Attending ex-girlfriend's wedding, arresting the groom's officer on the spot

As the sun set, the two stood on the bank of the North River, gazing at the murky water. Wang Shuai's investigation log was filled with entries like "excluded," "no results," and "lead broken." In Zhang Hui's notebook, a question mark was drawn next to Qin Yanming's name. "Although the lead has gone cold, there are still two paths: Liu Wei and the man in black," Zhang Hui patted Wang Shuai on the shoulder. "Liu Wei's car is definitely still nearby, and the man in black couldn't have vanished into thin air. If we investigate further, we'll eventually find traces."

A night breeze carried the fishy smell of the river, casting long shadows of the two men. Although most of the leads had gone cold, they knew that there was no such thing as "giving up" in criminal investigations—Liu Wei's identity, the whereabouts of the man in black, Qin Yanming's taxi—these vanished clues must hold the key to the truth. Wang Shuai sent Liu Wei's photo to nearby police stations, while Zhang Hui contacted the technical department to re-examine the fibers and chains at the scene, hoping to find a new breakthrough. As night deepened, the surface of the Beihe River shimmered, as if waiting for the moment when the truth would surface.

With no other leads, Lu Chuan arranged for a detailed investigation and assessment of Qin Yanming's interpersonal relationships.

The old residential complex where Qin Yanming lived was tucked away in an alley in the city center. Ivy climbed all over the mottled red brick walls. When Wang Shuai pushed open the unit door, the rusty iron door creaked, startling the sparrows under the eaves. He clutched Qin Yanming's home address in his hand, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the words "Unit 3, Room 402"—this was where Qin Yanming and his wife Liu Min had lived for ten years after their marriage, and it was also his last home before his murder.

When I knocked on the door of 402, Liu Min was sitting on the sofa in the living room folding clothes. Her black taxi uniform was placed separately to the side, the wrinkles at the hem not yet ironed. "Officer... are you here to investigate again?" Her voice was hoarse, her eyes were red and swollen like walnuts. When she got up, she knocked over a glass on the coffee table, water stains spreading next to Qin Yanming's portrait. She hurriedly wiped it with a tissue, but her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

Wang Shuai sat down on the sofa, his gaze sweeping over the living room furnishings: a wedding photo from ten years ago hung on the wall, Qin Yanming in his crisp police uniform (a photo of him as a young auxiliary police officer), Liu Min smiling brightly, her arm linked with his; on the coffee table lay unfinished breakfast, a bowl of porridge already cold, next to which sat Qin Yanming's usual enamel mug, the paint on the words "Safe Driving" chipped away. "I'd like to ask you, Mr. Qin, if you've ever had any enemies in your life?" Wang Shuai tried to keep his tone gentle, "For example, passengers, friends, or... relatives?"

Liu Min pressed her fingers repeatedly on the neatly folded clothes, remaining silent for a few seconds before speaking: "You know him, he's honest to the point of being a bit dull. He's been driving a taxi for so many years, and he rarely even argues with passengers." She picked up Qin Yanming's uniform, her fingertips tracing the left breast pocket. "Last time he had a conflict with Zhao Gang, I was the one who advised him not to take it too seriously. It's only three thousand yuan, if it's really not worth it, just let it go... Who knew he would insist on asking for it back, and even get threatened by someone." At this point, her voice choked up, and tears dripped onto the uniform, spreading a small dark patch.

Wang Shuai noticed that when Liu Min mentioned "Zhao Gang," her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the balcony, where several men's shirts hung, their styles completely different from those Qin Yanming usually wore. "Besides Zhao Gang, has he had any arguments with anyone else recently?" Wang Shuai pressed, "Like... relatives, or people you know?" Liu Min's body suddenly stiffened, her folding of clothes stopping. "No, his relatives are all in other places, we rarely contact each other, and his friends are all taxi drivers, we get along well with them all."

After leaving Liu Min's house, Wang Shuai went to Qin Yanming's parents' house. The two elderly people lived in an old house on the outskirts of the city. In the yard grew the roses that Qin Yanming loved, but most of the petals had already withered. Qin's father sat on the doorstep smoking a pipe, the copper bowl on the pipe worn smooth. When he heard Qin Yanming's name, the old man's hand trembled violently, and he didn't even notice the ash falling onto his trouser leg. "My Yanming, he's always been honest," Qin's father's voice trembled with tears. "When he was little, he never fought back even when people bullied him. When he grew up and drove a taxi, he didn't even dare to work the night shift too late, afraid of getting into trouble… How could something like this happen?"

Qin's mother was tidying up Qin Yanming's old belongings in the kitchen when she found a stack of certificates—all for "Outstanding Team Member" from his time as a police auxiliary officer, and "Model Service Officer" certificates from his time as a taxi driver. "He told us that driving a taxi was tiring, but it allowed him to take care of the family," Qin's mother said, wiping away tears. "He even said he'd get us a new refrigerator a while ago, but who knew..." She suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, last month he called me and said 'something came up at home,' his tone wasn't good. I asked him what was wrong, and he said nothing was wrong. Did he have a fight with Liu Min?"

Wang Shuai's heart skipped a beat, and he pressed on, "What do you think of their relationship? Do they argue often?" Qin's mother sighed, "Yanming dotes on Liu Min, and he does all the housework. Liu Min has a bit of a temper, but I've never heard of them arguing much. However, when Yanming came back last month, I noticed he was in a bad mood, so I asked him if he had a fight with Liu Min. He just said, 'It's nothing, don't worry about it.'"

Over the next two days, Wang Shuai visited more than a dozen of Qin Yanming's friends, mostly taxi drivers or former colleagues. "Yanming is such an honest man," said Lao Zhou, also a taxi driver, at a roadside noodle shop. "Once, a passenger left his wallet in his car, and he drove 20 kilometers to return it to the person, refusing any reward." Lao Zhou took a sip of noodle soup. "But the other day he told me, 'I'm having some troubles at home.' When I asked him what was bothering him, he wouldn't say, only saying, 'It'll be fine once it's resolved.'"

Another friend, Zhang Qiang, was Qin Yanming's colleague when he was a police auxiliary officer. He recalled, "Yanming really cared about Liu Min. Liu Min didn't have a job, so he drove for more than ten hours every day just to earn more money to buy her clothes. But last month, I was drinking with him, and he said after drinking too much, 'Liu Min hasn't been acting right lately.' When I asked him what was wrong, he shook his head and wouldn't say anything. Maybe it was just a small conflict between husband and wife?"

All the interviews pointed to one conclusion: Qin Yanming was an honest man who had never made enemies; the only "conflict" seemed to lie within his family. Wang Shuai decided to revisit Qin Yanming's neighborhood to find out more from the neighbors—after all, neighbors sometimes see things more clearly between husband and wife.

On a stone bench downstairs in the residential complex, several elderly people were basking in the sun. Wang Shuai offered them cigarettes and started chatting. When Qin Yanming was mentioned, the old folks sighed, "Yanming is a good young man. He always greets us when he sees us and helps us carry our things." When asked about Liu Min, an elderly man in a gray shirt—Song Guicheng, Qin Yanming's neighbor—suddenly fell silent, his palm-leaf fan hovering in mid-air. (End of Chapter)