I'm not a genius detective

Chapter 93 Lone Wolf
The two returned to the branch office.

The squadron was empty; there wasn't a single person looking through the windows. They must all be out on cases.

Han Ling knocked on the door of the electronic evidence room.

"Brother Wang," Han Ling greeted, "I've come to ask Cao Kexuan when the photos on his phone were taken."

He had seen all the photos, but he hadn't paid attention to the dates at the time. Now that there were new clues, he needed to check the dates of the photos to indirectly verify his guess.

Upon seeing that it was Han Ling and Tong Feng, the detective, addressed as Brother Wang, put down his work and started working on the computer: "Okay, wait a moment."

After retrieving the photos, he asked, "Which photos specifically? All of them?"

Han Ling looked at the screen and said, "Let's filter them, from April 10th to April 17th."

“Okay.” Brother Wang indicated that he understood, and quickly reduced the large number of photos on the screen to a dozen or so. Then he leaned back in his chair and said, “That’s all. They’re all from April 11th. Take your time looking at them. I’m going to the restroom.”

After saying that, Brother Wang got up and left, and Han Ling sat down in front of the computer.

Enlarging the photos reveals that all of them are landscapes of Tiezhu Mountain, and they are very detailed, with most of them being close-up shots.

Based on the newly discovered clues, it is clear that Cao Kexuan did not go there to take pictures of the scenery.

April 11th was the day after Cao Kexuan fell into the water while fishing and got his pants wet.

It was very purposeful; something must have happened on the night of April 10th to trigger Cao Kexuan's unusual behavior.

After looking at it carefully for a while, Brother Wang returned. Seeing that Han Ling was still looking at it, he asked, "Is there any progress in the Weijiazhuang Village case? Why are you suddenly concerned about the time of the photos?"

After reading it, Han Ling replied, "There has been some progress, and we are still working hard to push it forward."

"Oh." Brother Wang didn't ask any further questions and didn't seem to care.

If there is significant progress, it won't be Han Ling coming to the electronic evidence room; it will be Ji Bowei or Hu Lihui instead.

"Thanks, Brother Wang, you're busy."

"okay."

Han Ling took Tong Feng away from the branch office and headed to Weijiazhuang Village again.

Today marks the twelfth day of the Criminal Investigation Division's investigation.

"Are we thinking the same thing now?" Tong Feng asked on the way. "Grave robbing, silencing witnesses, is that it?"

Han Ling nodded: "We can investigate that as a direction. My top priority is to know what happened to Cao Kexuan on the night of April 10th."

That night was crucial; starting the next day, Cao Kexuan began to act strangely.

He went to Tiezhu Mountain to take photos, returned to school in a bad mood, and frequently went to the library to borrow a large number of books on archaeology, feng shui, and tomb raiding. A week later, when he went home to fish again, he drowned.

All of this can actually be connected.

Tong Feng boldly speculated: "If that's the case, the Wei family is the most suspicious, because they've contracted most of the mountains, making them the most likely to discover the tomb. As for the Cao family..."

Thinking of Hou Jiarou's case, he was silent for a while before saying, "Cao Kexuan's parents shouldn't be like this, right? Judging from their appearance, they are obviously extremely grieving over their son's death. His father even turned white overnight."

Han Ling: "I don't think there's a conflict. Human nature is very complex. Of course, it's safe to assume that Cao Kexuan's parents are probably unaware of the situation."

However... whether or not they know anything about the tomb is another matter.

The Wei family resisted the police investigation, as did Cao Kexuan's parents; their motives for resistance may have differed.

It took Tong Feng a moment to understand what the other person meant: "The Wei family resisted because of the tomb raiding and Cao Kexuan's death, while Cao Kexuan's parents resisted only because of the tomb raiding. They did not suspect that their son died in an accident?"

Han Ling nodded: "That makes sense."

Tong Feng: "Then we have to be careful. As soon as we spot any signs of trouble, we should immediately report to the team and request support."

Captain Ji was really prescient; he let us get our service pistols right away. I just took my gun license test a few days ago.

If this scenario holds true, the two will be facing not only murderers but also tomb raiders.

If caught, it's basically a death sentence, just like with drug dealers, and they're likely to fight back desperately.

When lives are threatened, who cares if you're a police officer or not? They'll do it anyway.

Han Ling: "Don't worry, I guarantee your safety."

The sentence was suggestive, but Tong Feng didn't understand it and took it as his brother jokingly bragging.

When they arrived at Weijiazhuang Village and parked their car, Han Ling took out a pen and paper and drew a simple map from memory, showing only two locations: Cao Kexuan's fishing spot and Cao Kexuan's house.

On the evening of April 10th, which road would Cao Kexuan take to get home and change clothes after falling into the water?

In terms of distance, there are two closest routes, while the others are longer detours.

Under normal circumstances, Cao Kexuan, who is in a hurry to get home because of the cold weather, is unlikely to choose to take a longer route.

Therefore, we only need to check these two routes. If something happened to Cao Kexuan on his way home, it's highly likely that it happened along one of these two routes.

After getting off the bus and entering the village, Han Ling walked quickly, with Tong Feng following closely half a step behind.

Today, the villagers are hiding even faster; they turn around as soon as they see them from afar, and they don't even bother to put on an act anymore.

It seems they've really grown tired of the police's "harassment."

Han Ling didn't care and started to travel back and forth along Cao Kexuan's route home based on the map and her memory.

Half an hour later, he stopped in front of a villager's house.

The two-story building, while not particularly luxurious on the surface, was very exquisite. The materials used for the main gate and the stone lions at the entrance were even superior to the Wei family's villa in terms of appearance.

"Who lives in here?" Han Ling asked Tong Feng.

Tong Feng shrugged: "We're together all the time, how would I know if I found out anything about this place? Is there a problem?"

Han Ling: "There are two roads home. All the other villagers' houses have very high walls, but this one is different. It's very low, and anyone who is agile can climb over it."

Tong Feng didn't understand: "So? What does that mean?"

Han Ling: "That just shows the differences. We need to be good at finding differences. How did you get into police academy?"

Tong Feng objected: "Can't people just like low walls? The village is so small, we see each other all the time, and there are no outsiders. How could there be thieves?"

The two weren't trying to lower their voices, so the homeowner probably heard them and opened the door.

A middle-aged man peeked out and said, "Who is it... uh, officer."

Han Ling smiled and said, "Hello, may I ask who you are?"

The man stepped forward: "Wei Henian, did you come looking for me? Come in, don't stay outside."

Wei Henian?
The two were taken aback. What a coincidence! Wasn't she the one who seduced respectable women in Huaiyan Town?

Han Ling sized him up. He was unshaven, his hair was thinning, his nose was a bit big, but his mouth was small. He was exceptionally ugly, really exceptionally ugly. With that kind of appearance, how could he possibly seduce a respectable woman?

Either you have a silver tongue or you have money.

Han Ling and Tong Feng leaned towards the latter, since the Wei family members were all wealthy, even in Huaiyan Town they would be considered rich.

Everyone likes money, regardless of gender.

"Mr. Wei, were you at home the whole night of April 10th?" Han Ling asked.

Wei Henian: "I need to think about it. April 10th... I really can't remember, but I'm home every night, so I should have been there that day too."

Han Ling: "Did you hear any strange noises outside?"

Wei Henian shook his head: "No, I'm used to watching TV at night, so I can't hear any noise."

Han Ling: "And then?"

Wei Henian: "No, not either."

Han Ling: "Okay, it's nothing. Sorry to bother you. We just happened to be passing by."

Wei Henian smiled and said, "You're too kind. Take care."

The two left, but after taking only two steps, Han Ling stopped and turned back, asking another question: "Mr. Wei, you're not a native of Weijiazhuang Village, are you? Did you go to other places in your younger years?"

The other person's accent was slightly different from that of other villagers in Weijiazhuang Village.

Wei Henian's smile remained unchanged: "Officer, you have a great ability to discern. I went to big cities to make my way in the world when I was young, and I only came back when I was almost forty. My hometown is still the best. It's slow-paced, stable, and comfortable."

Han Ling said "Oh" and thanked her.

As the two young policemen walked further and further away, about to disappear at the intersection, the smile on Wei Henian's face slowly faded.

A deep, sinister glint appeared in his eyes.

Just as Han Ling was about to turn the corner, he turned his head without warning, his gaze meeting Wei Henian's from dozens of meters away.

The gloom on Wei Henian's face vanished abruptly, replaced by a smile, until the two disappeared completely.

Even after walking quite a distance, Han Ling kept looking back in the direction of Wei Henian's house, growing wary of him.

"What's wrong?" Tong Feng asked.

Han Ling: "That guy seems a bit off... Never mind, where should we investigate next?"

Tong Feng pointed at himself: "You're asking me? I'm just a mascot, isn't that what you said?"

"Alright." Han Ling turned and walked towards the village entrance. "To the town police station."

Tong Feng caught up: "Going to the police station again? That's quite a leap of faith of yours. Can you tell me your thoughts so I can be prepared?"

Han Ling: "I'm afraid you won't understand it, you definitely won't understand it."

Tong Feng: "Damn it."

The two drove away from Weijiazhuang Village and arrived at Huaiyan Town Police Station, where they met the team leader of the case-handling post again.

This time, Han Ling focused her questioning on Wei Henian.

When mediating a fight, both parties need to provide their ID cards. So, was Wei Henian's ID card verified through the public security information system?

The normal procedure requires approval, but it may be omitted in practice.

Nowadays, the technology for making fake ID cards is quite advanced.

If there's any suspicion, you have to investigate. Han Ling won't let any possibility slip by—even if it's a dramatic one.

He remembered the case Feng Yaocha had investigated.

Twelve years ago, a seven-year-old child was stabbed six times in vital areas. It was suspected that the perpetrator was trying to cover up the crime by robbing a tomb. So many years have passed, and the murderer has still not been found.

Now, the investigation into Cao Kexuan has raised reasonable suspicions, and these suspicions are highly similar to those of the child from back then. Therefore, Han Ling immediately connected the two.

It's not impossible that he could find a remote village to launder his identity and hide, then accidentally discover an ancient tomb and resume his old ways.

Whether it's true or not, you'll know once you check; even if it's negative, it's still a gain.

"This...it should have been checked, right?" The team leader wasn't quite sure.

Seeing this, Han Ling knew that she couldn't get a definite answer. As long as the police officers handling the case didn't check carefully, there was still a high chance that she could get away with it.

Ordinary dispute mediation tends to be rather rough in handling details, especially at township police stations.

Tong Feng, perhaps guessing Han Ling's intentions, hesitated and ultimately didn't ask.

That night, the two chose to stay in Huaiyan Town and randomly found a hotel.

Han Ling requested two rooms, which Tong Feng didn't understand but respected.

At 2 a.m., Han Ling, who had slept for three hours, opened her eyes, put on her clothes, quietly left the hotel, and drove to Weijiazhuang Village.

He said he would ensure Tong Feng's safety.

The method is simple: just don't bring him.

This was Han Ling's first solo operation since joining the police force, reverting to his lone wolf identity and status.

Is there anything wrong with Wei Henian? Should we get his DNA?

Is there a problem with Tiezhushan? Are there any hidden tombs inside?

Was there any problem with Cao Kexuan's death? If so, how many people killed him?

Who sent that text message, and what was their purpose?

……

Many questions flashed through his mind, and he wanted to figure them all out in a short time.

At this moment, only three days have passed since Ji Bowen gave the one-month deadline.

Weijiazhuang Village.

Night pressed the mountain low, and the inky blackness flowed from the peak, enveloping the village at the foot of the mountain. From afar, only a half-moon hanging on the edge of the cliff could be seen.

There were no barking dogs, no chirping insects; the village was very quiet.

Han Ling parked her car far away and chose to walk into Weijiazhuang Village, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, without causing any ripples.

(End of this chapter)