In the kitchen—
Han Bin first washed and chopped the vegetables, processed all the ingredients, removed the fishy lines from the fish, and marinated both the meat and fish in advance.
Then he heated the wok, added cool oil, and began cooking, starting with Moo Shu Pork.
Next came Sweet and Sour Carp, Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, and Vinegar Cabbage Stir-fry.
Each dish that came out of the kitchen was taste-tested by Han Weidong.
At first, he was skeptical, but after tasting the food, he looked surprised.
"Hey, this Moo Shu Pork is pretty good," he said, surprised.
"Really, your cooking is almost as good as mine," praised Wang Huifang.
"This kid's been hiding his skills. Took this long to show them off. I, his dad, didn't even know," Han Weidong said.
When the sweet and sour carp was served, it looked great just from the plating and aroma.
"Not bad, it's got the level of a restaurant chef," Han Weidong smiled, picking up a piece with his chopsticks. "Mmm, not bad at all. The sauce is just right."
"Let me try," Wang Huifang also took a piece.
"So? Has our son surpassed you in cooking?" Han Weidong joked.
This dish was time-consuming and oily, which was why Wang Huifang rarely made it at home.
"Don't jump to conclusions. Let's see the next dish. Sea cucumber is tricky—if not done right, it's really fishy," she replied, not ready to concede.
After all, she'd been cooking all her life and didn't want to be outdone by her son's first real attempt.
Though it was Han Bin's first time cooking, the techniques felt ingrained in his memory.
For seafood like sea cucumber, you can't entirely remove the fishy smell, but using scallions is key for balancing it. When frying scallion oil, you must use low heat to let the aroma seep into the oil. Once the scallions turn yellow, remove them. Then add the white parts of the scallions and stir-fry together with the sea cucumber, thicken the sauce, and serve.
When the braised sea cucumber with scallions came out, Wang Huifang took a bite—and fell silent.
Han Weidong also tasted it, his face showing a thoughtful expression. He nudged her with his elbow, "Well?"
"Cough... Not bad," she replied, grudgingly.
"Haha…" Han Weidong chuckled to himself, thinking, Not bad? This is restaurant quality. He could open his own place.
Of course, since it was Han Bin's first time cooking, his speed and heat control still fell short of a professional chef's.
The final dish, vinegar stir-fried cabbage, was served, and the family began to eat.
"How's the food, Mom, Dad?" Han Bin asked, a bit unsure since it was his first time.
"Very good, especially the braised sea cucumber—so flavorful!" Han Weidong praised.
"Son, maybe you should change careers and become a chef. Your talent must come from your mom," he teased.
"Haha…" Han Bin laughed.
Of course, his cooking skill came from a crime-solving reward—he wasn't about to give that up.
It was rare for the family to enjoy lunch together, and they chatted and laughed over the meal. Han Bin had a great appetite with his parents, and the three of them finished everything on the table—clear proof of his skills.
[Ding!]
A notification chimed in Han Bin's mind:
[Officer 577533, your dishes received recognition from your family. Cooking proficiency +3.]
"I'm a criminal investigator. What good is learning life skills?" Han Bin muttered.
"Police are also human. Balancing work and rest keeps you healthy, so you can better serve the people," the badge system replied.
Han Bin thought it over—fair enough. One must first manage their own life well to have a clear and righteous heart and better serve society.
After the meal, Han Bin and his father brewed some tea to help digest.
Ring ring... His phone rang.
It was a call from Zeng Ping. "Team leader Zeng."
"Han Bin, looks like your day off is only half a day."
"There's a case?"
"I'll send you the address. Come to the scene, now."
"Yes, sir."
After hanging up, Han Weidong asked, "What's up?"
"Crime scene call."
"Go ahead, stay safe," Han Weidong reminded him.
"Son, I thought you were off today. Why are you heading out again?" Wang Huifang asked, stepping out of the kitchen.
"There's a case. I've got to go."
Bang! The door closed. Wang Huifang sighed, "Look at him—busier than you were as a station chief."
"I was the same when I was young," Han Weidong said with a smile.
…
Huacui Community.
An old residential area with low-rise buildings near the city center. Despite its age, it's a school district property, so housing prices are high.
The scene was at Unit 1, Room 201.
Han Bin was surprised—there was no police tape or uniformed officer guarding the entrance.
Just as he reached the second floor, the door opened. Li Hui stuck out his head, "Binzi, come in."
"What kind of case is this? So secretive?"
"Kidnapping."
Han Bin nodded. That explained the low-profile approach—kidnappings must be investigated discreetly to avoid provoking the kidnappers into harming the victim.
Han Bin put on shoe covers and entered Room 201.
The room was filled with people: Zeng Ping, Tian Li, Zhao Ming, and the forensics team monitoring the phone.
A middle-aged man Han Bin didn't recognize sat on the sofa. He looked anxious and stared at the phone on the coffee table, as if waiting for a call.
Han Bin looked around. "Team leader Zeng, what's the situation?"
"The victim is a 13-year-old middle school student," Li Hui said, pointing to the unfamiliar man. "This is the victim's father, Cao Hua. He got a text around noon saying his son had been kidnapped. He rushed home and found the door open, the living room in a mess, so he called the police."
"Have you traced the phone number?"
"It came from the victim's phone."
"Any leads on the kidnapper?" Han Bin asked.
Li Hui took over, "We estimate the suspect is male, around 180cm tall."
"You got security footage?"
"No. It's an old complex, no property management, no surveillance," Li Hui shook his head.
"Then how did you estimate his height?"
"See the two sets of shoe prints near the table?" Tian Li pointed to the corner.
Han Bin turned and saw spilled juice on the floor and two sets of overlapping footprints—one clearer, one fainter.
Li Hui pointed at them. "Judging by the tread, it's a pair of size 44 leather shoes. Based on that foot size, the wearer is about 180cm tall."
Then Li Hui shrugged, as if saying, See? You're not the only one good at footprint analysis.
Zeng Ping ignored him and looked at Han Bin. "What do you think?"
Han Bin knelt down and examined the prints carefully. "Have you tracked down the suspect?" "No."
"So you're currently looking for a male suspect around 180cm tall?"
"Yeah. Women don't wear leather shoes like these," Li Hui replied.
Han Bin stood up and shook his head. "You're investigating in the wrong direction."
"What's wrong?" Li Hui asked.
"The suspect isn't 180cm tall, but around 160cm."
"No way. A 160cm person in size 44 shoes?" Li Hui challenged.
Han Bin smiled and explained: "This is a sloppy disguise. Small feet wearing big shoes."
"Small feet in big shoes?" Li Hui muttered. "How can you tell?"
"First: the heel strikes are unusually heavy. Second: the big toe presses at the front edge of the shoe print, with the other toes barely registering. Third: the heel pressure is concentrated at the lower arch of the print. Classic signs."
"So we've been searching in the completely wrong direction?" Tian Li asked, throwing up her hands.
Han Bin patted Li Hui on the shoulder. "Still a bit green."
"If the suspect is only 160cm tall—not much taller than the victim—this probably wasn't a forced abduction," Zhao Ming analyzed. "More like a case of luring or enticing the child away."
Zeng Ping frowned. "Start the search again!"
(End of Chapter)