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

He walked to the window, his back to the crowd, as if giving them some space to process this huge amount of information, or perhaps as a silent form of contempt.

After a full minute or two, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd again, his tone still eerily calm.

"I know that what I just said was quite a lot of information. There may be some details that you don't remember clearly, or that are slightly different from what you've said. That's okay, we still have plenty of time today, and we can talk about it slowly."

Everyone can take a moment to process and recall this. I'm going out for a smoke, I'll be back in ten minutes.

After saying that, he looked at no one and walked straight to the meeting room door.

Just as his hand touched the doorknob, about to open the door and walk out—

Fan Chuncheng, who had been as still as a clay or wooden sculpture, suddenly raised his head. A final, twisted light burst forth from his lifeless eyes. He stared intently at Luo Fei's back and, with all his might, roared out a hoarse, desperate question.

"Luo Fei! What you just said... about my wife and Zhou Sheng... is it true?! Tell me! Is it true?!"

Luo Fei paused in his action of pulling the door open.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at the seemingly crazed Fan Chuncheng out of the corner of his eye, and a faint, almost pitying smile appeared on his lips.

"Vice Mayor Fan."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Regarding the specific details of your wife's interactions with Director Zhou Sheng, you can verify them with the comrades in the inspection team later, or ask Director Zhou himself."

As for you.

His gaze swept over Fan Chuncheng, then over the other bureau chiefs.

"Whether the things that each of you is real or fake, you know best in your hearts, don't you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Fei didn't linger. He opened the conference room door, flashed out, and closed the door behind him.

"Click".

With a soft click, the door was closed tightly.

The meeting room fell silent once more.

But this silence was completely different from before. It was as if Luo Fei's last words had drained everyone of their last shred of pretense and hope. Fan Chuncheng slumped in his chair, his eyes completely dulled, leaving only meaningless murmurs.

Zhou Sheng held his head in his hands, his fingers digging deep into his hair.

He Wenbin huddled up like an ostrich. Zeng Ke, Su Mingyuan, Li Bin, and others either stared at the table with deathly pale faces, or stared blankly at the ceiling, or closed their eyes in anguish. Although Dean Liu Zhenye was not directly named in the secret, being among this group of completely broken officials, feeling the omnipresent despair and the mutual hatred in their eyes, he was equally terrified, his body covered in cold sweat.

No one spoke. Only heavy breathing, and the occasional, uncontrollable, soft sobs or whimpers. Complex gazes—resentful, fearful, tentative, desperate—crossed silently and stiffly between former colleagues, then quickly averted.

Everyone was in a state of immense shock and panic, processing the secrets they had just heard about themselves and others—secrets that could ruin their reputations and condemn them to eternal damnation.

The entire room was filled with a silence more suffocating than death itself.

three days later.

The corridor of a military hospital in Kyoto was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant and a lingering, unsettling atmosphere. The stark white light shone on the clean, cold floor tiles, reflecting a desolate glow. Luo Fei sat alone on a row of blue benches outside the operating room, his back straight, his face expressionless, like a silent, weathered rock.

His gaze fell on the three glaring red characters "Operation in Progress" not far ahead. The red light shone steadily, like an ominous heart beating in the silence. Inside was the third and most crucial major surgery for Chen Yifan, a member of the special case team. The previous two surgeries were like a tug-of-war between life and death, with critical condition notices issued one after another. Chen Yifan's young life hovered on the edge of life and death several times, only sustained by top-notch medical technology and his own tenacious will to live.

The devastating attack on the training center left behind not only sacrifices and ruins, but also these wounds that urgently need repair and a long road to recovery.

Chen Yifan's parents had already traveled from afar and had been waiting for countless hours in this corridor filled with unknowns and torment.

His father, Chen Weiguo, had the general's star on his shoulder insignia, which showed his prominent status as a senior leader in the Eastern Theater Command. But at this moment, he was just a father with a furrowed brow, bloodshot eyes, and burning with worry.

He couldn't sit still like he did in the command room. Instead, he paced back and forth in the not-so-spacious corridor with his hands behind his back. His steps were heavy and anxious, as if each step was treading on a taut string of his heart.

Chen Yifan's mother sat in the chair diagonally opposite Luo Fei, her hands clasped tightly together, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

She would glance up at the operating room door every now and then, then quickly look down again. Her husband's swaying figure and heavy footsteps disturbed her mind, but she dared not speak to stop him, and could only suppress all her anxiety and fear.

Zhou Xiaobei and Su Muchen, the surviving members of the special task force, were also present.

Zhou Xiaobei's head was wrapped in thick gauze, one arm was in a sling across his chest, and his face was still somewhat pale; Su Muchen's leg was in a cast, and he was supported by a cane.

Both sat silently to one side, their gazes fixed on the tightly closed door. Another seriously wounded member, Yuan Bingyan, remained in the intensive care unit for observation and recuperation due to the severity of her injuries and the special circumstances, unable to leave for the time being. In the bloody attack on the Divine Bow Bureau training center, spearheaded by Tianyu Shencang, besides Wu Peixiong and Wang Feifei, who had already sacrificed themselves and whose names were now two heavy names on a cold list, Chen Yifan was one of the most severely injured and in the most dangerous situation during the direct confrontation.

He faced that terrifying enemy head-on, suffering severe injuries, with multiple ruptured organs and fractured bones. It was a miracle he survived until rescue arrived. Furthermore, most of the wounded youths of the Heavenly Secrets Group who had been temporarily conscripted in that battle and also paid the price were also treated at this top-notch military hospital nearby. The entire floor was filled with a solemn and sorrowful atmosphere of post-war recovery.

Time passed slowly in silence and repression, and every minute and second seemed exceptionally long.

Just as the surgery was still in progress and the atmosphere was so tense it was almost frozen, a series of hurried but deliberately soft footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

A young girl wearing a beige trench coat, with her hair in a ponytail, and a pretty face but with obvious anxiety, hurriedly appeared. Her gaze swept anxiously over the people waiting in the corridor, finally settling on Zhou Xiaobei.

"Zhou Xiaobei!"

The girl walked quickly closer, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

"How is Yifan? Is the surgery still ongoing?"

Zhou Xiaobei looked up upon hearing the voice, recognized the person, and quickly tried to stand up, supporting himself on the chair.

"Officer Zeng? You've arrived."

The visitor was Zeng Mengxue, a policewoman from the Jiangcheng Narcotics Enforcement Team, and Chen Yifan's long-time girlfriend with whom he had a stable relationship.

During breaks in his missions, Chen Yifan often mentioned his beautiful and cool girlfriend to his team.

She had clearly arrived as quickly as possible after receiving the news. Zhou Xiaobei guessed that the source of the information was likely Yuan Bingyan, who was also from Jiangcheng and knew Zeng Mengxue, and who managed to notify her after regaining consciousness.

The attention of Chen Weiguo and his wife was also drawn to the suddenly appearing strange girl.

Chen's mother stopped her unconsciously twisting fingers, looked at Zeng Mengxue, and asked in her eyes.

Chen Weiguo stopped pacing and turned around. Zeng Mengxue then noticed the two distinguished elders, especially Chen Weiguo's ceremonial star and his imposing presence despite his anxiety. She was slightly taken aback, realizing that these were likely Chen Yifan's parents. Meeting her boyfriend's family for the first time in such a special and somber situation, she felt a surge of nervousness, but even more so, worry about Chen Yifan's condition.

Zhou Xiaobei quickly stepped in as the introducer.

"Uncle, Auntie, this is Zeng Mengxue, she is... she is Yifan's girlfriend, and she works as a police officer in Jiangcheng. Officer Zeng, these two are Yifan's parents."

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt."

Zeng Mengxue quickly bowed politely to greet him, her voice filled with barely concealed urgency and trepidation.

"I...I just heard that Yifan was injured, so I quickly asked for leave to come over."

What is his condition now? What did the doctor say?

Chen's mother looked at the girl in front of her, who had delicate features and clear, anxious eyes. When she heard the word "girlfriend," her eyes flickered with a complicated expression.

She nodded, her tone relatively gentle, but there was a hint of something else in her words.

"Oh, it's Mengxue."

Yifan, this kid, has never mentioned having a girlfriend to us... I used to keep urging him, and I introduced him to a few girls I thought were nice, but he always said he was too busy, or that they weren't suitable. Turns out he already had someone in mind.

She paused, seemingly realizing that it was inappropriate to say these things at this time, and quickly added an explanation.

"Auntie didn't mean anything by it, it's just... I just didn't expect it. Don't take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Mengxue felt a slight pang in her heart, but then felt relieved.

She could understand her elders' feelings, especially since Chen Yifan's profession was special and required a high degree of confidentiality, so there were many things that were indeed inconvenient to talk about with his family, including his feelings.

She shook her head, her tone sincere.

"Auntie, I understand."

Yifan's job is unusual, requiring him to keep many things confidential, and he probably doesn't want his family to worry. I believe him.

Seeing that she was poised and spoke appropriately, Chen's mother's expression softened.

She glanced at the operating room door, then at Zeng Mengxue, and asked in a hurry.

"Are you a police officer? Which department in Jiangcheng do you work for? What do your parents do?"

This series of questions carried the slightly scrutinizing concern typical of elders during a first meeting. Zeng Mengxue answered truthfully.

“I work in the Narcotics Control Division of the Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau. My parents… are ordinary farmers who farm in our hometown.”

Upon hearing the word "farmer," Chen's mother's lips moved slightly. Before she could say anything more, Chen Weiguo, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly spoke up.

His voice was deep and resonant, carrying a calm and composed demeanor that befitted someone who had long held a high position but was not arrogant. He looked at Zeng Mengxue and nodded.

"Farmers are good. They are down-to-earth and honest. When I was young and in the army, I also went to the countryside and lived and ate with the villagers. My ancestors, going back a few generations, were also farmers who made a living by working the land."

His words were so natural that they immediately bridged the gap and subtly dispelled any potential, invisible barriers.

He looked at Zeng Mengxue, his tone gentle yet firm.

"Mengxue, right? Don't be nervous."

Yifan's choice of you must have its reasons. It's a matter between you young people; you two should handle it yourselves. As long as you're serious and support each other, we, as parents, can only offer our blessings.

Seeing that her husband had expressed his opinion and that his words were reasonable, Chen's mother looked at Zeng Mengxue's pretty and sincere appearance, and thought of her son's life and death being uncertain. She was filled with mixed feelings, and those hidden prejudices about social class seemed so insignificant at this moment.

She sighed, reached out and gently patted Zeng Mengxue's hand, her voice softening considerably.

“Your uncle is right. As long as Yifan can get out safely, that’s more important than anything else. We’re relieved that you’re all doing well.”

These almost approving words eased Zeng Mengxue's anxiety slightly, but soon, even greater worries welled up again.

All eyes turned once again to the still-closed operating room door.

Just when the wait was about to completely exhaust one's patience, the red indicator light that had been burning for a long time came on.

With a "beep", it went out.

Immediately afterwards, the operating room door was pushed open from the inside.

The first to emerge was the chief surgeon, an elderly expert with glasses, slightly gray hair, and a composed demeanor.

He is a renowned surgical authority in the hospital and even the entire army, and was specially invited to preside over this high-risk surgery.

He had taken off his mask, and although his expression showed the fatigue of post-surgery, there was a sense of relief between his brows. This subtle change in expression instantly captured the hearts of everyone in the corridor.

Chen Weiguo strode forward, and his mother and Zeng Mengxue immediately surrounded him. Luo Fei, Zhou Xiaobei, and Su Muchen also stood up, their eyes fixed on the doctor.

"Doctor, how is my son?"

Several people spoke almost simultaneously, their voices filled with eager anticipation.

The old expert raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down. His gaze swept over everyone and finally landed on Chen Weiguo's face. He reported clearly.

"Commander Chen, family members, please rest assured. The surgery was a great success, even better than we expected."

These words were like heavenly music, instantly piercing through the heavy clouds that shrouded everyone's hearts.

Tears welled up in Chen's mother's eyes. She covered her mouth, but couldn't stop her body from trembling—a physiological reaction of sudden relaxation after extreme tension. Zeng Mengxue's eyes also reddened, and she tightly gripped the hem of her clothes.

Zhou Xiaobei and Su Muchen exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief of surviving a disaster in each other's eyes.

The doctor continued to explain in detail.

"The patient's will to live was exceptionally strong, providing a solid foundation for the surgery. We successfully repaired the major damaged organs and blood vessels, cleared the blood clots and bone fragments, and stabilized the fracture sites. Currently, his vital signs have stabilized, and his spontaneous breathing and heartbeat are good. It can be said that he is out of danger." (End of Chapter)