Five Cases

Chapter 31: Point of Uncertainty

“State your relationship with Du Chengxian.” Lu Hui turned around to face Hu Fang and Du Xinhua. 

Learning from their previous mistake, Hu Fang and Du Xinhua did not try to play any more clever tricks. Du Xinhua said: “After we sent away… Chengxian became our family’s eldest. We weren’t close back then. Our family didn’t have enough money to send him to university, so he dropped out of high school to work. He self-studied and got his diploma as an adult, then got his accountant’s license and found a secure job. These were all things he worked hard toward. He didn’t want to be too involved with us, and his relationship with his sisters is even more distant. We already…haven’t seen him in three or four years.”

“Two years ago, Du Chengxian moved to a place even further away from you both.” Lu Hui said, “Do you know why?”

“Wang Jing said that he thought the house was too small and far away from work, so he went to look for something bigger and closer.” Hu Fang said. 

Lu Hui said: “Eighty square meters to ninety square meters. Only ten square meters larger.”

Du Xinhua sighed: “We’re old, and we only want to pass the rest of our days happily. Whatever the kids want to spend their money on, we’ll let them do it.”

“What close friends do Du Chengxian and his wife Wang Jing have?” Ji Fanyang asked. 

“Close friends?” Hu Fang pondered for a moment, then said, “When we attended Chengxian’s wedding, Wang Jing’s bridesmaid was a friend she grew up with.”

“Her name?” Ji Fanyang asked. 

Hu Fang frowned: “I think her name was…Zhao Zifei. Back then, we both praised how pretty her name was.”

Ji Fanyang recorded this in his notes: “What about Du Chengxian, does he have any close friends?”

“Doesn’t seem so.” Du Xinhua said, “Chengxian has been unsociable ever since he was a child, and he didn’t like talking to other kids. In high school, the only classmate he had fun with went abroad for school, and then he became even more quiet. In my impression of him, Chengxian interacts the most with his colleagues.”

Lu Hui nodded, then stood: “Don’t leave the city for the time being. We’ll call if we have any more questions.”

“Alright.” Du Xinhua and Hu Fang also stood. 

Lu Hui turned around and said to the others: “Okay, let’s go.”

Opening the door, both Lu Hui and Zhong Yuxiu stepped out, with Ji Fanyang and Xi Junhong following from behind. 

“Is that it?” Xi Junhong asked. 

Ji Fanyang replied: “This is only a basic inquiry. Once we go back, we’ll sort it all out and analyze it.”

“Analyze it? I didn’t hear any mistakes ah.” Xi Junhong scratched his head. 

“That’s why we need to analyze it.” Lu Hui said, glancing sidelong at the second gen, his expression smiling yet not, “Would a liar write ’I’m a liar’ on their forehead?”

“Oh…” Xi Junhong agreed falteringly. 

Ji Fanyang patted his shoulder sympathetically. After all, the number of people who could put up with Lu Hui was very few, and unfortunately, Ji Fanyang was one of them. 

The group went downstairs to the car. Lu Hui sat in the passenger seat, Xi Junhong and Ji Fanyang in the back, and Zhong Yuxiu drove. 

“Alright.” Lu Hui said, “State your thoughts.”

“Too coincidental.” Zhong Yuxiu said, “The events two years ago. The trip, the burn scars, and the move.”

“The burn scars are very suspicious.” Ji Fanyang said, “But his daughter could testify…”

“It doesn’t matter what his daughter said.” Lu Hui said, “Identical twins have the same DNA. The only distinguishing factor would be the fingerprints.”

“Do you think the child was lying?” Zhong Yuxiu’s brow scrunched up, “How old is the little girl?”

“Lying exists in people’s genes.” Lu Hui said, “Without fingerprints, we can only guess.”

Zhong Yuxiu continued his silence, like he could not accept the hypothesis that ‘the child could lie.’

“When we get back to the Bureau, Ji Fanyang will go look for information about Zhao Zifei. In the afternoon, Chief Zhong will go to talk to his coworkers at Peacock Foods, Ltd. Ji Fanyang and I will go talk to Zhao Zifei.” Lu Hui arranged. 

“Okay.” Zhong Yuxiu started the car, “Chief Lu, do you have any conjectures?”

“Everything is too unclear.” Lu Hui closed his eyes and laid back on his seat to take a nap, “It both makes sense and doesn’t.”

Lu Hui was used to deducing the implausible amongst a heap of clues, like finding a broken thread in a web of logic, but this case’s clues all intermingled with each other. Starting from two years ago and branching outward, each person’s excuses match each other’s, but something felt vaguely off. 

There were too many coincidences, so many that it was becoming abnormal. 

“Isn’t our point of focus still the corpse?” Zhong Yuxiu brought up this point. “Right now it seems like we’re investigating Du Chengxian.”

“Du Chengxian has many mysteries relating to him, “ Lu Hui said, “What we need to do is painstakingly unravel those mysteries.”

“Using any means?”

“Any means.” Lu Hui confirmed. He looked at the window. A father-daughter pair was walking along the street hand in hand. The little girl scampered around and chattered indistinctly while the father listened patiently and warmly. A lightbulb suddenly went off in Lu Hui’s mind, and he said, “Inquire about Zhao Zifei’s matters and have Sister Yang and Rao Feifei look into them. Ji Fanyang, check where Du Chengxian and his daughter go to eat for dinner tonight.”

“The little girl wanted to eat shrimp.” Ji Fanyang flipped through his notes, “Are we going to go look for them?”

“No.” Lu Hui shook his head, “We’re going to go observe.”

“What?” Ji Fanyang did not understand, “What’s there to observe about a father and daughter eating together?”

“Du Chengxian treats his daughter very well, but if he always treated her this well, then where did his daughter learn how to lie?”

“His daughter didn’t lie.” Zhong Yuxiu frowned, “Your conclusion is foundationally flawed.”

“Before we know the truth, we have to assume everyone is lying.” Lu Hui said, “No matter if they’re old, weak, sick, or disabled.”

Ji Fanyang knew how stubborn Lu Hui could be, so he hurried to gently add: “Chief Lu is accustomed to dealing with cases like this. It’s not too much of a waste to go and check it out. We can just regard it as going to have some dinner.”

Zhong Yuxiu’s expression, as dark as the bottom of a pot, lightened a little. 

Lu Hui spoke: “Do you have a daughter?”

Zhong Yuxiu was dazed for a moment, then nodded: “Mhm, a four-year-old.”

Lu Hui dipped his chin in a nod and didn’t continue speaking. 

Ji Fanyang pulled a bag of egg rolls out of his pocket and slid them over to Lu Hui: “Eat something first.”

Lu Hui took the bag of egg rolls and opened it. The corners of his lips hooked upward: “I know you love me the most.”

Ji Fanyang shook his head helplessly. 

Xi Junhong’s gaze moved between the two of them: “You guys…”

“Xiao Ji is pursuing me, but I haven’t promised him anything.” Lu Hui said glibly, munching on the crispy egg roll, “Xiao Ji’s feelings are deeper than mine.”

“Oh…” Xi Junhong looked like he actually believed him. 

Ji Fanyang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he interrupted Xi Junhong’s thought process: “Stop thinking about it. Chief Lu is just teasing you.”

“No, I’m being serious.” Lu Hui put on an expression of decency. He shook the egg roll in his hand, “This isn’t some normal egg roll. It’s a token of love.”

“See, Chief Lu isn’t nearly as hard to pursue as Rao Feifei. One egg roll and he’s hooked.” Ji Fanyang said. 

“Hey, I haven’t agreed yet.” Lu Hui glared at him, “A cart of egg rolls, at the very least.”

“It would be great if Feifei would agree with a cart of ice cream.” Xi Junhong sighed. 

Lu Hui finished the last bite of his egg roll and rolled his eyes: “Are all second gens as dumb as you? I should change my career to professional swindler.”