Chapter 26: Press On

“Who got the match?” Jiang Yuan climbed off the bunk bed, drank some water, then cupped his hands to catch the leftover water and washed his face, finally feeling more alert.

Wang Zhong chuckled twice and said, “You seemed so confident yesterday.”

“They cleaned first,” Jiang Yuan replied naturally. In on-site investigations, the first team always had an advantage—if they did their job thoroughly enough, there might be nothing left for those who came after.

Besides, whether DNA could even be collected, and whether it could be detected even if collected, were both matters of probability.

When DNA technology first emerged, criminals didn’t understand it—blood pooled everywhere, semen stains lay in big clumps on the floor, and clumps of hair were left on beds; success rates were naturally high. Now, purely stupid criminals were Yuelaiyueshao , and relying on trace DNA for testing was no longer easy.

Moreover, DNA lab testing procedures were highly technical, and Ningtai County’s capabilities fell far short of being reliable.

But Wang Zhong smiled proudly: “Don’t be modest—it was us who collected it.”

Wu Jun glanced at Wang Zhong: “Us?”

“I followed them all day yesterday… ah, I just meant to boast a bit.” Wang Zhong sighed heavily. “You don’t understand—the feeling yesterday was completely different from today. Yesterday felt like spending a whole day catching up on winter break homework. Today feels like the teacher is rigorously checking that same homework—with huge rewards and punishments!”

Jiang Yuan felt great too—not just because he’d matched the sample, but because his newly acquired skill had proven its value. Thinking of future opportunities to gain more skills, he downed another cup of water and asked, “Where was the matching sample collected? Does the suspect have a criminal record?”

DNA data contained far fewer points than fingerprint data; if it matched directly in the database, it was highly likely the suspect had a prior record.

Wang Zhong didn’t drag it out: “He was arrested once for hooliganism. The matching sample came from the grout between the bricks on the wall beside the toilet. I think it’s definitely the killer.”

“What’s his relationship to the victim?” Wu Jun asked.

Wang Zhong said, “On the surface, none—but that’s exactly what’s suspicious.”

“Right. If there’s no connection, why would he go into someone else’s bathroom to wash up?” Wu Jun also leaned toward Wang Zhong’s judgment. The bathroom had clearly been cleaned and disinfected by the killer; most samples collected earlier yielded no DNA. Now, after re-examining, they’d finally found one—and Wu Jun didn’t believe it was coincidence. Real cases rarely had so many coincidences; instead, they tended to reveal flaws.

“Has the suspect been caught yet?” Jiang Yuan suddenly grew concerned about the arrest.

Wang Zhong said, “Captain Liu is an expert in arrests. If the killer hasn’t fled already, we’ll bring him back.”

“He won’t run,” Wu Jun speculated. “If he wanted to run, all that effort to cover his tracks would’ve been wasted.” Still, he wasn’t fully confident.

And inside Ningtai County Bureau, Wu Jun wasn’t the only one uncertain.

The most anxious was Criminal Investigation Team Captain Huang Qiangmin.

On one hand, he hoped for good news from Captain Liu’s team; on the other, he feared disappointment and had to keep pushing other officers to continue pursuing leads. He himself felt divided by this approach—but experience told him that any slack during the golden 72 hours was unacceptable.

Still, from a positive angle, having a major lead was always excellent—far better than yesterday’s frantic, aimless anxiety.

Huang Qiangmin couldn’t sit still in his office. He wandered aimlessly, walking from the first floor to the second, then up to the fourth, arriving at the forensic office.

The Jigeren inside had been relaxed, but their expressions tightened instantly upon seeing Huang Qiangmin enter.

“Keep working—I’m just taking a casual look,” Huang Qiangmin felt oddly embarrassed, forced a smile, then naturally asked, “How’s the work going? Did you stay up late? Are you tired?”

He hadn’t thought much about it, but his smile was directed entirely at Jiang Yuan.

“A bit tired—the bunk bed’s too small,” Jiang Yuan answered honestly. Someone with a system could afford to be a little Renxing .

Captain Huang paused, startled. Over the years, when he’d asked the same question of others, the usual answer was some official “not tired.” But remembering Jiang Yuan’s recent impressive performance since joining, Huang Qiangmin’s smile returned, warm and kind: “They say today’s youth are different—turns out you really do talk differently from us old folks. Hmm, you’re tall too—sleeping on such a small bunk bed must be tiring… I’ll think of a solution later…”

“I went with Jiang Yuan to re-examine the scene yesterday…” Wang Zhong stuck his head over.

There were only two trace evidence technicians in the unit, and Huang Qiangmin knew them both well. He gave Wang Zhong a reassuring smile, the corners of his mouth lifting to the unconscious 33.3-degree angle he used when facing brutal criminals: “Good job.”

Wang Zhong’s heart clenched sharply—he felt like a murderer who’d fled for seventeen years before being caught.

“You can’t stay in the dormitory for now—the bureau’s dorms are tight, and single rooms are impossible. I’ll try to free up a bed for you to use during lunch breaks…” When Huang Qiangmin turned back to Jiang Yuan, his gaze was gentle, his smile at a perfect 66.6-degree angle.

“Not necessary for now,” Jiang Yuan said. He didn’t fully grasp how scarce bureau beds were—but he didn’t need one. Jiangcun Community wasn’t far; he just didn’t feel like going home, not because he couldn’t.

Wang Zhong blinked repeatedly, disappointed. His home wasn’t even in Ningtai County—and after all this time working here, he’d never gotten a dorm bed.

Wu Jun, watching from the side, gave a knowing smile.

He’d been in the county bureau for two or three decades—he understood the ecosystem perfectly. In one sentence: the dry die of thirst, the flooded drown in water.

In truth, the bureau had limited resources—and limited talent. To retain talent, they were willing to allocate more resources than city or prefectural bureaus, but to free up those resources, they inevitably had to leave many others in the dry zone.

Precisely because he saw this ecosystem, Wu Jun had caused a major uproar a few years ago, threatening to transfer unless the leadership granted him deputy department-level benefits. After all, forensic specialists were far more specialized and rare than other positions.

In that light, Jiang Yuan’s arrival was practically a side effect of Wu Jun’s earlier outburst.

As Wu Jun basked in this thought, Huang Qiangmin’s phone rang.

Everyone lowered their heads and strained their ears.

“Captain Huang, we’ve caught him. We’re heading to the scene for identification now.” Captain Liu’s voice came through, dripping with triumph.

The scene’s details were known only to the killer or eyewitnesses—so identifying the scene itself was strong evidence.

“Did you find the weapon?” Huang Qiangmin asked immediately.

Captain Liu hesitated, his voice lowering: “He admitted he threw it into Taihe River.”

“I’ll immediately request approval from higher-ups. After you identify the scene, go confirm the weapon’s location and organize a recovery team,” Huang Qiangmin didn’t consider cost at all. Taihe River was wide, shallow, and had low current—metal objects dropped in had a decent chance of being recovered, and the police had experience with this.

Captain Liu immediately agreed, then added in a low voice: “We also found some burned ash in his house. He washed his blood-stained clothes, brought them back, and burned them. I asked why he didn’t just throw them in the river—he was afraid the clothes might carry his DNA, and if he dumped them with the weapon, someone might dig them up years later and use them to convict him…”

“So cautious?”

“He’s an educated guy,” Captain Liu said, sneering over the phone. “Heart’s evil, overthinks, terrible psychological resilience. As soon as we showed up, he started contradicting himself. Captain Huang, this case is closed.”

“Good work!” Huang Qiangmin encouraged, gave a few final instructions, then hung up.

Turning back to Jiang Yuan, Huang Qiangmin’s mouth curled into a 66.6-degree smile: “Take some rest while you can. You can leave early today.”

Seeing Wang Zhong peeking again, Huang Qiangmin added: “Jiang Yuan, go home and get a good sleep. Young people should avoid burning out. Everyone else—we’re all seasoned officers. Keep pushing! Today, let’s solidify the case and nail the killer!”