4:00 p.m.
Sun Qifeng's parents arrived at the police station, looking exhausted from travel.
His older sister came along to help care for the elderly couple.
Han Bin first took some time to check on the parents' health.
Despite their grief, they seemed physically well and had no major medical conditions.
Only then did Han Bin take the three of them to the forensics lab to identify the body.
As soon as the white sheet was lifted, both parents collapsed onto the corpse, sobbing uncontrollably.
Han Bin wanted to comfort them but didn't know what to say. He sighed, thinking:
"Maybe I really am better suited for solving cases than dealing with grieving families."
It took a full hour before he could lead them out of the morgue.
Sun Qifeng's mother sat down in a chair, still covering her face and crying.
After an hour of nonstop sobbing, Han Bin was starting to get a headache.
He asked the mother to rest in the break room, then took the father and sister into the office for questioning.
As soon as they sat down, the sister couldn't hold back.
"Officer Han, how did my brother die?"
"He was strangled," Han Bin replied calmly.
"Who could be so cruel?" the father asked, fists clenched, eyes red.
"Sun Qifeng was suspected of being involved in a robbery-homicide case. We believe he was killed by an accomplice," Han Bin said truthfully.
"That's impossible! Qifeng was a good man. He'd never do something like that!" the sister protested.
"Officer Han, someone must've framed my son. He'd never commit a crime like that!" the father said, more agitated now.
To avoid further upsetting them, Han Bin softened his tone:
"If we want to find the truth and clear Sun Qifeng's name, we need to catch whoever killed him."
"Wait—you haven't caught the person who killed my son?" the father demanded.
"We're following leads. That's why we brought you here today—to see if you can help us with more information."
"Ask whatever you need," the sister said. "We'll do anything to help you catch the killer."
Han Bin nodded. Their cooperation meant the interview could actually go somewhere.
"Did Sun Qifeng show any unusual behavior recently?"
"He was a very family-oriented boy. He called home every week," the father said. "Just recently, he said he was going to start a business. Once he made some money, he wanted to rebuild the house so we could live more comfortably... Who knew this would happen…"
"Did he say what kind of business? Or who he was doing it with?" Han Bin asked.
"No, he didn't."
"To your knowledge, did Sun Qifeng have any close contacts or acquaintances in this city?"
The father wiped his eyes. "He did have a few fellow villagers living nearby, but I don't know how close they were."
"Among those villagers, was there a man about 35 years old, around 1.8 meters tall?"
"Hmm… I can't say for sure."
"Dad," the sister chimed in, "isn't Liu Zhixin—Old Liu's eldest son from the west end of the village—running a restaurant around here?"
"Ah, yes! Now that you mention it, I remember Qifeng talking about him," the father recalled.
"He said Liu Zhixin opened a small restaurant near where he lived. He used to eat there often, and it was cheaper too."
"What's the name of the restaurant?"
"No idea."
"Do you know the exact location?"
"Sorry, I don't."
"What kind of restaurant was it?" Han Bin asked.
"I think it was a noodle shop."
The sister pulled out her phone. "Should I call my husband and ask him to get more details from the village?"
"No need for now," Han Bin waved her off. "We don't want to alert anyone. I'll let you know if we need more info later."
Past 5:00 p.m.
After sending off Sun Qifeng's family, Han Bin returned to the office.
He found Zeng Ping and the others gathered in discussion.
"They're gone?" Zeng Ping asked.
"Yeah," Han Bin replied and collapsed into a chair.
"Captain Zeng, please assign someone else next time for body ID with the family. I'd much rather be investigating."
"Haha, you had to experience it to understand that even desk work isn't easy," Zeng Ping chuckled.
"Binzi, did Qifeng's parents give you any useful info?" Li Hui asked.
"According to his father, there's a fellow villager named Liu Zhixin who fits the suspect's description. He owns a noodle shop near Huilongguan, and Sun Qifeng used to eat there often."
"What's the name of the shop?"
"They don't know."
"Did we find anything related to a noodle shop during our investigation?" Zeng Ping asked.
"I reviewed the surveillance footage from a few days before the crime," Tian Li said.
"After work, Sun Qifeng always went out after changing clothes. He usually walked to a street behind the neighborhood with a lot of restaurants."
"Can we tell which restaurant he went into?" Zeng Ping asked.
"The footage doesn't show that," she replied.
"Captain Zeng, I think this Liu Zhixin is a strong suspect," Han Bin said.
"We never found any way Qifeng contacted his partner. That noodle shop could be where they met in person."
Zeng Ping stood and stretched.
"Alright, looks like everyone's beat. Let's take a break. I'm buying dinner."
"You're treating? That's rare!" Li Hui grinned.
"What's for dinner? I'm starving," Zhao Ming patted his stomach.
"What else?" Zeng Ping smiled. "We're having noodles, of course."
Near Huilongguan Neighborhood
There was a small convenience street nearby—lined with fruit stalls, veggie shops, butcher shops, and restaurants.
The five of them drove to the area.
Zeng Ping took out his handgun and checked the magazine.
"Play it by ear. Avoid using your weapon unless absolutely necessary."
They strolled down the convenience street and quickly identified three restaurants. Only one of them was a noodle shop.
A sign outside read: "Liu Yi Shou Noodle House".
Zeng Ping took a cigarette from his pack and held it under his nose.
"Zhao Ming, go check if there's a back door behind the noodle shop. If there is, keep an eye on it."
"Tian Li, go to the fruit shop east of the noodle place. Buy something."
"Han Bin, head to the convenience store west of the noodle shop. Buy a pack of cigarettes."
"Li Hui, you're with me—we're going in for a bowl of noodles."
"Yes, sir," the three responded in sync.
Li Hui hesitated. "Captain Zeng, we're really eating his noodles?"
"Scared?" Zeng Ping raised an eyebrow.
"Scared? Of course not. Bring it on!" Li Hui puffed up.
"You're just going in for noodles, not your last meal," Zeng Ping teased.
Han Bin chuckled and patted Li Hui on the shoulder before walking into the convenience store.
Behind the counter stood a woman in her 40s, watching a soap opera on her computer.
"Boss lady, one pack of cigarettes, please."
"Which kind?"
Han Bin pointed through the glass display case.
"Twenty," she said.
Han Bin paid and casually opened the cigarette pack.
"Hey, mind if I ask you something?"
(End of Chapter)