Chapter 26: Homicide

Zhu Yue returned quickly, in less than a minute. Han Ling could clearly see the seriousness on his face; there was no room for doubt or wishful thinking. It was clear that something major had happened.

"Officer Zhao, the person is dead. It appears to be a homicide—there are ligature marks on the neck. The body is lying on the floor of the second floor of the shop," Zhu Yue said in a low voice as he approached the deputy station chief.

Han Ling could not hear what Zhu Yue was saying, but he knew exactly what was being said.

Accurate lip-reading requires high cognitive ability and focus, but it is not difficult in practice; it is a universal skill that can be mastered with a little training. People with hearing impairments can maintain daily communication through lip-reading, provided that the language spoken matches their own.

After hearing Zhu Yue’s report, Deputy Chief Zhao’s expression turned visibly grave, a flicker of distress crossing his face.

"I will notify the station and the branch bureau. Get your people to do their jobs," he commanded Zhu Yue, then pulled out his phone and stepped aside.

"Understood!" Zhu Yue replied.

The criminal investigation team gathered around. Upon learning of the death, the officers’ nerves immediately tightened. Tasks were assigned quickly, demonstrating the team's high level of operational efficiency.

Securing the scene, controlling personnel, and reporting the situation—these were the three core objectives for a local police station after an unnatural death occurred within its jurisdiction. The goal was to provide the branch bureau's criminal investigation detachment with a pristine, undisturbed crime scene to ensure the subsequent investigation would proceed smoothly. Simultaneously, they had to conduct initial interviews with the person who reported the crime and the surrounding crowd.

Han Ling’s task was to set up the cordon tape with his colleagues. Murders were rare for a local station; even though Zhu Yue valued Han Ling’s potential, he did not dare to assign him to the initial investigation. It was the subconscious distrust an veteran officer felt toward a rookie. What if he provided the criminal investigation team with incorrect information? It would not only affect Han Ling but also the Wanglou Police Station. Having joined only six months ago, Han Ling still had a promising future and needed more training and experience.

"Brother Lei! Make the outer perimeter larger!"

"Excuse me, please step back! Do not obstruct our work!"

Han Ling directed Zhang Silei to set up the cordon, keeping the outer perimeter as large as possible to isolate bystanders and the media. Once the outer perimeter was set, they established an inner cordon, the core crime scene; this area was also kept as wide as possible, allowing only members of the criminal investigation detachment to enter.

Seeing the cordon lines go up, the crowd began to whisper. It looked as if a murder had taken place—it was just like in the television dramas.

Once the cordon was set, several officers from the criminal investigation team stood guard every two paces to prevent unauthorized entry. Han Ling was among them, performing guard duty, while his more experienced colleagues conducted preliminary interviews, looking for witnesses or anyone who might have seen suspicious individuals entering or leaving.

The branch bureau arrived quickly. Not long after the cordon was set, a large group of detectives arrived. The officers in charge of the area pulled back the tape to let the criminal investigation detachment pass.

Han Ling turned his head and saw many familiar faces: Deputy Captain Ji Bowei of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, Sun Yujie and Yang Rui from the Criminal Technology Squadron, and Tong Feng from the First Squadron (Major Crimes).

Tong Feng was following a man who, if expectations held true, was the deputy captain of the Major Crimes Squadron, Fang Zhou.

The man was about 1.85 meters tall with sharp, handsome features. His gaze held an almost instinctive scrutiny, ready to capture any abnormalities in his surroundings. His expression was stern and humorless—not out of a desire to appear aloof, but as a personal trait honed by years of investigating criminal cases. He possessed both the vigor of youth and a composure beyond his years.

Seeing him, Han Ling once again felt grateful that he was already married; otherwise, Sun Yujie would be in big trouble. This was what a real detective looked like—a standard template.

After the detachment arrived, Deputy Chief Zhao and Zhu Yue immediately stepped forward to brief them and guide them into the scene. The command was handed over, and the local station shifted from control to support, following whatever the criminal investigation detachment required.

"Han..."

Tong Feng saw Han Ling and his eyes lit up. He wanted to say hello but held back, only giving him a meaningful look. Sun Yujie and Yang Rui nodded at Han Ling. Yang Rui was carrying a forensic kit and followed her mentor into the shop.

Deputy Captain Ji Bowei also saw Han Ling, but this was not the time for conversation; the case came first. Previously, Wu Bin had asked him to find an opportunity to test Han Ling’s investigative skills. Judging by the internship records submitted by the station, the incident at the film studio was no coincidence—this kid truly had talent. Determining a person's capability was not something that happened overnight, and Wu Bin had said there was no rush; they would take it slowly.

If the investigation into this unnatural death in the Wanglou jurisdiction determined that a special task force was needed, Han Ling could be added to it. The formation of a murder task force naturally required the participation of local officers, as they were more familiar with the area and better suited for canvassing.

After entering the shop, Fang Zhou immediately looked for the surveillance cameras. There were three. If this was a homicide, as long as the system was working, it would have captured the perpetrator. Passing by the front desk, Fang Zhou took a look; the monitor was black. He walked behind the counter and found the area in disarray, showing signs of being ransacked.

Examining it closely, Fang Zhou frowned.

"Captain Ji, Captain Hu, the surveillance hard drive has been taken."

In this era, digital video recorders had become the mainstream choice for small and medium-sized businesses. Compared to traditional disks, hard drives offered larger storage and easier operation, allowing for direct playback and loop recording.

"Taken?" The two walked over and confirmed Fang Zhou’s assessment.

Squadron Captain Hu Lihui remarked, "I’m afraid this is a homicide. The perpetrator has a certain level of counter-reconnaissance ability. If it wasn't a premeditated murder, there’s a high probability they have a criminal record."

Premeditated murder involved planning; the killer would think through the process in advance and avoid police detection, something even an ordinary person could do. But in a crime of passion, it was less likely that a killer in a panic would think of counter-reconnaissance. Someone with a record was more likely to do so. Those with past records were more experienced, having spent time in prison, and possessed stronger criminal instincts and mental fortitude than the average person.

Fang Zhou nodded, agreeing with Hu Lihui’s assessment. "Other shops have surveillance; we can screen those later."

It was quite difficult to commit a crime on a pedestrian street and avoid all surveillance along the way. If the perpetrator had managed that, things would become complicated. The pedestrian street was mostly covered by private surveillance, which might require expanding the search scope from private cameras to public ones to find the suspect.

There was no rush for that; first, they had to determine the state of the scene.

"Let’s go up and see," Ji Bowei said.

On the second floor, the forensic examiner had already begun. The victim was a woman, around thirty-five, lying on the floor with her head toward the door. There were clear signs of a struggle before death. The onset of early rigor mortis and lividity confirmed the victim was dead. There were ligature marks on the neck—a preliminary confirmation of homicide.