, they wouldn’t appear on camera," Li Hui analyzed.

"Ding-dong..." The elevator rang dully as the group reached the 27th floor.

The door to 2704 was ajar. Han Bin knocked symbolically, put on shoe covers, and entered the foyer.

A woman in her thirties sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Hearing the commotion, she quickly stood up. "Who are you?"

Han Bin showed his badge, "Criminal Police."

"You finally arrived, please come in," the woman hurriedly ushered them inside.

"Are you the one who reported the case, Xu Yan?" Zheng Kaixuan glanced at her.

"Yes, I called the police."

"My surname is Zheng; I’m the head of the criminal police team."

"Officer Zheng, you must help me find that money quickly. It’s for my father’s surgery," the woman grasped Zheng Kaixuan’s hand tightly.

"We’ll do our best," Zheng Kaixuan reassured her, then turned to Tian Li, "You’re in charge of Xu’s statement. The rest of you, check the scene."

Tian Li activated her body camera, took out a notebook, and began recording Xu Yan’s statement.

She started with the routine questions.

"Name?"

"Xu Yan."

"Occupation?"

"Sales," Xu Yan’s voice was husky.

"When did you discover your savings were stolen?"

"This morning—I came back from the hospital to get money for my father’s surgery. When I opened the bedroom wardrobe, the bag with the savings was gone."

"What kind of bag?"

"A black one. To avoid confusion, I tied a red string to it."

"How much was inside?"

"Nearly two hundred thousand."

"Any signs of rummaging?"

"I... I don’t know. I left for the hospital at seven yesterday morning. My husband was still at home. I’m not sure what the house looked like when he left."

"Where is your husband?"

"On a business trip."

"When did he leave?"

"Yesterday morning, I think," Xu Yan said uncertainly.

"How long had the money been at home?"

"Most of it was borrowed. It was in the bank account until the afternoon before yesterday, when my husband and I withdrew it."

"Did anyone besides the two of you know about the money?"

"No."

Zheng Kaixuan frowned. "When you came back from the hospital, was the door lock damaged or different from before?"

"I can't remember. I spent the whole day at the hospital yesterday—my mind’s a mess, I didn’t pay attention," Xu Yan pinched her forehead.

"When will your husband return? He was the last to leave—he’ll know more details. We need his statement to determine the timeframe."

"I’ve contacted him. He’ll be back by noon."

...

Han Bin, wearing shoe covers, walked around the apartment. He found no obvious signs of rummaging.

This itself was a clue—either it was someone familiar, or an experienced thief.

Beginners, lacking confidence, usually leave the place messy.

Han Bin went to the door and saw Lu Wen collecting evidence there. "Any findings?"

Lu Wen adjusted his glasses. "Nothing so far."

"Fingerprints?" Han Bin pressed.

"There are plenty on the door. We’ll need to check them one by one," Lu Wen replied.

"Let me know if you find anything."

Lu Wen gestured OK.

...

Zheng Kaixuan asked the victim to rest in the bedroom, then gathered the team at the living room sofa to discuss the case.

"Tian Li, could you summarize Xu’s statement for everyone?"

"Yes."

Tian Li opened her notebook and briefly recounted the facts.

After she finished, Zheng Kaixuan looked at the others. "Share what you’ve found."

"There are hardly any signs of rummaging, and no obvious evidence left behind—looks like the work of a professional," Han Bin analyzed.

"So is this a locked-room theft?" Zhao Ming joked.

"You’ve watched too much Detective Conan. The living room window is open—does that count as a locked room?" Li Hui retorted.

Zhao Ming pointed at the window. "Brother, this is the twenty-seventh floor. Who could climb in through a window? It’s just like a locked room."

"Hey, can you two stay focused? I want you discussing the case, not the plot," Zheng Kaixuan scolded, cutting off their banter. "Tian Li, what do you think?"

Tian Li closed her notebook and spoke slowly. "There’s an important detail in Xu Yan’s statement that I think is significant."