When faced with situations where clues are scarce, we must broaden our investigation scope, scrutinizing even leads that appear unrelated to the case. I recall my father once telling me about a serial murder case years ago. The killer left no trace at the scene, and the police were at a dead end. Just as they were about to give up, my father insisted on tracing the victims' social circles with a few colleagues. After much effort, they found a connection with one of the victims. It turned out that all the murdered individuals had bullied someone back when they worked at a factory.
Following this lead, my father and the other members of the "Punishment Squad" meticulously investigated, their efforts like a carpet search. Eventually, they apprehended the suspect, Tang. This was the Guangzhou 121 serial murder case, which sent shockwaves across China. My father and the Punishment Squad were invited to assist in the investigation, and it was this case that cemented his reputation throughout China, making him a legend in law enforcement and earning him an indelible honor.
Of course, he was also the leader of the Punishment Squad at the time.
Lost in these memories, Liu Yuning and I arrived outside Du Zhiwei's residence. We began our inquiries at a neighbor's house. The elderly woman lived alone. Upon learning we were investigating Du Zhiwei, she became emotional, much like the old beat cops I remembered. "You speak of Director Du, *sob*... For years, we've remembered his deeds. In just three months, he solved multiple serious cases in our town. Back then, criminals were everywhere. If he hadn't thoroughly cleaned up this place, we..."
Director Du was truly a selfless, good police officer. As soon as our town's public safety returned to normal, he suddenly left for reasons unknown. Everyone assumed he'd been invited by his superiors to work elsewhere, and we never saw him again. To think you're looking for him today."
"While you were neighbors, did you see any strangers visit him?" I asked.
"That... I don't think so. He lived a routine life of going to work and coming home. He rarely interacted with anyone except his family. But that child was quite capable; he brought back a girlfriend right after graduating from university. Oh, no, they were married then, I suppose! Anyway, I saw their child!"
"Really? Do you know where that girl is now?"
"She moved away with Du Zhiwei. Ah, I forgot to tell you something. Du Zhiwei's parents passed away when he was in his third year of police academy. I think they had some illness. Du Zhiwei definitely didn't have the money for treatment back then; he had to work several part-time jobs just to support his studies."
"I understand. Auntie, one more question: do you remember what the girl looked like?" I asked patiently.
"Hmm... that woman, she was a police officer too, I think. I saw her in uniform once. She stopped being a police officer after she got pregnant. It's a shame, though. I thought she had a real talent for being a police officer. She gave up her job just because of her family. Fortunately, Du Zhiwei didn't let her down. When they left together, they took their young child with them. Yes, they seemed quite happy."
"Uh." I paused, a little awkward, then asked again, "What did the woman look like?"
The old woman finally realized she had gone off on a tangent and sheepishly began to describe her. I took out a piece of paper and a pen and quickly started sketching.
About three minutes later, I had a portrait of a woman. When the auntie saw the portrait in my hand, she couldn't help but give me a thumbs-up. "That's her! Her name is He Bailing."
"Auntie, the information you've provided us might be a crucial clue in the case. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Oh, there's no need to thank me. It's police-citizen cooperation; I understand. Feel free to find me again if you need anything!"
The old woman left, seemingly to go to work. I turned to Liu Yuning and said, "Let's go! Let's find out about this woman!"
"En."
We sent a message to He Xin and simultaneously began investigating the local public security system. We also contacted the neighborhood committee. In the facial recognition big database system, we quickly identified He Bailing's detailed information.
He Bailing, female, born March 2, 1988, resident of Linhai Town, Guangming City. Graduated from Guangming City Central Police Academy, formerly a senior criminal investigation consultant.
"Oh? So this woman is from Guangming City? Perhaps the reason they returned to Guangming City was at the woman's request? That would mean it's not necessarily related to the undercover work?" Xiao Yuande speculated.
I shook my head and said, "No, perhaps both things happened concurrently. But the undercover work was likely the primary reason. They don't seem like people who would easily change their intentions due to their living environment. However, if it were a mission from their superiors, they would leave their hometown without hesitation."
"That's right. I've also met Officer Du. He's a very selfless person," Liu Yuning added.
"Regardless, there's no point in staying in Changsha any longer. Let's head back!"
A few hours later, we returned to Guangming City. Upon our return, we searched everywhere for information about He Bailing. For some reason, as I looked at her face again, I felt a sense of familiarity.
Why? Have I met He Bailing somewhere before?
That evening, I was alone in the office. For some reason, I felt extremely tired right after returning. While everyone else continued their work, I sat at my desk, lost in thought about various matters. He Bailing, He Jianquan, He Guanghui, He Sheng...
Could there be a connection?
However, it could also be a coincidence.
Given He Bailing's age, she should be two years older than me. If my... it's still possible.
But why don't I have any impression of her? Have I lost my memory?
I suddenly stood up abruptly and went to the information department, asking Yuan Hezhu to find more information on He Bailing for me. Seeing my stern expression, Yuan Hezhu didn't dare to delay and furiously typed on his keyboard. However, the information he found was almost identical to what we had already investigated; there was no trace of any connection between her and me.
Perhaps I was overthinking it. Maybe, having no relatives for years, I felt a bit lonely and started having fanciful thoughts. Sighing, I patted Yuan Hezhu on the shoulder, "Keep up the good work, thanks!"
Yuan Hezhu seemed to sense something was off but didn't say much, continuing his work on the computer. Back in my office, I couldn't help but fall asleep.
For some reason, a while later, strange images began to appear in my mind. We were back in the old He Village. Our family was very poor during that time. All the other children in the village were wealthier than us. The poorest clothing belonged to our He family. But back then, a girl and I often went to the mountains to play. The girl seemed to have a passion for detective work from a young age. One day, she stood on the mountain and asked me, "He Sheng, do you know what the most mysterious field of study in the world is?"
"No, Sister, tell me..."
"It's criminology. Legend has it that Sherlock Holmes is the most brilliant detective in the world. He once solved a case in less than two minutes. Do you think that guy is amazing?"
"He is indeed amazing. So, Sister, do you want to become a famous detective?"
"Heh, Sister might not have that ability, but He Sheng, I believe you can."
"Why?"
"Because Sister will be a woman when she grows up. No matter how successful a woman is in her career, she will eventually have to return to her family, or the family will fall apart. I can't remain single my whole life like Sherlock Holmes and live as a hermit in the wilderness, can I? I'm just an ordinary mortal, heh, I can't achieve something so great."
I was young then and very naive, not really understanding my sister's meaning. By the time I did, I found that I could no longer find her.
It seems my father sent her to a secret chamber in He Village one year to learn martial arts from some master. I thought at the time, what era is this? People are using firearms, and you're still learning martial arts, damn it!
However, my father said the He family's swordsmanship must not be lost.
At this moment, I suddenly opened my eyes, tears streaming from their corners. I roared and pushed open the office door, rushing outside. As if I had suddenly understood something, I desperately wanted to reunite with her!
But now I couldn't find her. I was afraid I would go back to how it was before, spending every day with her, only to suddenly find her gone one morning, no matter how hard I tried. Even her belongings had been taken away.
At that time, I felt like the whole world had abandoned me. I was devastated and fell gravely ill.
When I woke up, all memories of my sister had been erased from my mind.
I ran frantically on the street like a madman, but I had already given up. If I couldn't find her, I knew I would go insane.
I ran everywhere for over an hour, not feeling tired, but I couldn't find any trace of her. Just as I left the city and reached the outskirts, I rushed to a cliff, and an urge to jump off surged within me. I ran, almost reaching the edge. Just as I was about to fall, someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me back.
"If you want to die, at least wait until the mission is complete. Are you giving up so easily when faced with such difficulty? He Sheng!"