Chapter 12

At the abandoned sand mining site in Jiangbei, Sha Island District, a group of 14- and 15-year-old boys rode their bicycles wildly across the flat terrain.

“Come look! What’s this?” a tall boy in a red T-shirt shouted in fear beside a pit.

The other boys nearby heard the call and pedaled over on their bikes.

A charred object appeared before them; one bolder boy said, “Damn! That—that looks like a human skeleton!”

“Ah! Run! Go call the police…”

At 6:10 p.m. on the 23rd, Hu Jinquan of the Sha Island Branch’s Criminal Division received word of a suspected burnt corpse at the sand site and rushed to the scene with officers and forensic technicians.

—————

Ren Jiahe’s company is on the 16th floor of Century Building, Development Avenue, Jiangnan District, in the emerging commercial center of Zizhen City.

In a 300-square-meter office, Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei sat on the sofa in Ren Jiahe’s office. Unlike Luo Fei, who sat stiffly with restrained posture, Gu Changzheng had been glancing around since entering the company. While Ren Jiahe personally brewed tea for them, Gu Changzheng walked behind his back to the glass wall beside Ren’s desk and murmured admiringly, “Boss Ren, this spot is great! You’ve got a full view of Jiangnan’s prosperity!”

Ren Jiahe had already viewed his deceased wife’s body yesterday; now, facing the two investigating detectives, his grief still showed plainly on his face. After pouring the tea, he said to Gu Changzheng, “Senior Gu, please have some tea.” Gu Changzheng had no choice but to return to the sofa. Once he sat down, Ren asked, “Senior Gu, did you come today to give me some news? Has the cause of Lili’s death been determined?”

Gu Changzheng chuckled. “Almost there! Soon enough—we’ll notify you when it’s ready.” Then he changed tone: “Today, we’d like to learn more about your wife’s social circle. How well do you know her friends?”

Ren Jiahe thought for a moment. “Lili had a good personality—popular at work, never spoke ill of anyone. Her closest friend from school was Yang Liu. After graduation, they stayed close, and their bond only grew stronger. I haven’t heard of any other close relationships.”

Gu Changzheng silently noted this matched what Guo Hao’s team had learned at Ge Manli’s workplace.

After learning some details about Yang Liu and Ge Manli’s family from Ren Jiahe, Gu Changzheng stood up. “Thank you, Boss Ren. We need to head back to the scene—we’re leaving now.” As he rose and shook Ren’s hand, he added, “If you remember anything unusual in the next few days, contact me right away.”

Ren Jiahe politely saw them off to the elevator. After watching them leave, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses narrowed in doubt. He sighed, then turned back to his office.

Outside the elevator, Luo Fei asked, “Captain Gu, are we going to Fenglin Garden?”

Gu Changzheng glanced at him and smiled. “The results from there should be in by now—we won’t go. Let’s find Yang Liu.” As they walked to the Santana parked across the lot, Gu opened the door and got in. Luo started the engine. “So we head straight to the city TV station?”

Gu Changzheng fastened his seatbelt as he said, “Drive a bit further—I’ll make a call first.”

After confirming Yang Liu was at the station, they headed straight for the TV station.

In a tea house on the ground floor of the TV station (coffee shops were still uncommon on the mainland at that time), Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei sat side by side across from a young woman with short hair and a blue suit. Her face carried an androgynous beauty—elegant yet defiant. She sat with legs crossed, hands folded on her knees, back straight, looking down at the two men in short sleeves: “Any news? Was Lili’s death really just an accidental drowning?”

Gu Changzheng stayed silent, glancing at Luo Fei. Luo quickly replied, “No, no, not at all—this is procedure. We can’t disclose anything right now! Today, we just want to ask you a few more questions.”

On the way over, Gu Changzheng had told Luo Fei that he would lead the questioning once they met Yang Liu. Luo had been thrilled.

But now, facing Yang Liu in person, he felt overwhelming pressure. He’d been ready to answer her question directly, then remembered the rule: no information could be disclosed to anyone outside the investigation team. That’s why his opening came out haltingly.

“Hmm, fine. Go ahead and ask,” Yang Liu said briskly.

Luo Fei glanced at Gu Changzheng, who gave a slight nod. Luo cleared his throat, gathered his thoughts, and began: “Miss Yang, when did you meet Ge Manli? In your view, what kind of person was she…?”

Luo Fei asked many questions about Ge Manli’s personality, hobbies, and family, and quickly realized this woman knew Ge Manli intimately. Most surprising to Luo Fei was that Ren Jiahe had been married before marrying Ge Manli.

Luo Fei delicately asked if Ge Manli had been the “other woman” who forced her way in. Yang Liu immediately glared at him and denied it. The fact about Ren Jiahe’s prior marriage was something Ge Manli herself had told Yang Liu while Ren was still courting her:

“Once, after we finished shopping, we had dinner at Yinzuo Square and had a little wine. Lili suddenly told me she thought she might be falling in love. I teased her—how could you say ‘might be’ about falling in love? She said a very outstanding man was pursuing her, but she was still hesitant.”

I asked why she hesitated. Lili told me the man had been married before—his ex-wife was even his college classmate—and she worried her parents wouldn’t approve. I asked her, what do you feel inside? She said being with him made her truly happy.

Hearing that, I knew Lili was truly in love. I knew her too well—she always seemed gentle and quiet, speaking softly, but inside she was stubborn and strong-willed.

I told her, then find a chance to bring him to meet your parents—see if the vibes match. Sometimes, chemistry is mysterious. But Lili said she wanted me to meet him first, to vet him for her. I knew what she was really doing: she was slowly integrating Ren Jiahe into her life, letting us all gradually let go of our prejudice about his past marriage.

She was too independent to believe she could hide anything from her parents or friends like me. Later, under Lili’s arrangement, I met Ren Jiahe. You don’t need to guess the outcome—he wasn’t just good-looking, his emotional intelligence was exceptional. Not only did Lili’s parents approve, even I thought highly of him.

After leaving Yang Liu, Gu Changzheng remained silent on the drive back. Luo Fei opened his mouth several times but held back.

Back at the bureau, as soon as they sat down in the office, Gu Changzheng said, “Wait to speak—first, check what new results the Tech Section has.”