Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 150 Discovery of the Murder Weapon
Chen Shu stood in the courtyard, talking eloquently.

Julie, Xu Chaofan, and the others were somewhat stunned by what they heard.

"Not bad," Li Meng summarized in a leader's tone, though she was somewhat disdainful.

He believed that if the detectives, who specialized in handling major cases, arrived first, they would also obtain equally accurate information. With a grim face, he directed the team to begin the on-site investigation.

Little did Chen Limeng know that judging Chen Shu, who came from a police station background, by the standards of a criminal police officer was actually overestimating his abilities in investigating major criminal cases.

Xu Chaofan pulled Chen Shu aside and asked in a low voice, "Is this case easy to solve? Do we have any chance of success?"

Chen Shu couldn't figure out what the other person was thinking, but he still pointed out that the police station could not handle homicide cases.

Xu Chaofan slapped his forehead and made a few self-deprecating remarks.

Seeing that there was nothing more for them to do at the scene, the two walked out of the courtyard side by side. At this time, the area outside the courtyard was bustling with noise, with people from several units, including Zhongshan Police Station, Dongming Police Station, Major Criminal Cases Unit, and Forensic Science Unit, gathered together in dense crowds.

Some were setting up lamps, others were conducting surveys; everyone was busy and working feverishly.

After bidding farewell to Xu Chaofan, Chen Shu led Zhu Chaoran and Xiao Lin down the mountain.

Before leaving, he looked back at the courtyard and saw Xu Chaofan still standing not far away, smoking and staring blankly at the gate.

According to the forensic doctor Julie, this Brother Xu should be focused on cracking down on public security issues within the station. He would try to avoid cases from the Criminal Investigation Department, and he didn't want to touch them at all. All the police force in the station was only focused on cracking down on public security cases within the jurisdiction and some criminal cases that could not be avoided.

Last year, the branch where Dongming worked ranked second in the number of security crackdowns across the entire bureau, which speaks volumes about Xu Chaofan's management skills.

But why is he behaving this way now?

Does a police officer from a local police station really want to handle a murder case?
Considering that he had previously put himself in front of everyone and inquired about the case before leaving, it's clear that...

Chen Shu felt uneasy, but it was too late now and it had nothing to do with him anymore. He led the auxiliary police officer back to the temporary checkpoint on Minhang Road, packed up their equipment, and went back to the police station together.

……

Outside the hospital where the incident occurred
"Chief Xu, your wife is inside. Why don't you go in and keep her company?" The new policeman who had gone to the security department with Xu Chaofan that afternoon suddenly appeared out of nowhere and handed him a cigarette.

"What sister-in-law? We're not even close to being together yet," Xu Chaofan said with a laugh, but judging from the wide grin that almost reached his ears, he was clearly very pleased with the flattery.

"It's only a matter of time!"

Xu Chaofan waved his hand: "Xiao Yang, some things shouldn't be said carelessly. Zhu Li has never been in a relationship before, so let's not gossip. If things fall through, it won't affect her."

Therefore, Xu Chaofan, who looks like a middle-aged man, should be unmarried and pursuing Zhu Li, a forensic pathologist in the Criminal Investigation Department. Considering this, Xu Chaofan's previous behavior makes perfect sense.

The new policeman, nicknamed Xiao Yang, gestured with his chin towards the mountain road where the group from Zhongshan Police Station had left earlier: "How's Chen Shu? Does he have any real skills?"

Xu Chaofan joked, "Compared to you, I'm much more capable."

After making the joke, he looked down at the path leading down the mountain, thinking to himself that to get things done with Julie, he'd have to find Chen Shu. With his connections, he should be able to handle this case. Then, Julie wouldn't have any prejudice against our police station anymore.

……

The crime scene, inside the main house
Ignoring her clean white coat, forensic pathologist Julie squatted down next to the female corpse and carefully brushed around the neck with a brush.

Look focused.

At her age, her composure in the face of this faceless female corpse is remarkable, likely a testament to the solid foundation laid by her years of work experience. Julie comes from a family of police officers; most of her elders are police officers, and her father is a veteran detective with decades of service. From a young age, she harbored a deep longing and admiration for becoming a police officer, choosing this profession through inherited beliefs.

Therefore, the demands placed on the police profession are almost harsh. She probably understood the meaning behind Xu Chaofan's feelings for her, so when they met, she easily projected her own standards onto Xu Chaofan.

Therefore, he completely disagreed with Xu Chaofan's opportunistic decision to abandon criminal cases and focus on cracking down on crime, and couldn't help but express his disgust.

Although it's often sarcastic or teasing, it also serves as a way to build emotional connection. Considering Julie's polite distance towards others, Xiao Yang from Dongming Law Firm's comment that "she'll be my sister-in-law sooner or later" isn't entirely unreasonable.

One more thing to add: the profession of forensic pathologist might sound like that of a doctor or someone working in a public institution, but it actually belongs to the police force. For example, forensic pathologists and criminal investigators in the Criminal Investigation Department are completely the same in every way except for their specific positions, including promotion, staffing, and law enforcement powers.

"Forensic Doctor Zhu, what are the test results?"

Li Meng, who had been waiting nearby, watched as Zhu Li stood up to arrange for the police officers to enter the house and take the body away from the scene. She couldn't help but step forward and ask a question.

Julie looked at Li Meng suspiciously: "What can you possibly figure out in such a short time? Didn't Officer Chen already tell you everything you could possibly know?"

Presumably recalling how Chen Shu, a police officer from a local station, had been directing a major criminal case amidst a yard full of detectives earlier, Zhu Li admired him even more for his naturalness and confidence.

She narrowed her beautiful phoenix eyes: "It's a pity you didn't come to our brigade."

Li Meng snorted coldly and walked outside.

Julie watched Li Meng's retreating figure, wondering why this rising star of the Criminal Investigation Department was in such a hurry today. Usually, when faced with cases involving dead bodies, he was always the first to rush in, but his approach was always much more composed than it was today.

outside the main house

Wen Zhao handed Li Meng a stone about the size of two palms, covered in blood and hair.

"Li Da, if I'm not mistaken, this is the murder weapon."

Li Meng looked around and nodded: "It's not necessarily the lethal object, but the murderer must have repeatedly hit the victim's face with this thing. We'll take it back to the station later to extract fingerprints from it."

Wen Zhao looked troubled: "It rained today, so the fingerprints might have been washed away."

"I know. Let's get things done, and we'll deal with the rest later."

Wen Zhao took out a transparent evidence bag from his bag, put the stone inside, and carried the small stone toward the police car outside the courtyard.

At this moment, Xu Chaofan, who had been waiting outside the courtyard, saw Wen Zhao carrying a stone as he walked out. He quickly approached and nudged Wen Zhao with his elbow.

To outsiders, the two would appear to be very close friends.

He smiled and probed, "You guys are really something! You found the murder weapon so quickly!"

Wen Zhao was unsure of himself, but he couldn't show any weakness on the surface, after all, this was a murder scene, and it was their Criminal Investigation Division's home ground!
Although he wasn't very familiar with Xu Chaofan, his colleague, the forensic doctor Zhu, was a friend of Xu's. He could only nod reluctantly and then quickly left.

Watching Wen Zhao leave, Xu Chaofan, who had been all smiles, suddenly became serious. He took out his phone and sent a WeChat message: "The murder weapon was found in the yard; it was a stone about the size of two palms."

He couldn't believe that the police officer who consistently ranked first in the branch office in both the number of strikes and the number of cases solved could turn a blind eye to this case he had handled.

Young police officers are all like this!

Everyone has to go through this process.

(End of this chapter)