Solving the case: Combining the police dog's olfactory genes at the beginning

"Luo Fei, is there a problem with this case?"

Luo Fei didn't answer; his gaze fell on a bunch of fresh white chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone. The flowers were still very fresh, indicating that someone must have been there recently.

"Old Cheng, help me find out where Qin Yutong's parents live now, and also the prison where Zhao Mingkai is serving his sentence."

After hanging up the phone, Luo Fei stood in front of Qin Yutong's grave for a long time.

"Yutong, if only back then..."

Luo Fei shook his head and didn't continue.

He took a police badge out of his pocket and gently placed it in front of the tombstone.

"This is my most precious thing, I'm leaving it to you."

As Luo Fei left the cemetery, his phone rang again. The caller ID showed Xu Hanwen, a high school classmate who now worked at the Education Bureau.

"Luo Fei, next Saturday is Teacher Qin's 70th birthday. We're all discussing throwing a birthday banquet. Are you coming?"

Xu Hanwen's voice was filled with excitement.

"Many old classmates came; it's a rare opportunity for us to get together."

Luo Fei paused in his steps.

Teacher Qin is Old Qin, Qin Yutong's grandfather.

"I'm on a business trip in Kyoto and might not be able to make it back."

Luo Fei carefully considered the wording.

"Could you please give me a red envelope with a thousand yuan? It's just a small token of my appreciation."

"So busy?"

Xu Hanwen was somewhat disappointed.

"Teacher Qin mentioned you just a few days ago, saying you are the most promising."

Luo Fei felt a tightness in his chest.

"How is Teacher Qin's health?"

"It's alright, but my memory isn't as good as it used to be. I fell last winter and had to stay in the hospital for half a month."

Xu Hanwen suddenly lowered his voice.

"Actually, Yu Tong's incident was a huge blow to him; his hair turned completely white overnight."

Luo Fei tightened his grip on his phone.

Where will the birthday banquet be held?

"Yuehua Hotel, 11:00 AM."

Xu Hanwen paused for a moment.

"You really can't come?"

"We'll see. If I finish work early, I'll come back."

Luo Fei answered ambiguously.

"By the way, who's going?"

"There are about ten people in our class, plus Teacher Qin's current students."

Xu Hanwen suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right, Zhao Minghui also said he's coming; he's the one who runs the 4S store."

Zhao Minghui? Luo Fei's eyes sharpened.

"Is he very familiar with Teacher Qin?"

“We weren’t that close, but he would visit Teacher Qin every Teacher’s Day, saying it was to atone for his younger brother’s sins.”

Xu Hanwen sighed.

"Actually, what does it have to do with his brother that Zhao Mingkai killed someone in a car accident? He's actually quite considerate."

Luo Fei didn't reply, a thought flashing through his mind.

Zhao Minghui and Zhao Mingkai, brothers?

After hanging up the phone, Luo Fei immediately sent a message to Cheng Yunchuan.

"Investigate the relationship between Zhao Mingkai and Zhao Minghui."

Three days later, Luo Fei received a call from Xu Hanwen, whose voice was filled with panic.

"Luo Fei, Teacher Qin fell at the birthday banquet and is now in the hospital!"

Luo Fei was reviewing the information sent by Cheng Yunchuan when he heard this and immediately stood up.

"Is it serious? Which hospital?"

"At the First Municipal Hospital, the doctor said it was a mild stroke. Fortunately, I was brought to the hospital in time."

Xu Hanwen's voice was filled with self-reproach.

"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have let him drink that glass of wine."

Luo Fei was getting anxious.

"I'll go visit him tomorrow."

The next day, Luo Fei felt a mix of trepidation and anticipation as he thought about meeting Teacher Qin.

"Be careful."

Luo Fei muttered to himself, took a pair of sunglasses from the drawer and put them on, then grabbed a baseball cap and put it on his head. Ever since that incident, he had developed the habit of always being aware of his surroundings.

The taxi had been waiting at the entrance of the residential area for a long time.

Luo Fei opened the car door and got in, giving an address completely opposite to the direction of the hospital. The driver, a middle-aged man with a full beard, glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and stepped on the gas without asking any questions.

"Driver, turn right at the intersection ahead."

After the car had been driving for about ten minutes, Luo Fei suddenly spoke.

The driver raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Sir, that's not where you're going."

"I know. Thank you for your help."

Luo Fei spoke calmly, but his eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror, observing the movement of the vehicles behind him.

The car circled the city three times, with Luo Fei constantly changing his instructions, sometimes telling the driver to accelerate, sometimes demanding a sudden turn at an intersection. Only when he was sure there were no suspicious vehicles following behind did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Go to the Second People's Hospital of Jiangcheng City."

Luo Fei took off his sunglasses and rubbed his sore eyes.

The driver cast a meaningful glance through the rearview mirror.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

“Occupational disease.”

Luo Fei twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that wasn't really a smile.

When the taxi stopped in front of the hospital, Luo Fei immediately spotted Xu Hanwen standing in front of the glass doors of the lobby. Years had passed, and his old classmate was still as tall and straight as ever, though a few fine lines had appeared at the corners of his eyes.

He was carrying a fruit basket and a bouquet of white baby's breath and pink carnations, looking down at his phone.

After paying the fare, Luo Fei strode towards the lobby. As the automatic door opened, Xu Hanwen seemed to sense something, looked up, and a smile immediately bloomed on his face.

"Old Luo!"

Xu Hanwen rushed over and stuffed the bouquet into Luo Fei's arms.

"I knew you'd be on time."

Luo Fei took the flower and sniffed it.

"Does Teacher Qin like baby's breath?"

"Aunt He's preferences."

Xu Hanwen explained with a smile, shaking the fruit basket in his hand.

"Teacher Qin loves apples, so I specially chose Red Fuji apples."

The two walked side by side toward the elevator, and Xu Hanwen pressed the up button.

Their blurry reflections were shown in the elevator doors; one was calm and reserved, the other cheerful and outgoing, yet they were surprisingly harmonious.

"Why did Teacher Qin suddenly fall down?"

Luo Fei stared at the constantly changing floor numbers and asked.

Xu Hanwen sighed.

"She's getting old and has osteoporosis. Aunt He said she slipped on the stool while getting a book from the study."

Luo Fei frowned slightly.

"I remember the small mahogany ladder in Teacher Qin's study."

"It broke a long time ago, but he couldn't bear to replace it with a new one."

Xu Hanwen shook his head.

"Still so frugal."

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor with a "ding," and two nurses pushed a medical cart inside.

Luo Fei and Xu Hanwen took a step back in tacit agreement, and the conversation was temporarily interrupted.

After the nurse left, Luo Fei spoke in a low voice.

"If it weren't for Teacher Qin's strong support back then, I might have..."

"That matter with Li Huihui?"

Xu Hanwen picked up the conversation, his expression somewhat indignant.

"That woman is simply getting revenge for your rejection of her advances. Teacher Qin is the only one in the entire school who stood up for you."

Luo Fei recalled the scene from back then: in the office, his younger self stood in the corner, facing Li Huihui, who was crying her eyes out.

The department head and several teachers cast doubtful or disdainful glances at him, but only Teacher Qin slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

“I know my student, Luo Fei is definitely not that kind of person!”

"Teacher Qin even went to see the principal later."

Xu Hanwen lowered his voice.

"He checked the surveillance footage and it proved that you weren't at the location Li Huihui mentioned that night at all. That woman ended up resigning in disgrace."

Luo Fei's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't reply. Some favors are more valuable when kept in the heart than when spoken aloud.

When the elevator reached the eighth floor and the doors opened, the two of them froze.

The corridor was crowded with people, mostly teenagers, some carrying flowers, others carrying fruit baskets or milk cartons.

They lined up quietly, occasionally whispering to each other, their gazes all fixed in the same direction: the VIP ward at the end of the corridor. "This is..."

Luo Fei looked at Xu Hanwen in surprise.

Xu Hanwen also looked bewildered.

"Professor Qin's student? That can't be right, he's been retired for ten years."

A girl with a ponytail noticed them and came over to explain.

"Are you here to see Grandpa Qin too? We are all students he has sponsored."

"Sponsorship?"

Luo Fei repeated, then suddenly remembered something.

"Is it the 'Spring Seedling Project'?"

The girl's eyes lit up.

"You know? Grandpa Qin started this educational assistance project twenty years ago, which has already helped more than 300 rural children. We have a WeChat group, and when we heard that Grandpa Qin was hospitalized, everyone who could come came."

Both Luo Fei and Xu Hanwen saw shock in each other's eyes.

They knew that Teacher Qin had always been enthusiastic about public welfare, but they did not expect it to be on such a large scale.

The teenagers in the corridor were orderly, and although there were many of them, it was not noisy.

A nurse walked over.

"Students, it's time to visit. Please leave your gifts and go home. The patient needs to rest."

To Luo Fei's surprise, the children did not complain, but nodded obediently.

They took turns entering the ward, and soon came out with red eyes, leaving silently.

Several girls walked up to the nurses' station and earnestly inquired about Teacher Qin's dietary restrictions, saying they would take turns delivering meals to her.

"Teacher Qin has students all over the world."

Xu Hanwen murmured.

As Luo Fei gazed at these simple and honest young men, a warm feeling welled up in his chest.

He recalled what his teacher, Professor Qin, often said during his university years.

"Education is not about filling a hole with knowledge, but about igniting a flame."

In retrospect, this fire has illuminated countless lives.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the corridor returned to silence.

Luo Fei and Xu Hanwen then walked towards the ward.

The outer room of the VIP suite is a small living room, which is now piled with flowers and gifts, making it almost impossible to step inside.

An elderly woman with silver hair was sorting through the gifts when she heard footsteps and looked up.

"Aunt He!"

Xu Hanwen quickly stepped forward.

"I am Xu Hanwen, and this is Luo Fei. Do you remember us?"

The old lady looked at it for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands.

"Xiao Xu! Xiao Luo! The old man often talks about you!"

She took the bouquet and fruit basket and pointed to the inner room.

"Hurry up and go in. He just asked if Luo Fei has arrived."

The ward door was ajar, and a familiar voice came from inside, weak yet still clear.

Is Luo Fei outside?

Luo Fei's hand paused on the doorknob for a moment before he pushed the door open.

Teacher Qin, lying in the hospital bed, was much thinner than I remembered; her hair was sparse and her face was pale.

Upon seeing Luo Fei, the old man struggled to sit up, the IV tube swaying gently with his movements.

"Teacher Qin, please don't move!"

Luo Fei rushed to the bedside and gently pressed down on the old man's shoulder.

Aunt He followed in and skillfully shook the headboard.

"Old man, slow down. You're getting all excited when the children come to see you."

Teacher Qin held Luo Fei's hand; her palm was warm and dry.

"You little rascal, you haven't come to see me in all these years, have you forgotten about this old man?"

"how come."

Luo Fei's throat tightened.

"It's my fault, I've been too busy with work."

"It's good to be busy, it's good to be busy."

Teacher Qin patted his hand and then looked at Xu Hanwen.

"Xiao Xu is here too. You two used to give me a lot of trouble."

Xu Hanwen came over with a grin.

"Teacher Qin, do you remember when I skipped class to go to a concert and you caught me at the school gate?"

"How could I not remember!"

Teacher Qin's eyes lit up.

"You were wearing a T-shirt with a skull on it, and I caught you climbing over the wall. You ended up losing your concert tickets and were squatting in the corner crying."

The three of them laughed at the same time.

What kind of work do you do now?

Teacher Qin asked, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two.

Xu Hanwen scratched his head, his leather jacket rustling.

"I worked in another city for a few years, and then came back last year to start delivering food. It's tiring, but it's free."

Teacher Qin nodded and turned to Luo Fei.

"What about you?"

"I"

Luo Fei hesitated for a moment.

"Be a police officer."

The old man's thin fingers suddenly tightened.

"Okay! Okay! Just like your parents."

His voice lowered.

"Your parents are heroes."

Luo Fei felt a tightness in his chest.

The explosion ten years ago took away his parents, as well as two of the best police officers in Jiangcheng's anti-drug squad.

He still remembers the heavy plastic bag the forensic doctor handed him when his parents' belongings were handed to him; inside were two police badges that had been burned and deformed.

"As long as it contributes to society, that's fine."

Teacher Qin patted their hands, her gaze kind and gentle.

"You are all good boys."

The ward door was gently pushed open, and a nurse walked in.

Teacher Qin needs to rest.

She said it gently but firmly.

Luo Fei and Xu Hanwen got up to say goodbye.

Teacher Qin waved goodbye reluctantly, her withered hand lingering in the air for a long time until the ward door closed.

"Teacher Qin hasn't been this happy in a long time."

In the corridor, Aunt He, Teacher Qin's husband, wiped the corner of her eye.

"He's like a completely different person ever since Yutong left."

Luo Fei paused in his steps.

Qin Yutong, Mr. Qin's only daughter, was two years his senior. In my memory, she was the girl who always wore a ponytail and quietly read books by the basketball court.

He wanted to ask about Yu Tong, but when he saw Aunt He's reddened eyes, he swallowed his words.

"We'll come see Teacher Qin another day."

Luo Fei said softly, and gently hugged the aunt who used to make snacks for them.

As the elevator descended, Luo Fei stared at the constantly changing floor numbers and finally spoke.

"Yutong, what happened?"

Xu Hanwen leaned against the elevator wall, his leather jacket screeching against the metal surface.

I only found out when I came back last year.

He sighed.

"The car accident happened four years ago."

"I saw her tombstone in the cemetery."

Luo Fei's voice was deep.

It says "My beloved daughter, Qin Yutong" on it.

Xu Hanwen suddenly stood up straight, his eyes becoming sharp.

"Do you know what's the most infuriating thing? The guy who's in jail now isn't even the one who killed Yutong."

"what?"

Luo Fei suddenly turned his head.

"Someone is taking the blame."

Xu Hanwen sneered.

"The scapegoat was a small-time hoodlum with a mountain of debt, while the real culprit was the young master of Jiangtian Group."

The elevator reached the first floor, and the doors opened. The two stepped out of the hospital, the cool early spring breeze brushing against their faces. (End of Chapter)